The film version of the demon-possessed doll

If you like your dolls scary rather than cute, Annabelle, the recently released prequel to The Conjuring, is surely your thing. But this is not just a fictional tale about a doll that was used as a conduit by a demon, it is an actual case in the repertoire of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. The duo claim to have solved several cases of possession and haunting that they have documented in books. In a world that scoffs at ghosts, the Warrens deliver a different message: “The fairy tale is true. The Devil exists. God exists. And for us, as people, our very destiny hinges upon which one we elect to follow”. Here are five t2 picks by and on Ed and Lorraine.

t2 tip: Read with all the lights on!

Graveyard by Ed and Lorraine Warren and Robert David Chase (Kindle edition Rs 611): Graveyards are picturesque and peaceful places for most but the Warrens expose them as eerie and violent spots whose dark influence wreaks havoc on those unlucky enough to live nearby. This book chronicles a host of their most harrowing cases of ghostly visitations, demonic stalkings and otherworldly encounters. A prom night turns into a night of the undead when the corpse of a classmate comes looking for vengeance. A US senator gets a phone call from beyond the grave. Spirits order a man to kill his wife… and much, much more.

Ghost Hunters by Ed and Lorraine Warren and Robert David Chase (Kindle edition Rs 567): Enter the old West Point mansion tenanted by the restless spirits of John F. Kennedy and Mrs Douglas MacArthur and the angry spirit of a murderer. Encounter a psychic vision that brought three sadistic rapists to justice. Witness the case of a teenage girl that innocently began with an Ouija board and ended in a devastating exorcism. For nearly 40 years, Ed and Lorraine Warren have investigated thousands of manifestations of the spirit world, from hauntings and poltergeists to demon murders and possessions.

Werewolf by Ed and Lorraine Warren, Robert David Chase and William Ramsey (Kindle edition Rs 567): This is the story of William Ramsey, whose bizarre seizures had terrified an entire English town. With the help of the Warrens it was discovered that the spirit of a werewolf had possessed him and it had to be driven out in a dangerous rite of exorcism. It’s a horrifying account of a supernatural battle between good and evil within the soul of one human.

Satan’s Harvest by Ed and Lorraine Warren, Michael Lasalandra and Mark Merenda (Kindle edition Rs 611): One of the most bizarre cases of demonic possessions happened in the 1980s. As a child, Maurice worked on his father’s farm, where he was sexually abused by his father and forced to participate in horrific sexual acts. In an attempt to save himself, the boy had asked for Satan’s help. Years later, his wife and the local people begin to notice weird changes in Maurice. Once his wife even spotted him in two places at the same time. Terrified and finding no psychological reasons for this, they asked the Warrens for help. What followed was violent, to say the least, and Ed almost ended up losing his life!

The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren by Gerald Brittle (Graymalkin Media, Rs 808, Kindle edition Rs 547): This book discusses some of their most famous cases, including the one involving the Annabelle doll and the Enfield Poltergeist. This has been used as texts in classrooms and seminars and even contains photographs of certain phenomena in progress. If you think only ghosts are responsible for hauntings, think again… and shiver!

Abhinanda Datta
Which is the scariest book you have read? Tell us at t2@abp.in