And I Thought Spam Texts Were Bad

 

(From the New York Post, July 3, 2021.)

 

US priest: Exorcisms on the rise as demons now haunt victims by text

American exorcist,  Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, claims that demons are tech savvy and send text messages to their victims.
New York Post photo composite

This was the Evil One, all right.

As Monsignor Stephen Rossetti watched the man in front of him, he saw his blue eyes turn yellow and the pupils shrink down to mere dots. They looked, Rossetti said, precisely like the eyes of a hissing snake.

But the monsignor knew what it really was: The man’s altered appearance convinced him for a fact that the man was possessed by a demon.

Another time, a man’s entire eyes turned jet black, recalled Rossetti. “This doesn’t usually happen but when it does, it is very startling — it is obviously demonic,” he said.

Battling demonic forces is regular duty for Msgr Rossetti, a Catholic priest who worked in two parishes in the Diocese of Syracuse for five years. Now based in the Washington, DC, diocese, he and his team perform up to 20 exorcisms each week, liberating people — and homes — from what he calls “demons and satanic evil.”

 

Click here to read the rest of the story at the New York Post.









Not Snow White's Dwarfs

 

In my latest book When Demons Attack, I have a chapter that discusses the existence of elementals, preternatural beings who are intrinsically connected to our planet’s matter, i.e., earth, air, fire, and water. The tale I relate in the book takes place in the Philippines, so I thought it interesting when I came across another incident of elemental (demonic, in this case) oppression in that same region where superstitions and folklore are very strong, even among the upper class.

The case in question involves a doctor who claimed that benign dwarfs (earth elementals) appeared to her and showered her with good luck and financial rewards in return for her “friendship” and homage. But when she decided to return to the practice of her faith, they revealed themselves to be demons and set about terrorizing her and her family with frightening paranormal activity. They also took temporary possession of her body for hours at a time.

The family requested the help of an exorcist priest, Fr. Jose Syquia, who recalled: “When the time came to bless her with holy water, a voice that wasn’t hers shouted for us to stop. What really scared me was that this was the first time that I saw something very alien in her eyes. I was looking at something else. It was totally evil.” After taunting the priest with personal details of his life that no one else in the room could possibly have known, the demons then declared, “We will never leave her.” Well, after hours of exorcism prayers they eventually did leave and all remains well with the good doctor.

The moral of the story: Beware of creepy little creatures bearing gifts.

 

Vacation Fun

 


My family and I spent a couple of days in Port Townsend, WA, and stayed at the Manresa Castle, a Victorian style historic hotel with a reputation for being haunted. (It was featured on Ghost Adventures in 2015.) We stayed there for the sole reason it was the only hotel with a vacancy. While the remote was not thrown at our heads as some guests reported happening, the bathroom light, which we were going to keep on as a nightlight, did go out inexplicably right as I turned off my Kindle to go to sleep. Thankfully, that's all Casper had in store for us.

Satan's Servants

 
A particularly disturbing post from Msgr. Stephen Rossetti's exorcist blog. Be careful out there, dear readers. The world has truly become the devil's playground.

 

 Exorcist Diary #141: Servants of Satan


Hieronymous Bosch "Death and the Miser," c. 1490-1516.

 

I am always surprised when I encounter people who willingly give themselves over to Satan’s service. It is one thing to struggle with temptation and to fall into his grasp through sin. It’s another thing to willingly choose to follow him.

The Father of Lies would like nothing better. At Satan's own defection, he sought to be god and wants people to serve him. Thus he tempted Jesus, "All of these [kingdoms of the world] I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me" (Mt 4:9).

These past few weeks (see Diary #140), we have directly encountered a Satanic cult.* They have been recruiting followers by threats and coercion. They have been actively cursing and manipulating young women. We have been supporting one who is valiantly resisting. Several Satanists have been arrested, but there are more at large

(Read the rest of the article here.)

 

 

The Latest True Tales Book is Here! 

 

 

Was hoping to get this out sooner, but last year was, shall we say, a bit devilish.

Anyway, better times lie ahead. And what better way to welcome warmer weather, sunny skies, and blossoming flowers than with a big dose of DEMONS!
 
Yep, this True Tales book is the biggest yet with incredulous accounts of hideous manifestations, depraved assaults, and all other manner of frightening paranormal phenomena. 

As with all True Tales books, When Demons Attack strives to inform, entertain, and enthrall. But most of all, to warn.

