First Christian Rialto Church Paranormal Investigation

Built in 1906 on the corner of riverside and second street, the first Christian church of Rialto, Ca apparently plays host to a number of restless spirits and even a "portal" where spirits can enter easily, at will!
The building is no longer used as a place of religious worship, it had since been occupied by the Rialto Historical society
Perhaps the most popular reported paranormal sighting is the one about Kristina Hendrickson. Her ashes were kept at the church following her death in 1967 from leukemia. Her father bought the church to prevent it from being demolished after sightings and accounts of her were reported.
John Anthony Adams, Historian of the Rialto Historical Society - is quoted "I have spent 20 years at the intensely haunted old church building that is now occupied by the Rialto Historical Society. I have a Ph.D. in soil science from the University of California at Riverside, did scientific research for years, always ridiculed any suggestions of the supernatural, and I was a life-long atheist until the foundations of my belief system were blasted to pieces by my experiences with ghosts. I never could have imagined in my wildest dreams that I would ever believe in something that seemed so ridiculous to me as ghosts. The stories began with the discovery of a very appealing little girl ghost whose ashes had been kept in the church. She was sent on her way after three very emotional seances, but other ghosts remain to haunt the church. Two different pairs of Rialto policemen have told me of encountering the ghost of a woman in a Victorian dress on two different occasions after answering a burglar alarm after midnight"................read on..............
John has subsequently written a book about his experiences in the church that is called "The Little Girl in the Window: A True Ghost Story." It was published in June 2008 and is available on Amazon.com. "My ghost book tells of scores of extraordinary ghostly encounters that I experienced along with other witnesses. I have recorded minutely detailed notes of every incident and I have written the book with the greatest care to describe exactly what happened. Some of the incidents are similar to those commonly described in ghost stories, such as the sound of footsteps without a visible person to make them, but other bizarre things have happened that I have never seen mentioned elsewhere. One example is a drinking glass that disappeared from beside my dinner plate only to instantly reappear from thin air several minutes later at the same spot where I had last seen it".
Watch the video for an account of one of the paranormal investigations carried out at the building:

Science merges with spirituality?

Quote Christine Hassler "Is there life after death? Can human intention change matter? Is there scientific proof for remote healing? Do we have a soul? How can life be sustained in harmony with ecology?
These are among the many questions that were asked and answered at the first annual Sages and Scientists Symposium hosted by Deepak Chopra this past weekend.
At this ground-breaking weekend topics such as spirituality, consciousness, prayer, reincarnation, miracle healings and time travel usually reserved for more "granola/woo-woo" types, were actually discussed and even explained by Medical Doctors.

Evidence from studies on distant healing suggests that consciousness is infinite in space and time. We are immortal, eternal and boundless. Those who may call themselves seekers understand that life is not about just being in this body -- there is something we do not know beyond anything we can explain in rational terms. We take things at face value, finding comfort in that which we can grasp --see, touch, feel, taste, hear -- but that is just the beginning of our sensory experience. Our consciousness is far more encompassing than the things we can prove or understand in physical world reality.
The intention of this conference was to merge Sages and Scientist as a modern way to blend ancient insights with modern scientific theory. It's becoming more and more widely accepted for healers and teachers to discuss transcendent realities and the journey of the soul but usually these folks are labeled as "alternative" healers -- kept out of the mainstream medical community. And most M.D.'s who have been witness to miracles that they cannot explain through science do not share these widely with their peers. Why? Well, according to Dr. Larry Dossey, one of the panelists who spoke about Eternal Life, "Frankly most doctors are just too embarrassed to support them." Deepak Chopra shared with me that he learned from the conference that a "medical mafia" does exist which prevents the public sharing of what most would call supernatural healing into the mainstream. ............................... read on if you wish

Death of a Ghost Hunter

Hi

Just finished watching this film. Thought it may be of interest to some of you, particularly those paranormal investigators out there?

Acting is abysmal ( unless that was designed) and the structure has "grabbed" bits of the Blaire Witch project and many other horror genre films BUT I found the concept to be absolutely scary, even though I don't believe in the possibility of ghosts being "trapped"!

