The question of what lies beyond physical death has become a subject one can seriously discuss, even

in groups who would have laughed at such possibilities a dozen years ago. Western society has been brainwashed for centuries by organized religion to let well enough alone, give unto the world what concerns your body, and give unto the church what concerns your soul, or what- ever it is you become when you die. People in some Eastern countries are less hostile to the notion of a tangible, real hereafter, though not necessarily because of scientific reasons. Religion, all of it, assumes there is another world waiting when you leave this one, but it frowns upon any attempt by us directly, to find out what it is like. Leaving all of that intelligence-gathering and interpretation to the clergy is rarely very helpful. At best it will give a partisan glimpse of the next dimension into which we all must pass. At worst it gives people a distorted, even frightening view of what lies ahead. The truth of the matter is that we already have so much hard evidence, from scientifically valid sources in the field of parapsychology, regarding the next state of existence, that one does not need to live ones life in ignorance and fear (Holzer 133). Parapsychology is a valid area of study due to the fact that there are many phenomena which seem to defy any logical scientific explanation. Belief in the paranormal among adults in the United States is very widespread. According to a survey conducted by Gallop and Newport in 1991 of 1236 adults, it was found that;

3 out of every 4 admitted reading their daily horoscopes in the newspaper. 1 in every 4 had a firm belief in astrology. 1 in 4 claimed to have experienced telepathy.

1 in 4 believed in ghosts and hauntings. 1 in 6 claimed to have seen a UFO.

Due to such a widespread belief in the paranormal it is important that there be a legitimate field of science that can be used to investigate the validity of such phenomena (Groome and Roberts 2). Some of these paranormal experiences can be stressful and on occasion traumatic for those who are experiencing them. These people may feel isolated and embarrassed, keeping silent for fear of ridicule from family and friends. Due to the very nature of paranormal activity and the stigma that surrounds it, it can be hard, if not impossible to find any credible resources to aid them in their time of need. Since this realm seems to exist so far beyond rational scientific reasoning and interpretation the need for trained paranormal investigators within the academic community is greatly needed.

One example of a case that had traumatic results centered around Doris Blither and her family in 1972. This particular case was made famous by the movie The Entity, starring Barbara Hershey. This film was based largely on the events surrounding the paranormal phenomena experienced by the Blither family at their home in Culver City, California. Dr. Barry Taft and his associate Kerry Gaynor were overheard talking about the paranormal while shopping in a local bookstore. They were approached by a woman in her mid- thirties that explained to them that her house was haunted. Even though Taft and Gaynor agreed that they would meet with her and conduct a preliminary investigation, they were both somewhat reluctant considering the degree and severity of the alleged activity. They arrived at the

Culver City home on August 22, 1974 with low expectations of what they would find. Little did they know at the time that this would be one of the biggest, most well documented cases of paranormal activity in the history of parapsychology. Doris Blither lived with her six year old daughter, and her three boys, ages ten, thirteen and sixteen. The house at that time was in shambles and had been condemned on two separate occasions by the city. Upon first arriving at the home the investigative team found the family to be living in squalid conditions and that there was a hostile relationship between the mother and the male children within the family. The investigators also reported experiencing an intense feeling of extreme pressure in their ears while inside the residence. This case is noteworthy because not only did the family claim to be witnessing spirits on a regular basis but that Doris was also being physically attacked and on occasion raped by the unseen forces. In the initial investigation Dr. Taft and Gaynor were skeptical of her claims, but as the investigation progressed they were witness to repeated bruises and scratches that appeared on her inner thighs, arms and neck that seemed to materialize out of thin air. There were also disembodied voices, light anomalies, rapping sounds, and movement of objects. Doris claimed that the spirits were of three Asian men. Two of the spirits were small and the third was a large and powerful figure. According to her the two smaller spirits would hold her down while the third taller spirit would sexually abuse her. Some of these incidents were corroborated by people outside of the home including members of clergy, and several police officers who stated they had witnessed an unseen force toss Doris around in her living room while they were both present. In one instance Doris' eldest son tried to intervene while she was being held down on her bed by the spirits only to find himself thrown across the bedroom

