Reading Tee Yod through Buddhist psychology of trauma

Original Research

Abstract

This article examines Tee Yod (Death Whisperer, 2023), a Thai horror film directed by Taweewat Watanawat, through the lens of Buddhist psychology of trauma. Departing from the conventions of the Nang Phi genre, Tee Yod reinterprets the ghost as a metaphor for intergenerational suffering and psychological distress within a Buddhist cosmological and moral framework. Drawing on Theravāda Buddhist principles of suffering, ignorance, impermanence, purification, mindfulness, and insight, this study argues that Tee Yod challenges western paradigms of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by proposing an alternative framework for recovery and transformation grounded in Buddhist ethics and contemplative practice. A comparative analysis of western trauma treatments – such as trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy, exposure therapy, and pharmacotherapy – and Buddhist-inspired approaches demonstrates the latter’s potential for moral repair, emotional regulation, and integrative healing. The article situates the film within broader discourses on Buddhist psychology, highlighting how mindfulness, ethical cultivation, and insight function as means of transcending suffering. Ultimately, it suggests that Tee Yod offers a cinematic articulation of Buddhist trauma theory, foregrounding healing as a process of awareness and compassion.