by Dante Coccia
Geneseo is known for rumors of spirits and paranormal activity on campus. Students have shared experiences of doors opening and unexplained sounds in the residence halls. Some even believe that Erie Hall is haunted by the spirit of a former student who passed away while attending SUNY Geneseo. Ed and Lorraine Warren were famous paranormal investigators. The Warrens came in the 1984-85 school year to SUNY Geneseo and their speaking probably drew attention from students interested in paranormal activity, as well as skeptics that wanted to see what they were about. The couple worked together to try and find explanations for the unknown and to communicate with spirits. Ed was a self-taught demonologist and Lorraine was a clairvoyant medium. The two investigated many different areas with supposed paranormal activity. Their most famous investigations have inspired books and movies such as Amityville Horror and Annabelle. The Warrens are very controversial as many believe that they simply make things up. The couple has been investigated multiple times.
The main critiques of the Warrens is that they lack concrete evidence. Some professional investigators describe the evidence they use as blarney. They have incredible stories to tell people that sound compelling, but nothing to show for it. The stories they share involve claims of having experiences with demonically possessed dolls, poltergeists moving objects around rooms, and other violent spirits. Critics have stated that the couple were very nice people and do seem sincere in their endeavors, but the lack of evidence makes their claims of paranormal activity unreliable.
Despite the critiques, the Warrens have had a profound influence on popular culture. One of the most famous cases is the case of the Annabelle doll. In 1970, a nurse was given a doll, which she claimed started to behave strangely. Initially, a psychic medium told the nurse it was possessed by a young girl named Annabelle. The nurse and her roommate tried to be kind to the spirit but then reported frightening behaviors from the doll and contacted the Warrens. The Warrens claimed the doll was demonically possessed. They ultimately took the doll, locking it in a glass case in their museum. Many skeptics say the Warrens’ museum is filled with various toys you can find in many places. The controversy surrounding the doll stems from the idea that the Warrens may have been capitalizing on pop-culture legends like Robert the Doll and an episode of The Twilight Zone entitled “Living Doll.” These tales were very popular prior to the Annabelle investigation.