The Enfield Poltergeist: what is the truth?

[Still Waters]

The rasping male voice sent a chill through the room. Hauntingly, it delivered a message from beyond the grave, describing in graphic detail the moment of death.

‘Just before I died, I went blind, and then I had an ’aemorrhage and I fell asleep and I died in the chair in the corner downstairs.’

The eerie voice — which can still be heard on audio tapes today — is purportedly that of Bill Wilkins.The recording was made in Enfield, North London, in the Seventies, several years after his death.

Most horrifying of all, however, was that the voice was coming from the body of an 11-year-old girl, Janet Hodgson. She appeared to be possessed. It could have been a scene from the film The Exorcist — but it was real.

What was going on? This was the case of the Enfield Poltergeist, which held the nation spellbound 30 years ago, puzzling policemen, psychics, experts in the occult and hardened reporters alike.

Read more...

[Matt Vinyl]

This to me, is one of the most fascinating cases. I recall watching a few programmes about it years ago.

A short (10 mins) documentary:

Edit reason: Didn't realise this was the first part of apparently a 7-part doc. Still worth watching though.

Edited October 30, 2011 by Matt Vinyl

[Rocketgirl33]

I watched all 7 of the video's and it was quite interesting. I do not believe that spirits have anything to do with poltergeist activity though. I believe in ghosts and spirits but not demons or poltergeist. I don't believe that a spirit can possess anyone. The speaking in a mans voice that this girl did I believe was tricked. I believe it was her doing it all the way. I have read a lot about poltergeist activity being linked to pre-teen and teen girls during puberty and before. I believe that this is exactly what this was. As for a ghost being seen by others,well that too could have come from this girl. If she can do all the other things, like walking through walls, surely she can manifest a ghost or two. Or, there could have been a ghost hanging around of the man who died there and he could only come through with her help, but I really don't think so, I really think she knew that he had lived there and died there, it was not a big secret. I don't think there is any real big mystery here, it was all from the mind of a child.

Rocketgirl

[nyuk]

I have to say, if this was all coming from the childs mind, she needed help.

If it wasnt coming from the childs mind, she still needed help

[reggie2011]

all of this is simply the product of a board hormonal adelesent girl that went way to far and probebly distroyed the better part of her mothers life,ive done alot of reserch on the enfeild case and never seen anything that would consitute the publicity it has gotten

[Rocketgirl33]

all of this is simply the product of a board hormonal adelesent girl that went way to far and probebly distroyed the better part of her mothers life,ive done alot of reserch on the enfeild case and never seen anything that would consitute the publicity it has gotten

I watched all 7 of the videos and I feel the same way. That girl, Janet, was having a heck of a good time with the whole thing. There is to much evidence to show that a poltergeist activity is usually coming from a young girl during puberty. Why is not fully understood, but it is real enough and explains poltergeist's. I don't believe that spirits can possess anyone and I don't believe in demons. From the look of the pictures that girl was jumping off the bed and it was clear to see. As for the gruff voice she used to talk like an old man, well I don't buy that either. She made that voice herself and as for having information about the man who died there, she could have got that info from just about anyplace. So I totally agree with you on this one.

Rocketgirl

[Fewzz]

Look at the position of the girls legs and arms as she was supposedly thrown/levitated out of the bed, she was jumping!

At least it should go down as one of the biggest fakes, the whole thing stinks to me and i saw and heard nothing to convince me otherwise.

[Matt Vinyl]

Was the validity of Maurice Grose (sp?) and his investigations ever questioned?

[LPWilletts]

I think she was faking it, but that's just my opinion. I remain open to any and all possibilities, but require a high level of evidence before stating an active belief. I was hoping this case might establish something to bring a little more credibility to the paranormal, but looking at it, it does nothing of the kind. So I'm left still open to the possibility, but still not convinced enough to believe it.