These creatures are real. They walk among us. They never sleep.

After reading this book, you may not either.
 
* * *

The official release date of the ebook is April 5, 2021. (With print and audio TBA.)

Pre-orders are available now at Amazon. Check it out!


Eyes of a Demoniac

Msgr. Stephen Rossetti is an exorcist as well as an associate professor at The Catholic University of America. He writes a fascinating blog called the Exorcist Diary from which the following post comes. Oh, by the way, this photo is the real deal.

 

Snake Eyes

Sometimes it is difficult to determine if a person is possessed or the problems are psychological only. But other times, it is obvious. [Click to read the rest of the post.]

 



Video: Eerie 'Doll Altar' Found in England

 

 


Video: Eerie 'Doll Altar' Found in England: A woman walking through a wooded area in England stumbled upon a rather unsettling scene in the form of an eerie collection of baby dolls that had been fastened to trees as part of what appeared to be a makeshift altar.

New Fiction in the Frost Zone

 



Reporting something a little different in this post. Over the years, under different pseudonyms, I've written a number of short stories that have appeared in various online and print publications. I plan on actually releasing a collection of these works sometime next year. Most recently, I've had a short-short story published in the Winter issue of Frost Zone, a relatively new journal of speculative and literary fiction. In its two issues to date, Frost Zone has featured some stellar stories and poems, and is a welcome addition to the world of dark and eerie literature.

So grab a cup of something warm, wrap a blanket around your shoulders, and head over to the Frost Zone. Consider my story, "The Dinner Party," an appetizer for a main course of reading delights. Enjoy.


American Horror Story "Murder House" is a Real Haunted House


Rosenheim Mansion in Los Angeles, aka Murder House from the first season of American Horror Story, has quite the spooky reputation apart from its spotlight role on the cinematic screen. This article from Toofab.com explains all the devilish details. Happy Halloween.


Image courtesy of Jay Lopez, rgbstock.com


Owner Says American Horror Story: Murder House Is Really Haunted, Details Ghosts and Satanic Rituals

Demonic Doings on the Devil's Night

 


Take a wild guess which holiday is an exorcist’s least favorite?

Msgr. Stephen Rossetti, chief exorcist for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., recently wrote on his blog:

“I am starting to prepare spiritually for All Hallows' Eve. No bags of candy. No costumes. No pumpkins. As every year, it'll be ugly.

“Many of our spiritual sensitives will get pummeled by demons. One year, our team decided to pray over one of our most gifted throughout the night, trying to shield her from the demonic attacks she yearly suffered. It didn't work. She got pummeled anyway. But she said she appreciated our efforts.

“Several of our other sensitives will experience increased demonic harassment. Many of our clients who are possessed or severely oppressed will suffer more intensely throughout the night. The priest-exorcists themselves will typically get bombarded with demonic obsessions and an internal battle.”

Msgr. Rossetti goes on to explain that what helps fuel the demons’ power on this particular night are stupid humans (my description, not his.)

Of this species there is, unfortunately, no shortage. There are the zealots – the witches, warlocks, and satanists – who busy themselves on this high holiday of theirs with spells, curses, black masses, and all other sorts of depraved evil behavior. And then there are the dabblers, those who think it might be fun to try out a Ouija board or go ghost hunting, since, after all, it’s Halloween. And last but not least are the unwitting. These are the poor souls who allow their children to dress as devils or other occult figures, go to absurd lengths in decorating with grotesque and horrific imagery, or perhaps themselves wear sleazy, overly-sexualized costumes to parties (the naughty nurse, etc.).

Now, not all exorcists are complete fuddy-duddies about Halloween. Father Vincent Lampert, an exorcist in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, believes it’s still possible to have fun without selling your soul to the devil.

“Ultimately I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the kids putting on a costume, dressing up as a cowboy or Cinderella, and going through the neighborhood and asking for candy; that’s all good clean fun,” Fr. Lampert says.

Even a sheet with some holes cut in it as a ghost is fine, Fr. Lampert says. The danger lies in costumes that deliberately glorify evil and instill fear in people, or when people dabble in magic and witchcraft, even if they think it’s just for entertainment.

