Fighting Malevolent Spirits: A Demonologist's Darkest Encounters

by Samantha E. Harris

  Prior to our visit, Jackie had tried taking matters into her own hands. She said, “I started spraying every room, nook, and cranny in the house with vanilla spray, which did seem to calm IT down last spring, but as you know, it came back even stronger. The vanilla idea was a suggestion of someone from a paranormal internet site I had contacted at that time. Who knows if it’s just a placebo or if it actually does anything.”

  I’ve never read about vanilla being effective, but I applauded Jackie’s efforts and willingness to try almost anything. Her eagerness to fight would save her home from the unwelcomed intruder.

  After sitting and talking with Bob and Jackie for quite some time, Carl and I asked if we could begin with a tour of the house to identify the particularly “active” rooms. Bob retreated down into his basement office area and began puffing on a cigar. Although I can usually sense the additional tension and heaviness of the active rooms, I ask the client to identify them for me so I can spend additional time trying to clear out the negative energy in those locations. Depending on the entity, these rooms tend to feel unbalanced, electric, and disorienting—almost as if there were an energy shift present. It’s quite an unusual sensation, although not an enlightening one. Most people feel uncomfortable in these areas, sometimes succumbing to nausea, headaches, and body pains.

  I would be lying if I said it was a piece of cake to remain in those rooms while I cleansed them. I also request that the clients distinguish these areas because on occasion the entity will be moving and shifting around the house so that their presence can’t be sensed during the “walk through” therefore making it harder to sense the active rooms.

  The demonic are tricky in that they will avoid providing any evidence of their existence, at all costs. If proof is given that there is a demonic entity in a house, then the client usually is able to receive help—something that is loathed by the entity.

  This is the reason I dislike the fact that many churches and exorcists require solid and undeniable proof of an evil presence before they consider offering assistance. Personal experiences are often ignored. It is almost impossible to document the demonic!

  Jackie asked if we were going to perform a miniature investigation before the cleansing. I told her I prefer not to conduct formal investigations for demonic cases. I like to hit the demonic head-on. I don’t want to give the entity time to observe and analyze me, allowing for it to drain my energy or attach itself, trying to detect any weaknesses so it can gain an advantage. I show up. I cast it out with the power of Spirit.

  I understand the quest for outstanding evidence that paranormal investigators constantly search for, but demonic cases are not to be played with. If I had my druthers, all paranormal investigators wouldn’t dabble with severe cases, and they especially would not investigate them. The priority as an investigator is to help the family, not to run a science experiment. By inspecting such cases, the investigators not only put themselves at risk but also the family and all those involved. It is better to nip it in the bud as early as possible and get straight to detaching the entity, much like a tick.

  As we took the tour of Jackie’s home, the cats scattered about the house like birds flocking to the trees and telephone wires in anticipation of a storm rolling in. I’m sure the cats could sense the contest that would shortly begin.

  When we walked into the master bathroom, I became extremely dizzy and sick. Perhaps I was biased because I had already heard of Jackie’s experiences there. The entire master bedroom seemed dark and dreary, as if an air vacuum gripped the space. Finding it difficult to breathe, I walked around the room and began opening the blinds, allowing sunlight to flow into the room. As always, natural sunlight works wonders. The air seemed more readily available and I gathered my intuitive impressions. I confirmed my suspicions: this was not a poltergeist. The energy in the room was malevolent and felt identical to other demonic cases. I told Jackie that we were ready to get started.

  As we headed back towards the kitchen Jackie pointed out the long marble hallway where she had been assaulted by the demon. Underneath the beautiful exterior of the decorations, the fine Persian rugs, and the marble floor, there was a sinister darkness lurking. I stepped on to the marble and a fog clouded my head as a daydream began unfolding. In my mind’s eye I saw Jackie’s attack—it matched her description of the event.

  Jackie had been out running that morning, as she was accustomed to, and sat in her kitchen enjoying a refreshing glass of water. She placed the empty glass in the dishwasher and decided that she would head upstairs to get changed. Jackie left the kitchen and walked down the marble hall towards the stairs. As she was moving, an “energy force” lifted Jackie off her feet and slammed her face directly into the floor. She heard the crack of her teeth against the solid marble and blood began to pool around her head. Bob heard her screams and immediately called for an ambulance, unsure of what had just happened. “It tripped me, Bob!” Jackie sobbed uncontrollably. She felt violated and scared—leaving questions in her mind of what else “It” was capable of.

  Clips of this attack blipped through my mind as if my brain were a sonar radar picking up on psychic pinpoints. It was psychic confirmation for me that Jackie had really experienced such an attack.

  Jackie had her top front teeth replaced and required stitches to repair some of the damage. She was not some elderly woman that just happened to fall and was quite frail; she was attacked. I stared at the marble, analyzing the room and the configuration of the flooring. I realized that it was unlikely for Jackie to trip between the hallway and kitchen because both of the floors were even and equal. There wasn’t some bulky transitional piece waiting to hurt someone. I shuffled my feet over the area to see if it was slippery or if I could manage to trip myself—it would have been quite a task.

