I recently saw the story of the Wyrick family on the Discovery Channel’s “A Haunting in Georgia
This was also a story about a haunting that carried on for years, with the family choosing not to move out of the house—that intrigued me. Just as intriguing were the differing opinions the family received when they sought help. According to the show, a scientist, 2 psychics, and a minister were consulted over the years, and they gave 3 different opinions about the source of the disturbances. As I watched this story, I wondered—which opinion was closest to the truth? That can be a tricky thing to determine when the paranormal is involved. And would any of these people really be able to help the family?
I did a little research on the Wyricks, and I gathered the information about their story from the TV show and a few other sources. The haunting apparently began shortly after the family moved into their home in Georgia
Lisa would learn the identity of the first two apparitions from a neighbor; years before, a man named James Gordy had actually been a caretaker on the Wyrick property. The other man, Lon, was a neighbor who’d had his hand severed in an accident nearby. Both men had died years before Heidi was born. Now Lisa Wyrick had no doubt that something paranormal was happening in and around her home. And the manifestations would escalate.
Lisa, and other relatives of hers, began having strange experiences in the house: a chair moving on its own, phantom voices in the bedroom, and more. And then Heidi’s cheek was inexplicably scratched during her sleep, with what appeared to be claw marks; her father Alex would be scratched as well. After the second time Alex awoke with scratches on his body, the family contacted scientist/paranormal investigator Dr. William Roll. With funding from the show “Unsolved Mysteries” (which would air a segment about Mr. Gordy), Dr. Roll interviewed the Wyricks, conducted scientific tests, and did some research.
His initial theory: positive ions in the house, and magnetic fields caused by seismic activity on the property, were affecting the brains of Heidi and the rest of the family, causing hallucinations. There were, he said, “no demons or devils” or ghosts involved. But: when Heidi was able to correctly pick out James Gordy from a group of photos Dr. Roll showed her, he revised his theory, saying that Heidi, having strong psychic abilities, was picking up on “place memories”—energy left behind by past events and people “recorded” into the environment. He still didn’t feel that any kind of entity was involved. He had no explanation for the incidents of scratching, and Heidi’s father Alex wasn’t entirely satisfied with Dr. Roll’s conclusions. But he and the family did remain in the house.
As Heidi grew older, she continued to see apparitions, including the dark, ominous male figure with the obscured face. Because of the media attention the family received, Heidi’s unusual abilities became public knowledge, and she was ridiculed by her middle-school classmates, making her life even more challenging. A second daughter, Jordan, was born to the Wyricks, and as she grew up, she, too, began to see presences in the house. Again, mother Lisa and others from her side of the family also had disturbing experiences in the house. Lisa began to believe, as did the minister at the family’s new church, that the presences in her home were demonic.
The family consulted Dr. Roll for a second time. He confirmed a pattern of strong psychic ability going back for generations in Lisa’s family—explaining why all the women in the Wyrick household, along with Lisa’s relatives, were experiencing the greatest amount of activity. But he still believed there were no entities involved. He did send psychic Amy Allan to the property—and the family also brought in a psychic of their own. But the two would have very different opinions about what was happening to the Wyricks.
Amy Allan detected a high level of spirit activity inside and outside the house, sensing some presences that were benevolent, and others that were dark and negative—unpleasant and angry, she said, just as they had been in life. But not demonic. The other psychic, who shared Lisa Wyrick’s religious beliefs, was convinced that all the activity was demonic.
In the end, the Wyricks’ minister, Brother Stephen Shelly, performed an anointing on the family in the presence of the congregation, to shield the Wyricks from the demonic presences that had been disrupting their lives. Lisa and Alex seemed fortified by the support they received, and were better able to cope with their situation after that. And there were fewer manifestations in the house. But they didn’t entirely stop. At the end of the account on “A Haunting”, Heidi admitted—a bit chillingly—to having some continuing experiences that she would probably never reveal to her family.
What do I make of all this? I think that Dr. Roll and Amy Allan each had a piece of the truth. Dr. Roll accurately assessed the strong tendency toward psychic ability on Lisa’s side of the family—and he seemed correct in suggesting that Lisa, Heidi and Jordan would continue having psychic experiences because of those abilities. But I disagree with his idea that there isn’t any kind of entity involved. The girls have interacted, sometimes extensively, with some of the presences they’ve seen—I don’t think a “place memory” could do that. And I think Amy Allan had the most balanced and accurate view of the kind of entity involved.
She identified some of the presences as benevolent, others as dark and angry, but not demonic. She pointed out that a negative presence can manipulate how it appears to people, feeding off their fear; I’ve heard this idea before, and have seen it demonstrated in some of my own paranormal experiences. Believing a presence is demonic only creates more fear for it to feed upon—and helps give it a form to take. Negative presences can be disruptive and terrifying, no doubt—but I believe they are often mistakenly labeled as demons.
I also agree with Amy Allan’s idea that Heidi, Jordan, and Lisa have mediumistic abilities. The deceased, she says, are strongly drawn to mediums, whose energy, to them, is like a “beacon of light in a dark room.” For that reason she, too, felt that the Wyrick women will continue having psychic experiences throughout their lives.
All in all, a fascinating story, with a lot of food for thought. For anyone interested in learning more about Heidi: Lisa Wyrick’s sisters, Joyce Cathey and Rebecca Harrington, have written a book entitled The Veil—Heidi Wyrick’s Story. Could be a very interesting read. The book’s Introduction, written by Dr. Roll and posted on The Veil website, also happens to contain a fascinating additional theory about how Heidi acquired her psychic ability. A movie has also been made about Heidi and the Wyricks, although I couldn’t find information about a release date.
I do find myself wondering how Heidi and her family are doing now. At this point, she’s a young woman in her 20’s, and she’s already had an intense and unusual life. I hope she’s found a way to be at peace with her situation. And I truly wish the family well.
Sources: The Discovery Channel’s “A Haunting in Georgia
Ann Young
Author—Fantasy, Mysticism, Paranormal Fiction … and Fact
