Paranormal Deep Dive | True Ghost Stories
The Amityville Horror | Discussion
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[MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] Did you know a 2018 study showed half of prenatal vitamins tested had unacceptable levels of heavy metals? I'm Kat, mother of three and founder of Ritual. When I was four months pregnant, I couldn't find a prenatal I could trust. So I created my own. Ours is matraceable, third-party tested for heavy metals, and recently earned the purity award from the Clean Label Project. But don't just take my word for it. Get 25% off at virtual.com/podcast. Welcome to the paranormal deep dive from real ghost stories online and the grave talks. All right, everybody, get ready for this. Because today, we are diving deep into Amityville. The Amityville horror. Yeah, and we are not just talking about that move. You've probably seen a million times. You want to know what really happened in that house. And you know what? You've given us some killer sources. I mean, these sources go way beyond your typical ghost stories and haunted houses. Oh, yeah, for sure. So are we talking like completely made up stuff? Or an actual haunting? Right. Or is it something in between? What do you think? That's the question, isn't it? I mean, with this case, you got-- well, you've got to remember, there's a real human tragedy underneath it all. You can't talk about Amityville without talking about the defail murders back in '74. Yeah, you're right. That's where it all starts. That's where it all starts. And you know what really gets me about this whole thing? This wasn't just some random spooky house. This was a real family's home. And they called their house, I hopes. Oh, really? Like it's said in that one source he sent. Oh, wow. Which just makes it even more tragic when you think about it. It really does. It really does. And it makes everything that came after even more disturbing when you think about it. Six family members brutally murdered by their own son, Raul Defeo Jr. Yeah. And they never figured out why he did it. Nope. The brutality of it all. And then no clear motive. Right. That's what really gets to you. It's like this house just absorbed all that darkness, all that lack of any kind of resolution. Even if you don't believe in ghosts or anything, you got to admit that kind of energy, that kind of trauma, that leaves a mark. Right, you would think. And speaking of unsettling, here come the Lutzes. Only a year later. Yeah, just a year later. They move into this house, this house with this reputation. And they got it for practically nothing. For a steal. Like, way below market value. Exactly. Which, I don't know about you, but I see a deal that good. I start thinking, there's got to be a catch. Of course. Like, what's wrong with this place? Right. But hey, maybe they figured we can handle a little spooky history, especially since it's starting small. Like the sources you sent, they talk about footsteps in cold spots. Right, typical. Yeah, the kind of stuff you might expect in an old house, anyway. But then-- Discolated. Yeah, it's like, their terror just kept growing. Which makes you wonder, was it the house? Or was it like the story they already had in their head? Right, because they knew. They knew what happened there. It's like, did they manifest it? Or were they victims of circumstance? Now that is the million dollar question. Isn't it? And that's where things get really crazy, right? Like, we go from creaky floorboards to green slime oozing down the walls. What? Yeah. Then there's that whole thing about a demonic figure with glowing eyes and a giant pig staring through the windows. A pig. Yeah, like a pig. I don't know about that one. Yeah, that's where I'm like, hm. I mean, we caught him up about this. You got to remember, though, none of these more outlandish claims, there's no evidence to back them up. Right. There's no physical evidence. And as much as the Lutzes swore up and down about their experiences, we also have to consider the psychological impact of living in a place like that. Oh, yeah, for sure. With that history. It's got to mess with your head. I mean, just think about it. The pressure of living in that house, knowing what happened there, the media frenzy. People constantly showing up at your door. It's a lot. It would be enough to make anyone crack. And one of the sources you sent mentioned they might have had black mold in the house. Black mold, really. Because I think I remember reading in one of these articles that black mold can actually make you hallucinate. Oh, yeah. So, I mean, maybe it wasn't a demon pig, but it's something. Exactly. And it just shows, you have to consider all the possibilities here. Black mold can really mess with you. Oh, yeah. Verilogically. Wow. Psychologically. Yeah. It