If you watch it please post your comments here - be interesting to see what you think

Ghosts

Are all ghosts malevolent beings doomed to walk this earth plane for all eternity?
I am struck by the amount of malicious reports pertaining alledgedly to be hauntings by beings that have been cast down to this life plane due to their actions during their life-time or the method of their death
I for one, do not believe that a ghost has to be someone who died in a tragic way or committed vile evil deeds whilst alive
The sightings that I have experienced have consisted of all sorts of beings. People that I have known and loved, others that I have never seen before and a few that exude negative energy as if their existence depends on it!
I have been haunted by an evil entity and had many communications with "ghosts" or apparitions that appear to be visiting this plane for reasons known only to themselves
It is due largely to my experience that I believe that all manner of spirits move in and out of different planes of existence at will. Their movements are not guided by the deeds that were committed to or by them during life
Anyone else agree?????
Share your thoughts here. I'll be very interested!
Ghostly photographs..............................................
Ghost and Hauntings....................................
True Ghost Tales..........................

Seeing Auras

As Child, 'Psychic' Teen Included Auras in Drawings
Those Close to Heather, 19, Say She Sees Halos of Colour and Can Even See Inside Bodies
By CHRIS CONNELLY and IA ROBINSON

Interesting article which started me thinking about AURAS, my understanding and experience of them
I cannot remember when I realised that others didn't always see what I saw!
I know I was quite young as the memory of talking to a primary school friend about the colours around people still remains
What are they?? I really can't say. I can only share my experience and what I believe them to be but others may and do disagree!
Everything that is alive has an aura - a halo of colour that surrounds the physical being
Imagine striking a gong and being able to see the sound it makes as colours that emanate from it. That's an aura!
All living entities vibrate at a certain frequency. Vibration = sound & colour
As the frequency changes, for example we shorten or lengthen a guitar string to change the tonal sound, so the aural colour changes
Each individual living element vibrates at a frequency that is personal to it. If something happens to change the "normal" frequency, the aural colour changes.
Say I vibrate at 0 usually and become unwell, my frequency would change and therefore my aural colour would change
People like me can know someone and recognise their normal aural colour. If they become unwell we can immediatly recognise the change in aural colour. Useful? Not sure! Only when it comes to holistic healing I guess! REAL and ACCURATE? YES!
That's it in a nutshell really. Obviously there is far more to the nature of the aura that surrounds every living entity in its relationship with the vibrational element of the source, the universe but that's a whole other subject matter
WHAT OTHERS SAY.....................................
Wiki.....................
What the skeptics say..........................

My Halloween

October 31st- witches, werewolves, vampires?
I don't think so!
These entities roam and hunt whatever the date!!
Originating from Ireland the celebration of Samhain, historically the Celtic new year’s eve is a time when the veil between this world and the next becomes translucent allowing the souls of the dead to revisit earth bound beings
End of summer harvest, beginning of the autumn/winter when darkness and death transcends the light & life
A time to build bonfires and make sacrifices to Celtic deities to ward of evil spirits and damage to crops and individuals. A time to communicate and pay homage to our ancestors. A time to spiritually prepare for the new year!
What do you do on Halloween? Trick or treat or put all the lights off and pretend your not at home to nuisance callers!!
Come on SHARE HERE

The Devil came to St Louis by Troy Taylor

THE ST. LOUIS EXORCISM


The case began not in St. Louis, but in either the small Washington, D.C. suburb of Cottage City, Maryland or Mount Rainer. There seems to be some debate about this because there have been a couple of different houses that have been identified as the home in question. As most readers already know, what has come to be known as the "St. Louis Exorcism Case" would go on to inspire William Peter Blatty's 1971 best-selling book and the movie based on it, The Exorcist. In the novel, a young girl is possessed by a demon and is subjected to an exorcism by Catholic priests. In the true story though, the subject of the alleged possession was not a girl but a boy who has been identified in various accounts as "Roland" or "Robbie Doe". Robbie (as we will call him here) was born in 1935 and grew up in this area. He was the only child of a dysfunctional family and had a troubled childhood.

In January 1949, the family of 13-year-old "Robbie Doe" began to be disturbed by scratching sounds that came from inside of the walls and ceilings of the house. Believing that the house was infested with mice, the parents called an exterminator but he could find no sign of rodents. To make matters worse, his efforts seemed to add to the problem. Noises that sounded like someone walking in the hallway could be heard and dishes and objects were often found to be moved without explanation.

And while the noises were disturbing, they weren't nearly as frightening as when Robbie began to be attacked. His bed shook so hard that he couldn't sleep at night. His blankets and sheets were torn from the bed. When he tried to hold onto them, he was reportedly pulled off the bed and onto the floor with the sheets still gripped in his hands.

