A blending of the history and folklore of southern New Jersey create the background for the Barren Spirit, and the phenomenon of hypnotic regression into previous lives creates the story. Intertwined throughout the story are tales of a real pineland folk hero, Joe Mulliner. Several of these tales are actual folk tales with a new twist, some are teeming with historical fact, some are legends and others are pure fiction. In this tale, four college students, three boys and a girl become uncontrollably compelled to travel to the barren pine forests of New Jersey in search of an answer. The question in need of that answer comes in the form of a foreign apparition, encountered during their experimentation with hypnosis. When they reach the secluded Pine Barrens, they are befriended by a local resident who joins them in their search for this mysterious truth. Who would have imagined that their innocent search could lead them down such a dangerous and deadly path?