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7 Shocking Real-Life Truths About The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Case That Will Terrify You

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The Enfield Poltergeist case, which serves as the terrifying foundation for the 2016 blockbuster *The Conjuring 2*, remains one of the most debated and documented paranormal investigations in history. As of late 2025, the case is experiencing a resurgence in public interest, fueled by new stage productions and documentaries that force us to re-examine the chilling events that took place in a small council house in North London nearly five decades ago. This article dives deep into the true story, separating Hollywood’s demonic fiction from the unsettling, documented reality of the Hodgson family's ordeal.

The film, starring Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, dramatically portrays the 1977 haunting of the Hodgson family at 284 Green Street, Brimsdown, Enfield. However, the true events—involving levitation, disembodied voices, and furniture moving on its own—were far more complex and controversial than the movie suggests, with the real investigators’ roles being drastically different from the cinematic adaptation.

The Central Figures of the Enfield Poltergeist: A Biographical Profile

The haunting centered on a single-parent family living in a council house, whose lives were irrevocably changed by the alleged supernatural activity. Here is a profile of the primary figures involved in the case:

  • Peggy Hodgson (Mother): A single mother of four children, she was the first to report the strange occurrences in August 1977. She consistently maintained the veracity of the haunting until her death.
  • Janet Hodgson (Daughter): Aged 11 at the time (born c. 1966), she became the primary focus of the poltergeist activity, often speaking in a deep, guttural male voice identified as the spirit 'Bill Wilkins.' She was photographed allegedly levitating and was the most heavily scrutinized figure in the case.
  • Margaret Hodgson (Daughter): Aged 13 at the time (born c. 1964), she was Janet's older sister and the second focus of the activity. She and Janet have since returned to the house decades later to recount their experiences, indicating the lasting impact of the event.
  • Billy Hodgson and Johnny Hodgson (Sons): The two younger sons of Peggy Hodgson, whose experiences were less publicized but were also present during the ordeal.
  • Maurice Grosse (SPR Investigator): An inventor and paranormal investigator for the Society for Psychical Research (SPR), he was the first on the scene and spent the most time with the family, documenting the case for over a year. He was convinced of the haunting's authenticity.
  • Guy Lyon Playfair (SPR Investigator): A writer and SPR investigator who partnered with Grosse. He co-authored the book *This House Is Haunted*, which detailed their extensive investigation and lent significant credibility to the case.
  • Ed and Lorraine Warren (Demonologists): The American couple whose involvement is heavily dramatized in *The Conjuring 2*. In reality, their time at the Enfield house was brief, lasting only a single day, and their contribution to the documented evidence was minimal compared to Grosse and Playfair.

The Cinematic Lies: Where *The Conjuring 2* Diverged from the True Case File

While *The Conjuring 2* is a masterful piece of horror cinema, its narrative takes significant liberties with the historical record. Understanding these differences is crucial for anyone seeking the true story behind the Enfield Poltergeist. The film is billed as being "based on the true case files," but it is more accurately a highly fictionalized dramatization.

1. The Warrens’ Minimal Role vs. Hollywood's Focus: The biggest difference is the portrayal of the Warrens. In the movie, they are the central heroes who save the Hodgson family. In real life, the primary investigators were the British SPR members, Maurice Grosse and Guy Lyon Playfair, who documented the case for over 18 months. The Warrens visited the house briefly, uninvited, and were not considered the main authorities on the case by the British investigators.

2. The Demon Valak Was Pure Fiction: The terrifying demon nun, Valak, which serves as the main antagonist in the film and is later spun off into its own movie series, was completely invented for the movie. There is no mention of a demonic nun or the name Valak in any of the original Enfield Poltergeist case files. The entity that allegedly tormented the family was the spirit of an elderly man named Bill Wilkins.

3. The True Identity of the Spirit: Bill Wilkins: The haunting focused on a gravelly, gruff male voice that spoke through Janet Hodgson, claiming to be Bill Wilkins. Wilkins was a man who allegedly died in the house years before, specifically in the downstairs living room. This is the spirit the Warrens were supposedly investigating, not a powerful demon.

4. The Absence of the 'Crooked Man': Another memorable monster from the film, the Crooked Man, was also a cinematic creation. The real-life events, while terrifying, involved moving furniture, knocking sounds (raps), and objects being thrown, but not the physical manifestation of the creature.

The Unsettling Evidence: 3 Facts That Still Divide Experts and Public Opinion

The Enfield Poltergeist case remains controversial because, despite some evidence of trickery, there are multiple elements that defy easy debunking. The sheer volume of witnesses, including police officers, journalists, and trained investigators, is what keeps the case alive in the paranormal community.

1. The Infamous Levitation Photo: One of the most iconic pieces of evidence is the photo of Janet Hodgson seemingly suspended in mid-air. Daily Mirror photographer Graham Morris, who took the picture, insists that Janet did not jump or fake the levitation. He stated that the camera was set to a slow shutter speed, and the movement he captured was too quick and unnatural to be a simple jump, maintaining his belief in the authenticity of the event decades later.

2. The Voice of Bill Wilkins: The gruff voice that spoke through Janet was captured on tape by investigators. The voice was medically examined and found to be physically impossible for a young girl to produce naturally, as it seemed to originate from Janet's false vocal cords. While Janet later admitted to faking some of the poltergeist activity for a camera crew, she maintained that the voice and the majority of the events were real.

3. Witness Testimony from Police and Neighbors: The first public witnesses to the events were the police. After Peggy Hodgson called for help, two police officers reported seeing a chair move on its own. While the officers did not witness a poltergeist, they confirmed that they could not explain the movement of the furniture, which was officially logged in a police report.

The Legacy of the Hodgson Family and the Case's Current Status

Decades after the haunting concluded in 1979, the Hodgson family struggled to return to a normal life. Janet Hodgson, in particular, was subjected to intense media scrutiny and psychological evaluations. She was temporarily moved to a children's home run by nuns when the stress became too much.

Today, Janet and Margaret Hodgson have moved on with their lives but continue to speak about their experiences, often returning to the house to revisit the site of the traumatic events. Their willingness to discuss the case, despite the enduring controversy, keeps the story in the public eye.

The case itself has seen a modern resurgence. In early 2024, new stage productions and dramas based on the Enfield Poltergeist have brought the story back to the forefront of paranormal discussion. This continued interest, nearly 50 years later, underscores the profound and unsettling nature of the events at 284 Green Street—a true story that remains one of the most compelling and terrifying mysteries in the annals of paranormal investigation, far beyond the Hollywood horror of *The Conjuring 2*.

7 Shocking Real-Life Truths About The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Case That Will Terrify You
the conjuring 2 the enfield case
the conjuring 2 the enfield case

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