01x11 - Spiritual Warfare

[bunniefuu]

Narrator: America's top ghost hunters relive their most extreme assignments.

(Woman screams)

This house is beyond haunted.

Narrator: Hardened veterans of the paranormal, these are the cases that truly tested them.

There was a evil presence in that house.

Woman: Oh, (bleep) what the hell?

Man: Dude, I got goose bumps.

It's in here.

(Beeping)

Narrator: In a ghost town in Arizona, investigators encounter something unexpected.

In Colorado, does a mysterious figure captured in a photo hold the key to what haunts a historic mansion?

And in Texas, breaking a curse turns out to have painful consequences for one investigator.

It knocked me down.

Ohh!

The lone escarpment of red rocks looming over the desert, 70 miles east of Phoenix, lies the once-booming mining town of Superior, Arizona.

But since its mines closed in 1996, superior has spiralled into decline to become a living ghost town.

But it's not just the past that haunts superior.

Many of the town's remaining residents have reported disturbing paranormal activity.

We had heard multiple claims associated with the town, which would include reports of apparitions, sightings of native Americans, cowboys, old miners.

(Tribal chanting)

Narrator: Desperate for answers, a group of residents reach out to paranormal investigators.

They wanted somebody with equipment that we have be able to go in there and catch some kind of evidence that what they are seeing and hearing is true.

Narrator: Ghost hunters jay and Marie Yates are founders of the crossing over paranormal society.

A veteran of hundreds of cases, jay's interest in the spirit world is personal.

I've been haunted my entire life.

I've experienced the paranormal ever since I was a child.

One of the earliest memories I have would be sitting alone in my room and having children that weren't alive coming to visit me.

Narrator: With 10 years of experience in law enforcement, investigating the paranormal is something that comes naturally to jay.

My mission is to seek truth, understanding, and proof of the paranormal by any means necessary.

My ultimate goal is to assist families that struggle with the paranormal in silence like I did.

Narrator: Jay and Marie arrive with their team at superior's old rec center, where many residents have reported seeing apparitions of native American warriors.

Jay: Everybody was excited to be there because we were the first team to ever investigate the location.

Narrator: Jay and Marie suspect the activity is linked to a local legend about the cliffs that loom above superior.

There was an area called apache leap.

Apache leap is where these native American apache men leapt to their death to avoid persecution of the white settlers in the area.

Marie: The rec center was not too far from that area.

All the residents that live there, they hear drums, they see Indians walking around.

Narrator: As they enter the building...

(Camera shutter clicks)

...The investigators are struck by an unnerving sensation.

Immediately, you're met with a feeling that you're not alone, that there is someone there, that someone's watching you.

(Camera shutter clicks)

Narrator: It's not long before their feelings are confirmed.

Jay: My investigator, Jamie, said that she was hearing this growling-type noise.

(Creature growling)

The noise seemed like it was almost drawing you in, where it kept getting further and further away.

(Growling continues)

All of a sudden, we seen, like, a light.

It was almost like a lantern, just glowing in midair.

And I'm like, "oh, my god. Can you see this?

Can you see this?"

Narrator: The light moves off towards a stairwell.

Jay: Marie immediately says, "oh, my god.

There's someone over there."

And I see an Indian.

I mean, seriously, an Indian.

Narrator: Before they can react, the shadowy figure takes off.

Instinctively, jay gives chase.

But I have to tell you, going around that corner and anticipating whether or not he was gonna be standing right there, that was nerve-racking.

Narrator: The apparition is always just one step ahead.

Jay: We followed this for an hour, hour and a half.

The grounds are limited.

There's only so many places you could hide, and there's really no place to go.

It just disappeared.

Finding themselves in the rec center's gymnasium, the team tries to communicate with a spirit using flashlights.

Jay: Jamie tried using a flashlight experiment where you set up multiple flashlights and request for them to turn on and off these lights as a form of question.