  Jackie noticed my efforts and muttered, “Yeah, that’s where it happened.”

  “I can’t see how you just accidently tripped here,” I assured her. I probably sounded like Captain Obvious to Jackie, but I wanted to rule out any logical reasons for her accident.

  Carl and I laid out my supplies on the kitchen table. I asked Jackie to open some of the windows in each area of the house, including the front and back door. Carl lit the stovetop and placed the charcoal disc over the flame. It began sputtering and sparking in its familiar fashion. With all the tension present, it sometimes felt like the house could combust in a similar manner.

  “I want you and Bob to sit here and focus on willing the entity to leave this house. Envision that you are taking back your home and visualize the darkness leaving. Command it out in the name of God and keep yourselves focused,” I instructed Jackie as she went to gather Bob downstairs.

  Bob soon emerged from his basement office ready to finally rid whatever was tormenting his wife. The haunting had primarily been one-sided and, although he had questioned the validity of Jackie’s stories on occasion, he knew she was genuinely disturbed by the haunting. He was happy to cooperate in any way to remove it.

  Bob shuffled across the room and quickly settled into his chair at the table. It seemed as though he had his game face on, which I was sure he’d frequently used during his card games with the boys. His bushy eyebrows narrowed and I half-expected him to give the coordinates to sink the battleship. Jackie and Bob were on board and ready to go.

  “I cast out any darkness residing in this home in the name of God …” I began my routine of praying while smudging the room. Much of my praying is impromptu, which might seem controversial to those who follow strict religious methods. As long as it’s in the name of God and I’m thorough in my requests and commands, it works. “Lord, please remove any evil and negative entities in this house. Bring this family peace, prosperity, health, and happiness. In your name I pray.” On occasion I’ll recite the Lord’s Prayer just to be detailed; it brings comfort to many.

  As we ascended up the stairs towards the bedrooms, the house began making unu
sual sounds in every direction. It was as if the structure were weakening under pressure. The demonic always like to make things dramatic. As in any good action movie, darkness doesn’t give up without a fight. Suddenly, the abalone shell holding the charcoal grew increasingly hot, to the point where it was difficult to continue holding on to it. This was abnormal, but was something I had experienced before while cleansing another demonic case. If there is a way to distract me or prevent me from completing a cleansing, the demonic will try it (items go missing, phones start ringing, neighbors come over, doors won’t open, and so on).

  I was insistent on proceeding with the cleansing. I held on to the abalone shell tightly as the sweat on my hand helped diffuse the heat. Carl began teetering on a chair while trying to lift the door to the attic space. I wafted the white sage smoke up into the attic with my ceremonial feather and began throwing salt into the space as well. I made sure to let the smoke carry itself up and into the ventilation system as Jackie stated that much of her experiences involved hearing the entity howling and screaming through the vents. The smoke poured into the ducts and I was pleased.

  We continued smudging throughout the entire home and were very thorough. When we were out in the garage, Jackie made an interesting request. She wanted us to smudge her Mercedes-Benz—a beautiful sporty coupe. I had silently eyeballed the car earlier during our walk-through. It was gorgeous.

  “One day I was out driving last winter,” she said, “and I had just purchased this car about a month or two before, when the brakes went out!” In the back of my mind I thought about the time when I was seventeen years old and dating Jack—his Jeep also started acting up and he lost control of his steering and braking for no reason. It was not uncommon with some demonic cases.

  Jackie continued, “I tried slowing down, but the brake was stuck to the floor! The road was clear, no ice or anything, but I couldn’t stop! I ended up sliding into a snowdrift that was melting and it slowed down the car. I immediately called Bob. He raised hell at the dealership and they found nothing wrong with the car.”

  I had a hard time envisioning a demon as a grease monkey, tinkering away on the car in one of those jumpsuits with a nametag reading “Earl,” but this was the second time I had heard from a client about an entity taking control of a vehicle. Jackie opened up the doors and insisted that I sit in her car and smudge “the crap out of it.”

  It was a gorgeous car and I felt guilty about putting thick smoke into the interior, but Jackie wanted to make sure that she’d never have car troubles again—or at least car troubles caused by an entity. I recommended that she leave the doors open and allow the car to air out so it wouldn’t leave a permanent odor. After we finished with Jackie’s car, we returned inside the home and pressed on with our efforts.

  The clicks, bangs, and groans continued throughout the home as we made our way through each room. The house wasn’t old or creaky—I couldn’t find a scientific reason for the sounds.

  We entered the master bathroom and I began experiencing the same vertigo I had encountered earlier. It was hard for me to breathe and the dizziness started swirling about my mind. I continued with my prayers, hoping that I would never reach a point in which I could no longer continue a cleansing. To this day, I have not had to stop my efforts during a blessing because of paranormal side effects and I am grateful.

  As I prayed harder and commanded the entity to leave the home, the thickness and oppression began to dissipate. Slowly but surely. I thought about all the trouble this entity had caused in both Jackie’s life and my own. It would be wonderful to finally have this demon cast out and to resume our “normal” lives.

