The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren Kindle Edition

I had reviews before reading this book because I wanted to "prepare" myself for what I was going to be getting into. When the book arrived I didn't read it the first night, for some fear that it would "open a portal" or cause creepy things to happen. The next day I sat down and started and it starts off right away sucking you in with a story about the Warrens, which is just like any other night for them, apparently. At first I was a little shooken up by the context of what I was reading about. It's one thing to have interests in ghost stories and another to commit yourself to the understanding that there is so much more diabolical presence involved. I did have to stop occasionally to let what I was reading soak in. They go into intricate detail of demonic siege, oppression and then possession as well as ways it enters ones life. Each description and example it VERY real. And as I read on, I began to feel more comfortable with the topic. I wasn't as "creeped out" as I felt more empowered from what they were teaching me. You can tell it is written in a text book format, so it's a mix of quick excerpts, to one major encounter with the Donovan family. During each explanation Ed and Lorraine explain things very thoroughly so you can understand what was happening and why it was happening.The book is very neutral in terms of religion. They do focus the most on Catholicism and Christianity, but also mention that every religion has a form of exorcism. The reason demons are tied mostly to anything relaying to Christ is because that is the person and belief they react strongest to. I never felt like they were pushing church or religion except in the sense of to avoid these things from happening or to recover from this, attach yourself to something good, like church.Ed and Lorraine Warren come across as the kindest and most patient people you could ever meet.You feel like they are sitting down with you and kindly explaining everything so you can understand. Ed doesn't go into excessive detail in terms of names of demons and occurrences because he is protecting the reader, not insulting them. He wants to make this world a better place through the book. I did become sad multiple times when I reminded myself that he is no longer alive. But Lorraine is still here and helping people to this very day.This book is definitely an eye opener to much darker and sinister things in this world, but it is also an informative guide on how to protect yourself and what to do if anything does start happening. In the end, I don't feel scared of the unknown as much and I feel comforted in the information that could help understand it all.It is a MUST read. Pull yourself out of your comfort zone and open your mind, because this stuff is very real. And DON'T PLAY WITH OUJI BOARDS... EVER!

For people with some knowledge of general paranormal studies, and people who work in the area of paranormal studies, Ed and Lorraine Warren are both known and unknown. They are known in the general sense that people have either heard a lot of secondhand (and generally false) information about them, or they have seen either some of their TV appearances (as I have in approximately 1978); and they are unknown in the more particular sense that people may not know the names, and if they do, they seem to quite often dismiss them as crackpots. Obviously the movie, THE CONJURING, has been one key to bring attention to Ed and Lorraine Warren, but in my own experience they crop up as secondhand references in the works of tabloid style writers, and sometimes (if I recall correctly) they will appear in books by Hans Holzer and others associated with more sensational cases. The book has a copyright of 1980 renewed 2002, so in some respects the material may be a little dated.As genuinely scary as the collection of cases presented in this book are, the characters of Ed and Lorraine come forward as people who are genuine and and also sincere in their own personal faith. I first saw Ed and Lorraine Warren on TV in Australia on what was called the DON LANE SHOW: they presented some tapes of a British case which they were investigating where voices of terrifying ferocity came across in a brief extract. This case is mentioned briefly in the book and is discussed and analyzed. Theone thing that comes across in the book, as well as in interviews associated with the production of the film THE CONJURING, is that Ed and Lorraine pioneered some very systematic methods of investigation. Whilst this is not entirely focused upon, it is mentioned. The detail in some of the discussion of the cases gives enough references for people who want to follow up the material, but it is very clear that Ed (especially) gives some stern and serious warnings about playing with the psychic and paranormal fields if you do not have either the personal stability, or the network of associates to back you up in your investigations. For those who do not believe or give any credence to the type of events that Ed and Lorraine investigate, this book may very well constitute a good spooky read. If it is used as a reference work by some horror writers, as I have heard/read that it is, then this book will pay off in droves. The bibliography will also supply a plethora of material. Also if you look at some of the associated books on Amazon about the screaming house, and some other books about Ed and Lorraine Warren which a more recent, you can find an abundance of either entertainment, or warnings (depending on your point of view). Either way, this book is an excellent read.