Ed and Lorraine Warren

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Ed Warren (September 7, 1926 - August 23, 2006) was a self-described demonologist, paranormal investigator, author and lecturer.

Lorraine Warren, (his wife), who worked with him, claimed to be both a clairvoyant and a light trance medium. Ed and Lorraine founded the New England Society for Psychic Research in 1952 and later opened the Occult Museum. They are the authors of numerous books about the paranormal and their own private investigations into various hauntings. (The claimed to have investigated over 10,000 hauntings during their career). The Warrens were among the very first investigators in the world-known, albeit controversial Amityville haunting.

Ed Warren passed away on Wednesday, August 23, 2006, at his home in Monroe, Connecticut, with his wife by his side. [1] His nephew John Zaffis, also a demonologist, said: "Ed was a great man and he truly was instrumental in bringing the paranormal to the public’s attention."

1 Notable Warren investigations
2 Criticisms
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Notable Warren investigations

The Amityville horror case in which New York couple George and Katy Lutz claimed that their house was haunted by a violent, demonic presence so intense that it eventually drove them out of their home. Later researchers would cast considerable doubt on the claims made by both the Lutz family and virtually everyone involved in the case. [2] These alleged events would become the basis for the 1977 best-selling book The Amityville Horror and a 1979 movie of the same name.

The case of Bill Ramsey, in which the Warrens claim to have exorcised a "werewolf demon" from a man who had bitten several people, believing himself to be a wolf. Controversy remains as to whether Bill Ramsey was actually possessed by a demon or was instead suffering from a mental illness. The events surrounding this case were later described in a 1991 book written by the Warrens.

The hauntings that allegedly occurred in the home of Pennsylvania residents Jack and Janet Smurl. The manifestations in the Smurl home were reported to include all manner of poltergeist phenomena, including strange sounds, foul smells and sightings of apparitions. The Warrens became involved and claimed that the Smurl home was occupied by three spirits and a demon. (With the entrance of the Warrens, the case became the subject of much media fanfare). Both Jack and Janet Smurl would also claim to have been sexually assaulted by the entities in their home. Later, other investigators working independently from the Warrens would point out the lack of corroboration by independent observers for the events claimed by both the Warrens and the Smurls. These same investigators would further note the lack of any kind of impartial physical evidence and even suggested that a financial motive on the part of Jack Smurl might be involved. The case was the subject of both a book and a 1991 television movie called The Haunted. [3] [4]

[edit] Criticisms

Critics counter that the work of Ed and Lorraine Warren were based on facts that were either misinterpreted by them and/or overly-influenced by their personal religious beliefs, noting that many of their claims have failed to stand up to serious independent scrutiny. In part, this criticism rests on the fact that the Warren’s early investigative techniques relied heavily on Lorraine Warren's claimed clairvoyant and trance medium abilities and that the subjective interpretation of her impressions were often substituted in lieu of hard evidence or verifiable data. (Modern ghost hunting now utilizes more scientific and exact methods than the techniques often employed by the Warrens). [5]

Additionally, the Warren’s reliability as neutral, objective paranormal investigators has been called into question in the past. For example, the Warren’s most famous case, the Amityville horror, has been thoroughly investigated by other researchers and revealed to have most likely been a complete hoax. Despite such evidence, the Warren's continued belief in the events surrounding the Amityville case seriously strained their credibility in the eyes of many other paranormal researchers. [6] [7]

Finally, the fact that the Warrens made their living from their paranormal investigations, both by selling books and by charging speaking fees while traveling the lecture circuit, did much to lessen their claims to true objectivity in the eyes of many. Such criticism is not without merit in that having a financial stake that is dependent on a particular outcome to an investigation (whether it be a new or older case, as inferred by their continued support of the Amityville story in light of new evidence pointing to a hoax), creates an obvious conflict of interest.