I give infinite thanks to Saint Michael the Archangel for having worked a miracle of delivering me from the clutches of the vice of drugs. Every day I hallucinated that a demon abused my body, and the fear I felt made me take stronger drugs because I couldn’t control myself.

Zulema Buenrostro
San Miguel de Allende, Gto., 1979

Eufemio Rosales went to gather pulque and on his way back met a witch. He thanks the Virgin of the Solitude for he could get safely to his hut, although he and his donkey made huge shit from fear.

Puebla, 1912

My boyfriend is a fan of horror movies. I love him so I watch them together with him, although they scare me a lot. I thank Saint Benedict with this exvoto because, although I suffer while watching, I forgot all the horror scenes after the movie ends. I never have nightmares and I sleep peacefully.

Venito Huerta almost died from fear when a two-headed skeleton chased me.

Tlaxcala, April 10, 1939

Saint Rita of Cascia, I offer you this ex-voto thanking you for not giving me diabetes because I got very much frightened when I was passing by drunk and the Death and the Devil himself appeared to me. I ran away to my house because my stomach was bursting. But then I realized it was the Day of the Dead and people dressed up like that to ask for sweets because it’s the tradition of all Mexicans. Viva la Catrina and those who celebrate the Day of the Dead!

Grateful chilango, November 1 and 2, 2014
Mixquic, Mexico City

Holy Virgin Mary, I was afraid of flying saucers and extraterrestrials. I was praying to you every night during a month, and you delivered my head from this anxiety. Thanks for being with me. Thanks for you love for me.

Malena

One night a pretty big gorilla got into Hilda Hurtado’s room, and she almost died from fright.

Mexico, January 22, 1974

Margarito Stivenson was contacted by two extraterrestrials who scared me a lot. I pay with this retablo.

Guanajuato, May 11, 1980

For the last 25 years I’ve been working as a watchman in the Mummies museum in Guanajuato. Although it’s been a long time, I couldn’t get over the fear of staying with mummies at nights. I thank Saint Benedict for giving me his protection since I haven’t seen or experienced anything supernatural.

Abelino Gutiérrez \ Guanajuato, Mexico

Lord of Chalma, I thank you for delivering me from dying being shot by my girlfriend’s father when he caught me painting a graffiti on his house. I was so fucking scared I got diarrhea that wouldn’t stop for fifteen days. Now I’m fine, and I promise not to do this again.

Angel V.
Barrio Norte, Mexico City, February 14, 1999

In my family we used to bring offerings to our dead relatives. But when I became independent and began to live alone, I felt too lazy to put an altar and decided to decorate my house for Halloween instead. The night of the Day of the Dead I was greatly frightened by seeing that my grandparents appeared to me and they were very angry with me for not giving them offerings. I thank Saint Michael for they didn’t take me to a better world, and I promise not to forget my Mexican traditions.

When I was a little boy, I watched the movie “It” and I was so traumatized by it that I had nightmares with the Pennywise clown. Even when I got to my adult age, I still lived with this fear. Then some friends recommended me to watch the new version to confront and overcome my trauma. But it only made it worse. Now I had nightmares with the both clowns. I thank Saint Benedict because, by entrusting myself to him, I finally can sleep in peace.

Mexico

Gabriel(a) Ramirez brings this retablo thanking for her husband’s ghost doesn’t come to her anymore, because she was very frightened.

Mexico City, 1989