could definitely explain some of what they described. Right. Especially in that heightened state of fear they were already in. Totally. Like you go into a house knowing it's supposed to be haunted. Right. Your mind's already playing tricks on you. Exactly. You're primed for it. Yeah. But even if we say some of it was the mold or just stress, you can't deny the effect it had on them. Like the sources all talk about George's paranoia and Kathy's depression. And the kids having nightmares, like even if it wasn't really ghosts, that trauma was real. Absolutely. And that's something we often forget when we're caught up in the spooky stuff. We forget about the human side of it. Yeah. Haunted or not, the Lutzes went through something terrible. They really did. And they weren't the only ones. That's true. What about the families who lived there after? Oh, man. Can you imagine? I have to talk about pressure. Buying a house with that kind of reputation. No kidding. But you know, it's interesting. None of the other families who live there, like the Chrome Arties, they didn't experience anything. Really? No paranormal activity. But they had to deal with all the other stuff. Oh, yeah. For sure. Like all the media attention and the lookie-lose. And they even had to change their address because of it. I did. It just goes to show you. The Amityville Legacy is a strange one. It is. On the one hand, you have this belief that it's haunted. And that's because the Lutzes and the book and the movies. But on the other hand, you have these real world consequences. The lack of privacy. The skepticism living with this story that everyone already knows. Totally. Like the house became a character in all this. It did. And speaking of the Lutzes, their story blew up. It did. That book. The Amityville Horror. Huge bestseller. Yeah. And then the movies based on a true story. Right. That's like, you know, marketing gold. For sure. So it definitely captured people's imaginations. But all that talk about it being true, that really muddied the waters. Like, did they exaggerate for the book deal? Or were they really that scared? It makes you wonder. And just trying to understand what happened to them. Exactly. It's really hard to know for sure. It is. And I think that's part of what keeps people so fascinated by Amityville. I think so too. Because there's no real answer. Like, we have all these pieces. But we don't know how they fit together. So do we just go with the skeptical explanation? Like, it was all just stress and mold and good marketing. Or is there more to it? Like I keep thinking about how the crew Marties didn't experience anything. And they lived there with everyone watching their every move. Interesting, right? So it's almost like, maybe the Lutzes really were the catalyst. Whatever energy was there, it just vanished after they left. That's a really interesting way to look at it. Yeah. It kind of challenges how we normally think about hauntings, doesn't it? Yeah. Like, what if it's not about the place itself being permanently haunted? But about specific circumstances. The people, the place, the timing, all lining up in just the wrong way. Right. Like, the house is almost like an amplifier. I like that. And it needs something to amplify. And with the Lutzes, you had the trauma of the murders, the power of suggestion. Maybe even that black mold messing with their minds. Like, it all just combined to create this perfect storm of terror. And that's what's so fascinating about this whole case. It makes you realize how much we don't know. Like, even with all the evidence and explanations, there's still that little part of you that wonders. What if? Exactly. We want to believe there's something beyond all the logic and reason. For sure. And honestly, even after all this research and looking at all sides of the story, I'm not sure where I stand. Yeah. It's a tough one. That's the beauty of it, though, isn't it? Some mysteries are just meant to stay. Mysteries keeps you thinking. It really does. So as we wrap up our Amityville horror deep dive, I'm going to leave you with this. Imagine you're the Lutzes. You just moved into this house with this horrific past. You're starting to feel uneasy. Like, something's not quite right. OK. Do you stay and try to figure out what's really going on, even if it drives you crazy? Or do you cut your losses and run for the hills? That's a tough one. It is, isn't it? And maybe that's the scariest thing about the Amityville horror. It's not the house itself. But that little bit of darkness that exists in all of us. Thanks for joining us for this deep dive into Amityville. We'll be back next time with another look at The Unexplained. Until then. Want to dig deeper in the paranormal deep dive? 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