by the ghosts resulting in his arm being broken. Considering all the activity in the house the team set up shop with professional photography equipment and various instruments used to measure a wide array of anomalies in the environment. In a now famous report, all of the investigators and equipment, as well as Doris, were in her small, cramped bedroom hoping to capture something on film. After sitting for some time and anxious to see any kind of paranormal activity the team began to have Doris call out to the spirits. Initially they didn't seem to have any luck until Doris began to provoke the ghosts by swearing and yelling at them. To the surprise of the investigative team strange lights began to manifest themselves in the corners of the room. As Doris kept provoking the beings, a greenish mist started to form in one corner. Within seconds the form of an upper torso started to become visible in the mist. The team reported that the torso was very large and muscular but that no facial features were visible. All agreed that the form appeared to be male. Upon seeing this ghostly figure one of the team members promptly fainted. Even though there were multiple cameras set up to capture the event the figure never appeared on any of the developed film. However, the most famous photograph from the investigation shows Doris sitting on her bed surrounded by investigators while a brilliant free floating arc of light hovers above her head. Doctor Taft also reported that when the eldest son played certain kinds of Heavy Metal music that the activities seemed to intensify. Any songs played that contained any reference to devil worship or Satanism seemed to upset and agitate the beings. As these songs were played light anomalies and free floating orbs would be seen in the surrounding area. The team observed these activities for over two and a half months but as time went by the activity decreased. We should take into consideration several details of

this case which only a serious scientific investigation could address:

Unexplained light anomalies, apparitions, and the movement of inanimate objects were seen on several instances by credible witnesses who had nothing to gain by coming forward with their stories.

Sounds with no known source of origin where heard throughout the home. These sounds included; loud knocking and rapping, scratching or gnawing noises, the sounds of doors and cabinet doors opening and slamming shut, water running and the sounds of disembodied voices.

Cuts, scratches and bruises that seemed to appear on Doris' skin out of the thin air while in full view of the investigators.

Several other facts of this case should that should also be noted;

Activity only occurred when Doris was in the home. Doris was an alcoholic and while intoxicated would attract the phenomena almost on cue.

At times when Doris was sober and the team was present the phenomena did not manifest itself.

Doris' claim that there were three male entities attacking her controlling her life and oppressing her.

From a psychological standpoint these so called entities could have been a physical

manifestation of the relationship that Doris had with her three sons. From the report given by Dr. Taft we know that Doris' relationship with her sons was an incredibly hostile one and that Doris had in fact suffered abuse almost her entire life. It is not a far stretch of the imagination to say that her dependence and abuse of alcohol was a way of self-medication so that she could avoid the post traumatic stress that came from a life full of abuse. One could also say that this stress could have triggered a metaphysical effect that manifested itself in her life in the guise of these so called ghosts. Doris and her children could have also been psychic. It is generally agreed upon in the parapsychology community that psychic ability is passed down from parent to child. If this is the case and Doris was psychic the possibility exists that her children could have been psychic as well. Given the volatile relationship between the mother and the sons this could have produced a staggering amount of what is known as psychokinetic energy (the production or control of motion, especially in inanimate and remote objects caused by the exercise of psychic powers). We can also look at the description of spectral rape given by Doris. According to her she was held down by two smaller beings while being raped by the third larger spirit. It is obvious that the household was terribly unstable. Her oldest son, the largest of the three, could have easily been resentful toward his mother and her lifestyle. He had suffered abuse at the hands of his mother for most of his life. She, on the other hand could have seen her son as just another man in her life trying to control and dominate her. This could have subconsciously materialized into the rape and other physical attacks that she claimed had occurred. She may have somehow attracted three evil spirits into her life. The combination of alcohol abuse, extreme self-loathing and possible psychic abilities could have made her an attractive victim to some kind of malevolent forces (Ghost

