The Possessed: The Demon That Followed Me Home

An abandoned barn, whispers in the dark, and an unseen force that was just waiting for someone to enter it's domain—was this a true case of possession?

Case File: The Possessed
Case No.: 34-IN-2006-BO
Classification: Haunting – Demonic Possession and Oppression
Location: Isolated Barn, Rural Indiana, USA
Date of Incident: 2006
Filed by: Mary Vogel (Paranormal Investigator)
Status: Closed – Phenomena Documented, Resolution Inconclusive

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Incident Summary

In 2006, paranormal investigator Mary Vogel embarked on an investigation in rural Indiana after locals reported disturbing phenomena in and around a derelict barn. The site had long been associated with rumours of satanic rituals. Though initially skeptical, Mary discovered ritual symbols, including a pentagram, and soon experienced overwhelming dread and a sharp, unexplained abdominal pain. She fled the to her car and left.

When reviewing her EVP recording later that evening, a chilling voice was captured: "Your God can't save you now." For six months, nothing further occurred—until a traumatic family event left Mary vulnerable. Her mother's near-fatal surgical complications coincided with the sudden resurgence of activity, setting off a deeply personal and terrifying case of alleged demonic possession.

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Phenomena Overview

• Delayed Activation: No activity occurred for six months following the investigation, lulling Mary into a false sense of security.

• Auditory Phenomena: Strange noises began in the home, including loud animalistic sounds—specifically pigs grunting and squealing in her bedroom.

• Visual and Psychic Disturbances: Mary suffered vivid waking nightmares and visions of brutal violence, often involving her harming those she loved.

• Religious Aversion: Reading Bible verses or wearing a blessed cross resulted in physical burning. Holy objects triggered rage and pain.

• Shadowy Influence on Others: Her son reported growling in his room and expressed spiritual despair. He claimed to have prayed for Mary to abandon her work, but to no avail.

• Speech Distortion and Loss of Control: During emotional or spiritual moments, Mary's voice would change into a deep, mocking tone.

• Full Possession: Mary blacked out during an episode where she drove recklessly through traffic, staring at her son the entire time.

• Levitation and Violent Reaction to Exorcism: During her exorcism, Mary levitated three feet off the ground and exhibited violent strength.

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Investigation Overview

• Initial Visit: Mary’s investigation of the barn captured EVPs with taunting messages. A pentagram was found etched into the floor.

• Recording Evidence: The most chilling EVP occurred just before she fled: “Your God can’t save you now.”

• Delayed Possession: Activity resumed following an emotionally vulnerable event involving her mother. This triggered a sequence of escalating phenomena.

• Blessing Backlash: After a priest blessed her home, Mary was attacked in her sleep—believed to be retaliatory.

• Attempts at Resistance: Bible reading and wearing a cross led to pain and physical harm. Her prayers began to fail.

• Escalation: She confided in her psychiatrist sister and reached out to demonologist John Zaffis. Mary spoke in a distorted voice during calls, refusing help and issuing threats.

• Final Intervention: At the urging of her family and John, Mary agreed to an exorcism. The ritual took place in Stratford, Connecticut.

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Investigation and Evidence

• EVPs: Captured phrases such as “Get out,” “We’re waiting,” and “Your God can’t save you now.”

• Witness Testimony: Mary’s sister (a psychiatrist), her son, and her mother all witnessed or experienced secondary phenomena.

• Physical Reactions: Burning from holy objects, possession episodes, speaking in other voices, levitation.

• Psychological Assessment: Ruled out mental illness; deemed spiritually afflicted.

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Press Coverage and Public Reaction

The case was featured in an episode of A Haunting, generating intense public discussion. Paranormal researchers cited it as a rare and dangerous example of delayed spiritual attachment leading to full possession. Skeptics questioned the psychological aspects but acknowledged the consistency of testimony and evidence.

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The Story

In October 2006, Mary Vogel visited a remote barn in rural Indiana following reports of strange phenomena and a reputation for occult activity. The structure was in poor condition, sagging at the edges of a long-forgotten property. Locals spoke of ritual markings, disembodied lights, and a sense of dread that seemed to hang over the land. Mary, a seasoned investigator, entered with caution but little concern.

Inside, the air felt heavy, oppressive. On the floor, she discovered a scorched pentagram surrounded by crude sigils. Though she noticed no audible activity at the time, she was recording with a handheld device. A sudden and inexplicable pain struck her abdomen—sharp and searing—and was followed by an overwhelming urge to leave. She did.

Later that night, reviewing the recording, she heard something she had not registered during the investigation: a deep, guttural voice, close to the microphone. It spoke five words, low and deliberate: “Your God can’t save you now.”

And then—for six months—nothing.

The silence that followed gave Mary the impression that the threat had been idle, perhaps residual. It wasn’t until her mother nearly died from surgical complications that the silence broke. In the days following, Mary felt herself emotionally drained, spiritually exposed. That’s when the disturbances returned.

Unexplained noises began to manifest in her home: knocks, dragging sounds, occasional sharp bangs. She frequently felt watched, especially at night. One evening, she was jolted awake by the sounds of pigs grunting and squealing in her room. The noises were loud and violent. Yet the room was empty.

Within days, she began to experience waking visions—disturbing scenes of blood, suffering, and acts of violence in which she herself played a part. These visions blurred with reality. Mary began isolating, convinced that her family wouldn’t understand. She reported feeling spiritually contaminated and mentally frayed.

Eventually, she confided in her sister, a psychiatrist. Her sister found no indication of mental illness but noted clear signs of psychological distress. The call ended with a recommendation: have the house blessed.

A local priest performed a blessing with Mary, her mother, and her sister present. The home grew quiet. But within days, Mary was violently attacked in bed—pinned down by an unseen force. The blessing, she believed, had provoked retaliation.

She began to accept that whatever had been in the barn had followed her home and was now fully attached. She tried to fight it. She wore a blessed cross and read scripture aloud, but found the necklace physically burned her skin. Bible verses left her nauseous or angry. Holy objects became intolerable. Her faith, once strong, began to erode.

The entity's influence spread. Her young son began reporting disturbances. One night, she heard growling from his bedroom. When she entered, the sound stopped, but he was on the floor, curled up and sobbing. He later said it sounded like wolves. When asked to pray, he refused. He had prayed for years, he said, asking God to protect Mary and make her stop investigating demonic cases. But nothing had changed.

Mary, too, found herself unable to pray. She would open her mouth and find the words simply wouldn’t form.

She tried to carry on with normal life. While driving her son one day, she entered a dissociative state. According to him, she turned to face him while driving—her eyes never left his. Her foot pushed the accelerator to the floor, weaving between vehicles at high speed. She drove the entire route without once looking at the road, coming to a sudden halt in her mother’s driveway. She had no memory of the journey.

Inside, she attempted to drink holy water and found she couldn’t swallow it. She turned to her sister and, in a voice that was not her own, said: “We don’t need any help.” Then she left.

Her sister immediately contacted John Zaffis, a long-time family friend and respected investigator of religious and demonic cases. When he called Mary, the voice returned—distorted, mocking, and clear: “We don’t need any help.” A low growl followed.

John began organising an intervention.

Mary was reluctant. It was only when her son became directly involved—when her actions began to truly frighten him—that she finally agreed. She and her sister drove eight hours to Stratford, Connecticut, where John met them at a local church. The moment he saw her, he understood how far things had progressed. Her expression—once familiar—was filled with hate.

In the priest’s office, they strapped her to a chair for safety. Her sister and John remained close. The priest began the rite. Mary’s behaviour changed rapidly: writhing, spitting, hissing. Her strength increased. She shouted obscenities, some in languages she didn’t know. At one point, she fixed her gaze on the priest and said: “Your God does not have the power to win.”

The ritual continued for over two hours. Then she fell quiet.

As the priest paused, Mary slowly looked up and smiled—a twisted, unnatural grin. Then the chair lifted from the ground, hovering three feet in the air. The air turned electric. The priest resumed the ritual forcefully. The entity gave its name. With its identity revealed, the final prayers were delivered.

Mary collapsed. The silence that followed felt clean.

She later described the aftermath as a spiritual reset. The hatred was gone. The thoughts that weren’t hers had vanished. Over time, her relationship with her son healed. Her faith began to return. But she has never returned to the barn.

To this day, she still warns others: belief alone is not protection. And some things, once disturbed, will wait—until the moment you're weakest—to strike.

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