Emma asks: Do ghosts really exist and have you ever got rid of one?

Rev William Lendrum: The simple answer to that question is in my experience, yes, of course it all depends on what you mean by ghosts, it doesn't necessarily involve apparition or seeing something, a ghost can manifest itself in different ways.

On numerous occasions over the past 30 years, I have been asked to go and investigate houses where there has been disturbance, I could give many examples of that, but most of the examples are in the book that I published a few months ago, perhaps I could give one or two examples now.

I was asked to go a home on the Cliftonville Road, where an elderly lady had been seen on several occasions in a room in the home. Had been seen by many members of the family and of course they were very disturbed.

The lady of the home was so disturbed that she was actually in the act of selling the house, so I went there with a small team and we heard the story and I did what I normally did on occasions like this, convinced there was something strange going on.

I had a service of Holy Communion with the family and my team It was a Roman Catholic family, and naturally I gave them the option of whether they wanted to participate in the service of Holy Communion and receive from me, they were very delighted to do so, I had the service.

I spoke to the spirit, and directed the spirit to what I believe the place the Lord wanted the spirit to be. One of the things that we all noticed when we went into the room where the appearances had been taking place was that there was a great coldness in the room, everyone noticed it. After commanding the spirit to leave us and go to its own place, we closed the service with the Lords Prayer and the Blessing.

I am glad to say that the lady was not seen again in the home and the lady of the house is still living there perfectly happy. I have told this story in greater detail in the book, along with many other examples of disturbances or what we call ghosts in the home.


Peteo asks: Have you ever seen a demonic experience?

Rev William Lendrum: I have never seen a ghost. But I have seen evidence of their presence. There is a difference between the appearance of a ghost and what is usually called a poltergeist Poltergeists are noted for a number of things, lights are switched on and off, there are loud bangs all round the house on occasions, objects are moved, pictures are turned upside down, and sometimes things are thrown about and broken.

I have seen the results of that poltergeist activity, in three or four homes over the past 30 years. Let me give an example, I went to a home in County Antrim and saw plainly the results of poltergeist activity. A few hours before we arrived the lady of the house took her little girl to school. She was absent from her home for 20 mins.

When she came back to the home, she found that the bed of the little child was no longer in the bedroom, but on the landing. The bed was perfectly made up. And placed on it at regular intervals about 6 inches apart were all the childs toys. I saw that for myself when we arrived. Again I have told that story in the book in greater detail. And I could give two or three other examples of poltergeist activity.

So all that I can say in answer to the question, have I ever seen a ghost, the answer is no, but I have seen in three or four examples the effects of the activity which has taken place. I should add at this point that the way to deal with a poltergeist is not excorcism, but rather with the person who is disturbed, and who unconsciously is providing the energy for all the activity that takes place.

It's called Kinetic energy, and it normally comes from a young person in the home who is greatly disturbed, a young girl approaching puberty, or a young boy very anxious about examinations. The secret in dealing with poltergeist activity is to calm the person, who is the "owner", or epicentre of the poltergeist.

Nicola asks: Can a person really become possessed by a spirit or demon?

Rev William Lendrum: Again the answer to that is yes. But we have to be careful when using the word possessed. That word doesn't exist in the original Greek of the New Testament. The proper way to translate that expression is to use the word demonised.

By possession I presume the questioner means someone who has been taken over, or who is controlled when using the term possessed.
As well as reading about these things, in the gospel accounts, I have experienced at least one person who was obviously taken over by an evil spirit.

Although I did not know it at the time when I was ministering to her, she had made a pact with Satan, surrendering her life to him. In the making of this pact, she had gone through a process of initiation, into a Satanic cult. She became an alcoholic, drug addict, prostitute, and was involved in other kinds of immoral behaviour.

One of the features which I experienced when ministering to her was that the spirit was in her, talked to me, using her vocal cords. That happened unexpectedly, and at first I was totally confused, I couldn't understand about whom she was talking, in the third person.

She was talking about herself in the third person. Eventually, a psychiatrist and I tried to deal with the spirit, but we failed, because she would not co-operate and did not want to be set free. She died in her early 30s having the appearance of a woman twice her age. Again I have told the story already, along with many others.

Daran asks: Is Exorcism dangerous to the celebrant?

Rev William Lendrum: I suppose it could be dangerous if one were not properly prepared to carry it out. There is an example in the New Testament of a jewish exorcist who tried to exorcise a man in the name of Jesus, although he was not a disciple of Jesus.

He was acting with seven others, the man who was being excorised turned on him attacked him fiercely and we are told in the New Testament that they fled naked from the scene. But let me go on to answer the question fully, Jesus said to the disciples, when he was giving them authority to cast out demons, that nothing would in any wise hurt them.

