It’s very common to see clients turn away from God because they believe that He is at fault for someone’s death, illness, or a tragic event. People become confused and assume that God was the one that allowed something terrible to happen. I believe that we actually choose to experience certain events and lessons in our life before being born, some of which are very painful, to further develop our “soul.” Great Spirit always gives us a choice—not that we will consciously remember these choices. No one should blame God for their losses or painful experiences, as there is always a greater reason as to why things happen here on Earth, even though we may not understand at that time. There is always a reason, there is always a lesson, and we are constantly learning.
“You are very right, there are a lot of dark and ugly things that happen in this world, much of which is caused by us humans. Sometimes it becomes overwhelming, but it’s important to keep your head and heart above it all. As long as you have something to believe in that motivates and inspires you, you can make it through.” I made a truce with Stephen and left it at that. I turned my attention back to the entire family.
“Well, it does sound like you have a demon. You have heard scratching, two-footed steps with claws, growling, black figures, perverse whistling, and so on. Is there anything else that you have experienced that we haven’t covered?” I asked. Whitney sat in contemplation for a while and then her eyes widened.
“I forgot this! One day I was coming upstairs with the clean laundry and set the clothes on the bed to fold. As I stood there folding the clothes, I began hearing a weird sound in that storage room next to our bedroom.” The storage room reminded me of an attic area but was on the same level as their bedroom. It led directly to the roof of the home. There were no signs of pests in the room, but lots of noises originated from there, according to the family. “I moved closer to the storage room door and stopped, trying to hear the sound better. I didn’t hear anything for a while until I leaned my head against the door. Suddenly I heard this heavy panting and patting sounds. Then I heard grunting sounds! God, this gives me the creeps! It—it sounded like someone was masturbating in the storage room! I remember I gasped out loud in shock but the noise kept getting louder. Like it enjoyed freaking me out!”
David rubbed Whitney’s shoulder to try to comfort her as she struggled to share the story. It was obvious that Whitney was severely disturbed. “I couldn’t finish putting away the laundry until David came home.” Whitney’s life was being controlled by the entity.
Stephen seemed to lack any reaction or feelings of sympathy while sitting there listening to his mother share her experiences. Perhaps I did not understand their relationship, but Stephen was behaving unconcerned, which unsettled me greatly.
“Another thing we experienced,” David said as he looked over at Whitney, “sometimes we would feel a fist punching us through the bed mattress or underneath the couch. I had missed having Whitney sleep in bed next to me, so I would try and cuddle her on the couch. Whenever I would try to snuggle up with her, something would pound underneath the cushions! And I mean, there was literally a fist punching the bottom of the couch! How do you explain that?” David was perplexed.
I tried reassuring them that they weren’t insane and their accounts were valid. I told them of a famous demonic case in which the family wasn’t permitted much sleep because they felt a fist punching underneath their bed. I reasoned that if a demon can keep a couple from sleeping or bonding with each other, all the better. The client becomes emotionally and physically exhausted, and the demon hopes that you will give in to their harassment. I then asked David and Whitney to explain their health, finances, and any experiences with the occult.
“Well, after we tore into the fireplace, both Whitney and I started having trouble at our workplaces. In the midst of all these weird experiences, she and I both lost our jobs. It was devastating.” The entity had succeeded in oppressing the family in various ways. “We started having issues with severe depression after that. I couldn’t find work and Whitney wanted to keep working on the house, but we just did not have the money to do it. We’re still struggling.”
As we continued our discussion with the family, David addressed the fact that his best friend Matt used to read the “black bible,” or a satanic bible. Matt frequently visited the home and grew up with David. “He was into some darker shit. I remember when he started getting into that stuff, I didn’t really know what to say. I was hoping it was just fictional and had no power.”
David continued describing his relationship with Matt. Although he never said this directly, it was implied to us that David involved himself in Matt’s dark practices. David then revealed a crucial piece of information to the case. “The shadows I’ve seen have been following me for twenty-five to thirty years now.” He had been experiencing these dark entities most of his life and the timing seemed to correlate with Matt’s dabbling in Satanism. Was this whole haunting a result of David’s past with Matt and the dark arts? I was unsure I would be able to find an answer, but it seemed that the house blessing had quite a dirty laundry list to clean.
Some individuals who involve themselves in satanic rituals assume that over the years the consequences or “side effects” of such practices subside, or magically go away. Although I have seen individuals leave the dark arts and turn themselves towards good, sometimes it is critical to verbally denounce your involvement with evil and to formally accept Spirit back into your life. God is always waiting and forgiving, but there seems to be a needed “announcement” or verbal declaration that you have changed your ways for it to fully work.
Stephen’s lack of faith and desire to help, combined with David’s possible indirect involvement with evil proved to be a double whammy, but we informed the family that we would do our best to remove the entities despite these circumstances. They didn’t have anything to lose and we wanted to help the family with our greatest efforts.