Those who have come to believe the boy was genuinely possessed feel that he may have been invaded by an invisible entity after experimenting with a Ouija board. He had been taught to use the device by his "Aunt Tillie", a relative who took an active interest in Spiritualism and the occult. Tillie had passed away a short time before the events began and it has even been suggested that it was her spirit who began to plague the boy. This seems unlikely though, especially considering the timing of her death. She lived in St. Louis and had died of multiple sclerosis on January 26, 1949 - a number of days after the phenomena surrounding Robbie began. However the family did feel there was some connection, as was evidenced in the written history of the mystery.


An alleged page from the exorcist diary -- “A Case Study by Jesuit Priests”
Many of the early events in the case were chronicled by the Jesuit priests who later performed the exorcism. Apparently, a diary was kept and it was the same diary that was heard about by author William Peter Blatty when he was a student at Georgetown University in 1949. He first became interested in the story after reading about in newspaper articles and discussed it with his instructor, the Rev. Thomas Bermingham, S.J.. The "diary" of the Robbie Doe case came to light in the fall of 1949 under rather odd circumstances. Father Eugene B. Gallagher, S.J., who was on the faculty of Georgetown, was lecturing on the topic of exorcisms when one of his students, the son of a psychiatrist at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington, spoke of a diary that had been kept by the Jesuits involved in the Robbie Doe exorcism. Father Gallagher asked the psychiatrist, who may have been one of the professionals involved in the early stages of the case, for a copy of the diary and eventually received a 16-page document that was titled "Case Study by Jesuit Priests". It had apparently been intended to be used a guide for future exorcisms. Blatty asked to see a copy of the diary, but his request was refused.

He later turned back to newspapers for information about the case and discovered that one of them actually listed the name of the priest involved. His name was Rev. William S. Bowdern, S.J. of St. Louis. Bowdern refused to comment on the case for the newspaper reports, as priests who perform exorcisms are said to be sworn to secrecy. Blatty tried contacting him anyway but the priest refused to cooperate. Out of respect, Blatty changed the identity of the possession victim in his book to a young girl, but the exorcist of the novel remains an apparently thinly veiled portrait of Bowdern.


Father Bowdern passed away in 1983, never publicly acknowledging the fact that he was involved in the St. Louis case. He had talked with other Jesuits though and eventually these stories reached a man named Thomas Allen, an author and contributing editor to National Geographic. He managed to find one of the participants in the case, Walter Halloran, S.J., who was then living in a small town in Minnesota. Halloran was suspicious at first but he did admit that there had been a diary. But was it the diary that fell into the hands of Father Gallagher? Maybe or maybe not...

According to legend, the diary that Halloran had access to later turned up as a 26-page document of the case that was literally snatched out of the old Alexian Brothers hospital just before it was demolished, so where did the 16-page diary come from? And what happened to it? Accounts have it that Father Gallagher later loaned his 16-page diary to Father Brian McGrath, S.J., then dean of Georgetown University, in the spring of 1950. When Gallagher later tried to retrieve the diary, he was told that seven pages of the diary had been lost. Only nine of the 16 pages remained and they were only photocopies.

And what about the later 26-page diary? Sources say that this longer document was found in the Alexian Brothers Hospital on South Broadway in St. Louis. The old psychiatric wing of the hospital was being torn down in 1978 and workmen were sent in to remove furniture from that part of the building. One of these men found the document in a desk drawer of a locked room and he gave it to his supervisors, who in turn passed it on to hospital administrators. It was eventually identified as the work of Rev. Raymond Bishop, S.J., a priest who had participated in the exorcism. The manuscript was locked away but Father Halloran had access to it. He made a copy of the diary and sent it to Allen, who published a book about it in 1993.

As it has turned out, the only details that we have about the case have come through the "diary" and from witnesses who were present at the time. The Catholic Church has never released details of the story. The diary does reveal details though, many of which have been overlooked and forgotten over the years.


As mentioned already, the strange noises and scratching in the house progressed into actual witnessed attacks on Robbie himself. Worried that the incidents might have something to do with Aunt Tillie, Robbie's mother attempted to make contact with her spirit. According to the priest's diary, she asked questions aloud and implored Tillie's spirit, if it was really her, to knock three times and make herself known. Allegedly, Robbie, his mother and his grandmother all felt a wave of air pass over them and then heard three knocks on the floor. Robbie's mother asked again, this time for four knocks and they again came in reply. They were followed by scratching sounds on the bed mattress, which then began to shake and vibrate onto the floor. And while these events must have certainly been chilling, it still seems unlikely that they could have been involved with Aunt Tillie, or her ghost.