Theory. Com). Another well documented case shows how traumatic these paranormal encounters can be is the Bell Witch case. John Bell was a wealthy farmer who had a lovely wife and had been blessed with eight healthy children. The family were devout baptists and well respected within the community. But, in early 1817 their lives would be changed forever by paranormal events that cant be explained even to this day. The trouble started when Bell began to see strange spectral creatures in the evening on his property. Two of these ghostly creatures were described as a dog-like creature and a very large bird that resembled a turkey. At first Bell was determined to keep the haunting a secret, but the torment became to great for the family and Bell at last confided in a neighbor, James Johnson, who discovered that the spirit seemed to be intelligent, for the activity would lessen when the name of the Lord was called upon. Johnson advised forming an investigatory committee. With that, word went out, and the Bell home became the object of great curiosity. The spirit began to whistle and even to speak. It gave various identities. It said it was a Spirit from everywhere, Heaven, Hell, the Earth. Im in the air, in houses, any place at any time. it taunted. Ive been created for thousands years. That is all I will tell you. On another occasion, it said it was the spirit of a person who had been buried in the woods nearby, and whose grave had been disturbed. The bones had been scattered about, and a tooth was under the Bells house. The spirit said it was looking for the tooth. The Bells searched, but no tooth was found. On yet another occasion, the spirit said it was the ghost of an immigrant who had died and left a hidden fortune; it had returned to reveal to Betsy the location of the money. The spirit gave a location, and the Bell boys dug for hours without finding a thing.

That night, the spirit laughed over the joke. The townspeople came to think of the spirit as a witch. The spirit agreed, saying, I am nothing more nor less than old Kate Batts witch, and Im determined to haunt and torment old Jack Bell as long as he lives. Kate Batts was a local woman married to an invalid. She had once had bad business dealings with Bell and had threatened to get even. She was still alive. From then on, the spirit was called Kate. Kate made almost daily appearances at the Bell home and visited everyone else in Robertson County as well, abusing them with her foul language that seemed to come out of the air above them. She made predictions about the future, including the Civil War and the two World Wars of the 20th century.

But her primary purpose seemed to be tormenting Mr. Bell and his eldest daughter Betsy. Kate did not disturb Lucy Bell, nor Betsys favorite little brother, John Jr. Kate grew so famous that General Andrew Jackson decided to visit and bring along a witch layer, a professional exorcist. Just outside the Bell farm, however, the Jackson carriage suddenly stopped and the wheels refused to budge. Kates voice then manifested, promising to appear that night in the home. The carriage became unstuck. Later in the evening, Kate manifested with phantom footsteps and a voice. The witch layer attempted to shoot her with a silver bullet but was slapped around by invisible hands and frightened out of the house. The activities so frightened the future president of the United States that up until his death he maintained that he would rather fight a whole British regiment alone than ever to have to enter that house again. John Bell fell victim to repeated bouts of illness, for which Kate claimed responsibility. While he lay sick in bed, twitching and jerking, the spirit cursed him

continuously. Finally, the ordeals wore him down and he told his eldest son that the end was coming. He went to bed and never recovered. His family found him in non-responsive on the morning of December 19, 1820. A strange bottle was found in the medicine cabinet. When the liquid was given to a cat, the animal went into convulsions and died. Kate declared that she had poisoned him with the liquid while he was asleep. Bell died the next morning. Kate shrieked in triumph and was even heard cursing while John Bell was being placed in his grave. Her voice seeming to come from directly over the heads of the mourners present. The torments of Betsy began to diminish, encouraging her to announce her engagement to a Mr. Gardner. That brought on a renewed attack from Kate. In despair, Betsy broke the engagement and married another man, Dick Powell. Kate announced to the Bell family that she would leave for seven years and marked her pledge with a cannonball-like object that rolled down the chimney and burst into smoke. As promised, Kate returned seven years later and plagued Mrs. Bell and her two sons with scratchings and the pulling off of bed covers. They kept the return a secret, and the torments stopped after two weeks. Before Kate left a second time, she visited the home of John Jr. and pledged to return in 107 yearsin 1935when she would bring bad tidings for Tennessee and the entire country. The year came and went without incident, but the area around the Bell farm is said to be haunted still. The Bells never understood why they were singled out for such an unearthly attack. It is not known what the real Kate Batts had to say about it. Theories have been advanced that Betsy may have been the cause of the poltergeist activity. She was the right age, around puberty, and her strict Baptist upbringing may have caused repressed sexual guilt. She also

may have had subconscious resentment toward her father. However, there is no evidence that she was unhappy or repressed. And, while the spirit did plague Betsy the most, it roved all over Robertson County and meddled in everyones affairs. Perhaps the intense resentment and hatred bottled up in the real Kate Batts created a THOUGHT-FORM that took on a life of its own (Guiley, 49-52). The only way we may ever find answers to many of the unexplained phenomena that exist in this modern age is by utilizing professionally trained scientists from within the field of parapsychology.

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