[SOQUAWAYA]

I watched all 7 of the videos and I feel the same way. That girl, Janet, was having a heck of a good time with the whole thing. There is to much evidence to show that a poltergeist activity is usually coming from a young girl during puberty. Why is not fully understood, but it is real enough and explains poltergeist's. I don't believe that spirits can possess anyone and I don't believe in demons. From the look of the pictures that girl was jumping off the bed and it was clear to see. As for the gruff voice she used to talk like an old man, well I don't buy that either. She made that voice herself and as for having information about the man who died there, she could have got that info from just about anyplace. So I totally agree with you on this one.

Rocketgirl

WHY IS THERE NO VIDEO OF THIS INTERVIEW. AND YES THERE ARE DEMONIC ENTITIES ROCKETGIRL, I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I'M A PARANORMAL INVESTIGATOR. THERE ARE THINGS UNEXPLAINED AND YES, THERE ARE DEMONIC ACTIVITIES. YOU OBVIOUSLY DO NOT BELIEVE IN GOD OR YOU'D KNOW THIS IS TRUE

[Blackwhite]

all of this is simply the product of a board hormonal adelesent girl that went way to far and probebly distroyed the better part of her mothers life,ive done alot of reserch on the enfeild case and never seen anything that would consitute the publicity it has gotten

The Enfield poltergeist was not faked.

One of the girls who lived in that house, who was aged just 11, was heard by paranormal investigators speaking in a deep, guttural voice, which has been recorded on tape.

Experts have said that it is physically impossible for a young girl to produce such a voice.

Not only that, but when the girl was accused by ventriloquist Ray Alan and others of faking the voice, Grosse offered £1,000 to anyone who could duplicate the voice by ventriloquism or any other form of trickery. No one took up his challenge.

Edited October 31, 2011 by Blackwhite

[Cryptozological Mascot]

I truly find it amazing that people on both sides of this fence use the word "Believe" as their sole argument. "I don't believe,... I do believe..." This is why debates such as this one still rage on. If people could step aside from what they "believe" to be true and objectively looke at these different cases, then they may well be surprised by what they find.

[Sakari]

WHY IS THERE NO VIDEO OF THIS INTERVIEW. AND YES THERE ARE DEMONIC ENTITIES ROCKETGIRL, I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I'M A PARANORMAL INVESTIGATOR. THERE ARE THINGS UNEXPLAINED AND YES, THERE ARE DEMONIC ACTIVITIES. YOU OBVIOUSLY DO NOT BELIEVE IN GOD OR YOU'D KNOW THIS IS TRUE

So only people who believe in God see/hear/witness demons?

That should tell you something right there.

[Rocketgirl33]

WHY IS THERE NO VIDEO OF THIS INTERVIEW. AND YES THERE ARE DEMONIC ENTITIES ROCKETGIRL, I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I'M A PARANORMAL INVESTIGATOR. THERE ARE THINGS UNEXPLAINED AND YES, THERE ARE DEMONIC ACTIVITIES. YOU OBVIOUSLY DO NOT BELIEVE IN GOD OR YOU'D KNOW THIS IS TRUE

First of all DO NOT YELL AT ME, if you can't show a little respect then don't post. Second of all, I do not believe in demons and you being a "Paranormal Investigator" does NOT prove to me or anyone that demons exist. I do not believe in god, does that make me any less of a person than you? There is absolutely zero evidence to prove the existence of god or demons. Just because a 12 year old girl talks in a gruff voice does not mean she is possessed by demons. You should open your mind up a little bit and read some information of exactly what a poltergeist is. I am a very spiritual person and I believe in spirits, good ones and bad ones, but that does not make them demons and does not prove there is an almighty god.

Rocketgirl

[Rocketgirl33]

The Enfield poltergeist was not faked.

One of the girls who lived in that house, who was aged just 11, was heard by paranormal investigators speaking in a deep, guttural voice, which has been recorded on tape.

Experts have said that it is physically impossible for a young girl to produce such a voice.

