Paranormal Activity at the Farm

I went to school in Baldwin City, Kansas; a little town that is known for the Battle of Black Jack (June 2, 1856). I grew up in a three-story sandstone house built in 1860, one year before the Civil War, which was approximately six miles southwest of town. At one point, it was a hotel that sat along the path to the underground railroad in Kansas. It was rumored that Quantrill and his gang stopped to water their horses at the well in our front yard before heading into Lawrence, Kansas and subsequently burned the town down in what is now known as the Lawrence Massacre in August 1863. The house has a lot of history, much of it still unknown.

The walls were two feet thick on all sides and the window wells were just the right size to sit in to read a book in the winter months. The sandstone held the warmth of the sun at night, and in the summer (before we had air conditioning) the house was the equivalent of an oven cooking its residents as they slept. Many nights I would walk like a drunken sailor down the steep wooden stairs from the second floor and stumble out into the yard to sleep under the cool stars. The goal was always to get outside without fully waking up. One night, it was so humid you could hardly breathe. A storm was blowing in from the north, and lightning danced across the sky and for a brief second, lit my path down the stairs.

I reached the landing and walked barefooted into the library (which, at one point, was the “sleeping room” of the hotel). Lightning flashed again and, in an instant, I saw a large, dark man standing next to the old wood stove. He was leaning against it as if resting. I saw the outline of his jacket, his pants were too large for his frame, and his boots were worn. I couldn’t see his face, but I felt his gaze. He stood up abruptly as if he had seen me. Thunder crashed and then echoed like warm honey through the air. My heart was pounding. I was alone again. I remember it in slow motion, but the whole event happened in seconds and left an indelible impression in my mind.

Since then, I have had many more experiences. Few of them I have shared with others, and only when directly asked. Although believing in the unseen is central to my Catholic faith, there is no cannon in ecumenical councils or cannon law that addresses “apparitions or ghosts.”  I am still not sure if I was seeing someone across time, or if it was a ghost or spirit in the house. I was not afraid. There was no threat, just surprise, for both of us. As I recall the event, the experience deepened my faith in God.

The Modern Catholic Dictionary (Eternal Life), defines “ghost” as a “disembodied spirit.” The word ghost comes from an Old English word related to the German Geist, meaning “spirit.” As a Christian, I absolutely believe in “all things visible and invisible” God, angels, souls of the deceased, etc.). Sacred scripture provides examples of the spirits of the dead appearing to the living (1 Sam. 28:3-25; 2 Macc. 15:11-17; Matthew 17:1-9; Luke 24:37-39). Ghosts are spirits who no longer live on earth.  According to Thomas Aquinas, they are either in heaven, hell, or purgatory. He states, “Although the dead be able to appear to the living as they will…they are either wholly conformed to the divine will, so that they may do nothing but what they see to be agreeable with the divine disposition, or else they are so overwhelmed by their punishments that their grief for their unhappiness surpasses their desire to appear to others.”

Although it is wrong and unbiblical to believe that all paranormal experiences are demonic in origin, it is also unwise to believe that all paranormal experiences are not demonic in origin. It is also unwise to believe that these experiences are delusional in nature. The Catholic Church affirms veneration of and prayer with the saints. We also must remember that Scripture forbids divination or necromancy (summoning the dead or other practices meant to seek forbidden knowledge (e.g., Deut 18:11; Lev. 19:31, 20:6, 27, CCC2116)).

If you see a ghost, or spirit, or have a paranormal experience, it is always best to pray.

Heather

If you have had a paranormal experience, I would love to hear about it! Did it impact your faith? If so, how? You can send me your stories at heatheranne@calmjourney.org or write me at Calm Journey, PO Box 480395 Kansas City, MO 64148