London exorcist Fr. Jeremy Davies expands on this thought. “They [those who “celebrate” Halloween] begin by playing games, but it can lead to people disbelieving in the devil and evil spirits.” In his view, this disbelief can be just as bad as believing, and that levity about such matters could be fatal. “Playing with evil under the pretext of it being untrue is to allow evil to enter.” Evil can also enter, he explains, where there exists an unhealthy interest in the occult. Whichever way evil gains entry, Father Davies is clear that any dabbling in the occult “doesn’t have to be deep to be deadly.”

In short, I think the universal adage for 2020 applies particularly well for Halloween this year: Be careful and be safe.

And  keep some holy water close by.

 



Thoughts from a Catholic Exorcist




Michael H. Brown, author of Lying Wonders, Strangest Things, recently published a fascinating interview with a Midwestern Catholic exorcist who, for reasons that are clear at the outset of the article, prefers to remain anonymous. Please take a few minutes to read this interview. There are some very interesting insights into the nature of evil, the reality of the demonic, and how to protect yourself from it.

Exorcist: Satanists Have Cursed Me 

The World's Largest Ouija Board (For Real This Time)


Ripley's Believe It Or Not/Instagram


You may recall I posted a story two-and-a-half years ago about the then-world's largest Ouija board. It was built on the rooftop of a supposedly haunted hotel in Pennsylvania, because, you know, if a place is already haunted, why not make it even more haunted.

But now we've moved beyond hotels to town commons, in this case, fittingly enough, the Salem Common (as in Salem, Massachusetts, the sight of the famous 17th century witch trials).

Ouijazilla, as the monstrous board is called, is the brainchild of Rick Schreck, the Vice-President of the Talking Board Historical Society. More than a year in the making, Ouijazilla is longer than a brontosaurus, heavier than an elephant, and large enough to accommodate five full-size eighteen-wheelers. A public celebration welcoming the board to its new home in Salem took place on October 12, 2019.

The creator of Ouijazilla, Rick Schreck, is an interesting guy. He collects Ouija boards like some people collect snow globes, and currently has 300 boards in his possession. Some of these boards he made himself, fashioning the planchettes out of peculiar objects like human and animal bone, human hair, and even human ashes. His next project is to make his "dream" Ouija board out of coffin materials. He happens to have a vintage black casket in his tattoo shop in New Jersey, so it's gonna happen.

I admit I don't get the obsession with making these things bigger and bigger. Of course, I don't get the obsession with any Ouija board, big or little. Call me a party-pooper if you will, but I only want to communicate with fleshy individuals. Make that flesh and blood. Fleshy sounds like my great aunt Rita.

Ripley's Believe It or Not has an interesting story on Ouijazilla. Check it out here:

UNLEASHING OUIJAZILLA: THE WORLD’S LARGEST OUIJA BOARD

The Haunted Doll Market



“These dolls aren’t for entertainment or fun. These are actual haunted items with spirits attached who want to be respected. Then you have those who, if you’re not careful, are demonic and ready to tear into your soul.” (Kevin Cain)


Interesting article by Sabrina Maddeaux on msn.com on the latest goings-on in the haunted doll trade. Would I ever bring one of these little lovelies into my home? Not on your life.