There are other explanations for what was going on. Many believe that Robbie may have been the victim of "poltergeist-like phenomena", where unknowing people actually manifest a form of psychokinesis that causes objects to move about in their presence. It often centers around troubled young people and has been documented many times over the years. Other principals in the case would further explore this explanation.

Another explanation, and one offered by more people that you might imagine, was that the boy truly was possessed and that the invisible presence wreaking havoc in the house was not connected to Aunt Tillie at all.

By this time, the family was becoming desperate. They began seeking help for Robbie and according to one account from 1975, called in two Lutheran ministers and a rabbi. Robbie had been baptized a Lutheran at birth, so one has to wonder why a rabbi was called to the house, although some have suggested that perhaps one of the ministers had asked him along. The account goes on to say that while the rabbi was examining the boy, Robbie suddenly began to shout in an unknown tongue. After listening for a few moments, the rabbi announced that he was speaking in Hebrew! Not only that, but the reports add that a professor from Washington University would later hear the boy's speech and he insisted that Robbie was speaking Aramaic, an ancient language of Palestine. If this account is accurate, we have to ask how a 13-year boy from Maryland would have learned to speak Aramaic?

Rev. Luther Schulze, one of the Lutheran ministers and the pastor from the family's own church, tried praying with Robbie and his parents in their home and then with Robbie alone. He took the boy to the church to pray with him and he begged whatever was bothering him to leave. It didn't help however and the strange afflictions continued. The weird noises continued to be heard in the house and Robbie's bed went on shaking and rocking so that he was unable to get any sleep at night. Finally, in February, Schulze decided to question whether the house was haunted, or the boy was. He offered to let Robbie spend the night in his home and his parents quickly agreed. They were anxious to try anything that might help by this time.

That night, Mrs. Schulze went to the guest room and Robbie and the minister retired to the twin beds located in the master bedroom. About ten minutes later, Schulze reported that he heard the sound of Robbie's bed creaking and shaking. He also heard strange scratching noises inside of the walls, just like the ones that had been heard at Robbie's own house. Schulze quickly switched on the lights and clearly saw the vibrating bed. When he prayed for it to stop, the vibration grew even more violent. He stated that Robbie was wide awake but he was completely still and was not moving in a way that would cause the bed to shake.

Schulze then suggested that Robbie try and sleep in a heavy armchair that was located across the room. While Schulze watched him closely, the chair began to move. First, it scooted backward several inches and its legs jolted forward and back. The minister told Robbie to raise his legs and to add his full weight to the chair but that wasn't enough to stop the chair from moving. Moments later, it literally slammed against the wall and then it tipped over and deposited the boy unhurt onto the floor.

Trying not to be frightened or discouraged, Rev. Schulze made a pallet of blankets on the floor for Robbie to sleep on. As soon as the boy fell asleep though, the pallet began to slide across the floor and under one of the beds. When Robbie was startled awake by the movement, he raised up and struck his head on one of the bedposts. Again, the minister made up the pallet, only to this time have it whip across the floor and slide under the other bed. Robbie's hands were visible the entire time and his body was taut with tension. The blankets reportedly did not wrinkle at all as they moved across the floor, as they should have if someone was pushing them.


After this active night, Schulze was now both puzzled and a little afraid. He suggested that Robbie's parents take the boy to see a doctor and a psychologist to rule out any kind of physical or mental problems that might be causing the phenomena to take place. The minister also contacted J.B. Rhine, the famed founder of the parapsychology laboratory at Duke University. He explained what was going on and Rhine and his partner and wife, Louisa Rhine, drove up from North Carolina to see the boy. Unfortunately, no activity took place while the investigator was present, but Rhine did deduce that it sounded like a classic poltergeist case in which the boy's unconscious abilities were influencing the objects around him. The details fit well with other experimental results that Rhine had been obtaining.

And while the explanation suggested by Rhine must have appealed to the minister (as he had contacted the investigator in the first place), he did an abrupt about-face a short time later when the phenomena took another turn. A week or so after the incident at Schulze's home, bloody scratches began to appear on the boy's body. Perhaps startled by this new turn of events, Schulze suggested that the family contact a Catholic priest.

And here's where things get (if possible) even more confusing.

