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The Conjuring: Ghosts? Poltergeist? Demons? 73

The Conjuring: Ghosts?

Poltergeist? Demons?

Continued from Page 71

Nevertheless, their relationship culminated in
Carolyn’s agreeing for the duo to hold what was
supposed to be a séance. But it became an
“infamous séance”—part ghost-hunting session,
with lots of cumbersome equipment (which
does not of course detect invisible beings), and
part intended exorcism, including, in addition to
a medium/shaman/holy woman and a
parapsychologist from Duke University, a
priest. Carolyn Perron told her husband nothing
of this until the Warrens’ entourage showed up
again at their door. Roger was livid.

As the “cleansing” ritual progressed, the
suggestible Carolyn began to work herself into
the state obviously expected of her. As the group
prepared, she looked “unresponsive” with charade. . . .” After an earlier visit of the
“vacant hollow eyes.” When the group held demonological duo, Roger had asked his wife: Who Were The
hands—except for the protesting Roger— “Don’t you realize when you’re being played?”
Carolyn began to mumble incoherently. “A low- Calling them “a pair of two-bit charlatans,” he Warrens..
pitched guttural utterance emerged from deep warned, “They’ll only use you for notoriety, for Ed and Lorraine Warren
within her being as her quaking body trembled their own purposes” (II: 263).
in place.” Suddenly, “Carolyn’s chair lifted
Edward Warren Miney (September 7, 1926
from the floor and flew straight back, traveling Conclusions
at light speed into the parlor. She hit the floor – August 23, 2006) and Lorraine Rita
with such force everyone present could hear the Warren (née Moran; January 31, 1927 –
There were no magical beings—ghosts,
air rushing from her lungs” (II: 346–358). April 18, 2019) were American paranormal
poltergeists, witches, or demons—in the Perron
No doubt Carolyn—perhaps unaware— home, only an erstwhile Catholic family given investigators and authors associated with
was simply acting like those folk who “go under to occult beliefs. Influenced by folktales, their prominent cases of hauntings. Edward was
the power” at a Pentecostal service, falling, waking dreams, contagion (the spreading of a World War II United States Navy veteran
twitching, or what have you, just as expected of belief from person to person by suggestion), and and former police officer who became a
them. The process is akin to stage hypnosis, self-taught and self-professed
probable pranking by one or more of the five
involving suggestion, compliance, and role- demonologist, author, and lecturer.
girls, the mother and daughters excitedly hyped Lorraine professed to be clairvoyant and a
playing (Nickell 2013, 206–209). Although
their experiences and feelings into a full-blown
Andrea suggests Carolyn’s chair was propelled light trance medium who worked closely
case of haunting. Provoked by the father’s
supernaturally and perhaps even levitated, this with her husband.
skepticism, the other six dug in their heels and
simply smacks of her usual exaggeration. The were seemingly motivated to exaggerate and In 1952, the Warrens founded the
chair, I take it, was scooted back by Carolyn even create evidence. New England Society for Psychic
and—far from levitating—acted in accordance It remained for a phony demonologist Research, the oldest ghost hunting group in
with the laws of physics, indeed moving and clairvoyant to seek to capitalize on the New England. They authored numerous
“straight back” until it stopped abruptly and books about the paranormal and about their
family troubles, to emphasize demons over
tipped over. private investigations into various reports
ghosts, and to plant the idea of potential of paranormal activity. They claimed to
Roger Perron did not respond like one
possession. Although the horror film The
who had witnessed a defiance of natural law. have investigated over 10,000 cases during
Conjuring (2013) greatly exaggerates the case
Commendably, he first rushed to his wife’s aid, their career. The Warrens were among the
and suggests a possessed Carolyn Perron was
and as Ed Warren attempted to pull him back, freed of her “demon” after a wild exorcism, in very first investigators in the controversial
“He whipped around and punched Ed directly in fact it is apparent Mrs. Perron was simply Amityville haunting. According to the
the face, dropping him to the floor.” Seeing Ed’s caught up in suggestion and role-playing. Warrens, the N.E.S.P.R. uses a variety of
nose bleeding, Lorraine wiped his face. Roger Moreover, the Perrons continued to be plagued individuals, including medical doctors,
ordered the bunch out of his home, researchers, police officers, nurses, college
by nine spirits—or rather their belief in same—
whereupon—when the ghost “techs” went to students, and members of the clergy in its
for several years to come (Elsworth 2013). investigations.
fetch their equipment from the haunted cellar—
they discovered that one or two, ah, poltergeists Stories of ghost hauntings
About the Author:
had managed during the hubbub to smash every popularized by the Warrens have been
one of their ghost/demon-hunting devices. Two adapted as or have indirectly inspired
Joe Nickell, Ph.D., is Senior Research Fellow of dozens of films, television series and
of the girls, Andrea and Cynthia, had secretly
the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) and documentaries, including 17 films in the
watched the dining-room séance “through a
“Investigative Files” Columnist for Skeptical Amityville Horror series and seven films in
crack in the door,” putting them near the cellar
Inquirer. A former stage magician, private The Conjuring Universe.
door; Chrissy had, unbelievably, slept through it
investigator, and teacher, he is author of Skeptics Perry DeAngelis and
all; and April was in and out of her room.
numerous books, including Inquest on the Steven Novella have investigated the
Apparently no one could or would say anything
Shroud of Turin (1998), Pen, Ink and Evidence Warrens' evidence and described it as
about the broken devices (II: 358–362).
(2003), Unsolved History (2005) and "blarney". Skeptical investigators Joe
After slamming the front door behind
Adventures in Paranormal Investigation (2007). Nickell and Benjamin Radford concluded
the group, Roger said what he really thought. As
He has appeared in many television that the more famous hauntings, Amityville
Andrea tells us (II: 362): “He bitterly resented
documentaries and has been profiled in The and the Snedeker family haunting, did not
the intrusion, the theatrical farce of a pseudo-
New Yorker and on NBC’s Today Show. His happen and had been invented. []
intellectual endeavor: ritualistic nonsense. Fake.
personal website is at joenickell.com. []
. . . Roger considered their little sideshow a