The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren by Gerald Brittle Page A
Authors: Gerald Brittle
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on, a similar, subjective assault will be launched against the people themselves. Terrifying things, like innocent children becoming debased monsters with superhuman strength. Or adults suddenly aging overnight, or taking on features of the dead. And many times, these effects are not totally reversible. Yes, these things happen! This is very real, very serious business. When the demonic is responsible for a disturbance, lives are often ruined."
When the Warrens are called in to investigate a possible demoniacal presence, what procedure do they use to determine the nature of the spirit present?
“When a case is referred to us,” Ed answers, “it’s usually through church authorities. Once we learn about the problem, we immediately contact the principals involved. Naturally, time is of the essence. We are dealing with something quite capable of causing injury, even death.
“Once we arrive at the scene, I sit the family down and interrogate them completely. I tape-record these interviews. I’ve got thousands of cases on tape. Generally I say very little so that the people have to tell me what they’ve experienced. I listen for certain clues and characteristics that distinguish the performance of the demonic spirit from other types of phenomena.
"I’ll want to know, for instance, when the family experiences the activity. Most spirit problems occur during the night, after the sun goes down. Has the family noticed odd smells in the house or quick fluctuations of temperature? Often a spirit projects odors to signal its presence, or draws energy from the room, leaving it freezing cold. Have they heard noises that resemble the sound of a stranger in the house? Doors that slam by themselves, muted talking, heavy breathing, lights being switched on and off are strong indications of a spirit presence. Is the family awakened at specific hours of the night? Many times a spirit will re-create its own tragedy at the same time every day, usually at the moment its physical life was ended. Is the family afraid to enter some particular room or area of the house? A human spirit will tend to remain in a room that was familiar to it in life; an inhuman spirit will dwell in an area of the house that it finds the most psychically hospitable.
“If I get yeses to a number of these questions then I go further and ask have they used a Ouija board. This is the most common way negative spirits are brought in. Have they conducted a séance? Those who encourage invisible entities to enter their home often draw in spirits of a kind they never knew existed. Have they performed satanic or black witchcraft rituals? People may laugh about selling their soul to the devil, but the sorry fact is, it can be done—and quite easily, at that. Has anyone in the family been inside a haunted house? A person who shows enough interest to go into a truly haunted house is apt to bring a desperate spirit home with him. Have they been having realistic dreams or threatening nightmares that later come true? Many times, sudden knowledge of future events is a sign of a spirit presence. Spirits often communicate to people through the dream state when the unconscious is open and receptive. Have they killed anyone, by accident or otherwise? The grave is not the end, and a ghost seeking revenge for an untimely death is sometimes capable of exacting its own form of justice. Has a member of the family been in contact with someone who is possessed or who routinely performs occult rituals? More often than not, individuals who are possessed or engage in the black arts are surrounded by a multitude of spirits. A vulnerable person who comes in contact with the possessed—or even with a dabbler in the occult—risks coming under the influence of spirits himself, whether the influence is wanted or not. Does anyone in the family know if he has been cursed? This sounds like superstition, but I’ve personally dealt with dozens of cases where people were cursed or damned by others in
When the Warrens are called in to investigate a possible demoniacal presence, what procedure do they use to determine the nature of the spirit present?
“When a case is referred to us,” Ed answers, “it’s usually through church authorities. Once we learn about the problem, we immediately contact the principals involved. Naturally, time is of the essence. We are dealing with something quite capable of causing injury, even death.
“Once we arrive at the scene, I sit the family down and interrogate them completely. I tape-record these interviews. I’ve got thousands of cases on tape. Generally I say very little so that the people have to tell me what they’ve experienced. I listen for certain clues and characteristics that distinguish the performance of the demonic spirit from other types of phenomena.
"I’ll want to know, for instance, when the family experiences the activity. Most spirit problems occur during the night, after the sun goes down. Has the family noticed odd smells in the house or quick fluctuations of temperature? Often a spirit projects odors to signal its presence, or draws energy from the room, leaving it freezing cold. Have they heard noises that resemble the sound of a stranger in the house? Doors that slam by themselves, muted talking, heavy breathing, lights being switched on and off are strong indications of a spirit presence. Is the family awakened at specific hours of the night? Many times a spirit will re-create its own tragedy at the same time every day, usually at the moment its physical life was ended. Is the family afraid to enter some particular room or area of the house? A human spirit will tend to remain in a room that was familiar to it in life; an inhuman spirit will dwell in an area of the house that it finds the most psychically hospitable.
“If I get yeses to a number of these questions then I go further and ask have they used a Ouija board. This is the most common way negative spirits are brought in. Have they conducted a séance? Those who encourage invisible entities to enter their home often draw in spirits of a kind they never knew existed. Have they performed satanic or black witchcraft rituals? People may laugh about selling their soul to the devil, but the sorry fact is, it can be done—and quite easily, at that. Has anyone in the family been inside a haunted house? A person who shows enough interest to go into a truly haunted house is apt to bring a desperate spirit home with him. Have they been having realistic dreams or threatening nightmares that later come true? Many times, sudden knowledge of future events is a sign of a spirit presence. Spirits often communicate to people through the dream state when the unconscious is open and receptive. Have they killed anyone, by accident or otherwise? The grave is not the end, and a ghost seeking revenge for an untimely death is sometimes capable of exacting its own form of justice. Has a member of the family been in contact with someone who is possessed or who routinely performs occult rituals? More often than not, individuals who are possessed or engage in the black arts are surrounded by a multitude of spirits. A vulnerable person who comes in contact with the possessed—or even with a dabbler in the occult—risks coming under the influence of spirits himself, whether the influence is wanted or not. Does anyone in the family know if he has been cursed? This sounds like superstition, but I’ve personally dealt with dozens of cases where people were cursed or damned by others in
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