Warren, Ed and Lorraine

Ed Warren (1926–2006) and Lorraine Warren (1927–2019) were American demonologists and paranormal investigators. As husband and wife, they became internationally known for their work in cases involving hauntings, demonic infestations, oppressions, and possessions affecting both people and places.

Over five decades, the Warrens claimed involvement in thousands of investigations, serving as consultants on some of the most famous American paranormal cases — including the Amityville haunting of the Lutz family in the 1970s and the Smurl haunting in Pennsylvania during the 1980s.

Ed Warren achieved the rare distinction of being recognised as a lay demonologist by the Roman Catholic Church — an honour seldom granted to non-clergy.

Background

Both Ed and Lorraine were born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and met as teenagers.
Ed, born September 7, 1926, was raised by a devout Catholic family. His father, a Connecticut state trooper, insisted there was always a logical explanation for strange events — though he could never provide one for the supernatural occurrences that haunted their home.

At age five, Ed reportedly saw his first apparition — the ghost of his late landlady appearing in his bedroom closet. Despite his father’s rational insistence, young Ed grew up both fascinated and fearful of the paranormal. One of his visions, a spectral nun, allegedly foretold that he would one day work alongside priests rather than become one himself.

When Ed was twelve, the family moved from their haunted home, but his fascination only deepened.

Just three blocks away lived Lorraine Rita Moran, born January 31, 1927, into a comfortable Irish Catholic family. At age twelve, she realised her gift of clairvoyance set her apart from her peers. During a school Arbor Day ceremony, she claimed to see a newly planted sapling as a fully grown tree, and she often perceived the auras or “lights” surrounding people. Her teachers, the nuns at Laurelton Hall, regarded her abilities as sinful and sent her on a silent prayer retreat.

In June 1943, Ed met Lorraine while working as an usher at the Colonial Theater in Bridgeport. Lorraine later said she instantly knew they would spend their lives together. They married on May 22, 1945, during Ed’s naval leave, both aged eighteen. Their only child, Judy, was born shortly after.

After serving with the U.S. Navy during World War II, Ed studied art at the Perry Art School, affiliated with Yale University, but left to paint and travel across New England. He earned his living painting landscapes — often choosing haunted houses as subjects. He would present his paintings to the owners, who in turn invited him inside to explore.

This unusual hobby marked the beginning of a lifetime of paranormal investigation. As their reputation grew, Ed and Lorraine began receiving calls from families terrified by mysterious occurrences. They soon shifted from art to full-time paranormal consultation.

By the late 1960s, their lectures on ghosts and demons were drawing attention at colleges and universities. In 1969, an exhibition of Ed’s paintings led to media coverage and a literary agent — launching the Warrens into the public eye.

Paranormal Investigations

Over the next fifty years, the Warrens amassed an enormous archive of case files:

detailed witness interviews,

photographs,

audio and video recordings of purported paranormal activity,

and letters of gratitude from clergy and families who believed they had been helped.

They also founded the Warren Occult Museum, which housed hundreds of alleged haunted artefacts — dolls, clothing, religious icons, and cursed objects collected during their work.

Their investigations took them across America and abroad. Typically, Ed handled interviews while Lorraine used her psychic sensitivity to detect and identify spirit activity. She often claimed to discern whether the entity present was human (an earthbound spirit) or inhuman (a demonic intelligence).

Demonology Work

The Warrens taught that God never forces evil upon humans — rather, people open doors through what Ed termed the “Law of Invitation” and the “Law of Attraction.” Evil, they said, enters when humans invite it through occult practices (such as Ouija boards, séances, or black witchcraft), or through emotional despair, obsession, or moral decay.

They identified three progressive stages of demonic intrusion:

• Infestation – the presence manifests through disturbances.
• Oppression – psychological and emotional breakdown.
• Possession – full control by the entity.

In the most severe cases, the outcome could be death.

Their role was to document the phenomena and prepare the groundwork for Catholic exorcists to perform formal rites. The Warrens themselves did not perform exorcisms, but worked closely with the Church, assisting with blessings, prayers, and spiritual support.

They repeatedly warned the public never to attempt exorcisms independently.

Notable Cases and Legacy

The Warrens claimed to have investigated over 8,000 cases during their careers. Among the most well-known:

The Annabelle case – a large Raggedy Ann doll said to be possessed by the spirit of a child.

The Donovan case – a haunting triggered by a teenager’s use of a Ouija board.

A haunting at West Point – where Lorraine claimed to help a ghostly soldier move on.

Cemetery investigations – exploring graveyards as “spiritual gathering points.”

Their most infamous case remains the Amityville haunting in Long Island, New York. The Warrens were among nine experts asked to evaluate the alleged demonic activity in the Lutz home, which they declared genuine.

Beyond their investigations, the Warrens co-founded the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR) in the early 1950s — one of the oldest paranormal research organisations in the United States.

They authored ten books documenting their cases:

• Deliver Us from Evil,
• The Demonologist,
• The Devil in Connecticut,
• The Haunted (Smurl case),
• Werewolf,
• Satan’s Harvest,
• The Ghost Hunters,
• In a Dark Place,
• Graveyard,
• Ghost Tracks.

Several inspired film adaptations, including The Demon Murder Case (1983) and The Haunted (1991). Their work later became the foundation for The Conjuring cinematic universe (2013–2025), bringing their legacy to a new generation.

Later Years and Passing

In 2001, Ed Warren collapsed after returning from Japan, where he had been studying Buddhist exorcism methods. He remained in a coma for several months and was cared for at home by Lorraine until his passing on August 23, 2006. He was buried with full military honours.

Lorraine Warren continued their work for more than a decade, giving lectures, consulting on film projects, and investigating cases with her son-in-law Tony Spera, who now directs the New England Society for Psychic Research and oversees the Warren Occult Museum.

Lorraine passed away peacefully on April 18, 2019, at the age of 92. Her death marked the end of an era in modern American demonology.

Their nephew, John Zaffis, continues the family tradition as a respected paranormal researcher and founder of the Paranormal Research Society of New England (1998).

Legacy

Ed and Lorraine Warren remain towering — and polarising — figures in the history of paranormal investigation. To their admirers, they were faith-driven defenders against the demonic. To critics, they were master storytellers who blurred the line between belief and myth.

Regardless of perspective, their influence on both modern demonology and popular culture is undeniable — their lives forming the living bridge between folklore, faith, and fear.

FURTHER READING:

• Brittle, Gerald Daniel. The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren. Lincoln, Nebr.: An Authors Guild BackinPrint.com Edition, 2002.
• New England Society for Psychic Research. Official Web site of Ed and Lorraine Warren. Available online. URL: https://www.warrens.net. Downloaded January 18, 2006.
• Pionzio, Melissa. “Factual Exorcism Book Evokes Past Pain.” Hartford Courant, October 14, 2007. Available online. URL: https://www.religionnewsblog.com/19688/the-devilin-connecticut. Downloaded August 6, 2008.
• Smith, D. R. “An Interview with the Ghost Hunter: Ed Warren.” Left Field-Paranormal Studies & Investigations. Available online. URL: https://www.leftfield-psi.net/ghosts/ warren.html. Downloaded January 18, 2006.
• Warren, Ed, and Lorraine Warren with Robert David Chase. Ghost Hunters. New York: St. Martin’s Paperbacks, 1989.

SOURCE:

The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology – Written by Rosemary Ellen Guiley – Copyright © 2009 by Visionary Living, Inc.

NOTE

Edited and revised for the Web by Occult Media, 11th of October 2025.