Enjoy the article but please don't let curiosity get the better of you. Caveat emptor.

~~~

Inside the Haunted Doll Markets of eBay and Etsy

Thirty years ago, the world was introduced to a 29-inch-tall doll in overalls named Chucky. With eyes bluer than a White Walker’s, hair more fiery than Ed Sheeran’s, and a smattering of freckles à la Emma Stone, he looked like the perfect childhood buddy.
Unfortunately, Chucky, the tiny antagonist of the 1988 movie Child’s Play, was possessed by a serial killer with a knack for slaughtering people with butcher knives, yo-yo strings, and anything else he could find around the house. Today, almost everyone knows that if a wild-eyed doll asks, “Wanna play?” the only acceptable response is to run as fast and far as you can.
Then there are people like Kevin Cain, a paranormal investigator in Alabama who owns hundreds of haunted dolls and other items. “I lost count a long time ago,” he says. While Cain may be an especially prolific collector, he’s far from the only one. In fact, there is a thriving marketplace for haunted dolls on the internet.

Ouija Board Nightmares: The Complete Collection - Audiobook Now Available!




Listen to 'em all, one nightmare at a time!

Once again narrated by the strong, smooth voice of Michael E. Smith.


Get your copy today at:



Also available on iTunes

Thoughts on the Ouija Board from Author Terri Reid


Best-selling author Terri Reid recently posted a fascinating narrative on her blog about the Ouija board. Terri and I are definitely of a like mind on the subject (hint: Ouijas are bad.), so after I read it, I knew instantly I had to share it.

Make sure you also check out Terri’s books on Amazon when you get a chance. She writes enthralling paranormal mysteries that have the unique ability to not only send shivers down your spine, but put a smile on your face. (Maybe just not at the exact same time.)

Enjoy.






Ouija Board Nightmares 2 - Audiobook now available!



Ouija Board Nightmares 2 is now available as an audiobook, narrated by the inimitable Michael E. Smith. Audio fans can get their copy at:


Just like listening to smooth jazz. Well, except for that whole nightmares thing.


A Ouija Omnibus



The newest addition to the Harker paranormal collection. 



Why settle for one nightmare when you can have a whole night's worth?

Beings of Light



Much of the time this blog discusses instances of dark, eerie, and evil matters. It tends to make us forget, I think, that good also exists and is ever more powerful. I ran across a story today that reinforces that belief and illustrates beautifully that agents of good—beings of light—are with us always. In the Christian church, as well as others, we call these beings angels. And in honor of their feast day today (October 2nd), I’d like to give them a little attention with this fascinating narrative as recounted by magazine writer Robert Reilly:

There are some true believers, of course. A Creighton University Jesuit named Father Francis Deglman used to fascinate me and other students with his recital of encounters with his personal angel. He carried on a spirited discourse with this being--argued even, and complained.

His most dramatic episode occurred early one morning when he was awakened from sleep.

"Francis, get up!"

Father Deglman glanced at his alarm clock. "It's 3 in the morning," he managed to object. But he arose. The guardian angel instructed him to turn on the light. Reluctantly he fumbled for the wall switch.

"Now turn it off. And get back to bed."

Deglman shook his head, plunged the room into darkness again, and crept beneath the solo blanket, still wondering what this was all about.

The next morning a student came to see him.

"Father," he began, "last night I was thinking of taking my life. I tried to get into the campus church but it was locked. It had to be about 3 o'clock. I sat on the wall outside the Jesuit residence, certain that God didn't care if I lived or died. Then I said, 'If there is a God, let a light go on in that building.' I looked back up and your light was on." *

The light is always there for us. All we have to do is ask for it.


* As published in U.S. Catholic magazine.


Demons are real, says New York psychiatry professor


Juan de Cordoba chassant les démons


Dr. Richard Gallagher is a respected New York psychiatrist and a professor at Columbia University and New York Medical College. But he’s something else that’s even way cooler. For the last 25 years, Dr. Gallagher has served as a consultant for a network of exorcists across the country. When one of these priests suspects that someone may be a victim of diabolical possession, they ask Dr. Gallagher to assess the person to rule out a medical or mental condition before beginning the process of a formal exorcism. In most cases, there is indeed a scientific explanation for the person’s odd behavior. But not always. In his 25 years of consulting, Dr. Gallagher says he’s seen about 100 cases of true demonic possessions, and hundreds more of oppressions, cases in which a demon basically makes life miserable for someone.

In the article below, Dr. Gallagher shares some fascinating insights and creepy stories from his experiences. And good news for those of us who are fans (I've known about Dr. Gallagher for some time now): he's coming out with a book later this year entitled Demonic Foes: Experiences of a Psychiatrist in the World of Exorcism. 

Enjoy!


Psychiatrist Professor Says Demonic Possessions Real

Lady Gaga’s Bedevilment Problem



Allow me to state the obvious: Making deals with the devil is never a good idea.

“The demonic is a loan shark, and it not only collects before you’re ready, it wants double in return for what it gives. Ultimately it wants the soul. - Ed Warren, demonologist

As I stated in my book Evil Unleashed, involvement in the occult always backfires, in one form or another. It can be quick or it can take a number of years. But be assured that the spirits you bargain with will never let you off the hook.

Just ask Lady Gaga.

In an explosive new interview, Lady Gaga relates how she went from being an unknown burlesque performer to a multi-platinum pop star “in a cinch” thanks to a mysterious, “strangely ageless man” who made her a deal she couldn’t refuse.

Well, she could have. And actually now she wishes she would have.

Read this fascinating account at the link below. And keep Lady Gaga in your prayers. If she’s telling the truth, she surely needs them. If she’s blowing a major load of performance smoke, she still needs them.

Lady Gaga: Fibromyalgia Is ‘Punishment’ For Joining The Illuminati