The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren

by Brittle, Gerald

  “In general,” Ed asserts, “the parapsychologist is looking for one thing and one thing only: a link between unusual phenomena and the latent abilities of man’s mind. However, when the parapsychologist comes up against inhuman spirit phenomena, he tends to refer to it as 'poltergeist' activity. Poltergeist is an old German word meaning ‘noisy or mischievous ghost.' The term is poor bookkeeping though, because it doesn’t specify or come to grips with the true cause of the disturbance.

  “Yet parapsychology, because it is allied to science, can offer only explanations falling within the range of approved scientific concepts and testing techniques. As a result, the parapsychologist is often put in the contradictory position of analyzing the supernatural realm with principles that apply only to the natural realm. Unfortunately, given this limitation, the parapsychologist frequently concludes that what he can’t test is not there at all. Hence, he uses a noncommittal word like ‘poltergeist’ when more specific language is called for.”

  As Ed notes, “Much spirit phenomena is invisible and unmeasurable; the outward manifestations represent only part of a much bigger picture that can’t be measured with testing instruments. Though parapsychology has given us much data on unusual phenomena and its link to man, it has still never approached an understanding of the true principles of metaphysics governing most of spirit phenomena. In fact, as a rule, the parapsychologist does not believe in the existence of spirits—sometimes even to the point of being ridiculous. Just recently, for example, I was in a home where I knew a spirit was causing the trouble. I casually mentioned this to the head researcher on the project. ‘There’s no such thing as spirits,’ he told me. Well, no sooner did he say that, than a tissue box lifted up in the air, flew across the room, and hit him squarely in the head. ‘I think I stand corrected this time,’ he said, astonished.”

  The Warrens do not consider themselves parapsychologists, since there is a fundamental difference between parapsychology and demonology. Parapsychology gives no credence to the supernatural; whereas demonology is concerned only with supernatural events. Although both the parapsychologist and demonologist may investigate the same case, each tends to look at the same phenomena from entirely different perspectives.

  “My work,” says Ed, “is to make sure people aren’t hurt—physically or mentally—and to put a stop to the phenomena, or get hold of someone who can. When the demonic is involved, that ‘someone' is ultimately the clergy. The parapsychologist, in my experience, seems only concerned with his log book. He’s usually at an investigation because he’s been sent there, or he’s working on some sort of grant. He looks at people as being the source of the problem, and his job is to list and record as much phenomena as he can. And he jolly well better not go back to his superiors with an explanation that a ghost was behind the disturbance!

  “I don’t have these problems. I go into a case as a psychic investigator first,” Ed continues. “I go in not expecting to find spirit activity. If I satisfy myself that no spirit is involved, I leave. As a demonologist, I am only interested in supernatural phenomena: if it’s natural, it’s not my thing. Natural activity will go on aimlessly and eventually resolve itself. But supernatural disturbances take place for a reason. The scientist may have spent months at a haunting site and nothing testable happens. Then I come on the scene one afternoon with religious objects, provoke what’s there, and suddenly, right in front of witnesses, all hell breaks loose. These are unnatural phenomena: you’ve got to go beyond the science book to find the answers here.”

  “In our work,” Lorraine picks up, “we’re not just interested in the phenomena, as the strict scientist tends to be. The basis of our work is with people because most of the time, spirit activity is directed at people. We’ll come in on a case where the family has been under siege for some time. Often the police, psychologists, parapsychologists will have told these individuals that they’re imagining things, or aren’t telling the truth. They say this because they don’t understand—or don’t want to understand—spirit phenomena.

  “Given our experiences, we see things differently; we see otherwise normal people in the grips of true terror. We don’t summarily dismiss them as being off balance, or tell them they’re overreacting. We ask them why their feelings are so intense. You know, sometimes people in a case will stay out all day long, then come home late at night just to avoid their home because they know it’s haunted. Other times, people will be oppressed to become prisoners in their house and never go outside. This is not normal behavior.”

