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[[Psychoanalyst]] [[Carl Gustav Jung]] was interested in the concept of poltergeists and the occult in general. Jung believed that a female cousin's [[trance]] states were responsible for a dining table splitting in two and his later discovery of a broken bread knife.<ref name="Wilson2010">{{cite book|author=Colin Wilson|title=Poltergeist: A Classic Study in Destructive Hauntings|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O68ayjhr3O8C|date=8 November 2010|publisher=Llewellyn Worldwide|isbn=978-0-7387-2237-5}}</ref> Jung also believed that when a bookcase gave an explosive cracking sound during a meeting with [[Sigmund Freud]] in 1909, he correctly predicted there would be a second sound, speculating that such phenomena were caused by 'exteriorization' of his subconscious mind. Freud disagreed, and concluded there was some natural cause. Freud biographers maintain the sounds were likely caused by the wood of the bookcase contracting as it dried out.<ref name="Wilson2019">{{cite book|author=Colin Wilson|title=C.G.Jung: Lord of the Underworld|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cvaKDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT2|date=21 February 2019|publisher=Aeon Books|isbn=978-1-912807-53-6|pages=2–}}</ref><ref>CG Jung, ''Memories, Dreams, Reflections'', Flamingo 1983, pp 126, 179</ref>
[[Psychoanalyst]] [[Carl Gustav Jung]] was interested in the concept of poltergeists and the occult in general. Jung believed that a female cousin's [[trance]] states were responsible for a dining table splitting in two and his later discovery of a broken bread knife.<ref name="Wilson2010">{{cite book|author=Colin Wilson|title=Poltergeist: A Classic Study in Destructive Hauntings|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O68ayjhr3O8C|date=8 November 2010|publisher=Llewellyn Worldwide|isbn=978-0-7387-2237-5}}</ref> Jung also believed that when a bookcase gave an explosive cracking sound during a meeting with [[Sigmund Freud]] in 1909, he correctly predicted there would be a second sound, speculating that such phenomena were caused by 'exteriorization' of his subconscious mind. Freud disagreed, and concluded there was some natural cause. Freud biographers maintain the sounds were likely caused by the wood of the bookcase contracting as it dried out.<ref name="Wilson2019">{{cite book|author=Colin Wilson|title=C.G.Jung: Lord of the Underworld|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cvaKDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT2|date=21 February 2019|publisher=Aeon Books|isbn=978-1-912807-53-6|pages=2–}}</ref><ref>CG Jung, ''Memories, Dreams, Reflections'', Flamingo 1983, pp 126, 179</ref>


'''Ed and Lorraine Warren'''


Ed and Lorraine Warren are well known demonologists. Famously known for their roles in “The Conjuring” movie universe. Despite their movie star reputation, they are in fact real people who study demonology. Throughout their career they have seen a wide variety of supernatural occurrences ranging from possessions to poltergeists and everything in between them. Along with all the supernatural experiences under their belts they also have many experiences that they debunked into having nothing to deal with the paranormal and just have simple explanations behind them. Sometimes a faulty pipe system or just the imagination of a young child. However, not all happenings have a simple explanation or can be debunked. There are many cases of the supernatural occurring. Some of the cases they investigated include The Devil Made Me Do It, Amityville, The Snedeker House, Annabelle, The Conjuring House, The Enfield Poltergeist, and The Smurl Haunting. The Enfield Poltergeist was one of the most famous paranormal investigations they undertook. The residents of the Enfield home claimed that furniture would move around on its own. They often heard voices call out to them without anyone around them. The homeowners’ two teen daughters were a huge focal point of the supernatural occurrences.


==Famous cases==
==Famous cases==

Revision as of 22:05, 30 March 2022

For other uses, see Poltergeist (disambiguation).
Artist conception of poltergeist activity claimed by Thérèse Selles, a 14-year-old domestic servant of the Todescini family at Cheragas, Algeria. From the French magazine La Vie Mystérieuse in 1911.
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In ghostlore, a poltergeist (/ˈpoʊltərˌɡaɪst/ or /ˈpɒltərˌɡaɪst/; German for "rumbling ghost" or "noisy spirit") is a type of ghost or spirit that is responsible for physical disturbances, such as loud noises and objects being moved or destroyed. Poltergeist occurrences have been reported all over the world throughout a long period of time. These occurrences can range from small mishaps to great ordeals. Different noises, especially bells ringing have been a tell-tale sign of a poltergeist. The manifestation of a poltergeist is usually associated with a house of physical object. Rather than a possession which deals with a person or animal being taken over by a demonic presence. These happenings can occur extremely abruptly, and they can also stop as suddenly as they began to occur. Usually, occurrences of these types affect young adolescents more than they do adults. These activities can even happen more often when the younger members of a household are asleep. Although it is very rare for a serious physical injury to result from these occurrences, it is not impossible. However, the mental affects are usually far greater than the physical are. Most claims or fictional descriptions of poltergeists show them as being capable of pinching, biting, hitting, and tripping people. They are also depicted as capable of the movement or levitation of objects such as furniture and cutlery, or noises such as knocking on doors. Foul smells are also associated with poltergeist occurrences, as well as spontaneous fires and different electrical issues such as flickering lights. [1]

They have traditionally been described as troublesome spirits who haunt a particular person instead of a specific location. Some variation of poltergeist folklore is found in many different cultures. Early claims of spirits that supposedly harass and torment their victims date back to the 1st century, but references to poltergeists became more common in the early 17th century.