Turn the flashlight off if you're the warrior spirit.

She's having a full-blown conversation with the spirit energy inside the rec center.

We're dealing with some pretty intelligent forces here in this particular ghost town.

I mean, to communicate that --

I mean, in the video, it's amazing.

Narrator: The communication suddenly stops.

And something appears to move off in the darkness.

Assuming the entity has left the gym, jay continues the search using a ghost box device.

Jay: The ghost box essentially scans through frequencies of the radio at a very fast rate.

The idea is that the spirits will use that box to communicate a message.

(Static warbling, indistinct communication)

Narrator: Suddenly, the atmosphere of the room changes.

Whatever is in the room with them decides the time for talking is over.

I was behind the camera, and jay was talking to the spirits.

All of a sudden...

Narrator: In a ghost town in Arizona, investigators jay and Marie Yates are on the tail of a native spirit.

The search has led them deep into an abandoned basement.

All of a sudden, I seen, like, this dark mask thing go by his feet, right next to him.

And I saw some type of creature that, like, ran right by my feet.

Like, I felt it.

Like, I absolutely felt it.

And I'm shocked.

I'm sitting there, like, "oh, my god.

Like, did that really just happen?"

He was actually agitated.

Jay: It's quick, and it happened fast, but, you know, I really did see that.

That really did happen.

You do a thorough check to ensure it was not a raccoon, it wasn't a coyote.

We were in a controlled environment.

It ruled out all the other things that are more natural.

You hiding here?

I know without a shadow of a doubt what I experienced was a supernatural occurrence.

Narrator: Spooked by the encounter, jay moves the team out of the room, but the activity isn't over yet.

Jay: My wife and I kind of started hearing this strange noise ourselves.

A rattling type noise.

Not like a rattlesnake but just kind of like a cackle.

To me, it sort of sounded like a really odd bird.

And I've lived in Arizona my entire life.

I never heard anything like that.

(Creature growling)

(Device squeaks)

And we turn on the EMF detector, and the thing was off the chart.

Off the chart.

And we're looking for power sources, and it was nothing.

Narrator: As they search for the source of the noise, something pulls Marie away from the group.

Marie: I felt, like, pressure on my chest.

Usually when I feel the pressure on my chest, I know something is close and is trying to reach out to me.

So I started walking sort of closer to that area.

Jay: When I see Marie, you could tell that she was awake, but she was experiencing something that nobody else is experiencing.

Just kind of staring off into nowhere.

Narrator: One of the investigators takes a photograph of Marie as she wanders off.

What the picture reveals is shocking.

(Camera shutter clicks)

Jay: Remember the moment when I saw the photograph of this skeleton-like being wrapped around her neck.

I felt the heaviness on my chest, and, um...

I just felt like somebody was on my neck.

(Gags)

The thought of a shapeshifter immediately crossed to my mind.

Narrator: A shapeshifter is an entity that can transform into another being or form.

(Gasping)

Marie!

Marie! Marie!

She was kind of in this trance.

And, like, she acknowledged me, but yet she still was still kind of --

You could tell that fog was still there.

Narrator: Jay fears Marie is being possessed by the skeleton entity.

Jay: Like, we need to get the hell out of here, and we need to get the hell out of here now.

Narrator: Jay snaps Marie out of her trance and evacuates his team.

Marie: I was like, "okay. I'm done."

I just feel like we're in danger.

Let's go."

Guys, grab everything! let's go!

All I know is that something did not want us there.

Narrator: With the investigation over, jay and Marie reflect on what they have encountered.

We're reviewing all the evidence.

This thing wrapped around Marie’s neck.

This man and these sounds.

What the hell was that?!

The same thing that I saw in the basement.

I really do believe we dealt with a shapeshifter.

I've heard so many stories that native spirits can shift into coyotes or wild animals.

I do believe it has something to do with all the history of that area, the apache leap.

Do I think that this thing was really trying to hurt us?

No. But I think it was a warning --

To respect it.

Don't disrespect the spirits of those men that are here.

Narrator: Coming up...

A man beset by misfortune is the subject of a malicious curse.

And when a paranormal investigator tries to free him, it has painful consequences.

But first...

Hello?

Is anybody here?

...Ghost hunters are asked to investigate hauntings in a historic mansion.

Could a mysterious old photograph hold the key?

Or is something more sinister at work?

Longmont, Colorado.

(Thunder crashes)

In 1896, this Victorian house was purchased by Thomas Callahan and his wife, Alice.

A local merchant, Thomas is famous for helping one of his employees, J.C. Penney, open his very first store.

When Thomas and Alice moved to Nevada in 1938, the house was bequeathed to the city.

Now a museum, staff and visitors have witnessed alarming activity in the house.

Locked doors mysteriously open.

Voices echo in empty rooms.

Hello? is anybody here?

And apparitions stalk the hallways.

(Screaming)

Concerned for their staff, the city calls in a paranormal investigation group.

One of the employees took me aside and said, "you know, Richard, you really need to get in there, because the security system at night keeps going off, and they have no idea why."

They found that the lights would go on and off for no apparent reason.

Hello?

And that you've got just the most unusual things happening to employees within that building.

Narrator: Co-founder of the boulder county paranormal research society, Richard Estep has spent over 20 years investigating the paranormal.

Estep: When we go to investigate claims of a haunting, we're really trying to help people, first and foremost.

And our secondary goal is to try and assess for claims of paranormal activity.

Are people really experiencing something beyond the everyday realm?

The city granted special permission for us to go in, and they said, "let us know what you find out."

Narrator: Richard jumps at the chance of investigating a property with such a rich history and assembles his team.

Estep: When you walk into the Callahan house, it's like going back in time 100 years.

Narrator: Richard brings in his regular team, plus additional help from investigator Robbin Daidone.

Daidone: My role during this investigation was to back up Richard and his team.

This was a very large house, and they needed people to cover everything from top to bottom, plus the outside coach house.

Narrator: The teams split up.

Richard heads upstairs with his colleague Anna.

He's drawn to an old photograph on the wall.

Estep: It was a photograph of the Callahan family, and in the window of the Callahan house, I could see what looked like a figure in a white dress with dark hair looking out at the family.

People walking by on the street often report seeing the figure of a woman with dark hair in a period dress looking out that window.

And it's believed to be the figure of Mrs. Callahan, the lady of the house.

I said, "well, that can't be her, because she's in the picture.

This is somebody else."

Oh, my god.

Narrator: In a historic house in Colorado, ghostly activity has been terrorizing staff.

Paranormal investigator Richard Estep thinks a mysterious figure in an old photo might hold a clue.

It's believed to be the figure of Mrs. Callahan.

That can't be her because she's in the picture.

Narrator: At first, Richard looks for an earthly explanation for the figure.

Estep: What if that is just the reflection of clouds?

Well, none of the other windows of the house in the photograph have anything similar.

It truly looks like there's something or someone inside the window, looking out.

Can I see that, Joe?

So we'd set about trying to re-create that photograph and seeing if we could achieve the same effect.

(Speaks indistinctly)

The team dress investigator Anna to match the apparition while Robbin goes outside to take the photo.

But Anna can't be seen from the outside.

The problem is that the window had a ledge, and this ledge extended a good few inches out.

So if it was a human adult, they would have had to have been kneeling on a small ledge beneath the window.

So it seems unlikely.

Narrator: It becomes clear that the photo cannot be re-created, at least not by anyone earthly.

Whoever it was in that picture had to be either on the window ledge in direct contact with the glass, pushing against it, or they had to be leaning forward, with their forehead resting against the glass window at an angle like this in order to be seen on photographs.

It's very, very odd, indeed.

Narrator: Believing the figure in the photo to be a ghost, Richard tasks his team with finding it.

I've divided my people up into three teams.

I send one team down to the basement, I send another team upstairs to cover the second floor, and I send a third team out to the carriage house.

Once I have my teams in place, I have everybody go quiet for a period of time.

Keep radio silence.

Just give them time to adjust to the environment.

Narrator: Richard and another investigator, Joey, stay on the ground floor.

They don't have to wait long before the spirit makes itself known.

Estep: Suddenly... (Thud) ...Above us, on the second floor, we hear this tremendous thump.

(Thudding)

And it's the sound of something heavy hitting the ground.

Sounded to me like a body falling over, as if somebody fainted.

(Thud)

And then we hear what sounds like something heavy being dragged slowly across the floor.

(Scraping)

And it's not a pretty image that that conjures up in my mind.

So we get on the radio and say to the upstairs team, "hey, are you guys okay?

It sounds like somebody fell over."

And they respond with, "we don't hear anything."

Narrator: Richard goes to check out the sounds himself.

(Device beeping)

Suddenly, a device known as a REM pod starts going off.

So, the REM pod is a device which measures energy in the electromagnetic spectrum, and when something approaches it that has a higher level of electromagnetic energy, it alarms.

(Beeping continues)

Narrator: Ghosts are thought to use electromagnetic energy to manifest.

The REM pod was placed in the same room that Joey and I had been directly underneath when we heard the thump, the drag, and the footsteps.

(Beeping continues)

Narrator: But when Richard reaches the room...

He finds no sign of what could have made the noises.

So either Joey and I shared the same hallucination at the same moment or something paranormal was going on and we can't yet explain it.

(Beeping continues)

Perhaps somebody was trying to communicate with us.

The REM pod would be a really easy way for something to let us know that they're there.

(Beeping continues)

They just need to step close to the device.

It does freak me out a little bit.

It absolutely does make me a little concerned about what that might have been.

(Beeping continues)

Narrator: Richard isn't the only one facing troubling activity, as Anna and randy soon discover as they enter the carriage house.

His team has been silent for 5, no more than 10 minutes, than he hears this growl.

(Creature growls)

When you hear a growl, that's not the pleasant kind of spirit communication.

Either it's animalistic, or it's something mimicking an animal in an attempt to scare you away.

If I'm growling at you, I'm sending you a very clear message, and it's probably the message that you don't want to be around me for much longer.

(Creature growling)

Narrator: Feeling threatened, randy and Anna retreat from the carriage house to safety.

In the basement, investigators Robbin and Alfreda are about to have their own encounter with the paranormal.

(Device beeping)

This basement was really cold, very dark, and creepy.

If you let your imagination run crazy, you could imagine all kinds of things.

And both ladies hear the sound of footsteps coming down that staircase towards them.

We weren't sure whether it was other investigators, somebody outside, but we were seeing movement out of the corner of our eye, so it kept us on kind of a heightened state of alert, watching to see if we saw anything else.

Estep: Randy, who is now on the ground floor, happens to be watching the staircase and sees what looks like a shadow.

Narrator: The dark figure heads downstairs towards Alfreda and Robbin.

I see something move out of the shadows in the back of the basement.

I hear her say, "do you see that?"

And I said, "uh-huh."

It's floating about a foot off the floor, getting closer and closer, moving directly toward us.

Don't move.

(Woman screams)

Narrator: In a Colorado mansion, paranormal activity has been terrorizing investigators.

Now a dark shadow has two investigators trapped in the basement.

It's getting closer and closer, moving directly toward us.

(Creature growling)

And all of a sudden, it took a right turn and went right through a wall.

After 18 years of being an investigator, I can only count on one hand how many times I have seen something like that.

This is unusual.

To watch something that looks absolutely solid disappear through a wall is --

I mean, your brain says, "things don't do that."

Narrator: Terrified, Robbin and Alfreda run from the basement.

