A Private House Investigation, somewhere in Riddlesden. June 2013.
Si invited me on a pre investigation to see a lady who had contacted him with some claims which came under possible Poltergeist activity. I'd heard some of the claims and in my own cynical and rational way I'd half made up my mind on what may lay ahead. What I write here is just my opinion of events. I have to tell you that because even after having visited this location I can't quite pin down what was genuine activity and what was attributed to the spirit. It certainly turned out that I was wrong on some level but where the line gets drawn is open to your own judgement. So I'll write it as I saw it 'at the time'.
So having arrived at the location, the two of us enter with only a couple of meters to do an initial sweep for natural electromagnetic disturbances which can cause emotional fluctuations which can cause such extreme things as hallucinations.
We met Rita (not her real name) who lives alone. Si asks Rita to show us why she invited us in. Rita explains that she has seen multiple damage done to her home and belongings over the past weeks. The first evidence we are shown is damage to her wardrobe where she keeps her coats and shoes just inside the front door. Where the door holds the hinges there is obvious damage in the woodwork for sure. I see that it hangs at about the same height as a coat with large buttons which i suggest may have become trapped in the door upon closing or some similar item had. I say this because at a previous home I'd done the same. Rita frowned on this notion. There was a radiator which ran down the hallways wall and behind it a long crack or scratch had been painted over for Rita. Again I suggested the heating and cooling of the radiator may have attributed to such a crack in the wooden skirting. We were then led to the kitchen to where Rita had one day noticed a 'face' in some wooden (Vertical skirting if you will) framework running upwards near the kitchen window. Rita had already paid to have a decorator in to paint over these new additions. So when I leaned close to where the face had been noticed, all I saw was a painted knot in the wood.
My excitement for the case was slowly evaporating. I stayed wordless at this stage but I felt that what we were seeing here was a large dose of 'Matrixing' by a lady who lived alone. This was my snap judgement so far. But I had heard that 'half a brick' had gone missing from her fireplace stonework one day. This was surely something more tangible as 'weird'. We were shown a fire with red brick surround and the bricks had imperfections all over them as one would expect. Rita showed me the face in the red brick. "Can you see it?" Rita asked. "Well yes I can see it Rita but ......have you ever heard of Matrixing?"
Rita had taken a supernatural course in her 30's and had always expressed much interest in all things paranormal. Rita grasped my meaning straight away. She was quite affronted by my near suggestion that she was just seeing something paranormal where there was only normal markings. "You've only been here ten minutes, I've lived here all my life". Oooops, I'd offended her. Si stepped up and made peace whilst I tried to keep my mouth shut. I accepted that she was right. What if the markings had not been there weeks before. Not just one marking but several. Rita showed us a wooden table which had scratches on it and even said that it had a donkey shape on it. Sure I could see it but I couldn't in all honesty mark it up as paranormal. But Rita was not done yet. We were led upstairs to her bathroom where she said scratches had appeared on her taps. I looked closely as Rita said "You can see where he silver has been scratched off".
I recognised limescale build up immediately and ran my finger on the build up of the lime deposit. "This is just a build up of limescale from the water Rita....feel it". Rita seemed to be flustered when she saw that I was right. She obviously thought that we were going to see her as being 'daft'. After all, I had to still take her at her word because I hadn't PROVED that no spirits resided there. This had been her parents house before hers and so I imagined there would be some residual energy around from somewhere in the past, but was it active? Rita's bedroom wardrobes had magnetic shutters which seemed all worn out together. Rita saw this as just another piece of ghostly evidence. With this upstairs and even the drawer top beneath the cutlery drawer worn away plus a worn semi circle of wood colour around the cutlery drawer handle, to Rita, the house was full of damage. To me I saw that the cutlery drawer for example was the most opened and closed of all the drawers over the two or more lifetimes of service and pretty unremarkable. But then after speaking longer about her opinion on the matter she started to say things that may have made sense.
Rita had a large garden which could be seen out of her bedroom window. All the evidence that Rita had listed happened after she sold some of the land to what was now a house building project. Rita expressed an inner conflict about the deal but since she had no children to pass the land down to and since the work of upkeep was beyond her energy, then selling it and enjoying the money now was the only logical choice.
So there was land being disrupted and a sense of change at play. This had Si and I reserving our judgement a little longer although si was far more openminded about the case than I to his credit.
We asked if she had heard any noises at all and she said that she had heard banging from above, in the attic she thought. This fell into making sense to us too. Spirits have a tendency to inhabit the areas least visited by the living. Attics and cellars can become places of laying at peace for them to stay away from us and not because they find them comfy at all! So we tailored our questions about more wisely now. We asked about items seemingly going missing strangely, otherwise known as APPORTATION. Yes, said Rita, some documents pertaining to the land had seemingly vanished. So now I too withheld my judgement. No smoke without fire? I thought to myself. The client knows best about what has been happening and it seems that for this case to be genuine then there was a sufficient series of possibilities at play to be onto something.
Rita said that it was her feeling that the selling of the land had started 'something' up and there were reports of missing items in an extremely ordered home making the likelihood of ever misplacing a thing microscopic. Bangs in an uninhabited area also fit the bill for Si and I. With Rita being so adamant that we were needed to return with the team we spoke about how we should approach our return. I explained that some of what she said pointed to a possibility of there being a spirit interacting with her. I left it to go unsaid that other parts seemed to be nothing. I also said that it was probable that we would get contact on the ouija board, but could not guarantee that it was the causer of the 'damage' etc.
Rita wanted to have herself a new kitchen fitted at a great cost but until the damage ceased, it seemed pointless. Finally Rita told us that she had actually phoned a holy man to come and bless the house. This man, Rita said barely seemed to not only not believe in her spirit story but didn't believe in spirits at all!
Rita had this same guy visit "20 times" to the tune of £200 donations from Rita. Si and I felt very strongly that she shouldn't part with a penny to anyone who took an interest in her story.
We left feeling a little annoyed at her seemingly being ripped off by a holy man and discussed our views on what we were up against if anything.
NEXT.....Investigation 1.
13/06/13
Private House Investigation 1.
I entered this investigation with a clean slate and ready to listen to what any spirit had to say about the claims.
Kevin, Gill, Si and myself arrived three days later with our general medium kit and started about setting up in a downstairs room with Rita. For the benefit of Kevin and Gill some of the damage was viewed by them and Rita explained why we had been called. So on a bright June evening we gathered around a table for the umpteenth time to talk to the dead.
But first, something of note, Si and I had never encountered a house so low in it's electronic readings. Our pre investigation sweep with our meters had been 1 milligauss over the whole house excepting near obvious equipment such as tv or fridge etc. Rita was one of the few places which still had no wifi for example. So electrically this place was clean. However after protection was finished, one of our torches lit up and the gauss meter flickered. The slow flicker was heard as a repeated clicking but it wasn't the same rhythm, it was varying and so not recognisable as a natural source since the meter was stable and untouched. Si asked for the clicking to be made faster. I saw the reading rise to 2 milligauss and we all heard the clicking increase in tempo before dropping again. Si asked counted down from 3 to get a requested hit on command again but this time, just silence.
Si asked out for glass movement for nearly 10 minutes but it wasn't until we asked for Gill to ask out (some spirits will only play ball if a certain gender is running things) hat we had movement. The gauss clicking rose as the glass moved slowly. Gill asked for a group of energies to work together if there were more than one. The glass moved to YES with more power this time. Gill led the glass into building up it's energies by having it repeatedly draw a circle on the board. The glass slides over the number 5. We did ask for teamwork so maybe there are 5 spirits using the glass together? Not so...the glass then moves to 4.
5..then 4 then 5...then 4 the glass then circles 54 over and over.
Gill "54? we're not sure what that means" the gauss clicks more rhythmically.
Gill "How many spirits are with us?' 3
"How many male?" 3
As the glass gets ever more controlled we ask for just one spirit to speak using the glass.
Gill "Please can you tell us your name?" NO
'Don't you trust us yet?" NO
While we push for the spirit to name itself the gauss rises and falls in readings.
"Are you always at this property?" YES
"Have you caused damage to this house?" YES. (I was a little surprised I have to admit.)
"is that just because you were angry?" YES
"Is your anger related to this property?" H-U-T
Chris to Rita "Was there a hut taken down on the land?"
Rita "Yes'
Gill"Was that hut yours?" YES
Si to Rita "Does that make sense to you?"
Rita "yes"
Gill "Does it upset you that the hut's been demolished?" YES, along with a large spike of energy on the gauss.
"...and you're damaging Rita's property because Rita damaged your hut?" YES
The glass moves from 5 to 4 5 to 4 5 to 4 again and Si actually gets a static electric shock from the glass.
Gill "Using the letters, can you say why 54 is relevant?" B-U-I-L-T
Si tries to ask a question but the spirit doesn't answer.
Si "Sir am I not allowed to talk to you?' NO
whilst Gill pushes for a name, Rita tells us that in 1954 she would have only been 6 years old but did live here and she remembers there being two sheds outside as long as she can remember until they were pulled down in much later years.
We learn that this spirit built the first of the two huts.
Gill 'What colour was the hut?" G-R-E-E-N.
Rita says yes.
Then the glass roams around 54 again.
Our talk turns to animals for a while as it turns out that Rita's dad bought next doors garden at some point and one of the huts were used for keeping chickens in. We suspect we have a spirit neighbour from next door. We steer the questions around our suspicions.
Gill "Did you live in this house?" NO
Si "Did you pass in 1954?' YES.
The gauss climbs when I suggest that this spirit lost control of HIS hut in 1954 because he passed over.
Si "Was that hut your sanctuary?' YES
"Are you blaming Rita for the demolition of that hut?" YES
Gill "Do you feel lost now?" YES
Si "Have you anywhere to go now?" YES .."You do don't you, you still have options my friend"
"Did you come to the house when the hut went?" YES
"If you really liked the hut why did you sell your garden to Rita's dad?" O-L-D
Chris "You were too old to look after it then?" YES
The spirit says that he sold the hut in 1952, 2 years prior to his passing.