Not only that, but when the girl was accused by ventriloquist Ray Alan and others of faking the voice, Grosse offered £1,000 to anyone who could duplicate the voice by ventriloquism or any other form of trickery. No one took up his challenge.

Did you watch all 7 of the videos? They talked about the "False Vocal cords" that are behind your normal vocal cords. They said that yes, she could very well have been using them. They said that you can use them but it could cause a sore throat. In 1977 they knew about the connection between teen girls during puberty and if you go read some things on it you might find it very interesting. I think people are just hung up on the 'possessed by demons' route without looking any where else. There is more than one answer, I think there are things out there that we have always blamed on ghosts and demons because that was all they taught us to believe. Now in the day of science we are finding new doors opening to old ideas.

Rocketgirl

[Anotheryahoo]

She already said she was faking some stuff. What does that tell you? I Smell Hoax . Some people want to believe anything except the most plausible, the most Plausible is people are crazier then a tree full of monkeys, we see this to be true every single day. The human race is a total nutcase. People are psycho nuts. wish I was wrong but we all know the truth. Just open tomorrows papers and you will be reading about another nutcase doing or saying something that will confirm this. Every single day, its a man screwing a horse, reporting the moon as a ufo, or saying his lover transformed into a jackass. The Human race is simply wacko. Interesting when you have video how all these things become camera shy? think about it.

[gatekeeper32]

The events and experiences in this situation are real,it is the causes or forces behind the phenomena which are in question. Some will argue it to be ghosts, demons, or ESP while others will say its a hoax and refuse to believe in any possibility of a paranormal presence. Sadly this occurs with any reported haunting, possession, etc. Everyone has a theory, an idea, or an explanation and as always no definitive answer can be agreed upon to everyone’s satisfaction so it remains a mystery.

Edited November 1, 2011 by gatekeeper32

[Blackwhite]

Did you watch all 7 of the videos? They talked about the "False Vocal cords" that are behind your normal vocal cords. They said that yes, she could very well have been using them. They said that you can use them but it could cause a sore throat. In 1977 they knew about the connection between teen girls during puberty and if you go read some things on it you might find it very interesting. I think people are just hung up on the 'possessed by demons' route without looking any where else. There is more than one answer, I think there are things out there that we have always blamed on ghosts and demons because that was all they taught us to believe. Now in the day of science we are finding new doors opening to old ideas.

Rocketgirl

Even if a young girl was able to produce such a deep, guttural voice that does not explain how two police officers witnessed a chair levitating.

Key among the independent witnesses were the police officers, who were called to the Hodgsons home, soon after the poltergeist first made its presence felt in August 1977.

They took statements and noted the familys sincere terror, but in the absence of any hard evidence were sceptical about what might have taken place.

It was only as the officers were preparing to leave that they were forced to take the case more seriously: quite suddenly, a sitting room chair levitated off the carpet before their eyes and started moving slowly across the room.

It came off the floor nearly half an inch, recalls WPC Carolyn Heeps, one of the Metropolitan Police officers sent to investigate the haunting.

I saw it slide off to the right about four feet before it came to rest. I checked to see if it could have slid along the floor by itself.

I even placed a marble on the floor to see whether it would roll in the same direction as the chair. It didnt.

I checked for wires under the cushions and chairs and I could not see any. I couldnt find any explanation at all.

It also offers no convincing explanation as to how a passing lollipop lady and baker, who did not know the family, both glanced up at the house and through a top-floor window saw Janet apparently hovering above her bed.

It also does not explain how a fireplace was ripped from the wall. How did two young girls do that?

http://www.paranormalunited.com/paranormal-news/the-enfield-poltergeist-a-30-year-silence-is-broken/

Edited November 1, 2011 by Blackwhite

[encouraged]

I had a friend who was much older than I, at the time, and who was many degrees wiser, as well. He once told me, "Most often in any debate where people are polarized[--have opposing positions that are far apart--]the truth, when found out, is near the middle."

