Jailangkung and the Child’s Psyche Analysis of Mystical Suggestion, Psychophysical Impact, and the Role of Emotional Literacy in Building Psychological Resilience

Folklore is an important part of Indonesia’s cultural heritage, rich in educational and spiritual values. However, beyond this educational function, some orally transmitted mystical narratives can have negative impacts, especially on children. This article aims to examine how mystical narratives like Jailangkung can affect children’s psychological and physical conditions through the mechanism of suggestion, and how emotional literacy can serve as an effective preventive and intervention strategy. This research employs a qualitative approach using a literature review method combined with an analysis of the author’s personal experience when encountering the Jailangkung story in childhood. The findings indicate that Jailangkung is not merely a horror story but a representation of societal belief systems regarding communication with spirits. The narratives and incantations surrounding Jailangkung are passed down through generations and form a strong part of oral culture, functioning as a tool for social control and the formation of collective fear. For children, repeated exposure to this mystical suggestion can trigger phasmophobia, excessive anxiety, insomnia, eating disorders, and other psychosomatic symptoms. Evolutionary mechanisms such as the hyperactive agency detection device (HADD) and the receptive state of a child’s subconscious mind when in alpha and theta brainwaves strengthen the impact of these suggestions. Children who are unable to differentiate reality from fiction become highly vulnerable to frightening narratives, thus interpreting neutral stimuli as supernatural threats. The author’s personal experience shows that the Jailangkung story, as told by peers, successfully formed irrational fears that had a real impact on physical and mental conditions. This underscores the importance of emotional literacy as a form of prevention. Emotional literacy is the ability to recognize, understand, express, and manage emotions healthily, as well as to empathize with others. Early childhood emotional literacy education can help children manage fear, differentiate between fiction and reality, and foster a resilient and critical personality. This article recommends various strategies, including educating parents and educators on the importance of emotional intelligence and hypnoparenting approaches, integrating emotional literacy into early childhood education curricula, utilizing a reading culture as a means of developing children’s emotional vocabulary, and transforming mystical narratives into educational media that build courage and cultural understanding. Furthermore, the government and content industries are also expected to play an active role in creating an educational ecosystem that protects children from the negative impacts of mystical narratives. With a planned preventive approach, cultural narratives like Jailangkung do not need to be removed but can be recontextualized into educational tools that support the formation of healthy and adaptive child mentalities amidst local cultural diversity.