Random Stories of the Paranormal

These particular stories are ones that I have experienced myself or have heard from the people who experienced them. Of course one could say that any book written as a testimony of miracles, haunting, or alien abductions is a first hand account, but in this particular post I will deal only with unpublished anecdotes rather than books.

A Lutheran pastor confronts demons in a multiple personality client

This story was heard recently in an adult Sunday School class in our Lutheran church in Citrus Heights, CA. Pastor Harry, who is retired now, found himself in an uncomfortable situation when some of the personalities in a woman with multiple personalities seemed to be demonic. He knew nothing of exorcism and little of psychology so he tried to pass the woman onto the psychologist. That man, however, demurred, since the demons were more open with the minister. “What do I do with them?” asked the minister. “Talk to them,” said the psychologist. So he did his best, setting up a sort of code to tell who was who. He would ask them if Jesus Christ was Lord. He figured the demons couldn’t say that. He learned in the course of time that they actually could. After all, the Bible says that the demons believe and tremble. When Christ was on earth, they recognized him right away and pleaded for mercy. So Pastor Harry set up another code. “Can you say that Jesus is my Lord?” That the demons could not do. Harry claims that he did get rid of the personalities that could not make that claim, and the woman herself became a helper to him in dealing with other clients with mental problems. (Update: Pastor Harry Carlson attended Ascension Lutheran Church in Citrus Heights, CA. He passed away May 25, 2023, age 95.)

Korean War troops saved from a cold, wet death

I heard this story in Lexington, Kentucky when I worked for the KY Geological Survey. It was the season of the horse races. Horsemen came into town from all over, living out of their trailers and mobile homes. Sitting in Jerry’s restaurant with a book and a cup of coffee, I heard one of them nearby telling his tablemates that he was a soldier in the Korean War. When the soldiers got bored, they had to find creative ways to entertain themselves. One favorite was to get a little drunk, climb into a jeep, and fly down a long, straight road as fast as they could go. One night several of them were doing just that. Suddenly they saw a swinging lantern directly in front of them. 

The road was pitch black and there was no time to stop or swerve. The jeep blew right through the swinging lantern. The men all screamed, certain that they had just killed someone. The jeep screeched to a stop. All the soldiers got out and looked for the person with the lantern. But there was no one to be seen. And it dawned on them that they had not felt a thud. They went forward on the road a bit where there was a bridge. Guess what they found there? The bridge was out. The jeep was feet away from plunging into the river in the black of night, miles away from human aid.

My one awful experience of discerning a demonic spirit

In the 1970’s I attended a Pentecostal church in San Jose that ministered to young people, some of whom came from troubled backgrounds. I wound up spending the night at the apartment of one of these women. It wasn’t a particularly comfortable relationship for me, but I wanted to encourage her, so I was willing to be friendly and spend time with her. She went to bed earlier than I, so I spent some time in the living room in prayer. Suddenly I seemed to sense a spirit of suicide standing nearby, an actual specific presence with a purpose for being in the apartment. I had never had such an experience, so I thought/hoped it was my imagination. Just in case, I prayed against it. 

After a bit, I heard rustling about the apartment. The bathroom door was ajar. I got up to see what was going on. There was Linda, lying on the bathroom floor with a kitchen knife aimed at her stomach. I was horrified, but tried to not let it show. This was a woman who had been in 72 hour lock down more than once. I knew nothing about such things or about people who are that depressed. She kept mumbling that no one would care. I assured her that plenty of people would care if she took her life. I said, “Let’s call your mom right now and tell her your plan and we’ll see if she cares.” 

I got Linda back in bed, heaved a sigh of relief, and went back to prayers. More time passed, and I heard that rustling again. This time Linda had some rat spray and a plastic bag. I don’t recall how, but I talked that down and got her back to bed. I prayed all night until dawn, then left. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. One lady asked me later, “Why didn’t you call for professional help?” She didn’t call me a boob, but it sounded like she thought I was one. I guess the answer to that is that I actually was kind of a boob, and had no idea what to do in such cases. I certainly at least should have called someone from the church, but I thought maybe she was just being a drama queen. I also felt that the crisis was demonically inspired, and warfare was the answer.

But it is amazing how the enemy of our souls can put ideas in our heads as if those thoughts are our own. The more we give in to such thoughts, the more power they have over us. At some point, the ability to resist is lost. That is why Jesus Christ warned us, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Resisting evil or destructive thoughts is our first line of defense. And if that doesn’t work, call on God for help. Next defense, turn to people who can help you, people who are not in the same pit as you are. And, I'm a strong believer in therapists.

Claudia King’s encounter with the spiritual mafia

This story is just a segment from one of my previous blog posts. To read the amazing tale, put her name in the search box at the top of the blog or click here.

Claudia’s father was in the mafia smuggling liquor. She wasn’t abused as a child, but she was sent away to a Catholic school for her own safety. Mention of religion was not allowed in her home. She was curious as a teenager to know if God was real. She decided that a quick way to find out was to call up Satan. If the devil was real, then maybe God was, too. She writes:

   "There was one book, in particular, to which I was drawn. It described a chant, with a diagram, and two candles -- simple enough. I repeated the words from that book in my room that night and did everything it instructed me to do. I rejected Jesus verbally and called upon spirits I knew nothing about for power. After a short time, it all seemed silly, so I went to bed.    
   "After being asleep for a while, I woke up to an intense growling under my bed -- near my head. I sat up and listened, becoming more frightened. After a few minutes it went away. I laid back down on my side and fell asleep. I remember waking up to adjust my pillow. I could not find it. I opened my eyes to find I had levitated almost to the ceiling and my pillow was on my bed beneath me. I remember one of the books saying that you could 'will' things to happen to you -- so I 'willed' myself to go down to my bed. At this point, I turned my bedroom light on and kept it on for a long time. 
   "I went to the kitchen and got a glass of juice. I returned to my room, not believing my own experience and went back to bed. Maybe the growling and the levitating was just some freaky dream! I convinced myself that it was just that I was tired -- and I settled into a comfortable position on my stomach when two very large demonic hands grabbed my ankles and proceeded to pull me off my bed. They didn't feel like human hands -- but I have no way to describe how I knew that. I grabbed the top of my matress and the force was so strong that the mattress bent in the direction I was being pulled. I don't know why I said it, but I whispered, 'Jesus' and immediately the hands let go and like a vaccuum, the evil presence was sucked from the room. I could hear it leave."

It took Claudia 17 years to divest herself of that evil presence, and that was only after a 6 hour exorcism in some Pentecostal lady’s kitchen. She is walking free and clear today, but can you imagine spending eternity with those growling creatures? We live in a spiritual war zone. The message of the Bible is that dying is no way to escape the stress and uncertainty of this world because there is plenty dark, creepy, terrifying stuff waiting for us on the other side if we do not avail ourselves of God’s protection and salvation. It will devour your grandma, ruin your health, and/or claim your kids if you don’t find a way to combat it.

It's easy to gain the kind of protection that Claudia found. Call on Jesus Christ in your own words and invite him into your heart and life. If you don't have a Bible, you can access a multitude of translations on your smart phone at biblegateway.com. Read what he came to teach us. Religion can be ugly, but there is nothing not to like about Jesus.