If a man is in full relationship with Jesus, he will not be hurt attempting an excorism, let me add a word of warning, one needs to be trained for this work, and called, and no one should attempt excorcism alone, that would be very dangerous.

John1 asks: Hello William how does one cope with an exorcism?

Rev William Lendrum: I believe it is important to prepare ones self before attempting an exorcism and again I should add one should feel called to this work, and should be a leader in the church.

Some people are unwise, in this respect and have an unhealthy fascination with all kinds of paranormal activity, excorism is not a pleasant business, and I again would issue the warning that it is not something to be taken lightly and I would not encourage anyone to be involved in it and certainly not attempt it alone.

The preparation of ones self for this ministry is very important, and should involve prayer, and the receiving of the Holy Communion. That is my opinion.

Daran asks: while at seminary some fellow seminarians were attacked by a figure at the same time each night in their rooms, have you heard of simultaneous attacks?

Rev William Lendrum: No. I have never heard of it at all.

Luke asks: Are shows such as Buffy and Charmed dangerous?

Rev William Lendrum: They could be dangerous for some people. My advice about these things would be to avoid them.

Carlene asks: My friend has been playing with an ouijia board. She says it's just a bit of fun. I'm not so sure. What do you think?

Rev William Lendrum: I don't think its fun. I realise that not everyone who plays with an ouijia board ends up possessed or harmed, just as not everyone who smokes gets cancer, but I have seen the terrible effects of playing with ouijia boards.

One of the best chapters that I have in the book is headed the Destructive Power of ouijia. I won't attempt to tell the story, because it is too detailed and too long except that it concerns a lady who played for an ouijia board, twice and for the next 14 years she was tormented by a presence in her bedroom and lived in considerable fear and anxiety ending up in a doctors care.

Although he could not get rid of what was tormenting her. She wrote the story for me and I have included it in this chapter Its told in considerable detail telling all the experiences that she suffered and it is a quite remarkable tale. I would describe it as the most remarkable story that I have told or could tell. Have nothing to do ouijia thats my advice, but don't worry if you have had experience with it, but don't risk it.

Aileen asks: Do you have any reason to believe that evil is something real?

Rev William Lendrum: I would point to the things that we hear, day after day, on the radio and see day after day on tv. Consider some of the things that have happened in this province over this past 30 years. In my opinion, no intelligent person could consider these things. And still believe that there is no reality in evil. Mans hearts is evil. Jeriamah, described the heart of man as deceitful and desperately wicked. I would agree with that.

Peter asks: Can ghosts or spirits actually do you physical harm?

Rev William Lendrum: No I would say the answer is no. But they can harm a person in other ways by causing fear. I refer to an experience I had in a street in the York Road area of the city. It began with the appearance of a lady to a girl, it resembled her grandmother.

In the end she went to her doctor, who commended her to me. I assumed wrongly, that this was a case of human spirit occupying that home. And proceeded to excorise it. My diagnosis was wrong. It was an evil spirit, and that became evident to me as I questioned the girl afterwards, because I could see signs of demonic possession.

When I spoke to the spirit, the girl rose from her seat and attacked me fiercely and almost overpowered me. When I commanded the spirit to stop the girl fell to the ground as if struck by a hammer. I continued to command the spirit to leave, and eventually there was a tremendous scream or shriek, similar to what happened in the excorcism of Jesus as recorded in the early chapters of Marks gospel.

The spirt left and the girl sat up and wanted to know what happened and how she got on the floor. If I had not remembered to command that spirit to stop in the name of Jesus, that girl who was undoubtedly severely demonised would have damaged me. But that only happens because I was unaware that the girl was possessed by a spirit. It wasn't the spirit who harmed me, it was the girl inspired by the spirit.

Renee asks: Are there 'good' presences as well as 'evil'?

Rev William Lendrum: Yes. We have to remember that as far as the paranormal is concerned there are two sides there is a dark side, and a light side. The light side is demonstrated by the presence of angels, As I believe in the presence of evil spirits, so I believe in the presence of good spirits, they are called angels in the new Testament.

They appeared and ministered to Jesus at various times in his life. At his birth, in the wilderness, in Gesthemene, and so on. There are people today, who claim to have experienced the presence of angels. Some have written books, telling the story of how angels have come and ministered to those in danger or in need.

Brianna asks: What would you say is the *best* way to avoid being adversely by paranormal activity? How do we protect ourselves?

Rev William Lendrum: I don't think that it is possible always to avoid the presence of spirits, evil or otherwise. But it is possible to defend ones self against all paranormal attacks. St Paul in his letter to the Ephesians tells us to put on the whole armour of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. He doesn't say that we will avoid conflict, with the enemy, but we can take steps to defend ourselves by putting on the armour of God. As the hymn puts it, put on the gospel armour, each part put on with prayer.


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