Hollywood caper The Conjuring is a true story based on a case solved by clairvoyant lorraine Warren and her demonologist husband Ed Warren in the 70s. Now 86, lorraine answers queries by Shalini Saksena on one of her most terrifying experiences
The most evil encounter that you faced as a clairvoyantIJ
Amityville was the worst. The spirit followed us home and attacked both my husband and me. I would rather not discuss the details of that attack.
Why do people misunderstand what you doIJ
They usually misunderstand because they have no faith. Therefore, they do not believe that ghosts and devils exist.
How did you get into ghost huntingIJ
My husband lived in a haunted house as a boy. When I met him at age 16, he would take me to haunted places that he had either heard of or read about. That’s when I realised that I wanted to be associated with ghost hunting.
What are the indications to show the presence of a spirit in a houseIJ
The most common ones are cold spots, shadows out of the corner of your eye, knocking sounds and your name being called. Other signs include being touched by an invisible being, seeing a full apparition and noticing that objects disappear then reappear in another location.
Why is there so much scepticism around ghost hunting and psychic abilitiesIJ
Because people don’t believe in things they haven’t personally experienced. We see it because we are in this type of work. So we know it’s real. It’s like a police officer who responds to armed robberies. How many have you been to itIJ Probably none. But the cop has, because he is involved with that type of situation.
The one experience that scared youIJ
Seeing something dematerialise in front of my eyes then reappear in a different location later. It got me thinking if an object can dematerialise all of a sudden, so could I!
What is a demonologistIJ Is he different from a ghost hunterIJ If yes, howIJ
A demonologist studies the area of devils, demons and satanic cults. He or she specialises in that area. Whereas a ghost hunter deals with human spirits who have remained earthbound.
How did you and your husband Ed Warren go about an investigationIJ
We gathered and documented what we saw, felt and heard. We also interviewed the affected people to gather evidence — photographic or audio clips — as possible. After all the data gathering, we brought the evidence to the clergy for resolution.
The Conjuring claims that it is your most controversial case ever. What case, according to you, have been the most difficult and challengingIJ
Besides The Conjuring case, I would say, Amityville and also the Enfield, England case. Even the Maurice Exorcism case and the Annabelle doll one were challenging.
nI understand you have a private collection of macabre relics. Which one would you consider the most horrificIJ
The Annabelle doll, by far.
How accurate are the scenes in the movie The ConjuringIJ
Almost all scenes depict what happened in that house, accurately.
How have your clairvoyant and psychic abilities helped you in your casesIJ
They allow me to understand if the people are legitimately experiencing these things or not.
What did your family think of your workIJ
They rarely spoke of it because they didn’t really understand it.
Should an average person who doesn’t have any faith in the supernatural be scared of things in the nightIJ
Yes, because it can happen to anyone. Ed used to say, ‘ I never met an atheist who lived in a haunted house’. They always turn to God.