The Maria José Ferreira Poltergeist

Between 1965 and 1966, an eleven-year-old girl named Maria José Ferreira in Jabuticabal, Brazil, became the center of one of the most intense and violent poltergeist cases in South American history. The phenomena included stones raining down from nowhere, spontaneous fires breaking out, objects moving and breaking, and physical attacks on Maria herself. The case was investigated by researchers and attracted widespread attention, becoming a landmark in the study of poltergeist phenomena.

Background

Maria José Ferreira was an orphan living with a foster family in Jabuticabal, a city in São Paulo state. Her background was troubled—she had been abandoned by her biological parents and had experienced an unstable childhood before being taken in by her foster family.

In 1965, strange things began happening around Maria. Stones appeared from nowhere and fell inside the house. Objects moved on their own. The activity seemed to follow Maria wherever she went.

The Stone Showers

The most dramatic and persistent phenomenon was the stone showers. Rocks of various sizes would materialize inside the house and fall from the ceiling, even when all windows and doors were closed. The stones sometimes appeared hot to the touch.

Investigators observed that blocking potential entry points did not stop the stones. They seemed to appear inside the sealed space rather than being thrown from outside. Some researchers reported seeing stones materialize in mid-air and fall.

The stone showers were not random. They appeared to track Maria—when she moved to different rooms or locations, the stones followed. Other people in the household were rarely targeted.

Spontaneous Fires

Perhaps more frightening than the stones were the spontaneous fires. Clothing, bedding, and other materials would ignite without apparent cause. These fires broke out repeatedly, forcing the family to remain constantly vigilant.

Maria’s own clothing sometimes caught fire while she was wearing it. Investigators documented instances where fires started in her presence with no possible natural explanation.

The fires caused significant property damage and created genuine danger. The family lived in fear of their home burning down.

Physical Attacks

Maria was also the target of physical attacks by invisible forces. She was slapped, pinched, and bitten. Teeth marks appeared on her skin. Needles materialized inside her body and had to be surgically removed.

The attacks left visible marks—bruises, scratches, bite impressions. Medical professionals who examined Maria confirmed the injuries were real, even if their origin was inexplicable.

Investigation

The case attracted the attention of researchers, including parapsychologists and clergy. Multiple investigators observed phenomena directly and documented their findings.

Father Edvino Augusto Friderichs, a Catholic priest, became involved in the case. He attempted exorcism, but the phenomena continued. The case seemed resistant to religious intervention.

Hernani Guimarães Andrade, a prominent Brazilian parapsychologist, studied the case extensively. He documented the phenomena, interviewed witnesses, and attempted to understand the mechanism behind the events.

Psychological Context

Researchers noted Maria’s troubled background—abandonment, foster care, emotional instability. This profile matched the typical pattern for poltergeist agents—adolescents under psychological stress whose unconscious minds seemed to manifest physical disturbances.

Whether Maria was unconsciously generating the phenomena through psychokinesis or whether external entities were attracted by her psychological state remained debated.

Resolution

The intense phenomena continued for approximately a year. They gradually diminished in intensity and eventually ceased. By 1967, Maria’s situation had stabilized, and no further major incidents were reported.

The resolution followed the typical poltergeist pattern—intense activity centered on an adolescent that diminishes as the person matures or their life circumstances improve.

Later Life

Maria José Ferreira’s later life was marked by tragedy. She struggled with the psychological impact of her experiences. In 1970, she took her own life by swallowing pesticide. She was only sixteen years old.

Her death raises troubling questions about the long-term impact of poltergeist experiences on the individuals at their center. Whether the stress of the phenomena, the attention they brought, or underlying psychological issues contributed to her suicide cannot be determined.

Significance

The Maria José Ferreira case is considered one of the best-documented poltergeist cases in South America. The variety of phenomena—stones, fires, physical attacks—the number of witnesses, and the investigation by credible researchers make it a significant case in the paranormal literature.

The case also demonstrates the potential psychological toll of poltergeist experiences. Maria’s tragic end serves as a reminder that whatever causes these phenomena, the human cost can be severe.

Legacy

The case has been studied by parapsychologists worldwide and appears in numerous books on poltergeist phenomena. It contributed to understanding of the “poltergeist agent” concept—the individual around whom phenomena seem to center.

Whether the events in Jabuticabal represented unconscious psychokinesis, supernatural attack, or something else entirely, they left an indelible mark on those who witnessed them and on the young girl at their center.