Most people have a deep curiosity concerning the spirit world. During Halloween, this curiosity is stoked, by the fires of Horror movies, stories of the paranormal and perhaps even our own unexplained encounters with the supernatural. We all want to know if there is life after death. Is there really an unseen world that surrounds us?
My answer, to all who will listen with an open mind is YES. There is a world beyond the grave and it is as real and active as our own. The Discovery Channel has done an excellent job proving, without question the existence of this world, with the weekly TV special A Haunting which airs every Thursday night at 9 pm.
Let me quote from one of the shows producers: “A Haunting is a chills-filled series, chronicling the terrifying true stories of the paranormal told by those who experienced real-life horror tales, airing on the Discovery Channel. Each one hour episode dramatizes some of the scariest stories in America, revealing a world in which tragedy, suicide, and murder have left psychic impressions so potent that innocent people become forced to deal with them decades later. Through mesmerizing first-person accounts, the mystery and origin of each haunting is powerfully unraveled. By the end of each ghost story, audiences experience a lingering sense that life-and death-are much stranger than anyone could have possibly imagined.” This is a bold and chilling statement. I myself, never miss a segment.
One of the most interesting and terrifying cases entitled “Dark Forest” concerns Clara Dandy and her family. I could have chosen other cases to introduce to my fellow readers, but perhaps because of my love for the outdoors and rural America, this story fascinates me.
In the mid-1970s, Clara and her family decide to move into an isolated farmhouse in Hinsdale, New York. They wanted to escape the pressures of life in the city. The farmhouse was simply beautiful, surrounded by fifty acres of pristine woods. Everyone in the family loved the house and enjoyed the freedom, serenity, and privacy that life in rural New York offers. However, this peace would soon be shattered, as their new home quickly becomes a house of horror. One day as Clara is walking her dog in the woods near the farmhouse, she began to hear strange Gregorian chanting, which sends her dog fleeing back to the house.
The children began to encounter ghostly figures walking in the nearby woods. It is not long before these spirits began to show up inside the house, so clear that on one occasion Clara mistakes one for her daughter. The family soon realizes that they are dealing with something not of this world—something trying to drive them out of their home. In terror and desperate for help, the family calls a psychic, who tells them that many, many people have died in and around the house for over 100 years.
Not wanting to vacate the home for financial reasons, Clara and her family call upon a local Priest, who attempts to get the spirits to leave. The psychic encounters one spirit, who tells him that she wishes to stay in the house. In the end the exorcism in not successful and the family is forced to declare bankruptcy and leave the home. The spirits are too strong and far too numerous. My heart truly went out for this family.
During my time in the Philippines, I was often called to help people haunted by unseen forces. Once, a prominent family came to me asking me to help their son. He had lost his mind and had become so haunted that his parents had moved him to the mental ward of a local hospital. I decided to bring two powerful, very spiritual ladies with me, to pray for this young man’s deliverance. I will never forget what happened.
As we walked into this young man’s room, suddenly unseen forces seemed to come from everywhere. Within seconds I began to perspire and became so sick to my stomach that the ladies had to carry me out of the room. The smell in the room was horrible. It took quite some time before I could get to my feet. It was a vicious spiritual attack, one that I will not soon forget. Yes, we were able to get him set free and within weeks this boy was home with his family.
