Demonic possession is the belief that individuals can be possessed by malevolent ‘preternatural’ beings, commonly referred to as demons or devils. Obsessions and possessions of the devil are placed in the rank of apparitions of the evil spirit among men. It is obsession when the demon acts externally against the person whom it besets, and possession when he acts internally, agitates them, excites their ill humor, makes them utter blasphemy, speak tongues they have never learned, discovers to them unknown secrets, and inspires them with the knowledge of the obscurest things in philosophy or theology.
Descriptions of demonic possessions often include erased memories or personalities, convulsions and fainting as if one were dying. Other descriptions include access to hidden knowledge and foreign languages, drastic changes in vocal intonation and facial structure, the sudden appearance of scratches, bite marks or lesions and superhuman strength. Unlike in channeling, the subject has no control over the possessing entity and so it (the demon) will persist until it is forced to leave the victim, usually through a form of exorcism.(wikipedia)
In 1981, devout Catholics, Lui and Dale Passetto, along with their two children, probably understood that Wikipedia definition of ‘demon possession’ better than anyone across the state of Massachusetts. That was the year their home, and their lives, was besieged by paranormal activity.
The Passetto Family House – pic credit the line up
The Passetto’s had lived in the house, that had been in the family for decades, for nearly two years. There was, in all of that time, no reason to allow something like demons, hauntings or possession to enter their minds. That was until March 19th of 1981. That was the month when Mrs. Passetto began being visited by an adorable apparition.
THE GHOST CAME OUT TO PLAY
Lui began receiving nightly visits from a white apparition. The ghost took the shape of a child. He was a non-threatening, young boy who spoke quite kindly and invoked no immediate fear in Mrs. Passetto. She did, however, feel that they should rid their home of any supernatural entity, or entities, that may be residing there. So, they invited a priest to perform a routine ‘blessing ritual.’ The Passetto’s then believed their home was freed and their troubles were behind them.
They were wrong!
Now, instead of the young boy, who had stood before Lui in white, a towering, unworldly creature loomed angrily over the Passetto bed each night. It was hunch backed and dressed entirely in black. It called itself the ‘Minister of God.’ It now growled and snarled disgustingly vile and vulgar things to Mrs. Passetto.
BEYOND THE VERBAL ATTACKS
The demon was apparently not content with simply verbally attacking Mrs. Passetto. Soon, the wicked apparition was also violating her physical body as well. Mrs. Passetto suffered claw marks on her back, her torso, her breasts and her face. Mr. Passetto was powerless to stop the entity from throwing his wife across the room and dragging her across the floors. He watched in terror one evening as his bed levitated, with a horrified Mrs. Passetto laying atop it.
Mrs. Passetto was not the only aim of the relentless demon. It openly attacked the house with no restrictions. Refrigerators would topple, book shelves would crash to the floor without warning, pictures would fly across the rooms, objects would be ripped from the holder’s grip. The house and it’s residents lived in a constant state of terror.
THE PASSETTO’S REACH OUT FOR HELP
It was obvious that something had to be done or someone was going to really be hurt. Or worse.
The wicked apparition, with his constant cruelties, was showing no signs of boredom with it’s evil attacks. So, the Passetto’s reached out to medical professionals. They were instantly rejected. In fact, they were accused of having fabricated everything about their supernatural trauma’s.
Left alone to figure out their plight, Mr. and Mrs. Passetto made a bold, unorthodox move. The called upon the Warren’s. Ed and Lorraine Warren were self-proclaimed demonologists. They agreed to investigate the invasions that Lui and Dale insisted were taking place in their home.
When Ed and Lorraine entered the Passetto’s residence, they instantly detected paranormal activity surging through the entire house. The couple immediately saw ‘ghost lights’ moving throughout the living area. They then watched as all of the ‘lights’ came together to form one large, ghostly creature that towered above them and immediately clawed wickedly at Mrs. Passetto.
The Warrens readily agreed that the home did have violent demonic activity. They recommended that a priest be brought in to perform an exorcism.
THE PASSETTO’S FREED BY AN EXORCISM
Mrs. Warren witnessed the exorcism and claimed the house became extremely cold. She stated the floors began to shake and vibrate and the basement filled with smoke.
The ritual was complete and the house was deemed freed of it’s demon. Lui, Dale and the children moved back in. Happily, they reported no further activity for the remainder of their stay.
In 2004, the family moved out of their Massachusetts home, leaving the sinister, albeit now silent, ghost behind them.
The experience of the Passetto family greatly influenced the films The Amityville Horror, The Conjuring and Poltergeist.
