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Cambodians, as well as some other nations in the world, believe in "Acphek Tamacheat,’ "Supernatural" in English, or "Surnaturel" in French. It is believed that nature has a special and mysterious power that cannot be seen or explained. Around us, there are various kinds of in-humans such as ghosts, demons, and monsters ... who sometimes hurt people. Besides, those invisible inhuman, witchcraft can cause people to be in great pain, madness, delusion, or even death, so in order to escape or avoid those dark magics, one must find something to protect oneself and it is known as "Mun Keatha".
Mun Keatha is a word for self-defense (can be Khmer or Pali) in times of emergency, such as during a war. As for those who know the magic, most of them are monks, priests or elders who have been ordained or through a family line. It is believed that the effective use of occultism depends on the obedience of each individual, for those who possess occultism also need to adhere to certain traditions.
Keatha has more than that and there are so many types. Some Keathas can be recited with the mouth, while others can be ‘Saek’ or spread on things like oil, wax, perfume, etc… to apply on hair or body. Sometimes it is mixed with herbs or some plants and eaten to get the ingredients and magic into the body to heal from disease and have power. For example, Sbaek kong (can’t be hurt) is a combination of medicinal plants boiled together and is said to wake up the Keatha.
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