Curate battles against plague of poltergeists.
City families in grip of fear.
By Paul Markillie.
Families in north Cambridge are being plagued with poltergeists – hurling objects around their homes and terrifying young children. A local clergyman has been helping by saying prayers and blessings in the homes affected by the distressing experiences. But now the priest fears things could get worse because a new evening class is starting at a nearby community centre – studying the occult. The evening class on witchcraft and astrology is to be held at the Manor Centre in Arbury Road, Cambridge. But Dr Rowan Williams, the curate of St George’s church, says people should think carefully before attending in case they are encouraged to dabble in the occult world.
He said yesterday: “The effects of this sort of thing can be very serious, especially in families with young children. Some people in the parish and the locality have had unusual experiences which have caused great anxiety and distress.” Dr Williams added that a number of people had been troubled with poltergeists and he has said prayers and blessings in their homes to help them. “It is not just things being hurled around. Families have been very upset and children have been too frightened to sleep in the house. It can cause terrible feelings of guilt, fear and suspicion.”
Dr Williams said he was not committed to any particular theory about the occult, but he had found that an interest in the subject would often lead to the unusual experiences. He added: “I have no idea of the direction this course will be taking, but if people are hoping to benefit from some unusual experience by attending it then they should watch it.”
The principal of the Manor Centre, Mr John Holmes, said the course woudl be covering most aspects of witchcraft and astrology. He added: “It will not de-bunk the subject, but the students are not going to be sitting around stirring pots. It is an educational course.” The evening class tutor is Prudence Jones, who was not available for comment. In her course notes she says: “Students are not being trained to become witches.” According to the notes, the course will cover a wide area of witchcraft and astrology, both past and modern, along with other aspects of the occult and psychic world, including alternative healing.
Cambridge Daily News, 5th September 1981.
Poltergeists.
I note the comments from Dr Williams on the possibility of an evening class studying witchcraft and astrology exacerbating poltergeist activity in north Cambridge (“News,” September 5). Classes should perhaps be arranged for both the public and clergy on how to rid society of these unwelcome manifestations. Dr Williams, it seems, has not been that successful with prayers and blessings or there would not be such a plague of poltergeists in his parish. Could it be that his lack of success is due in part to not being committed to any particular theory about the occult?
An evening class which explains the mechanics of this phenomenon would help to release the victims from feelings of guilt and fear. With knowledge and compassion there would be no need for these outbreaks to reach plague proportions. The church remains medieval in its approach to the occult sciences. Many who show unusual occult gifts today would have been condemned and burnt at the instigation of the Church not so many years ago. I am sure that St. Joan would agree.
Ivor Perry, 48 Birdwood Road, Cambridge.
Cambridge Daily News, 9th September 1981.
Poltergeists.
With many other Christians I applaud Dr Williams for his action in attempting to help those who in Cambridge are being plagued by poltergeists (“News,” Sept 5). It is regrettable that other church leaders in Cambridge were conspicuous by their absence. The opinion expressed by Dr Williams that things could escalate into further trouble I fully concur with. The idea of evening classes at the Manor Centre, Arbury Road, for the purpose of studying witchcraft and astrology is both foolhardy and evil. The remark made by the principal of Manor Centre, Mr John Holmes, that it is an educational course is a blatant attempt to cover up what is well known to be a dangerous experiment. I am sure the comment by Prudence Jones, “Students are not being trained to become witches,” to be true. [sic]
Surely the education authorities would not be willing to condone such misrepresentation of either classrooms or teaching staff. The dangers of meddling with the occult in the realms suggested are bound to result in dire trouble for all those who participate. Any belief that experiments into the unknown is neither dangerous and can be terminated at a moment’s notice is erroneous.
Almighty God has chosen to enlighten mankind with knowledge that witchcraft with all its implications is an abomination in His sight. And the penalty for any who would wilfully be foolish to disregard His warning is clearly defined in Holy Writ. I would therefore urge those responsible for the Inauguration of these classes to reconsider and abolish any further plans which might corrupt anyone foolish enough to enrol for this course.
(Pastor) G. C. Bowler, 4 Fairhaven Close, Lode.