Read the book for more detail

An Exorcism in Earling Iowa, Part I

This is a documented case of demonic possession and exorcism. The possessed: Anna Eckland. The Exorcist: Father Theophius Riesigner, a Capuchin monk, an experienced exorcist. The place: the convent of the Franciscan Sisters in Earling, Iowa, in Shelby County, north of Harlan in western Iowa. The dates: June 18, 1912, August 18, 1928, September 13 to 20 and December 15 to 23, 1928. The account of the case was published in Begone Satan! by Joseph F. Busch, Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of St. Cloud, Minnesota. Originally, it was published in German by the Reverend Carl Vogl and translated by the Reverend Celestine Kapsner OSB. The author of the book used as a reference is Martin Ebon, a distinguished parapsychologist. He worked with Eileen Garrett one of the most gifted trance mediums of the 1900s and co-founder of the Parapsychology Foundation. The organization was founded in 1951 to support and encourage unbiased scientific study into the psychic aspects of the human mind. He served as the administrative secretary of the organization. For many days, Father Theophius, with the help of the nuns, performed exorcisms. The phenomena are almost beyond belief.
Read On.................................

Real-life case of demon possession documented

An American woman who levitated, demonstrated paranormal psychic powers and spoke foreign languages unknown to her was clearly demon possessed, according to a board-certified psychiatrist and associate professor of clinical psychiatry at New York Medical College.

The unnamed woman, with a long history of involvement with Satanic groups, was observed by a team of priests, deacons, several lay assistants, psychiatrists, nuns, some of whom also had medical and psychiatric training, levitating six inches off the ground while objects flew off shelves in the same room, according to Dr. Richard E. Gallagher, who documented the case in the February issue of the New Oxford Review.

"Periodically, in our presence, Julia would go into a trance state of a recurring nature," writes Gallagher. "Mentally troubled individuals often 'dissociate,' but Julia's trances were accompanied by an unusual phenomenon: Out of her mouth would come various threats, taunts and scatological language, phrases like 'Leave her alone, you idiot,' 'She's ours,' 'Leave, you imbecile priest,' or just 'Leave.' The tone of this voice differed markedly from Julia's own, and it varied, sometimes sounding guttural and vaguely masculine, at other points high pitched. Most of her comments during these 'trances,' or at the subsequent exorcisms, displayed a marked contempt for anything religious or sacred."

READ ON.....................
Richard E. Gallagher, who documented the case in the February issue of the New Oxford Review. states that "Possession is only one and not the most common type of demonic attack. Possession is very rare, though not as exceedingly so as many imagine," he concludes. "So-called 'oppression,' or 'infestation,' is less rare, though hardly frequent either, and sometimes more difficult to discern accurately."

‘Evil spirits’ possess 25 high school students in Mindoro

MASS HYSTERIA OR REAL POSSESSION WAHT DO YOU THINK?

CALAPAN CITY, Philippines—(UPDATE) They were crying in pain as they suffered from seizures and shortness of breath in a paranormal phenomenon that has left a public high school here petrified and perplexed.

Classes at Pedro Panaligan Memorial National High School in Calapan City have been disrupted since August 8 after about 25 students were “possessed by evil spirits,” school principal Henry Tungol said Wednesday.

Even students who had gone home showed signs of being possessed, he said.

The victims, mostly girls, pointed to evil spirits apparently angered by the cutting of a 30- to 40-year-old tree at the school backyard.

"But that was three or four years ago," said Tungol, now on his sixth year as school head PPMNHS.

A mass was offered by a Catholic priest at the request of frightened students.

Last Friday, local healers offered two black pigs, hoping this could appease the angered spirits.

Still, the haunting continued.

Located in the village of Comunal, about 50 meters away from the highway, the school has a population of 692 students. It boast of graduates who became scholars and honor students in college.

In past years, there were one or two cases of "seizure" reported but in the last week of July as many as 25 students were reported having "seizures," Tungol said.

From August 8 until August 19, classes were disrupted because of various stages of "evil possession," he said.

"Periodical exams were postponed on August 14 to 15 and students don't obey our advice to stay home until things return to normal," said Tungol.

One girl was observed by her guardian staring blankly before she had seizure attacks in the house, he said.

"I even saw a student with patches of pieces of ... intermediate paper on the head and drops of candle wax on the feet after treatment by a faith healer," said the principal.

Due to the worsening cases of "seizure" the school administration is appealing for help from experts.

"We're open to whatever will be effective and will heal the students. We want our classes to return to normal as soon as possible," said Tungol.

He also asked the cooperation of parents and guardians as he cautioned the public against sensationalizing the issue.

Henry VIII Ghost?

