Case Study: “Betty” the Poltergeist (2007, Unresolved)

Photo Credit: Lois Weber by bswise

While looking into other research, I came across an intriguing ghost-post.

When I find a sincere post with thoughtful questions and answers, I suspend disbelief and throw myself wholeheartedly into their shoes. It’s terrifying and fascinating in one. This was a good story–would make an interesting premise for a book.

You can never know how truthful or sincere a person on the other side of a keyboard is, nevertheless, the story was intriguing and I wish that there was an end to it. It was originally posted in August 2007. Might be hard to pick up that thread again…  

Here’s the rundown:

Location

Home built in the 1960’s and lived in by one man until the mid-90’s when he died. The house was then moved to a different location, land that had only ever had timber on it (as far as is known).

Likely Mississippi due to the poster’s use of the S.P.I.R.E. team (I could find little information on this team online).

Paranormal research

Two mediums were invited to the home and independently stated that three entities were in the house, two males and one female.

A paranormal investigative team called S.P.I.R.E. took audio, visual, and EMF readings. Only the EMF picked up any activity.

Witnesses

Two adult males. The original poster, one of the males we’ll call K, saw, felt, and heard the majority of the phenomena. He has been living in the house for six years. K thinks that the entities are friendly ghosts; commenters–mostly “paranormal experts”–continuing on the post believe he is instead housing poltergeists and his welcoming attitude may invite more.

Sightings

“Betty” — A full-bodied apparition of a female wearing an early 1900’s dress. She often appears by the chimney and the closet–common paranormal “portals”. “Betty” has called K’s name on several occasions, waiting for him to answer before being quiet again. She often wakes K at 2:36 a.m. K feels that “Betty” is not an evil presence.

“Shadow man” — The shadow figure of a head and torso with “funnel” smoke/mist legs emerged from an A/C vent and sucked back in as though smoke into a vacuum. He was dark gray and not transparent, only an outline, and had no features.

Red eyes — K awoke in the night and saw two red eyes watching him from the darkness.

Other phenomena

The house was also “rammed” one evening. K was tossed from his chair and thought a truck had hit the side of the house. There was no damage and his dog remained asleep.

The dog will not enter the house. He cannot be lured into it even with his favorite treat.

K found his rug soaking wet one morning. The wood beneath it was dry, there was no leak in the ceiling and no water anywhere else.

K heard a sound from the laundry room like a hammer on wood. He went to see and instead saw his bedroom dresser being pressed down on by a heavy, invisible weight until it nearly broke.

An invisible entity (K believed it to be “Betty”) knocked a paintbrush from his hands as he was painting the walls. K spoke to it, told it to let the paint dry before judging the color, and moved to the other wall to paint. He was overwhelmed with nausea, and the brush was knocked again. He told “Betty” to stop it and “Betty” did.

K’s mother heard the sound of a baby crying in the carport. There was no baby. (Perhaps the poltergeist manifested in this way because she was a female?)

Fast moving, bright white orbs move in and out of the A/C vent, flying away if looked at.

Conclusions?

The post ended suddenly. No further information was offered by K or the other commenters. The advice K was given was to ignore the entities because engaging with them makes the home “inviting” to poltergeists, and the activity would likely escalate to damaging levels. It could make a real problem. If you don’t kill the cockroach immediately you’re bound to get overrun.

I wonder if K ever got rid of “Betty”. Maybe “Betty” got rid of K.

Is the house standing empty now?

Were the poltergeists attached to the land? Why?

What did the thick acres of timber hide?

Photo Credit: Forest Rays by neekoh.fi

 

What do you think about K’s story? Intriguing, or hoopla? Let me know in the comments or send me an email.