Gill "In 1952, how old were you?" 69.
Rita "I was too old to look after the garden which was why I sold it, I didn't relinquish it lightly"
The gauss climbs and climbs again.
Gill "Do you understand Rita's reasoning?" The spirit says he still remains angry at Rita over it.
Rita "The gentleman who bought the land from me got rid of the hut, I merely sold the land, do you understand that?" YES
Si "Are you upset at what the land is to be used for?" YES
"What should it be used for?" G-A-R-D-E-N.
Gill "Just as you sold your land, in some ways Rita has done the same"
Rita "Is that solely what you are angry with me for?'" YES, the glass circles the word YES which we understand to be the same as underlining the answer.
Rita "So what was I supposed to do when I couldn't look after it anymore?" G-A-R-D-E-N.
"Did you know my father?, can you spell his name?" No answer.
Si tells the spirit our names as this has given us results in the past.
Si notes that the glass almost went to C.
Gill explains that we need proof that the spirit is who it claims to be. Giving us Rita's dad's name would be great as we don't know it. We ask for Rita to take her finger off the glass at this important stage.
The glass doesn't respond.
Si "Do you go anywhere else but here?" YES
"Did you stay in the hut?" YES. Gauss increases.
"Are you now lost?" NO.
The glass then moves to C-H-A-R-L-E-S.
Gill "Is Charles your name?" YES. Seemingly confidence has been gained.
Rita "Did you know me as a little girl?" YES
Gill "So please tell me the name of Rita's father?"
Rita "Can we have your surname?" NO
Rita "When I was a little girl did you and your wife look after em at all?" YES.
Glass moves 4 to 5. Rita wasn't born in 1945 so we think Charles meant when she was 4 to 5 years old.
The glass agrees. B-A-K-I-N-G the glass spells.
Rita says "Could easily have done baking with me"
Gill "How long did you live next door?"
Charles says they moved in during 1943.
Rita remembers an elderly couple living next door but can't recall much detail.
Si "Is it you who's been doing the damage?" YES.
"Is it out of frustration?" YES.
"Do you mean Rita harm?" NO
"You are upsetting Rita though do you know that?, would you like to cause pain and upset to that little girl who you looked after because that is who Rita is?" a strong NO.
"So we need to reach a compromise. are you happy Charles?" NO
"Do you feel homeless?" YES
"Have you resided in your hut ever since you passed?" YES
"Can you promise us that you won't do any further damage if we come to some arrangement?" YES.
Rita "Did you damage my red shoes?" YES
"And have you damaged my other shoes as well?" YES.
(whilst I have to take onboard what we have spelt out to us at the board, we have also seen answers given that we now are essentially answered falsely just to wind us up. I would've preferred that the spirit had been asked to tell us what items were damaged. Rita was unknowingly giving away the answer first. I think at a ouija board if you asked "Are you going to kill us all and string us up by our feet?" The spirit would find it easy to answer YES because we'd set up the question and ultimately ourselves. My advice is to A/ let the spirit do the work if possible. B/ never ask such a question as I just used as an example in the first place.)
Si "So are you stuck here?" NO
"Have you moved on?" YES. So the spirit chooses to return in visitation and isn't in need of help as such.
Chris "Is it worth Rita getting a few flowers in a pot or otherwise and planting them near where your hut stood as some kind of memorial?" Charles liked this idea.
Si "Is there any particular type of plant which you like?" G-E-R-A-N-I-U-M
Si "Ok so this is the compromise, you promise that there will be no hassle from you and no damage on account of Rita putting some Geraniums in her garden to commemorate your memory. YES.
Rita "So that would make you happy?" YES.
Si "Yeah so just refer to it as Charles' pot or whatever" YES.
We all thank Charles for reaching this agreement.
Si "Now Charles you said that there were three male spirits in this house do they do any damage?" NO.
Rita "Are they my family?" YES
2 Males.
The glass spells W-A-T-C-H-I-N-G. Chris "Family members are watching over Rita?" YES.
Chris "Are you allowed to tell us who?" The glass goes dead....we have seen this before. Charles has gone to ask the spirits if they want naming. There are rules at play on the other side. Most abide by them but not all, much like respect on this living realm.
F-A-T-H-E-R.
Gill "And are you allowed to tell us who the other is?" NO
"Do you feel happier now Charles?" YES
Rita "I want you to be happy Charles, I wish you no ill will"
Si "So it was just a misunderstanding"
Rita "Did you damage the fireplace?" YES. (Maybe he did, who am I to say he didn't right? But i reserve my opinion that it was natural.)
Gill "So there's going to be no more damage?" YES.
"Wait why did he just say there is going to be more damage?"
Si "Are you going to damage anything else?" NO
We are at the end of our session and we relax. Suddenly the glass isn't done. The glass moves a very graceful speed spelling out SORRY. It was a very touching moment actually.
We wrap up and close down.
But as the glass said, there was to be more damage yet and a few days later Rita rang again in more of a state.
Investigation 2 write up will be along another day soon.
(I really should go and see some of this sun before it goes)
C WHITEHOUSE 2013.
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