Since few people occupy the opinions found near the middle, it isn't necessarily a place to be to when friends and influence people.

I don't know what was going on or which of each things were real or fake, but I say, all in all, scientific proof or not, that from the information given in the series of seven videos, if it is a fairly accurate account of observations--which I have no reason to doubt--there was activity that was not normal to my experiences in life. I.E. a really eerie experience.

Edited November 1, 2011 by encouraged

[Rocketgirl33]

Even if a young girl was able to produce such a deep, guttural voice that does not explain how two police officers witnessed a chair levitating.

Key among the independent witnesses were the police officers, who were called to the Hodgsons’ home, soon after the poltergeist first made its presence felt in August 1977.

They took statements and noted the family’s sincere terror, but in the absence of any hard evidence were sceptical about what might have taken place.

It was only as the officers were preparing to leave that they were forced to take the case more seriously: quite suddenly, a sitting room chair levitated off the carpet before their eyes and started moving slowly across the room.

“It came off the floor nearly half an inch,” recalls WPC Carolyn Heeps, one of the Metropolitan Police officers sent to investigate the haunting.

“I saw it slide off to the right about four feet before it came to rest. I checked to see if it could have slid along the floor by itself.

“I even placed a marble on the floor to see whether it would roll in the same direction as the chair. It didn’t.

“I checked for wires under the cushions and chairs and I could not see any. I couldn’t find any explanation at all.”

It also offers no convincing explanation as to how a passing lollipop lady and baker, who did not know the family, both glanced up at the house and through a top-floor window saw Janet apparently hovering above her bed.

It also does not explain how a fireplace was ripped from the wall. How did two young girls do that?

http://www.paranormalunited.com/paranormal-news/the-enfield-poltergeist-a-30-year-silence-is-broken/

I don't believe in demons or demon possession or Poltergeist. There is more good information about Poltergeist activity, and has been for a long time. I actually believe in Ghosts and spirits. I have a couple of ghost in my house that I deal with from time to time. As for the Enfield Poltergeist, that was NOT spirit driven. This was a teenage girl during puberty plus all the stress the family was gong through. As for the voice, I believe she was making that voice and as for the old man who died there, well that was public knowledge and she could have heard that from one of the neighbors. Here is a paragraph from a web site I went to. The web site is called "The Paranormal Network" and I found it at www.mindreader.com

Here is what Lorane Forcella had to say: In the German language "Poltergeist" means "noisy ghost." Indeed Poltergeist experiences are often noisy, although the characteristic physical disturbances are no longer thought to be the work of ghosts. Rather a current,(since the 1950's)studies indicate a living person-the Poltergeist Agent-who is typically involved simultaneously in another stress inducing situation, causes the Poltergeist situation.

It has been proven in many studies that the Poltergeist activity comes from a living person. There is not a ghost in the Enfield Poltergeist. I believe the Police saw the activity, lots of people did. That in no way makes it supernatural just because a cop saw it. There is just to much evidence against it being a "Ghostly Event." Go to that web site, it has some good information about Poltergeist. There is a lot of information for and against, I choose the one that makes the most sense.

Rocketgirl

[nyuk]

Hello Rocketgirl.

Are you not afraid or uneasy about living in a home with a ghost/entity/spirit

Also, do you know who the spirit is or why they have remained in your home.

Im only asking because im curious about why some places are haunted.

Also, when did you become aware of the spirit and how did you react the first time you realised what was happening in your home??

[Rocketgirl33]

Hello Rocketgirl.

Are you not afraid or uneasy about living in a home with a ghost/entity/spirit

Also, do you know who the spirit is or why they have remained in your home.

Im only asking because im curious about why some places are haunted.

