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While I was doing okay on my own, the experiences were isolating and I still got scared by the 'phenomena' at night. So I decided that it was time to ring a few people who might be able to tell me what was going on, or at least offer some kind of interest or support. There wasn't anyone to talk to during the occurrences. Nothing bad was happening. In fact while the living seemed intent upon ripping me off or attacking me while I was ill with CFIDS, the 'phenomena' seemed to be gentle, supportive and reassuring. At the same time it was still scary because I had no idea what was going on or what might happen.
I rang The Australian Institute of Parapsychological Research in Sydney, hoping that they might have some knowledge and advice regarding the phenomenon. At the time I was determined to see everything that was happening from a scientific or psychological perspective. I spoke with the Director, but rather than offering any rational or logical insight as to what might be occurring, he said, "They want your attention! You are entering spiritual emergence!" He was unable to assist me any further. Instead he put me in contact with someone he described as an 'expert in the field' called Raymond. Raymond rang and bombarded me with questions for an hour or so, after which time he seemed satisfied that what I was telling him was true.
For months afterwards Raymond rang or I would email him as the 'phenomena' occurred, as a way of quelling my own fears. I also attempted to make contact with a couple of small 'ghost-hunter-paranormal organisations' in Australia. The organiser of one became very irate and suspicious, asking me 'who I was' over the email. He was more fixated with me proving why I had the title 'Dr' in front of my name, than with the 'phenomenon'.
What I needed was to understand it all, to know how best not to be afraid, and I needed someone to talk to. While Raymond didn't seem to know anything either, he seemed to spend a good deal of time questioning me and wanting to meet me in order to socialise. He kept saying he might come up to Darwin to meet me and that I sounded like I was lonely. When I didn't respond, he left it there, at least until the next phone call. Nevertheless, he had been advertised by The Australian Institute of Parapsychological Research as an expert in this area, so I spent time answering his questions, giving detailed accounts via email and phone, including putting him in contact with several witnesses including Maria and my mother. But this contact didn't seem to be going anywhere. Some months later my mother commented, "Hasn't he done an article yet?" She then added, "I don't want him ringing me again. Don't give him my personal address." After a few minutes of listening to what I had to say she then added, "Don't give him nanny's number."
The lamp activity and rapping on the roof continued in the house on a daily and nightly basis. I began to write people I knew, including Raymond, incomprehensible emails through the brain fog of CFIDS, about what 'beings' or 'selves' were in my body when the 'phenomena' occurred. I know now that this would have sounded nonsensical at the time, but I was attempting to make links between selves, or states of consciousness and the 'phenomena'. Throughout this period, 'angelic beings' seemed to come into my body, affecting my thinking. This was accompanied by light bulbs blowing. Whatever it was made its presence known by rapping all over the house on the roof, walls and inside the furniture. There were also many ongoing incidents involving the lighting throughout the house pulsing or flickering on and off. These included touch lamps, screw in bulbs and different novelty lamps with specialised bulbs. The ceiling fans would also turn on and off.
Alongside the light and lamp 'phenomena', the rappings were the most significant thing to occur over an eighteen month period at Ridgehaven Circuit. The raps and bangs on the roof were loud. It sounded like someone hitting the walls very hard and fast with a wooden mallet. One of the mallet raps was occurring each night above the second bedroom. There were also very loud single raps, usually to the roof. On one occasion there had been a very loud 'bang' into the side of the house from the outside, just feet away from where I was standing at the hand basin in the bathroom. It sounded as if someone had hit it with a sledge hammer. The bangs, raps and light and lamp activity occurred on a regular basis. I also heard stuff moving around inside the fridge, but nothing had moved whenever I looked inside. It happened so often, that I ended up just accepting it, unless there was a sudden shift or change in pattern that was noticeable. Then I would become afraid all over again.
Eighty percent of the time it was happening right next to me or in whatever room I was in or walked into. When I was in the bathroom it banged into the outside of the building. There was often a loud bang when I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet or to get a drink of water. There was the usual loud rap overhead in the ceiling within around fifteen minutes of my waking up in the morning. This occurred in the loungeroom since I now slept out there with all the lights on. |