Etymology

The word poltergeist comes from the German language words poltern ("to make sound" and "to rumble") and Geist ("ghost" and "spirit"), and the term itself translates as "noisy ghost", "rumble-ghost" or a "loud spirit". A synonym coined by René Sudre is thorybism, from Greek θορυβείν ("to make noise or uproar; throw into confusion").

Suggested explanations

Many claims have been made that poltergeist activity explains strange events (including those by modern self-styled ghost hunters), however their evidence has so far not stood up to scrutiny.[2]

Natural phenomena

Many claimed poltergeist events have been proven upon investigation to be hoaxes.[3]

Psychical researcher Frank Podmore proposed the 'naughty little girl' theory for poltergeist cases (many of which have seemed to centre on an adolescent, usually a girl).[4] He found that the centre of the disturbance was often a child who was throwing objects around to fool or scare people for attention.[4][5] Skeptical investigator Joe Nickell says that claimed poltergeist incidents typically originate from "an individual who is motivated to cause mischief".[6] According to Nickell:

In the typical poltergeist outbreak, small objects are hurled through the air by unseen forces, furniture is overturned, or other disturbances occur—usually just what could be accomplished by a juvenile trickster determined to plague credulous adults.

Nickell writes that reports are often exaggerated by credulous witnesses.[7]

Time and again in other "poltergeist" outbreaks, witnesses have reported an object leaping from its resting place supposedly on its own, when it is likely that the perpetrator had secretly obtained the object sometime earlier and waited for an opportunity to fling it, even from outside the room—thus supposedly proving he or she was innocent.

According to research in anomalistic psychology, claims of poltergeist activity can be explained by psychological factors such as illusion, memory lapses, and wishful thinking.[8] A study (Lange and Houran, 1998) wrote that poltergeist experiences are delusions "resulting from the affective and cognitive dynamics of percipients' interpretation of ambiguous stimuli".[9] Psychologist Donovan Rawcliffe has written that almost all poltergeist cases that have been investigated turned out to be based on trickery, whilst the rest are attributable to psychological factors such as hallucinations.[10]

Attempts have also been made to scientifically explain poltergeist disturbances that have not been traced to fraud or psychological factors. Skeptic and magician Milbourne Christopher found that some cases of poltergeist activity can be attributed to unusual air currents, such as a 1957 case on Cape Cod where downdrafts from an uncovered chimney became strong enough to blow a mirror off of a wall, overturn chairs and knock things off shelves.[11]

Unverified natural phenomena

In the 1950s, Guy William Lambert proposed that reported poltergeist phenomena could be explained by the movement of underground water causing stress on houses.[12] He suggested that water turbulence could cause strange sounds or structural movement of the property, possibly causing the house to vibrate and move objects. Later researchers, such as Alan Gauld and Tony Cornell, tested Lambert's hypothesis by placing specific objects in different rooms and subjecting the house to strong mechanical vibrations.[12] They discovered that although the structure of the building had been damaged, only a few of the objects moved a very short distance. The skeptic Trevor H. Hall criticized the hypothesis claiming if it was true "the building would almost certainly fall into ruins."[13] According to Richard Wiseman the hypothesis has not held up to scrutiny.[12]

Michael Persinger has theorized that seismic activity could cause poltergeist phenomena.[14] However, Persinger's claims regarding the effects of environmental geomagnetic activity on paranormal experiences have not been independently replicated and, like his findings regarding the God helmet, may simply be explained by the suggestibility of participants.[15][16]

David Turner, a retired physical chemist, suggested that ball lightning might cause the "spooky movement of objects blamed on poltergeists."[17]

Paranormal

Parapsychologists Nandor Fodor and William G. Roll suggested that poltergeist activity can be explained by psychokinesis.[18][19]

Historically, malicious spirits were blamed for poltergeist activity.[20][clarification needed] According to Allan Kardec, the founder of Spiritism, poltergeists are manifestations of disembodied spirits of low level, belonging to the sixth class of the third order. Under this explanation, they are believed to be closely associated with the elements (fire, air, water, earth).[21] In Finland, somewhat famous are the case of the "Mäkkylä Ghost" in 1946, which received attention in the press at the time,[22] and the "Devils of Martin" in Ylöjärvi in the late 19th century, for which affidavits were obtained in court.[23] Samuli Paulaharju has also recorded a memoir of a typical poltergeist, the case of "Salkko-Niila", from the south of Lake Inari in his book Memoirs of Lapland (Lapin muisteluksia). The story has also been published in the collection of Mythical Stories (Myytillisiä tarinoita) edited by Lauri Simonsuuri.[24]

Psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung was interested in the concept of poltergeists and the occult in general. Jung believed that a female cousin's trance states were responsible for a dining table splitting in two and his later discovery of a broken bread knife.[25] Jung also believed that when a bookcase gave an explosive cracking sound during a meeting with Sigmund Freud in 1909, he correctly predicted there would be a second sound, speculating that such phenomena were caused by 'exteriorization' of his subconscious mind. Freud disagreed, and concluded there was some natural cause. Freud biographers maintain the sounds were likely caused by the wood of the bookcase contracting as it dried out.[26][27]


Ed and Lorraine Warren


Ed and Lorraine Warren are well known demonologists. Famously known for their roles in “The Conjuring” movie universe. Despite their movie star reputation, they are in fact real people who study demonology. Throughout their career they have seen a wide variety of supernatural occurrences ranging from possessions to poltergeists and everything in between them. Along with all the supernatural experiences under their belts they also have many experiences that they debunked into having nothing to deal with the paranormal and just have simple explanations behind them. Sometimes a faulty pipe system or just the imagination of a young child. However, not all happenings have a simple explanation or can be debunked. There are many cases of the supernatural occurring. Some of the cases they investigated include The Devil Made Me Do It, Amityville, The Snedeker House, Annabelle, The Conjuring House, The Enfield Poltergeist, and The Smurl Haunting. The Enfield Poltergeist was one of the most famous paranormal investigations they undertook. The residents of the Enfield home claimed that furniture would move around on its own. They often heard voices call out to them without anyone around them. The homeowners’ two teen daughters were a huge focal point of the supernatural occurrences.

Famous cases

Epworth Rectory


The Amityville Case (1975)


In 1975, George and Kathleen Lutz had bought a new house and moved in with their three young children to start a new life. A year prior to them moving into this house, a tragic event happened in it to the previous owners. The tragedy consisted of the oldest son of the household murdering his entire family in the middle of the night as they slept. Open moving into the house the Lutz’s began to experience supernatural occurrences and experience bizarre happenings. After living in the house for only about a month they packed up their belongings and fled to get away from the occurrences that were going on in the house at the time. By the end of the month, the press became aware of the situation and called experts in to take a closer look at the house. The experts that were called to investigate the house were demonologists, Ed and Lorraine Warren. Ed and Lorraine Warren concluded that yes there was indeed a haunting occurring at the house, however it was an inhuman spirit that was doing the haunting there.

The Enfield Poltergeist (1977)

In 1977, in northern suburb of London, occurrences of paranormal happenings began to ensue for a family. The story of this family later became the outline for a famous movie viewed today (The Conjuring 2). Some of the incidents include furniture moving without explanation and without anyone around to have moved it. An 11-year-old girl was levitated above her bed multiple times in her sleep and claimed her bed would uncontrollably shake at night most of the time. Some people assumed the young girl was playing a trick and she was doing it all on purpose to fool everyone.


See also

References

  1. ^ "poltergeist | Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained - Credo Reference". search.credoreference.com. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  2. ^ Aliens, Ghosts, and Cults: Legends We Live. Bill Ellis. 2001
  3. ^ Hines, Terence. (2003). Pseudoscience and the Paranormal. Prometheus Books. p. 98. ISBN 978-1573929790
  4. ^ a b Dingwall, John; Hall, Trevor H. (1958). Four Modern Ghosts. Duckworth. pp. 13–14
  5. ^ Goldstuck, Arthur. The Ghost that Closed Down the Town: The Story of the Haunting of South Africa. Penguin Books. p. 275. ISBN 978-0143025054 "Podmore advanced a 'naughty little girl' theory, suggesting that trickery accounted for nearly all poltergeist manifestations, and that the girls and boys who so often seemed to be the victims of poltergeists were actually pulling the strings."
  6. ^ Joe Nickell (3 July 2012). The Science of Ghosts: Searching for Spirits of the Dead. Prometheus Books. pp. 283–. ISBN 978-1-61614-586-6.
  7. ^ Nickell, Joe. "Enfield Poltergeist, Investigative Files". August 2012. Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  8. ^ Zusne, Leonard; Jones, Warren H. (1989). Anomalistic Psychology: A Study of Magical Thinking. Psychology Press. p. 192. ISBN 978-0805805086
  9. ^ Lange, R; Houran, J. (1998). Delusions of the paranormal: A haunting question of perception. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 186 (10): 637–645.
  10. ^ Rawcliffe, Donovan. (1988). Occult and Supernatural Phenomena. Dover Publications. pp. 377–378. ISBN 0-486-25551-4
  11. ^ Christopher, Milbourne (1970). ESP, Seers & Psychics: What the Occult Really Is. New York: Crowell. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-690-26815-7. OCLC 97063. A heavy mirror fell from the bedroom wall and an ash tray that had been resting on a table with a glass top slammed against the surface with such force that the glass was shattered.
  12. ^ a b c Wiseman, Richard (1 April 2011). