House of Darkness House of Light (59 page)

Based upon the numerous observations made over the course of time at the Harrisville house, the Perron family refutes some of these claims. They have both witnessed and interacted with spirits who did not seem to be the least bit uncomfortable in their current circumstances. They have witnessed a variety of apparitions seemingly present with no purpose or reason at all, certainly never intending to scare or harm anyone. The spirits were often oblivious to the mortals sharing space with them at any given moment, as if the mortals were the invisible ghosts sharing
their
space. Several members of the family encountered the spirit they refer to as Bathsheba, one who apparently loathed Carolyn but adored and coveted her children. Each of the ghosts arrived from the netherworld with personality intact. The same apparition would manifest at different times wearing different outfits, appearing at different ages and stages of
life
: old…then young again…amazing. Immortal beings recognized and acknowledged over time, relationships, bonds of trust formed between individuals based on this familiarity. As an awareness of the spirits gradually increased, acceptance accompanied knowledge and a certain comfort level was naturally attained as these non-threatening entities repeatedly made their presence known within the house. The Perrons perceived them as being quite like “us” in many respects: they retain moods and emotions. From peaceful, loving souls to antagonistic and hateful; sometimes placidly observant and sometimes bemused and mischievous; other times vindictive and belligerent, jealous and cruel. The mix of characters could, at times, seem like a cast of thousands. Bathsheba, mean-spirited in the extreme, is the only troublemaker in the lot of them. However, it was not so unusual for an otherwise benign presence to become equally intrusive, especially when they were receiving company. Some do have a tendency to show off, seemingly relishing
shock value
associated with their presence. Surprisingly, they
do
take
NO
for an answer…even Bathsheba. “
Get out!
Just say it like you
mean
it and they’ll go, usually pretty fast! Begging God works, too!” Some advice, according to Cynthia: a reliable source from an experienced perspective. Precisely what are they responding to as they depart so abruptly…as quickly as they came? Are they respecting a request or fearful of divine intervention? Does it hurt their feelings? Do they leave feeling satisfied by the overt acknowledgement received or offended by the dismissal? A mesmerizing, illusory intermingling of dead and living alike; encounters ranged from provocative to disinterested, malignant to benign, imaginable to inconceivable. Encounters occurred quite frequently; sightings so repetitious, they lost a certain “supernatural” quality and became a rather natural part of life to a family forced to adapt to the new paranormal. It is within this context they consider the ghosts as individuals; each one had a hidden agenda…every spirit intrinsically motivated by some incomprehensible desire
to be
. Therefore, assigning any particular meaning to the afterlife is absurd; it is to presume and articulate knowledge mortals simply do not possess. The significance of Spirit lies in its existence instead of its reason for being.

Doesn’t the presence of spirit indicate or presuppose the existence of God? Should they be classified as same with the Order of Angels, whether risen or fallen, or are they separate and distinct entities? Does it not presume this
state of being
as a form of divine retribution: punishment; the result of a life ill-lived? Purgatory thus dooms those who occupy it, according to religious doctrine and dogma. It represents a perpetual penance, an infinite reflection upon a lifetime which did not quite measure up to divine expectations…no entrance to heaven but at least it is an escape from hell…or is it? There is no divine presence, no Oracle obvious to humanity at this time; no one available for the purpose of clarification. No one wise Soul to dispense the enigmatic, allegorical predictions we seek; no one to consult as a holy prophetic deity. Messages may come instead from the many who return. Most likely it will be science, not religion which ultimately resolves this ongoing dilemma, settling an age old-dispute while deciphering the ambiguous, revealing the dictates and parameters of our human comprehension of the Universe and this unique role we play within it. Perhaps philosophers and theologians, those scientists and scholars most interested in the subject over the course of time
should be
the ones to return, to reveal exactly what’s going on out there in the Cosmos; revisit to answer those relevant questions posed during their mortal lifetimes. Perhaps they have returned over time and we have seen and heard them but did not listen because we did not know how…we could not believe our eyes.

Who knows? Is it a fate worse than death to pass on from this world only to linger eternally in the netherworld? Are spiritual beings plagued by desires of and for Earth? When they visit are they really homeward bound? Are they the haunted or the haunting? Everlasting life may be a quandary; immortality may be both a blessing and a curse. Spirits who currently inhabit the house at the farm do not appear to be particularly miserable, save one. Bathsheba was tormented in life and now torments her successors in death; of this the family is certain. Whether by association with or
as
the demon, she is still serving a sentence self-imposed upon her in life. No. She was not convicted; no jury of her peers convened. No judgment rendered in a court of law: case dismissed. Yet, during her lifetime Bathsheba remained perpetually haunted by a charge and the jury of her peers came in the form of suspicious villagers, assuming she was guilty of a horrendous crime; the murder of a baby as the sacrificial lamb. Perceived lifelong as one wicked witch of a woman, presumed guilty, Bathsheba’s exoneration was meaningless to most. As this grave reputation preceding her, known to others far and wide as the infamous evil temptress in life, Bathsheba remains an enigma in death. There were whispers…that she hung herself in the barn to punish a family she loathed; rumors…that she is not actually buried beneath her tombstone because the church would not allow her internment in consecrated ground. There is still speculation; some who believe she lies in the well beneath the bell stone. As with her spirit, the mystery lives on for eternity.

As for the Perron family, they no longer seek details of her tortured life and death. It matters not. If she does indeed remain suspended in the ether of the netherworld, unable to move on to another existence in another realm it may not necessarily be as punishment or by her own doing, in agreement with and decreed by the devil. Satan may be the fall guy of the tale. Carolyn turned all of her notes and sketches over to the Warrens during an investigation of the house more than thirty-five years ago. Even though she would like all these materials returned as keepsakes for her children, she does not wish to pursue the historical element of this research any further. Her presumption that spirit exists, based upon her consciousness-altering encounters, is to know enough: knowledge integral to faith. Unlike those rooted in
faith
as an occupation, those who claim to believe in what they cannot see yet balk at the concept of Spirit as tangible force in reality, Carolyn knows better. When she witnessed a multitude of manifestations of spirit, in every conceivable shape, size and form, it was with a reliance upon keen senses, (the ones human beings trust), which she based her interpretations of what was there before her eyes…well, they don’t call them
visions
for nothing! When sight, smell, taste and touch impact a consciousness it leaves a mark: a memory. A distinct sound can be retained in mind forever. Click. Though she remains curious about Bathsheba Sherman, her origin as well as her ultimate fate, this research ended long ago, well before the family left their place in the country behind; obsession over. It is now with reticence she invokes the name. As decades pass, as time and distance serve to ease and clarify consciousness the burden of this knowledge has lightened. Carolyn now refers to her spirit in terms of mild bemusement; usually whenever
disaster
strikes: the dog got out of the yard…Bathsheba’s Curse. The handle on the hoe broke off…the Curse of Bathsheba. It is best to make light of the darkness.

A natural conversion, this integration of science and religion has begun to reveal a kinship between what was once perceived as two opposing forces. As ethereal concepts such as Soul, Spirit, God and Immortality endure such corporeal scrutiny, as scientific inquiry delves more deeply into the notions once relegated to worship in the pews of churches new beliefs have emerged; relative and relevant discoveries are now coming to Light. Quantum physics is taking another leap forward into the past. “If it can be imagined it already exists” is being revisited in relation to a cosmic consciousness; awareness of self in conjunction with a creator, as the creator of another esoteric concept: Destiny. Oh my God! Perhaps it is our destiny to discover ourselves through the spirits who return. If we overcome our fears we will receive the message.

At some point in the future, when human beings use half a brain, those quaint ghost stories of yore; tales told in the dark to spook kids around the campfire will have perfectly viable scientific explanations. In the interim, supernatural sightings will likely continue to be attributed to a variety of factors ranging from “live” historical drama to hysterical delusion. In the meantime, human beings continue to step across the threshold of churches and worship a power we simply cannot comprehend. We beg for immortality, pray to ascend to the heavens, there to be received and enlightened by God the Father; enmeshed with the Holy Spirit forever. In this respect, it seems we diminish God while engaged in the feeble attempt to define and envision a Creator. The old adage applies…be careful what you wish for…consider the ramifications of such an unenlightened request. Imagine such a fate; imagine being lost, suspended in the ether for eternity…it seems a fate worse than death. The ancient Chinese proverb “may you live forever” is imparted as a curse rather than a blessing. To some, death is a mercy; reprieve: life itself can be a fate worse than death.

“To be – or not to be. That is the question.”

William Shakespeare

Where Souls Dwell

“For most of my life I have wondered where souls dwell. Over and over, I have asked, ‘Where is the other side? Where is the in-between?’ What if some or many disincarnates are stuck between here and there and where is ‘there’? I have come to a conclusion and the answer is simple: just beyond the speed of light. I believe this is where souls dwell. It is past our human senses, of sight or sound, but for those of us with the ability to tune in or to connect, it is as real as it gets. We can then vibrate and resonate with them.

There is no legitimate separation between science and spirit. We cannot separate science from soul. Each originates with a Creator and is therefore eternally, inextricably linked. The souls of spirits who dwell on the other side or the in-between state of being need and want to be acknowledged, to be understood by mortals as much as we need and want to acknowledge them; to comprehend their existence, so to illuminate our own.

I have made a promise, a pact to do whatever possible to keep in touch with two souls who have passed before me. Most contact occurs in dream state. Some happens by synchronicity; synergy during waking hours. When more of us make an effort to remain connected to those who pass on to the other side, perhaps the understanding we gain will cause our fear of them to dissipate; a fear of what we cannot always see or hear, but can feel to the depths of being.”

Margie Mersky

~ where spirits dwell ~

“Science is not only compatible with spirituality;

it is a profound source of spirituality.”

Carl Sagan

IV.

 
Spooked

“Absent in body, be present in spirit.”

Corinthians iii. 6

There were many mortals beyond their immediate family who were
visited
when they visited at the farm. Some simply came to expect it, others came in spite of it and some came once, never to return again. There were those who arrived with great anticipation, hoping
something
would happen to them and then, if nothing did, felt disappointed, desperate to come back and try again. Friendships were frequently tested. However, there was one friend who felt no fear at all. In spite of numerous encounters she had during years spent at the farm one frequent overnight guest came and stayed in peace and comfort. Nothing spooked her. Holly was that rare exception to the rule, the one who blended perfectly into the landscape of a farm and the fabric of a family. She belonged with them. The child of Light became tightly woven into a colorful, elaborate tapestry of characters. Her thread remains unraveled to this day.