I had wondered if we had provoked something that didn't want to be known there.

If you think about the way that humans react when one threatens another, the first stage is a threatening noise...

(Creature growling)

...The second stage is usually physical v*olence.

So I'm concerned that we're going to see the same thing with the spiritual activity.

Narrator: Deciding not to risk a violent encounter, Richard ends the investigation.

He leaves satisfied that their evidence supports the witness reports.

There were quite a few things that we were able to verify --

The shadows and the voices --

So the Longmont employees had some peace of mind that they weren't crazy.

Narrator: But many questions remain.

It leaves this case tantalizingly unresolved.

I would love to know what that entity is.

Are we dealing with one of the Callahans?

Are we dealing with the same apparition that is the lady in the window?

I personally don't think so.

So I think we have multiple entities that are involved at the Callahan house.

Narrator: One thing is for certain --

The activity at the Callahan house continues to this day.

When a paranormal investigator is called to help a man plagued by misfortune, he discovers that the cause is something sinister...

Ohh!

...And dangerously powerful.

Harlingen, Texas.

Paul Schor and his wife, Mary, are going through a rocky patch.

Their finances and their marriage are in trouble thanks to a run of terrible misfortune.

Through no fault of his own, Paul is fired from a string of jobs, gets into several auto wrecks, and falls out with his friends.

Normally deeply religious, Paul’s faith wavers.

And Mary starts to fear for his well-being.

Nary: There was a point in my husband's life where he was so lost.

It's gonna be okay.

No, it's not.

He goes, "I give up." He goes, "I give up. This is my life. This is what it's gonna be like."

I was very worried.

Narrator: Their relationship hits rock bottom.

What are we gonna do?

We had very negative energy at our home.

We were fighting a lot.

Hey!

He wasn't the man that I married.

Narrator: Then Mary witnesses something troubling.

I saw this black cloud over him, and that's when I knew there was something more than just bad luck.

There was a bad spirit taking over him and taking over our lives.

Narrator: Terrified, Mary reaches out to a paranormal investigator.

I knew there was something there that was causing havoc.

There's paranormal activity happening, and he needs help.

Narrator: George Acosta has been hunting ghosts for the last 15 years.

Acosta: My first encounter was with a paranormal investigator in the old Brownsville cemetery in 2001.

I wanted to see if it was real or not real, if it was true or not true.

But he proved me wrong. It is real.

Narrator: A former minister and a deeply spiritual man, George uses the power of his faith to remove problem spirits.

I believe god chose me for a purpose --

To heal the sick, to deliver the oppressed or the broken-hearted, and to set the captives free.

And if that means setting a spirit free from captivity, so be it.

(Doorbell rings)

Narrator: George agrees to help, but when he arrives at Paul and Mary’s home, he is struck by the level of dark energy.

I just felt that there was a lot of negativity in the home.

I didn't know what it was, but I knew there was something there.

Narrator: In Texas, paranormal investigator George Acosta has been called to remove a spirit that's been ruining a man's life.

There was a bad spirit taking over our lives.

Narrator: When he enters the house, the level of dark energy is troubling.

Experience leads George to suspect that Paul’s situation is the work of the shadow spirit and that it was summoned as part of a curse.

Acosta: There's nothing physically, emotionally wrong with you, then somebody's doing you wrong.

People go to other, higher powers, like witches, warlocks, wizards.

And they put a spell on that person, and that person will start having bad luck.

Everything turns bad.

Narrator: He asks them, "who would want to place a ruinous hex on Paul, and why?"

I had a feeling that his ex-wife had something to do with this because she was involved in a lot of black magic and would practice it.

They were going through a custody battle, and she knew that if my husband didn't have a steady job, there was no way he was gonna have any chance of getting the girls.

Acosta: His ex-wife put a spell on him.

The ex-wife didn't want him to be happy.

She just wanted him to be a failure in life, to drag him down, to become nothing.