Cambridge Daily News, 16th September 1981.
Most poltergeists are genuine, says psychical investigator.
Poltergeist manifestations in three homes in the Arbury area of Cambridge have been reported recently to the curate of St George’s parish. The Rev Dr Rowan Williams has conducted prayers and blessings in the affected homes but, for reasons of confidentiality, will not divulge what might cause families to experience “terrible feelings of guilt, fear and suspicion.”
John Gaskell spoke to Tony Cornell of the Cambridge University Society for Psychical Research about his work as an investigator of more than 200 cases of ghosts and poltergeists. When Tony Cornell first became interested in poltergeists 25 years ago he was sure that it was all “a lot of nonsense.” “I thought that in a scientific age it ought to be sorted out. But my experience over the years – in spite of seeing a lot of fraud and misinterpretation – tells me that there are poltergeists about. They do occur and they are frightening. But ‘frightening’ is the operative word. Over the years no-one has been seriously physically damaged by them.”
When Mr Cornell is asked to investigate a case he tries to involve the householder as much as possible. He tells them what is known about the history of poltergeists; that no one knows why they occur; that they are either spirits or a product of the human mind. “But some people don’t want any explanation, they just want to get rid of it,” says Mr Cornell, who assures anyone who asks for strict confidentiality that they can have it. An eminent politician and a highly regarded philosopher are among those to have requested it. Both were genuine cases, says Mr Cornell.
His first step of investigation is to find out about past poltergeist activity – who is involved, does it centre around a particular thing or person? “You’ve also got to get rid of a lot of pre-conceived ideas. For example, many people think that psychical disturbances are due to suicides or death in a room. If that were true then Victorian houses would be more likely to have such disturbances, but there’s no evidence of it.”
With an associate, Alan Gauld, he wrote the book “Poltergeists” (Routledge and Kegan Paul) including a computer analysis of factors recorded in 500 cases of poltergeist occurrences. Mr Cornell says: “There’s no one common link. It’s not always children, or an old person or an old house and it is as likely to happen in daylight as much as by night. All we do know is that these things do occur but no hard and fast explanation exists for them up to now. But they are a common experience which goes back for many thousands of years. The thing to emphasise is that, despite the fiction writers telling you you’ll be half-scared to death, at the time of the occurrence people usually aren’t scared at all.”
In the course of many long vigils around the country Mr Cornell has encountered many dubious “poltergeists”, some faked, others which can eventually be explained through unusual but earthbound phenomena. He gives such an example in his book: “In this case the occupants of a remote Cambridgeshire house were being terrified by eerie and four-dimensional thudding noises… It was not until the family was on the verge of quitting th ehouse that the explanation was discovered… Apples had been stored in the loft. Rats had found them there… They would roll a small apple to the edge of the loft and push it down the hollow of a cavity wall. At the bottom they made off with it or disposed of it. The falling of the apples had produced the spooky sounds.”
Wind in chimneys, the escape of air in double-glazed windows, animals in the garden, braches tapping on windows, mice behind skirting boards, central heating noises… all can produce sounds which are misinterpreted as coming from the spirit world. By thoroughly checking a property, lifting floorboards and carpets, searching the loft and so on a natural cause – or a fraud – can be detected.
“If it occurs in one room only then you must seal the room. Use tape recorders, thermometers, whatever instruments are available to try to monitor everything,” says Mr Cornell, who will also ask a witness to retell their description to check for a deviation from the original version. “An interesting thing about genuine poltergeist cases is that the majority only last from three to six weeks. Why, we don’t know,” he says. “There is exorcism although there is no laid down system that we know of used by the church. People have cooked up various methods of exorcism. But are they appeals to some unknown entity or to the people involved? I am inclined to think it’s the latter but that’s only from m y experience and of knowing of many church exorcisms that have failed.”
