She’s There When Things Go Bump in the Night

Peggy Stahler was just 4 years old, playing with her toys on the basement floor, when she had her first vision.

“I looked up at the stairs and on the top stair--I’ll never forget it--I saw these two gorgeous feet. They were white, just like alabaster, and they were shining. And as they came down the stairs, I saw a beautiful figure in a white robe with the most gorgeous light surrounding this person.

“His hair was long and brown and he was maybe 12 or 13 years old. He was holding this beautiful candle. I don’t remember anything that happened before or after that, but it was very vivid.”

To her mother, the vision foreshadowed the birth of Stahler’s younger brother. But her inspiring vision also signaled another kind of beginning. It was the first of what would become a lifetime of extraordinary experiences--supernatural incidents she still finds hard to explain.

“Nobody knows for sure what some of these things that go bump in the night are,” said Stahler, a 66-year-old grandmother of six who chairs the Research Investigations Committee of the Orange County Society for Psychic Research. The nonprofit organization has investigated reports of paranormal activity throughout Southern California since its founding in 1981. The society does not charge for investigations.

“You can think you know what’s going on because you’ve seen some evidence, but then the evidence can change,” said Stahler, who lives in Orange. “I always have a good, healthy respect for the unknown.”

Stahler grew up in her grandmother’s home in Aurora, Ill. It was a nurturing environment for psychic experiences.

“My grandmother was like a gypsy. She had a crystal ball, she would see visions, she would do automatic writing and she would read coffee grounds and do people’s fortunes. It was a small town, but everybody really thought a lot of her because she was very good. They would come in and sit at her card table.

“And if I had a dream or some experience, she would always listen to me and respect what I saw and what I felt. It was a very normal way of life for me, right from the very beginning. I just grew up with it.”

As a young girl, Stahler gave readings to her friends, “as a lark.” But after she moved to Orange in 1966, growing numbers of people came to her for a glimpse into the future, including Marines who were bound for Vietnam.

“They would come over and say, ‘Just tell me, am I going to get through this next mission OK?’ I would look at my coffee grounds or cards and say, ‘Oh yes, everything is going to be just wonderful.’ I did lie once, and he did die. Sometimes, I didn’t care if it was right or wrong, I gave them reassurance, because it does help if you think positive about a situation.

“People would call me--it was growing. People clamored for it. I was getting up to 30 calls a week. There were some that needed help, but I felt like I was crippling people, because they were becoming too dependent on me. There are times when we need outside help, but when you’re totally dependent on another person for your decisions, you never learn to look within, to weigh the information for yourself.”

Though Stahler says she has never charged for readings, she does not fault those psychics who depend on readings to pay the bills. But she found the Orange County Society for Psychic Research to be a better outlet for her talents. Since joining the newly formed organization in 1982, Stahler has witnessed all manner of paranormal occurrences, including the occasional unruly ghost. The group has a membership of about 15 psychics and 20 associate members.

“Ninety percent of the time, we find other explanations for what’s going on. But it’s the other 10% that’s really interesting. Most of our calls are from families--lights are going on and off, knocks at the door and no one’s there, doors and cupboards bang.”

If the assembled group of psychics feels that the disturbances are caused by spirits or some kind of negative energy, they will attempt to “clear” the house.

“Because of this energy that the mind can project, we can bring in vibrations and energy that are very positive and the negativity goes right out the window. It isn’t always spooks. A lot of these things can probably be scientifically explained. But a lot of people get carried away and fear feeds fear, so you create a real problem.

“We have gone into homes and simply sat and talked to people. And that’s all they wanted, someone who would listen and not laugh at them, because they’re afraid people will think they’re crazy. They see dark figures in the night passing through the bedroom, apparitions, noises--that type of thing.

“One lady was complaining about this horrendous racket in the attic, and I’m sure she believed that some demon was after her. But it was her air conditioning unit that was banging. I know this sounds weird, but most of us are very skeptical.”

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Profile: Peggy Stahler

Age: 66

Hometown: Aurora, Ill.

Residence: Orange

Family: Husband, Les; three grown children; six grandchildren

Education: Attended Aurora College (Illinois) and Rancho Santiago College; studies in philosophy, religion and metaphysics

Background: Managed Santa Ana lumber company for 14 years; conducted sporadic psychic readings since childhood; joined Orange County Society for Psychic Research in 1982; currently chair of society’s Research Investigations Committee

On seeing the future: “I don’t preach doom and gloom, because things can change for the better. If you bring enough positive light in, things will change--I believe that. But there are times when a warning will come, and it can be very good to have that.”

Source: Peggy Stahler; Researched by RUSS LOAR / For The Times