I was very upset, angry, disturbed.

How can a person do that?

Narrator: Armed with this information, George prepares himself to remove Paul’s hex and cleanse the house of the shadow spirit.

I bring five things.

The bible is to combat the enemy with the word of god.

The candles represent the light.

The sage is to repel the evilness.

The holy water is for sanctification.

And then the olive oil is for purification of the home.

Narrator: Mary volunteers to help with the cleanse and has a confession that astounds George.

I can help you.

I'm a seer.

She tells me that she has a gift from god.

Mary: I've been able to see spirits since I was 18 years old.

I can hear their voices.

I can actually have a one-to-one communication with a spirit.

The only person I've shared it with is my husband and now with Mr. Acosta.

Narrator: With his new assistant, George begins to cleanse the house.

The lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.

As he was praying, I was going with him, and I was praying with him.

And it felt scary but...

Exciting.

Narrator: At first, there's no sign of anything supernatural, but that all changes when they reach the kitchen.

The house started getting cold.

And I told Mr. Acosta, "this is the spirits that are here.

I can see them. I can hear them."

It's the same female spirit I had already seen over my husband, but there was two smaller black spirits next to her.

Acosta: She tells me, "they're staring at you."

She sounded scared.

She described that they look evil and they were up to no good.

And she kept saying, "you're never gonna get rid of me.

As much as you all try, you'll never get rid of me."

Narrator: Despite the spirit's threats, George refuses to be intimidated.

They saw that I was putting candles.

I'm showing them that I'm not afraid of them.

Narrator: Suddenly, the spirits vanish, but George knows they won't be gone for long.

Pushing on with the cleanse, they head to the basement.

I shall not want.

As soon as I start reciting psalm 23 -- Whoom! -- The lights went off.

And that's when it started getting really, really tense.

Narrator: When paranormal investigator George Acosta tries to rid malicious entities plaguing a man in Texas...

Restoreth my soul.

...He becomes the target of their fury.

I shall not want!

The spirit actually came towards Mr. Acosta.

And I went (gasps)

Ohh!

Mary said she saw the spirit went through me and out through me.

It knocked me down.

Mary: He was in pain.

You can tell that it was doing something to him.

It was out to get me, to hurt me.

Narrator: The entity vanishes, but the spiritual battle is taking its toll on George.

...On the path of righteousness.

(Breathes deeply)

Any time you combat evil, it takes a big toll on your body because it's stealing your energy.

They're like vampires, the spirits.

He was soaked in sweat, having a hard time catching his breath.

And at this point, I was like, "are we gonna be able to get rid of this?"

Narrator: George has to summon every last ounce of strength to keep going.

I felt evil was gonna try to att*ck me again.

I felt fear, but I was not gonna give up.

I was gonna continue doing my cleansing.

Narrator: Knowing this might be the last chance he has to remove both the entity and the curse, George calls for Paul to join them.

The lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.

Mary: We started praying more for my husband because he was the one that was being att*cked.

Narrator: But the evil entities are not going quietly.

And I tell those spirits they don't belong there.

They need to move on.

A part of me was afraid that we weren't gonna be able to defeat the spirit.

The lord is my shepherd!

I shall not want!

We're gonna get them out of there, one way or the other.

Their time was up.

(Sighs) They're gone.

Mary: The way he was able to defeat it, I had never seen that before. Never.

There was a calmness in the atmosphere.

You could feel there was no more hostility.

She felt better, he felt better.

It was a power struggle, but god prevailed in this fight.

Believe it or not, from that point on, my husband was a totally different person.

I am very pleased and very grateful.

I have my husband back.

Acosta: I feel very, very blessed that I was able to help this young couple at their worst nightmare.

The experience also has a profound effect on George, changing the way he carries out future investigations.

There's an old saying that says what won't k*ll you will make you stronger.

So that's what I learned through this experience.

Don't let your guard down.

Ohh!