ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Preta

Preta is a word that comes from Hinduism and Buddhism, and it means a ghost or spirit. Imagine a ghost like Casper, but in these religions, preta is a spirit that is not happy and feels like it is suffering. It is said that when someone dies, their soul can become a preta if it has not moved on to the afterlife.

Pretas are sometimes described as being starving because they are unable to eat or drink anything. They are also said to be very thirsty, but when they try to drink water, it turns into boiling hot oil. Can you imagine how sad and uncomfortable that would be?

To help the preta move on to the afterlife, people in these religions will often offer them food or perform certain rituals to appease them. This is done in the hopes that the preta will feel more at peace and be able to move on to their next life.

Overall, preta is a word that describes a spirit that is stuck between this world and the afterlife, and can be very unhappy and uncomfortable. People try to help them move on by offering them food and performing certain rituals.