Finally, we were all on the same page and came to an agreement that a house blessing should still be performed. I began preparing my house blessing items and I could tell that Stephen grew more nervous.
Many of the rooms in the house were filled with debris and renovation materials, making it difficult for us to access the entirety of each room. Climbing over piles and trash, we pressed forward with the blessing. Soon the house was saturated in the white sage aroma and I felt that whatever entity resided in the home was in hiding. I was expecting a fierce confrontation from the demon but was surprised when we experienced no intimidation or antics. The house was very quiet, something I was not used to.
As we entered the upstairs storage room and attic, I made sure to waft the smoke into the rafters for several minutes—just to be thorough. Perhaps the demon was hiding in the attic above the master bedroom, but I had no means of accessing that area.
Carl, Mike, and I all repeated our prayers and commands out loud, demanding that the entities leave the home. I was accustomed to feeling a dramatic change in the home once the entity left. Maybe it’s already gone … I thought to myself, but I was always skeptical and held my breath. The house felt lighter, happier, and brighter, but I didn’t feel a remarkable release from the demon leaving. Like Whitney, I had also been losing a lot of sleep over the case prior to our visit, and perhaps my senses were dulled down from the lack of rest. Maybe I could not sense it leaving; I was burned out. I asked Carl and Mike what they thought and they said they felt pretty good about the cleansing, but were also undecided.
After finishing with the olive oil and salt, I then began making my rounds through the house while using holy water. Perhaps I have obsessive-compulsive disorder, but I always have the need to be thorough.
Carl and Mike continued their path through the house, praying out loud and wafting the dried sweet grass smoke into the air. Sweet grass is a wonderful herb to promote happiness and to bring positive energy into a home. I hoped this was the final step needed to remove th
e entity.
Stephen left the house to have a cigarette outside and the door slammed behind him. It bothered me that we didn’t have his full participation. It felt as if he were thinking, Well, let the crazies do their thing and let’s just get this over with. This is just really stupid. I wish I had been permitted to have a heart-to-heart talk with Stephen that day. However, he wasn’t open to it and I could not force light and love into his life unless he was inviting and accepting. I tried to concentrate on finishing the blessing as I completed the master bedroom. Minutes passed and finally I felt inner quiet and solitude. I prayed that the entities were gone.
We announced that we had finished doing the blessing and could now close with the prayer. I asked if we could all sit together in the living room, indicating to Whitney and David to grab their paper copy of the prayer. We had to wait for Stephen to return from his cigarette break, and I am sure he was reluctant about even coming back into the house. Eventually, he situated himself on the recliner and awaited our initiation. As usual, I had the clients lead us in the prayer and we all repeated after Whitney. Throughout the prayer, Stephen seemed distracted and would look about the room as if he were daydreaming and preoccupied with thoughts like I need to get my oil changed. Next week I should probably call the dentist. Then again, I might have been reading into Stephen’s expression too much, but I could only wonder what was going on inside his head. Maybe I didn’t want to know.
I remember praying to myself that day. “God, please help Stephen remember that you are real. Come into his life and show him. Give him a sign that he cannot dismiss. Remove any darkness, depression, or evil from his life and help him. Heal him.” I had hoped that something in Stephen’s life would turn around and maybe he would remember the good in this world, and that someone was indeed watching over him. I reminded myself that not everyone could be helped and I focused on the present moment. The house’s energy was definitely different and I felt much more peaceful.
“Can you guys feel it too? The house is lighter!” Whitney asked us with excitement.
I will never get tired of the sensation after a house blessing, no matter how many I perform. It is a feeling of light, love, happiness, peace, relaxation (yet energizing), and all the good feelings wrapped into a little bundle. It feels like the presence of God, which I can only describe as pure beauty and love.
David and Whitney continued commenting on how the impression of the house had changed. Carl, Mike, and I were delighted to help another family.
“I cannot wait to get a good night’s sleep! And in the same bed as David!” Whitney now reminded me of a giddy schoolgirl and I couldn’t help but smile. Whitney achieved independence again. She could now shower alone, sleep in the same bed as David, be in the house by herself, and go back to her normal life.
I was pleased to receive a testimonial e-mail from Whitney the next day:
“I want to thank the Michigan P.R.A. for helping us so quickly. They are a very professional group and did a wonderful job of getting rid of the demon in our house. The blessing of the house was a blessing.”
I continued checking in with Whitney to see how her house was doing and if anything had happened. The night after the blessing, Whitney woke up around 3:00 a.m. again. She looked around the room, expecting her usual visitors, but was pleasantly surprised to find that she and David were finally alone. Whitney’s internal clock would need to readjust itself and not wake her up at 3:00 a.m. anymore, but that was something she could get used to. Whitney reassured us that the haunting was finally gone and it was a relief.
I had left Whitney some white sage, salt, and instructions to use as protection in case anything happened in the future. She slept soundly with the items next to the bed on her nightstand.
Over half a year passed, and I received a disheartening e-mail from Whitney on February 27, 2011:
“I haven’t put the camera up there; I don’t know if I want to, I’m still debating. I put the recorder in the bedroom and when I left I turned the recorder on. The next morning, I went up there and it was on, but the recorder only recorded the last five minutes. You could hear me coming up the steps. The recorder is a fifteen-hour recorder. Something shut it off and turned it back on … Well, IT’S BACK … It isn’t as bad as it was, though. I have claw marks all over my TV again, and it’s noisy up there, but nothing really tries to scare just me. I haven’t heard any whispers … just thumps and the marks on the TV. When I’m up there I get the same creepy feeling.”
I found out that Stephen had moved out for six months and had just returned home. About the same time, Whitney and David had begun to experiment with EVPs again. Following the EVP sessions and attempts at communicating with the spirit world, the dark entity returned to their house. It was an open invitation for the demon to return—likely because they didn’t use any protection before conducting spirit communication or because it had attached itself to Stephen and returned home with him.
I realized that without a family’s full participation and commitment to keeping the entity away, the haunting could return. I could not prevent them from experimenting with recording EVPs and the paranormal, even if there were consequences. Whitney asked me for directions again on how to perform her own blessing and I gladly gave her some tips and steps to follow.
I informed Whitney that if she wished to continue spirit communication against my recommendations, she should perform some protection prayers to prevent negative entities from indulging. Here’s the protection prayer I gave her:
“God, I pray that only positive, white light spirits may communicate with us and prevent any dark or negative spirits from contacting us. Amen.”
I have not heard from Whitney since and she never requested another house blessing. I consider that a good sign. I hope their home is finally at peace.
[contents]
CHAPTER 5
LANSING, MICHIGAN CASE
It had been an extremely busy winter with paranormal cases and I was growing tired of the constant battle against “the dark side”—as if I were in some warped Star Wars movie (although, personally, I’m a fan of Lord of the Rings). Michigan’s winter was slowly beating me down and I found myself overloaded with requests for house blessings, on top of entering my final semester in college.
I could not wait to finally graduate and I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. In an effort to prioritize the most severe cases and my personal life, I found myself handling the request of Kacey and her daughter Shannon. On January 29, 2011, we met at Kacey’s home to discuss their haunting and to provide a house blessing.
When we arrived, both Carl and I felt the tension of a recent argument in the home and it was uncomfortable to walk into. Shannon was nineteen years old and had a two-year-old daughter, Holly—both of whom lived in Kacey’s home in a small suburb of Lansing. The relationship between Kacey and Shannon was extremely strained and they constantly fought on a daily basis. I admired Kacey’s efforts at being a good mother and grandmother. Kacey explained to us that Shannon wasn’t required to pay any rent, bills, food expenses, or utilities—she simply lived at her mom’s house for free with Holly.
She also mentioned that Shannon frequently criticized Kacey, physically attacked her, and was emotionally abusive. In addition to not having a job, Kacey complained that Shannon would often relax around the house while Kacey took care of Holly and the basic chores. There was definitely a power struggle between Shannon and Kacey, and it was apparent during our visit.
“Just shut the hell up already, Kacey!” Shannon screamed at her mom.
Shannon’s disrespect and hatred was unpalatable, but many households across America exist in this state of dismay, especially when a demon is present. All I could see was Kacey’s kindness and generosity towards her daughter and granddaughter, but perhaps I wasn’t seeing the situation’s entirety.
I had suspicion that a darker entity was influencing Sha
nnon’s behavior and that she had lost touch with reality. Her angry tirades and physical attacks on her mother and boyfriend led me to believe that the entity was feeding off her energy and manipulating her.
I had to embody a leadership role, calm and assertive, to stop the bickering between Kacey and Shannon. “While Carl and I are here, both of you will take turns speaking. I don’t want you interrupting each other, because both of your stories and opinions are important to us and we want to make sure we hear everyone’s side.” I continued, “Try to be respectful and to not accuse each other, but rather you are working together as a team to get rid of this haunting.”
I calmly explained the process and hoped that we would get through the interview smoothly. Most families try to be civil while we are present, but that is not always the case. I deal with severely dysfunctional families and, fortunately, my experience with counseling comes in handy quite often. I try teaching communication techniques, coping mechanisms, and a variety of tools for families to use—I have helped numerous families regain their composure and trust.
“So let’s begin!” I cheerfully announced, trying to put everyone at ease. I asked Shannon for a description of some of the most severe experiences she had while present in the house. Shannon raised her eyes towards the ceiling and began pondering her response.
Shannon’s first experiences were seeing shadows in the home—similar to full figures, but they were very dark, just like shadows. She had also seen a face in the ceiling of her bedroom and eventually began hearing things. Shannon was able to list off her experiences effortlessly as if she had shared this information with someone before. The house was quite active, and especially rambunctious when Shannon was home.
Fighting Malevolent Spirits: A Demonologist's Darkest Encounters Page 9