  “To put it another way,” says Ed, “when I had to get the keys from George Lutz to go into the Amityville house, George wouldn’t come any closer than four blocks to his own home! This is a big, burly man with a red belt in karate, an ex-Marine. He doesn’t respect what’s not there. Before moving into that Amityville house, George’s attitude was that the dead are dead and can’t hurt anything. That night when he handed me the keys, I asked him what he saw inside the house. He looked me right straight in the eye and said, ‘Mr. Warren, you know what I saw.’

  “That’s the people aspect,” Ed points out. “But the phenomena are also important. As a demonologist, I look for certain types of activity, because it’s my job—and that of the specialist clergy—to determine if there is an external agent; if, in fact, there is an intelligence behind the activity—an intelligence that is supernatural in origin.”

  But how can the Warrens know if an intelligence is truly behind the disturbance, when that external agent is invisible?

  Lorraine explains it this way: “Although this intelligence often chooses to remain invisible, there is no mistaking what’s behind the phenomena, especially if it is an inhuman demonic spirit. Activity will occur in circles, in reverse, counterclockwise, or in distinct violation of the laws of physics. Stones, for instance, or nuts and bolts will fall out of the blue sky onto a home under demonic attack. These stones will come down with such force that they may actually penetrate the roof. We have seen the same downpour of stones happen inside a house as well. And so that it will be understood that these events are not of natural origin, the objects will fall in a zigzag manner, in defiance of the laws of gravity so there is no question as to what’s really behind them. This falling of stones or even small animals like frogs or fish isn’t rare, by the way—it happens somewhere in this country about once a week.

  “And it won’t just be objects falling: a dozen other unnatural things will be happening inside the home at the very same time. And all the while this outward show of phenomena is going 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 a methodical way. One of the worst cases of possession ever recorded by the Roman Catholic Church in America occurred in the 1920s when a father cursed his own daughter to the devil.

  “Once I get certain questions answered,” Ed continues, “then I have them explain the phenomena that have occurred. Have they seen objects move or levitate? If they tell me a refrigerator has levitated, I know this is beyond the power of human PK. Have they seen things disappear? Have they seen objects move through walls? Have substances, objects, or animals manifested mysteriously? After an hour of such questioning, I'll know whether or not the people are on the level; if the activity is by chance or design; if there is an intelligence behind the phenomena, and if that intelligence is apt to be human or demonic in origin.”

  When called in to investigate a typical case where bizarre events are happening, do the Warrens work alone or are others present to witness the disturbance?

  “First,” says Lorraine, “there is no such thing as a ‘typical case’: every case is different and has its own peculiar dynamics. As for witnesses, most of the time other people see the activity besides Ed, myself, and the principals involved. Sometimes Ed and I do happen to be the first outsiders to arrive on the scene, but once arrangements are made for us to begin an investigation, we'll work with a number of very capable assistants. For example, Ed’s chief assistant is a knowledgeable young man named Paul Bartz, who’s been with us now for many years and has frequently been exposed to demoniacal activity. Also, we’ll usually arrive with a photographer who’ll be there to photograph the activity as it occurs, as well as any spirit forms that can be captured on film. In rare cases where communication with the entity is called for, a deep-trance medium may also come along. If inhuman spirits seem to be behind the disturbance, then Ed will often bring along a priest or acolyte who wants firsthand experience with demoniacal phenomena. Later on, if the activity is being caused by inhuman powers, a local clergyman and an exorcist will be present as witnesses.

  “However, you should also remember that before we arrive, friends, neighbors, relatives, police, parapsychologists, psychologists, and psychic researchers may all have witnessed the activity in an attempt to help determine what’s behind the problem. Since spirits are usually the last thing people think of, Ed and I are therefore the last ones to be called in.”

  Is there some special way these cases initially start—the bad ones, that is?

  “That’s a very general question,” Lorraine replies, “but let me answer it this way. Emotions in a home will tend to trigger off phenomena. A happy home is therefore your best protection against invisible intruders. Ghosts don’t tend to be happy, as a rule; they’ll usually manifest to someone they can relate to emotionally. The same holds true for inhuman spirits—except in those instances, emotions would have to be very intense to draw in a negative demonic entity. But in a great many cases we have investigated, the phenomena were invited in. People who thought the supernatural was harmless or didn’t believe it was there at all, brought the activity into their lives through their own free will!’’