Also, when did you become aware of the spirit and how did you react the first time you realised what was happening in your home??

nyuk,

Thanks for asking, I would love to give you the info. First of all I believe that "Ghosts" are spirits with about the same abilities as we have. I think all life is made up of energy and all this energy is connected. like the electricity that runs through your home. If you turn on the kitchen light it comes on and then you go to the counter and turn on the coffee pot plus your fridge is running ect..ect.. They are all different but they all receive their power from the same source but they are different life forms. I think that there is a fine membrane that separates our world, or reality, from theirs. I also think that sometimes that membrane can become so thin and stretched from time to time that it allows us to see each other. I also think that they may feel about us what we feel about them, which in most cases is sheer panic! Maybe we freak them out as much as they freak us out. I believe that there are good spirits and bad spirits. I do NOT believe in demons or the devil or angles or jesus and god.

I bought this house with my grandma 22 years ago now. It is land with a mobile home on it and there had never been a house here before. Granny passed away in 2003 and I also lost a cousin that year. I have lost many loved ones sense I have lived here. I started noticing the spirits about 7 or 8 years ago I guess. I have seen full solid bodies and one day I saw an arm sticking out from under my bed! We see shadows all the time, I hear walking down the hall. I really hear a lot and see a lot too. I doesn't scare me. I have never felt any fear from this happenings. I really don't believe they want to hurt me any more that I want to hurt them. It is rather exciting sometimes with the goings on. It is not everyday and it happens very fast when it does.

I think the spirits here may be some of my loved ones, I think maybe they are just hanging around waiting for me or they just not ready to move on. I also think some are not anyone I know, but maybe the one spirit who has followed me pretty much my whole life, I think he is from a past life. I think that sometimes spirits just come through on their way to where ever they are off to. I think that spirits are always round us and that sometimes we see them or sense them and they us. I am not afraid, they can't hurt me, but sometimes they startle me. The arm under the bed was creepy but I wasn't afraid.

I really think all places are "haunted" we just can't see them all the time. I think that some people can see them and some can't. But I do believe there are spirits every where all the time, like two worlds living right next to each other without knowing it.

I think the first time I saw and knew there were spirits here I was startled but it was really cool!

I hope that answers your questions, if you want to know any more just ask. You should not be afraid of ghosts, I really don't believe they can harm you and you probably scare them just as much as they scare you! I also hear voices, one of them I know is my beloved Grandma.

Rocketgirl

[Blackwhite]

She already said she was faking some stuff. What does that tell you? I Smell Hoax

She said she was faking SOME stuff, not all of it.

I'm still trying to work out how she managed to make a chair levitate in front of two police officers and pull a fireplace out of a wall.

And what about the two members of the public, who had no conn3ection with the family, who just happened to be walking past the house one night and saw, through an upper window, one of the girls levitating?

Edited November 2, 2011 by Blackwhite

[Rocketgirl33]

She said she was faking SOME stuff, not all of it.

I'm still trying to work out how she managed to make a chair levitate in front of two police officers and pull a fireplace out of a wall.

And what about the two members of the public, who had no conn3ection with the family, who just happened to be walking past the house one night and saw, through an upper window, one of the girls levitating?

It is easy to explain. Go Google poltergeist and look what you find. The Poltergeist activity is coming from the Girls brain. Any person who is near enough to see it happen will be a witness. She can fake some of it but the rest of it happens and she does not have control of it. Go look it up, you will see the answers for your self. And go to several different sites don't just stop on the first one that has the only answer you WANT to hear.

Rocketgirl

[babymable]

It is easy to explain. Go Google poltergeist and look what you find. The Poltergeist activity is coming from the Girls brain. Any person who is near enough to see it happen will be a witness. She can fake some of it but the rest of it happens and she does not have control of it. Go look it up, you will see the answers for your self. And go to several different sites don't just stop on the first one that has the only answer you WANT to hear.

Rocketgirl

So you don't believe in poltergeists/demons but you believe that she made things move, levitated, had super strength and spoke clear with a mouth full of water just by using her brain ?