French Polynesia: The Mana Islands

In Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, and the scattered atolls, French administration overlays one of the Pacific's most sophisticated spiritual systems. Here mana (spiritual power) flows through all things, and tapu (taboo/sacred restrictions) still govern behavior despite republican equality.

The Tupapa'u: Spirits of the Dead

Polynesian spirits differ from European ghosts—they're not trapped but choose to remain, serving family or pursuing purposes:

Tupapa'u manifest as: - Lights traveling between islands - Voices in wind and wave - Physical presences indistinguishable from living - Most commonly, through dreams providing guidance

Modern encounters include: - GPS systems directed to avoid dangerous waters - Cell phones receiving calls from deceased relatives - Most remarkably, social media profiles active after death

The Tiki Guardians

Carved tiki represent more than art—they house spirits that protect specific locations: - Ancient tiki maintain their power despite museum relocation - New carvings become inhabited through proper ceremony - Most powerfully, certain tiki wake when their sites face threat

Tourist interactions produce: - Cameras malfunctioning near sacred tiki - Offerings left by visitors who "feel compelled" - Most telling, illnesses following disrespectful behavior

The 'Arioi Ghosts

The 'Arioi society, dissolved by missionaries, practiced sacred theater and fertility rituals. Their ghosts continue performing: - Phantom canoes traveling between islands - Songs and dances witnessed on empty beaches - Most spectacularly, full performances visible to some, invisible to others

These performances serve purposes: - Teaching forgotten genealogies - Preserving outlawed practices - Most importantly, maintaining spiritual connections missionaries severed