Ghosts, Demons, and UFOs We’ve Actually Lived Through

Jennie Velasco
Aug 16
5 min read

Updated: Aug 16

(True Stories From the Mijas)

From the whispers of La Llorona drifting over a dark river to your tía swearing she saw a UFO on the way home from the panadería, Latinx supernatural stories have always been more than just campfire entertainment. They’re our cultural inheritance — part spooky, part survival manual.

In episode 7 of Listen, Mija (available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen), we explore how ghost stories, urban legends, and alien conspiracies have shaped our communities. And spoiler alert: these tales reveal more about history, colonization, and resilience than you might think.

BUT…some stories you hear. Others you live through — and they stay with you forever. In this week’s Listen, Mija blog, we’re pulling back the curtain on some of our own real-life creepy encounters, from demon-level nightmares to unexplained lights in the sky.

In our communities, paranormal tales aren’t just for October—they’re part of the cultural fabric. And for the three of us, spooky encounters have a way of finding their way into real life. From demon-level nightmares to comforting visits from loved ones who’ve passed—and even a possible UFO sighting—we’ve lived through some things.

So grab your cafecito, dim the lights, and let us tell you what happened.

Stella – The Demon That Looked Back at Me

It started like any other night. Stella was taking out the trash on a dark night, there it was—an old woman, with a distorted face. She wasn’t just looking; she was watching…and seconds later, began to summon her.

Frozen in place, Stella felt herself lose control of her body and was moving closer to this mysterious, haunting figure. The air thickened, heavy with something she couldn’t name. And then… with the help of an internal voice that gave allowed her control of her body again, she ran. Not looking behind her. Went back inside her home and shut the door.

Some would say “sleep paralysis.” Others would whisper “bruja” or “demon.” Stella just knows she saw something that wasn’t supposed to be there. And yet—she’s the one of us who can binge horror movies without flinching. We still don’t know how she does it.

Jen – A Visit From Abuela and Dreams that Foretell

When Jen’s grandmother passed, grief wasn’t the only thing in the house.

She, her tia, cousins, and her mom were cleaning out Abuela’s home when the air shifted—subtle at first, then unmistakable. They were sharing stories about abuela, reminiscing, and then suddenly, something changed. A familiar, yet eerie feeling filled the room. As Jen looked up, she heard a click. The only hallway in her abuelas house that led to her bedroom lit up. The light had turned on by itself. Jen slightly panicked, but then realized what was happening. With tears in her eyes, she looked at her mom.

They both knew. She was there. Jen ran out of the house for a moment because she was so overwhelmed. As she walked back in, she saw her mom reach to turn the light switch off, but before her mother's hand could reach it, the light switch clicked downwards and the hallway went dark.

It wasn’t scary—it was a reminder. Like Abuela was gently reminding them, “I’m still watching over you. Keep going.” In that moment, loss felt less like an ending, and more like a hand reaching back through time.

Jen has always had a special skill with her intuition. Her family often told her that the women in their family had gifts. Jen's gift would reveal itself in her early teens, dreams that would be confusing at first, but eventually revealed things that occurred in the real world.

When she was 19 and living on her own in her first apartment, she recalled awakening from a terrible nightmare that hinted at the reality around her. In her dream, she awoke in her bed to hear pounding at her door and a foreboding feeling in her stomach . She attempted to turn on the light, but when she would switch it on, it didn't illuminate and she stood in darkness. In her dream the pounding on the door worsened and then suddenly, the door fell in and just as the intruder was about to reach her, she awoke drenched in sweat.

With fear, back in the waking world she attempted to switch the light on in her room and nothing happened. Panic set in and she overhead loud talking outside her window. She opened her blinds to see cops walking throughout her apartment complex with flashlights notifying residents of a black out. Turns out, her dreams sometimes are warnings of what is going on in the real world.

Jennie – My Almost UFO… and the Ofrenda That Talks Back

I’ve never been the brave one.

So when I saw a strange air pattern in the sky—too low, too staggered, moving both too fast and slow?—I did what any self-respecting scaredy-cat would do: I ignored it like I didn’t see anything, got in the house and locked the door. To this day, I can’t explain it. And I’m not sure I want to.

But the real energy happens when I put up my ofrenda for Dia de Muertos. Every year, something strange happens—candles flicker, frames rattle, or the speaker blasts loud music. I always chalk it up to my dad checking in.

One year, though, it was different. I’d added illustrated portraits of Gazan and Palestinian families—honoring the connection between loss, resilience, and memory. Minutes later, the room shook. Not a bump or a creak—the kind of shake that makes you stop breathing for a second. I’m talking windows rattling, floor vibrating, and a sound that nearly sounded like a bomb.

Coincidence? Maybe. But like any good mija, I lit another candle, said a prayer, and carried on.

Why We Tell These Stories

In our culture, the paranormal isn’t just “spooky”—it’s a way of making sense of life’s biggest mysteries. These stories hold grief, love, survival, and history all at once. They connect us to something bigger than fear: our ancestors, our resilience, and our belief that we’re never truly alone.

Do you believe in ghosts? Or have you already met one?

🔮 Listen Now:

🎧 Listen, Mija — Episode: Mija, ¿Oíste Eso? La Llorona, El Spookies, and That UFO Your Tía Swears She Saw

📲 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.

Hope you enjoy the episode! Share your own personal stories with us @listenmija_podcast on Instagram or send us a note on: ⁠http://www.listenmijapod.com ⁠

Listen to the episode: ⁠Spotify⁠ | ⁠Apple Podcasts ⁠| ⁠Amazon Podcasts⁠ | ⁠I Heart Radio⁠