I’m a real life exorcist and have been physically attacked by violent spirits who make lives hell – I dread Halloween
MANY see Halloween as a time to celebrate, scoff sweets and dress up in scary outfits inspired by horror movies.
But for care worker Ian Griffiths, it’s a day that fills him with dread because he knows he'll be inundated with pleas for help.
That's because away from his 9-5 day job, the 56-year-old is a real-life exorcist who travels the country purging poltergeists from people’s homes.
During his 27 years dealing with ghosts he's seen spirits that have thrown things and choked, scratched, poked and pushed people.
Ian, from Swadlincote, Derbyshire says he's helped "hundreds of nasty spirits cross over" and is now bracing himself for post-Halloween chaos.
He tells The Sun: “This time of year I get loads of people messaging me for help because they have messed around with a Ouija board after a few drinks.
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“They think nothing happened because the glass didn’t move, but that doesn’t mean the spirits didn’t get in.
“People mess around with these things without any protection. They think it's a game but it’s not, you can do yourself and others serious harm.
“When you use a Ouija board it opens a doorway to the other side. The spirits can get trapped and if they aren’t helped they can get agitated and turn nasty.
“If you live with your granny or kids, who are more open to this stuff, you can be putting them in danger. If an older person saw a ghost they could have a heart attack.
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“Spirits can take over your life and make your life hell. They can be very nasty and physical, you don’t want them in your life.”
Back in June, Ian was called out to help Samantha and Rich Perry, in Burton-on-Trent, who had some troubling experiences after moving into a new home.
He recalled: “That one was particularly evil and nasty. He was draining this couple’s energy and making them argue regularly.
“The spirit was obsessed and infatuated with Samantha. He would watch her in the shower and when she was getting changed, which was creepy.
“He didn’t like her partner and wanted her all to himself, so he kept putting pressure on the partner’s chest, which made it hard for him to breathe. It took me two attempts to get rid of him.”
It's not Ian's only experience with a 'pervy' poltergeist. Back in 2021 he was called out to deal with an evil spirit that "physically attacked" a mum and daughter in Newhall, Derbyshire.
Leah Lewis, then 21, claimed a ghost had "assaulted" her while she was in the shower and left an "unexplainable 15cm scratch" on her left bum cheek.
Mum Colette, 46, said she was "physically pinned" down on her bed by a mysterious force and was "unable to move or speak" for two minutes.
They called Ian after being haunted for several months and claimed to have seen the spirit of a "tall, bald and slender man".
Ian believed the angry spirit was a man who had been murdered in the area many years earlier and "crossed him over".
Shape-shifting and threats
Much like in the movies, Ian says spirits can alter their appearance and sometimes take the form of a child to “get attention”.
“At one place I walked across a garden and saw a child sitting on the grass, who was crying and had his hands in his face," he told us.
“But when I got closer, the weeping turned into a sadistic laugh and when I looked at the spirit it had no eyes - they were completely black.
“When I moved away the spirit showed itself. It was an adult man - a darker, negative spirit who imitated a child to draw people in. This job always keeps you on your toes.”
When I looked at the spirit it had no eyes - they were completely black... This job always keeps you on your toes
Ian Griffiths
Ian explains that spirits can “drain” energy from people or items like batteries to make physical things happen in the real world.
“I’ve been pushed by multiple spirits and have been scratched a few times too. I’ve had marks down my face and hands,” he explained.
“Nasty spirits threaten you. I’m regularly visited by spirits telling me to stay away from a home and that they will hurt me if I get involved.
“It never bothers me though because I’ve heard it many times before. I normally consult my spirit guides to ask them how best to deal with the situations.”
Ian says some spirits get enough energy to throw chairs and other items and that some can inflict physical pain.
He said: “At one seance, someone came through. They poked a lady so sharply in the ribs that it took her breath away.
“She was left with finger marks on her back and ribs and we decided to take her out of the room.”
Battling evil spirits has taken its toll on Ian too; at one point a nasty spirit flooded his mind with suicidal thoughts.
He recalled: "It was strange because I’ve never suffered with any mental health problems at all.
“There was one who was trying to get me to end my own life. It kept saying, ‘No one wants you, why don’t you just kill yourself?'
“Soon I realised it was a spirit’s voice and I could see someone standing nearby. After I crossed him over to the other side I felt better. It was a huge weight lifted from me.”
Common mistake
According to Ian, Hollywood films are good at capturing an exorcist's work accurately because they often have "someone from the paranormal world on set to guide them".
But, he added: “One thing they often get wrong is how quickly you are able to deal with a particularly nasty spirit.
“They can't cross them over in 10 or 45 minutes, sometimes it takes days or weeks trying to clear one place.
“I start off by blessing rooms - which stops a spirit from entering it – with holy water and prayer until there is only one room they can go to and I can cross them over.
“Then a day or so later, I’ll return to the home and burn sage which gets rid of any leftover negative energy.”
Ian said the 1990 film Ghost, which starred Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore, captures his work well.
"When spirits cross over to the other side, it’s a bit like the film Ghost, where the spirits take the shadow people to the light," he explained.
“It sounds weird but you can see this light and a silhouette standing there and then when they have walked through it fades and disappears.”
'Similar to counselling'
Before entering a haunted home, Ian protects himself with prayers and is armed with a bible, holy water, blessed items and crosses.
He prefers to work alone to ensure no one else gets hurt, but does have some assistance - his ‘spirit guides’.
These help to protect and advise him as well as pass over troubled entities to the 'other side'.
He explained: “Some spirits don’t want to cross over so you have to encourage them, or at other times give them a forceful push in the right direction.
“I use my guides, one of whom is a Benedictine monk, who helps to get rid of the particularly nasty ones."
Ian said his job requires him to “do a bit of counselling” and "calm down" some of the “really negative and nasty” spirits.
He added: “Some don’t want to leave ‘their home’ and some don’t realise they have died.
"For example, if someone died in a car crash they may refuse to walk towards a bright light or not understand what has happened.
“Others are looking for someone - maybe a wife or a husband – or don’t want to leave because they have things left to do on Earth.
“Some don’t want to cross over on their own because they are scared; I have to tell them ‘it’s better on the other side’ and encourage them to leave.”
'Like a rollercoaster'
Ian’s first experience of the paranormal world was at 13, when he spotted a male figure walking down the stairs who “smiled and then disappeared”.
He also recalled talking to an electrician who was “messing with the lights” - only to be told by his mum that there was no electrician there.
Ian was raised Christian but always was fascinated by spooky things and the spiritual world, which led him to delve into the paranormal.
He started off performing psychic readings – where he talked to a person’s dead relatives or friends – and learned how to deal with bad spirits on ghost hunts.
But for the last 27 years, he’s worked with the “darker side” of the paranormal world – a calling that he says few people dare to get involved in.
“No one else was dealing with the negative spirits, so I decided that it was my place to do it and I have helped hundreds to cross over now,” he said.
Two years ago Ian became an ordained minister and regularly learns from others on TV and online to deal with nasty spirits.
He describes dealing with spirits as “draining work” but says he has “no intention to retire” because he loves the "adrenaline" kick.
“It’s like a rollercoaster," he said. "You’re always looking for the next biggest one to get rid of. I can’t see myself quitting.
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“I feel a bit like Batman. I work with young adults who have disabilities during the day and in my spare time deal with nasty spirits.
“When I tell people what I do some laugh, and others think I’m barmy. It’s a weird hobby, but I love it and always have a lot of work to do.”