The Unseen (47 page)

The parapsychology lab files that exist at Perkins Library have been neatly catalogued by librarians; you will not find petrified cans of peanuts or Sen-Sen breath mints in the boxes.

North Carolinians may be able to guess the house that was my model for the Folger House; on the other hand, there are many such houses tucked away in forests in the South, houses which may or may not be haunted, but which most definitely feel as if they should be.

Finally, there was never a Folger Experiment, and certainly not ever one sanctioned by Duke University, the parapsychology lab, or any of its administration, faculty or staff, or that caused the closing of the parapsychology lab.

I based the poltergeist manifestations depicted in the book on the kinds of manifestations that have been reported over centuries, in countries all over the world. There has never—to my knowledge!—been such a concentrated attack as the one I portray in the book (despite the interesting embellishments of incidents that you can find in some supposedly factual reports), but I have tried throughout to be true to the spirit of the—well, spirit.

Reports of actual poltergeist investigations are maddening to read because there is never any real explanation. There is no restless, departed ghost who brings crucial information to a loved one or demands retribution. There may be fraud, there may not be. Inexplicable things happen and remain frustratingly inexplicable … and thus all the more seductive.

It is the very mystery of the phenomenon that enthralls.

For those interested in reading further in the field of parapsychology and on the work of the Rhine Lab, I highly recommend Dr. Sally Rhine Feather’s
The Gift
, an illuminating study of real-life ESP occurrences, which also details both her parents’ work in the field; and William Roll’s
The Poltergeist
, for detailed accounts of his poltergeist investigations while at the Duke parapsychology lab and after. Deborah Blum’s
Ghost Hunters
provides a fascinating historical perspective of the work of the American Society for Psychical Research and the British Society for Psychical Research to find scientific proof of ghosts and psychic phenomena, and Colin Wilson compiles some of the most entertaining poltergeist stories in his book
Poltergeist!
(among others). Tony Cornell’s book
Investigating the Paranormal
is a useful study of fieldwork.

For further information on current studies, and for an extensive bibliography of parapsychological topics, I recommend The Rhine Research Center’s Web site: [http://www.Rhine.org/] http://www.Rhine.org/.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am indebted until the end of time to:

Dr. J.B. Rhine, Dr. Louisa Rhine, and William Roll, for their groundbreaking and inspiring work in the field of parapsychology.

My editor, Marc Resnick, and Sarah Lumnah, for always making all things better.

Sally Richardson, Matthew Shear, Harriett Seltzer, Ellis Trevor, Talia Ross, Mike Berry, Matt Baldacci and the entire St. Martin’s team. I especially owe Jennifer Enderlin for pointing me toward this one!

Scott Miller—not just a great agent but a great guy.

Frank Wuliger and Sarah Self, for doing the Hollywood thing in a non-Hollywood way.

My partner, Michael Bradshaw, the least likely person to keep me sane, and yet …

The awesome Sheila English and Michael Miller at Circle of Seven Productions for the trailers, and double thanks to Sheila, for her constant support and advice.

Adam Auerbach for his mindblowing cover art.

Beth Tindall, webmistress extraordinaire.

My family, Alexander, Barbara, Elaine, and Michael, for constant support and inspiration.

Kimball Greenough, for his encyclopedic knowledge and understanding of parapsychology and the paranormal.

Michael Bradshaw, for airport shuttle services.

Margaret Maron, Diane Chamberlain, Katy Munger, Brenda Witchger, Mary Kay Andrews, and Nancy Olson, for their friendship, writing support, political comradeship, and hilarious spooky times in the “Folger House.”

Nancy and Jim Olson and the entire staff of Quail Ridge Books for being a home away from home.

The Weymouth Center Writers Retreat.

Michael Bradshaw, keeper of the cats.

Martin and Sue Hatcher, for their stories.

Susan Bradshaw, for everything.

The Rhine Research Center and Dr. Sally Rhine Feather.

Stan, Phil, Neisha, and the Bodhi Tree Bookstore for such a comprehensive education on all things paranormal.

Heather Graham, Dennis Pozz, and all the Pozzessores for being the best gypsy traveling players second family I could ever ask for.

Sarah Langan and Sarah Pinborough—my dark sisters and personal muses.

The Coven, for the magic.

The wild extended family of Murderati .com for being there, 24/7.

Doris Ann Norris, Mary Boone, Elaine Paquette, Kathy East, Robert Lambert, Clare Bass, Linda Adams, and Karen Kiley. Librarians rock!

The authors, officers and staffs of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, Horror Writers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America and the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers for those incredible communities and for taking care of all of my cross-genre, multiple-personality needs.

Michael Palmer, Heather Graham, F. Paul Wilson, and Ken Bruen: idols, inspirations, and friends.

Ira Levin, forever a shining light in this dark field.