  A particularly striking aspect to demoniacal phenomena is that the demonic spirit is actually moved to violence when exposed to religious articles, the recitation of prayers, or reference to God or Jesus Christ. As Ed explains, this is why the study of the demonic is a religious, not a scientific subject.

  “The subject is not religious because I say it’s religious, or because I want to believe it’s true,” declares Ed. “I say the phenomenon is religious because that’s the power that it—the demonic spirit—responds to. People might not believe in God, but these spirits do.”

  Is there any other way to understand the inhuman demonic spirit except in a religious context?

  “Ultimately, the answer is no. Don’t you think I’ve gone through the same course of reasoning?” Ed asks,” You can call this phenomenon a poltergeist, as the scientist does, but once the spirit goes into its irreligious act, that label fizzles out pretty quickly. There is simply no secular—that is, no non-religious—explanation for these spirits’ existence.”

  Ed and Lorraine Warren have been speaking to the public—and professional groups concerned with spirit phenomena—for a little over a decade. In 1968 when the Warrens delivered their very first public lecture, Ed and Lorraine had already spent twenty-two years researching and studying supernatural phenomena. Yet, they had no idea everyday people were interested in hearing about their experiences. For mass audiences, Ed and Lorraine rationalized, the subject matter was too frightening. Besides, only those who had experienced the phenomena would be interested in the subject. Better leave well enough alone.

  “Not so,” contended the head of a local scholarship committee. “Why not bring a dozen of your paintings of haunted houses to the town hall, and then lecture on the day of the Silver Tea Art Show? The admission money would be a real boost to the scholarship drive.”

  As a community gesture, the Warrens agreed. On the appointed day, their paintings were lined up on easels across the stage. Nervously, Ed Warren, pointer in hand, unraveled the bizarre details of each case before a packed house. The talk went on for well over an hour. In the end, the Warrens generated enough money for the town to support not one, but two scholarships that seventh day of September 1968: Ed Warren’s birthday.

  Although people were interested in hearing ghost stories, Ed and Lorraine Warren eventually found that they could not speak openly on demoniacal phenomena. The subject was unpopular: it smacked of paradox and superstition—and offended the sensibilities of the time. Not everyone was ready to accept what the Warrens had to say. Then, for some strange reason, all that suddenly changed.

  “In 1970,” Ed explains, “when we first went out to speak in colleges, I became disgruntled, even disgusted with the lectures. Lorraine an
d I honestly assumed that educated people wanted to know the whole story on the subject of spirit phenomena. But back then everyone was searching for ‘the truth,’ except it had to be a certain kind of truth that conformed to the prejudices of the day.

  “As long as we talked about haunted houses and ghosts, people were delighted. When we had to mention demonic spirits, demonology, the devil—or worse, if we brought up Christ, or priests, or religion—a swell of animosity rose up from the audience, as though someone had thrown a switch. The hostility was sometimes so overwhelming we could hardly go on. Although many were following what we were saying, others got up and walked out on us. Professors became instant experts and challenged us with half-baked arguments on how spirits didn’t exist. Some went so far as to tell us that everything we’d experienced since the 1940s never even happened at all! It got to the point I considered going back to my studio and living a nice quiet life as an artist, while working with people who really needed help in spirit matters.

  “One day in the car, I said to Lorraine, That’s it. I’m not even going to mention the subject of demonology anymore. If people want to think it stops with ghosts and haunted houses, that’ll have to be it. I’m not going to put our work up for ridicule so some reporter with a grudge can get a story published, and I’m not going to let people make a farce out of the serious work the specialist clergy does in this field.’ Lorraine agreed with me.

  “As I was talking, we happened to drive past a big, domed mission headquarters that’s located along the Hudson River. I’d always wanted to go into the place, so I turned the car around and parked. We walked through the front door and into a quiet, tasteful lobby. An old, stooped-over priest with a cane was looking into a showcase at vases and other ornate Chinese objects. I walked across the lobby to where he was standing. ‘Gee, Father,’ I said, ‘these things certainly did come a long way.’ He had a very serene, beautiful face. He looked up at me and said, ‘I spent many years of my life serving in China as a missionary.’ With that we got to talking. I explained my work to him, and he kept nodding in a knowing manner.