Interview with David Farrant, Paranormal Investigator
Paranormalknowledge.com had a chance to interview David Farrant, the famous Paranormal Investigator most notably known for his investigation of the Highgate Cemetery. To read more about the Highgate cemetery, check out our article here.
What was your first experience at the cemetery?
My first personal sighting of ‘something’ (of a supernatural nature) at Highgate Cemetery was in December 1969. There had been many local reports of a ‘tall dark figure’ being seen in and around Highgate Cemetery prior to this, and I had already visited the cemetery by day to try and locate witnesses or find any other kind of evidence that might have otherwise explain or account for the sightings.
On the occasion in December 1969 (mentioned above), my visit took place at night as I thought there would be more chance of ‘picking up’ on anything of a psychic nature.
It was nearing midnight when, as I was passing the tope gate of the cemetery, something caught my eye and, as I looked up, I saw a tall dark figure standing motionless some 2 or 3 feet inside the gate. It was hard to tell in the darkness, but it appeared to be clad in a long black cloak, but I did distinctly see two points of red light which I took to be its eyes. Within seconds the area turned notably colder (and it was already a very cold night) and the figure (or whatever it was) appeared to be draining me of energy. Being an experienced psychic, I realized that I had come under psychic attack, so I mentally repeated a Cabalistic incantation to repel this ‘energy’ and the figure promptly vanished.
Following my sighting of this entity in December 1969, The British Psychic and Occult Society (of which I am the President) decided to launch a full investigation into all the accounts and sightings of this phenomenon, to see if there might be any foundation for them. One thing we did was to have Society members stationed in the cemetery by night to see if we might be able to obtain some photographic evidence of the entity’s appearance.
It is true that during the course of this investigation (in August 1970 to be precise) I was taken to Court for ‘vampire hunting’ (or what the police claimed was ‘vampire hunting’ although the outcome was, that I was later acquitted.
In August 1970, a group of five of us eventually visited Highgate Cemetery (with a psychic medium) with the intention of holding a séance to communicate (by psychic means) with the reputed entity there. For this purpose, we had with us several ‘magical implements’, including small Celtic crosses, cameras, candles, incense, and a tape recorder. The area chosen to perform the séance was a flat area of ground above the ‘Circle of Lebanon’, a Victorian circle of tombs not far from the back gate of the cemetery.
Unfortunately this was interrupted by the police, who had been keeping a watch on HC because of serious vandalism in months prior to this.
What made you keep going back despite the consequences?
Really once the magistrate had ruled that the cemetery was “not an enclosed area in the strict legal sense”, we felt no legal need to ‘give up’ on the investigation. And we didn’t!
Have you officially stopped investigating the cemetery? If yes, why? If no, what have you been trying to investigate?
No, I have never really ‘given up’ the investigation, but obviously, because of my supposed notoriety, it would not be feasible to spend any more nightly psychic vigils there. It might be relevant to add here, that the psychic entity in and around the cemetery appears to have become ‘active again’ and I have two reports on file (from 2005) from two independent people who claim to have witnessed it – both occasions being at night.
Following these accounts I went on two public Tours of Highgate Cemetery to see if any more information could be obtained and get fresh photographs of old locations.
What would you say would be the most terrifying experience you had at the cemetery?
I guess if anything, my first sighting of the entity back in December 1969. Well, I was not really ‘terrified’ as such, but it certainly seemed to prove that many of the other stories about similar sightings could be true.I should stress that I do not believe in the existence of blood sucking vampires and the ‘Highgate Entity’ is most certainly NOT a vampire.All talk of a vampire being staked in the back garden of a derelict house or a woman turning into a vampire turning into a spider is complete rubbish and pulp fiction at its worst.
What societies are you part of now and what would you say is the purpose of them?
I am still President of the British Psychic and Occult Society, but I would like to point out we have investigated many other cases of psychic phenomena all across the country. But the Highgate ‘vampire’ case is the one that has mainly stuck in peoples’ minds, for reasons I hope I have explained.
What are your future career plans?
Just to keep writing books and giving Talks about all the psychic investigations. And maybe make the odd film or two when I can fit it in amidst all the rest. It really is not an easy life being a psychic investigator!