Hi

I recently had the pleasure of visiting a new Haunting Breaks venue, Bolebroke Castle in Sussex.
An extremely warm welcome awaited me and I found this hunting lodge that once belonged to Henry VIII extremely atmospheric and intriguing
I wondered around the various rooms during the pleasant afternoon, taking note, as usual, of what I encountered in terms of apparitions or whatever you want to call them! - not a hard days work I know!
When did I earn my money? - later that evening I returned, following some food at a nearby pub and really struggled to even enter the front door. The overwhelming psychic power inside the lobby was like nothing I have ever previously encountered.
Having managed to climb the huge staircase and eventually find by allotted bedchamber I was distraught to note that my room adjoined that of Henry VIII bedchamber. I just knew that I would not be able to sleep during this night.
My anxiety heightened almost immediately following sight of a woman who walked through the king's bedchamber wall and straight through me. The melancholy that drenched her persona rubbed off into my psychic aura and left me silently weeping.
ENOUGH! I said out loud though there was no-one to hear and rallied myself to get ready for sleep. I admit to getting into bed with my clothes on. Not a general habit, but I believe now I crazily thought that if things got too rough I could make my hurried escape!
Like a small child I left the lamp on, something that I haven't done for decades, believing that in light there would be sanctity. I was wrong!!!
Just moments after resting my head against propped up pillows, a heavy, dower presence appeared and pressed down on the edge of the bed close to my Right arm. I could not move, I could hardly breath, and the rasping breath that accompanied the powerful form took pleasure in conveying his glee in stumbling across a "visitor" for the night. It took all my strength and psychic power to ward off this spirit who I believe was that of Henry VIII!
For those interested in the Tudor period particularly with the release of the film "The Other Boleyne Girl" check out the event. Anne Boleyne's ghost has been seen at the castle as well as many others!
It really is a unique opportunity to step into another world for a moment.

Council Pays Psychic For Exorcism

I awoke to early morning news last week to hear this BBC report:

Council pays psychic for exorcism

A psychic was paid £60 by a council to rid a County Durham home of a "poltergeist" after ghostly goings-on.
Easington Council employed medium Suzanne Hadwin after Peterlee tenant Sabrina Fallon reported paranormal activity including moving objects.

Miss Fallon had even called police after hearing bangs which terrified her children Shannon, nine, and Amie, one.

A council spokesman said it paid half the psychic's fee as it was the most cost-effective solution.

Andrew Burnip, the council's homelessness and housing advice manager, said the family had been left "traumatised" by the strange goings on and wanted to leave the house.

The council considered rehousing the family in temporary accommodation but this would have cost up to £40 per night

Rasmus wrote into Now That's Wierd radio last night to ask whether I thought that this whole episode was based purely on the psychological aspects of this family
First of all I would like to thank Rasmus for getting in touch
What do I think?
Unexplained phenomenon is obviously based on the thought processes and approach to the episode by the person or persons who have experienced it. Even if the episode is investigated and rationally explained the individuals affected can still be traumatised by the experience!
If the house was haunted, which I believe is possible, the "clearing" or exorcism performed by a relevant practitioner, will usually settle the matter
If the house wasn't haunted and the habitants believed it to be, the same practical process will usually result in a positive outcome. How?
The psychological affect of a practitioner performing ritualistic manouvers will settle the matter.
We are all products of our nuture and nature. Whether we believe ourselves to be religious or not does not matter. What is important is that we are conditioned from birth to psychologically react to certain patterns of behaviour
Take a small child who stumbles and grazes their knee. Mum would immediatly show affection for the child, perhaps kissing the knee, whilst verbally assuring the child that the kiss made it better!
What we have here is a process of actions coupled with a ritual that results in a immediate miraculous cure! OK I can hear you saying that in this instance there were adults involved. In my opinion it really doesn't matter. What we learn early on in our lives remains with us into adulthood, no matter what age we are.
Social environment also plays a huge part in the development process which obviously colours our behaviour right through our lives
All religions depend on rituals, senses, sounds and repitition to maintain our adherence. It is through these habits that we find comfort in the religion of our choice. We humans rely on the familiar, particularly when we are distressed. The house therefore may or maynot have been haunted. What is important are the actions performed in response to the real or perceived problem!
I believe the council made an exceptionally brave move. It was apparently based on logical deduction regarding the cost. Well done Easington Council!!
Exorcism articles for those interested
More articles on exorcism
Father Gabriele Amorth, Catholic exorcist
Father Gabriele Amorth further reading
Love to hear your views! Get in touch to share