To many people talk of exorcisms, ghosts and poltergeists is just nonsense. Even to those who accept that poltergeists may exist, there are plenty of plausible theories to explain them away: tricks played by the memory, errors of observation, “motivated seeing” ie observing things we expect or want to see, attempts to seek publicity or draw attention to the witness, and of course plain fraud. But the dogmatic cynic, Mr Cornell has likened to: “… the flat earther or religious fanatic, who can ‘explain away’ all the awkward facts which threaten his system of delusions. At its worst, such a stance borders on insanity: at best it constitutes an unhealthy and unprofitable turning away from the realities of the world.”
He says of his own experience: “I would say that at least 70 per cent of the cases I have looked at are genuine.”
Cambridge Daily News, 18th September 1981.
Witchcraft.
The recent connection of the long-term and well-known poltergeist activity in North Arbury with an as-yet unstarted course of study on witchcraft and astrology is a typical example of the fear of the supernatural experienced by many churchmen. Whilst dabbling in the “occult” is indeed dangerous (as is driving a car without proper tuition, or jumping into water without first learning to swim), it is totally erroneeous to connect the manifestation of poltergeists with occultism. Over a century of research into poltergeists by psychical researchers has shown that they are most probably energy phenomena with no connection with the after-life or the Demonic Empire so feared by Christians like Dr Williams (September 5) and Pastor Bowler (September 16).
North Arbury estate was built upon ancient earthworks – indeed it is named “North” to distinguish it from its twin, Arbury Banks, near Royston. During diggings for building works, burials and stone tombs were smashed by the contractors. Aerial photographs of the site before development show various lines, rectangular enclosures and circles, so it is not improbable that here in antiquity was a site of some sacred importance. Since time immemorial, it has been traditional not to tamper with or disturb such sacred places, as to do so invariably leads to the kind of psychical phenomena now being experienced. Since such taboos are now disregarded by both secular and sacred authority, wwe should not be surprised that unbridled manifestations are now taking place. To blame them on witchcraft, real or imaginary, is to miss the point that it is the site that is causing the manifestations, not human dabbling with the occult.
Indeed, it could be argued that a knowledge of the occult is necessary to prevent such manifestations, for had ancient tradition been followed, then the earthworks and burials of North Arbury would have been respected, and left alone.
Since the outmoded Witchcraft Act was abolished over thirty years ago, it is sad to see people like Pastor Bowler calling for the abolition of classes on witchcraft, for in this country today we have a freedom of expression and freedom of conscience. If a person wishes to study witchcraft, or indeed, to practice the Old Religion known as witchcraft, then they are perfectly entitled to do so.
Nigel Pennick, Institute for Geomantic Research, 142, Pheasant Rise, Bar Hill, Cambs.
Cambridge Daily News, 23rd September 1981.
Witchcraft casts spell on evening class.
Controversial lessons in witchcraft at Cambridge’s Manor Evening Centre have hit the jackpot. So many people have applied to join that the Manor’s Evening Centre principal, Mr John Holmes, has had to put a stop on numbers. The class, which begins tonight, is already oversubscribed. Twenty-two people have registered to attend and now Mr Holmes has another half-dozen on a waiting list. “Normally we think of 16 as being the right number for a class. But this one has proved so popular that we allowed it to go up. There comes a point at which you have to stop and when we reached 22 we thought it was time to create a waiting list.”
Only a few GCE subjects like accounting and typewriting are also fully subscribed. “Caligraphy is proving very popular and generally our enrolment has been high with several courses reaching maximum numbers,” Mr Holmes continued. “But with witchcraft we have had a tremendous response,” he added. Budding witches, however, need not apply. The class tutor, Prudence Jones, states in her course introduction that students will not be trained to become witches. But they will be given a thorough grounding in the occult with aspects of astrology, psychic phenomena and alternative healing thrown in.
Nevertheless, Cambridge area churchmen have hit out at the classes. Dr Rowan Williams, curate of St George’s Church, Cambridge, who has been called in to cobat what Arbury area residents have claimed is a spate of poltergeist activity in their homes, says the classes may tempt people to dabble even further in the occult. The poltergeist manifestations, he believes, might only get worse as a result of the increased interest in witchcraft in the area. And Pastor George Bowler, of Lode, in a warning that experimentation with the unknown is dangerous, has called on the course organisers to cancel the classes.
Cambridge Daily News, 24th September 1981.