Arguably one of the most well known supernatural stories in the entire world, the Amityville story is one of the most debated in this realm. Some believe the events truly happened while others believe it is nothing more than a quick pay check for those involved. I'll say this; the story IS entertaining.
However, the way I viewed this book is the manner in which we battle with our inner demons.
If you break down any super natural story, it is often strongly related to the same things that people with mental health issues struggle with. Think about it. How many times have you heard these sorts of stories where someone is experiencing something, tells someone else about it who doesn't believe them, and they spiral even more downward? That's literally how people with mental health issues feel. Unheard. Like there's no hope. You get the idea.
I will say that as someone who grew up around a funeral home, I AM a believer in the paranormal. I have had too many personal experiences that I cannot deny the existence of something outside our understanding. I personally did not look into the specific details on the events spoken about in this book but I still lean more towards the fact that some of the events were true, however, exaggeration was inserted in order to sell more copies.
What fascinates me about these sorts of stories is what they reveal about people. More than anything, the things we do not understand are the ones that put a mirror to our faces and question the things we may not know we fear. When someone commits a horrible crime we're intrigued because we cannot comprehend how someone was capable of doing it. The man shown above was able to kill his entire family with a shotgun while they were asleep. That is wild. I cannot imagine ever doing anything like that. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't more intrigued about learning what the "voices" in his head leading up to this event said.
One thing I would like to end with is the consistency across different civilizations all having similar beliefs when it comes to the supernatural. All civilizations have their own tales told through generations such as this one in the United States. Is this due to humans internal drive to understand what happens after life or because there is something that has been observed by all these communities that previously had never interacted with each other.
I'll end with a question for you: Do you believe in the paranormal? Regardless of your answer I'd love to hear why.
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