Doris Bither and the Entity Haunting
Doris Bither surrounded by an unexplained light. Photo: Dr Barry Taff
In the world of paranormal phenomena, few cases are as infamous as that of Doris Bither. Although many may not recognize her name, her story has been immortalized through a fictionalized retelling in the spine-chilling film, THE ENTITY (1982). This harrowing tale follows a working-class single mother who claimed to have suffered sexual assaults at the hands of a supernatural entity, prompting an investigation by parapsychologists from the prestigious Neuropsychiatric Institute at UCLA.
Who was Doris Bither?
Little is known for sure about Doris Bither as she was reluctant to reveal details about herself to those investigating the case.
Interviews with Doris’s sons after her passing have revealed was ostracized by her family during her teenage years due to her rebellious and wild behavior.
He shared that she began experimenting with Ouija Boards and holding séances at a young age, eventually turning to drugs and alcohol to cope with her troubled psyche.
Doris’s sons explained that there were signs of paranormal activity even before they moved to Braddock Drive in Culver City, California.
They recounted experiences of psychokinetic events and the occasional sighting of ghosts in the house.
Doris Bither and the Entity Haunting
The house from “The Entity” where Doris Bither lived. 11547 Braddock Drive, Culver City, California. Photo: RoadTrippers
Not long after Doris moved to Culver City from Santa Monica, a mysterious Hispanic lady showed up at her door and told her that her house was an evil place.
When Doris asked the woman what she meant, she just left without elaborating. It wasn’t long before the paranormal activity began to materialize.
Doris and her family began to see semi-transparent apparitions that appeared to be human in shape and size.
Doris claimed these spirits physically and sexually assaulted her, even throwing her across a room and into a wall with immense force. One of her sons was also a victim of these attacks.
As one could imagine, the family was too scared to contact the police. Instead, Doris confided in a female friend about the ongoing events. If it weren't for a chance meeting at a local bookstore, the story might have ended there.
Bither's friend overheard a conversation between two parapsychologists, Barry Taff and Kerry Gaynor, who worked at the University of California in Los Angeles, discussing paranormal topics in a bookshop. Taff shares the same story in his 2014 book, Aliens Above, Ghosts Below, and a 2017 DVD interview.
Bither's friend shared her experiences with the parapsychologists and asked if they could help the troubled woman. Intrigued by the possibility of investigating a haunting, Taff and Gaynor interviewed Bither in August of 1974.
This fateful meeting would launch an investigation that would become one of the most well-known and controversial cases of paranormal activity in history.
The Investigation into Doris Bither
During the investigation of Doris Bither's haunted house, parapsychologists Barry Taff and Kerry Gaynor reported experiencing common ghost phenomena such as cold spots, subjective sensations, and bad smells due to the rundown state of the wooden dwelling.
Taff claimed:
“The most intense occurrence which Doris related to us was that she had been sexually assaulted by three semi-visible beings.
Two of the smaller beings or apparitions literally held her down by the wrists and ankles, while the remaining form entered her.
According to Doris’ testimony, this event took place on several separate occasions, each time leaving behind large and distinct black and blue wounds, especially around the ankles, wrists, breasts, and groin area of the inner thighs.” (Taff 2014)
Unfortunately these claims were not well documented and the investigation lacked protocol. Despite this, the investigators were able to capture several unexplained photographs during their second visit with additional equipment and cameras.
After almost two weeks, the group finally returned to Doris' house, this time with witnesses. They were met with the stench of rotting flesh and a dramatic drop in temperature, despite the summer heat.
As they investigated, a frying pan was flung across the kitchen by an unseen force. This was just the beginning of a weeks-long investigation that reached its peak with the appearance of a full-bodied apparition.
Doris, Dr. Taff, and a group of assistants and technicians watched in awe as strange masses of light came together to form a large, human-like figure. It looked around at the stunned onlookers before vanishing into thin air.
Despite Doris' attempts to leave the haunting behind by moving, the paranormal activity seemed to follow her. She relocated multiple times, but the strange occurrences persisted. Dr. Taff eventually lost touch with her, and was left with more questions than answers.
Barry Taff’s Theory About Doris Bither and the Entity Haunting
Barry Taff believes that it’s not ghosts or spirits behind the haunting affecting Doris Bither but a phenomenon called Recurrent Spontaneous Psychokinesis (RSPK).
Psychokinesis, or the ability to move objects without physical means, can be divided into two types: microscopic and macroscopic.
Microscopic psychokinesis works on a small scale, affecting things like subatomic particles and random number generators. It is typically electrostatic-based and requires conscious effort, resulting in fatigue in the individual.
Macroscopic psychokinesis, or what is commonly referred to as "poltergeist," involves the ability to move very large objects, sometimes weighing hundreds of pounds, and is believed to be subconscious in nature.
Unlike microscopic psychokinesis, no fatigue is observed in the person at the center of the phenomenon. In both cases, it is believed that the ability to move objects is generated by a living human.
Taff believes that there are multiple factors that contribute to the phenomenon, with some overlap between them. One of these is the location where the individual is experiencing it, which could be a site with a strong geomagnetic or electromagnetic anomaly affecting them.
Another variable is that the individual is often seizure-prone or epileptic, possibly without realizing it. Lastly, they tend to have poor coping mechanisms and struggle to manage stress effectively. When these three factors combine in the right way, it can lead to the occurrence of RSPK.
Have you ever seen any poltergeist activity like what happened to Doris Bother? Let us know in the comments.
If you enjoyed this article about Doris Bither you might also be interested in the story of the Enfield Haunting or the story of Kate Morgan.
Further Reading
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A book containing more about Doris Bither and her story.