  I could feel the negative energy finally release its hold on the master suite and worked my way through the office. As I stood by the staircase I called down to Jackie to see if she wanted to “test” the bedroom to feel a difference in the atmosphere. Jackie slowly entered the room, as if she were expecting to be mugged.

  Instead, she was delightfully surprised. “It’s like there is actually air in here!” Jackie exclaimed.

  I told her we would be done soon. I now felt it was safe to tell her of my experience with the strange siren sound in my house. “A few days after talking with you I heard an odd voice in my house. It sounded like, WooooOOOOOPPPP!”

  “Oh my Lord!” Jackie immediately reacted to the sound I mimicked. “That is exactly the sound I heard echoing through the heating vents!” She rubbed her arms as goose bumps chilled her body. Her genuine reaction of fear was mixed with disgust. She put her hands out in front of her as if to say “Ugh! I don’t need to hear anymore!”; the sound had haunted her for quite some time.

  “I just wanted to confirm that it was the identical sound. I figured it was the same entity from your house, but wanted to ask you just to make sure.” In a way, it was relieving to receive validation from clients that I had experienced their entity visiting me. I wasn’t crazy and there was no rational explanation for the event. I wished it was caught on an audio or video recording.

  Although I rarely conduct formal investigations for demonic cases, occasionally I will leave a digital voice recorder running to document the client’s interview. Sometimes I’m able to capture electronic voice phenomenon (EVP), but it’s not common. Then again, I couldn’t have predicted that the entity was going to visit my house and make a screeching sound. Like I said earlier, it’s hard to document the demonic!

  We finished our last round through the house with the holy water and returned to the kitchen with Jackie and Bob. We sat down and began reading the final warfare prayer together as a group. Bob led the prayer and we repeated after him. “… I cover myself with the white light and protection of God. I claim the protection of the light for my family, my finances, my home, my spirit, soul, and body.” I could tell that Bob was excited to be nearing the end of the prayer, as the clubhouse was beckoning for his participation in a card game. I just hoped that he had honest intentions of getting rid of the entity.

  I told them that, while it was a long prayer, it was thorough and would help a lot with verbally claiming back their rights and denouncing the entity’s powers. I gave Jackie and Bob copies of the prayer for them to keep if anything should happen again. I also left some salt and white sage for them to use in case they felt that the home’s energy was being compromised in the future.

  Bob said his goodbyes and was on his way. Jackie turned to me and smiled, “Thank you again, for everything. I’ll keep in touch and let you know how everything goes. I can feel that it is gone, though!” Jackie escorted us to the door and we said our goodbyes.

  In the few short hours it takes to bless a home, I really bond with the families and individuals. I feel their pain, fear, and in the end, their happiness. It is an emotional rollercoaster but is well worth the fight.

  I looked forward to finally getting more restful sleep again, as I had felt like a zombie the whole week. I climbed back into the car and the GPS no longer gave us any flack.

  A few weeks later I was sad to hear that Sasha, the cat who had fallen ill after the entity arrived, had passed away. Sometimes as a final act, demons will claim the lives of innocent animals before they finally leave. I knew the cat was no longer suffering and was in a much better place. The vet lacked an explanation.

  On the bright side, however, I was delighted to read that Jackie was ecstatic about the entity being gone:

  “The evil spirit is now definitely no longer here. You got rid of it; I have not sensed it, and have not heard it since the day you and Carl were here. It’s amazing, really; no more witches’ coven siren songs from the vents, no more howls. Wow. Never had anything like that before. Sometimes I have to ask myself if this stuff is all in my imagination because it seems so outrageous. You have given all of the things I have experienced, really all of my life, an explanation. Thank you.”

  I only heard from Jackie on a few other occasions. She asked if a light bulb t
hat flickered in the living room and a tapping sound from the new computer was “It” making its return. I reassured her that when a demonic entity returns, they usually come back full force, as if they have had time to store up their energy and are now unleashing it upon the family. Since there were no signature events going on, such as the howling and screaming, I assured her that the light was probably an electrical issue and that computers do make anomalous sounds.

  Jackie agreed the following week that it was truly gone and she was just nervous about it trying to return. I reminded her not to dwell on the past, to not think about the entity anymore, and to move on with her life. Since then, she has done just that.

  A few years after the case, Jackie found video footage from her cell phone. While attempting to take a picture of her cat in the basement, she accidentally took a video. The short clip includes a mechanical shriek with muttering in the background. Both sounds were not heard at the time of recording but the cat clearly reacts to the disturbance. The cat in the video was Sasha. Jackie sent me the video for viewing and it served as validation for us both. It matched the shrieks we both heard separately in our homes.

  Jackie and Bob are living happily in their home and I am happy to have helped them with the unknown.

  [contents]

  CHAPTER 4

  FLINT, MICHIGAN CASE

  Whitney and David were a middle-aged couple with a seemingly healthy relationship. That year they had been renovating their 1930s home, trying to refinish the majority of the house themselves with the help of friends and family. Shortly after Whitney and David began their restoration, odd events and experiences began to unfold inside the house. Notably, the activity increased after they started tearing apart the old fireplace, which was located in the center of the home.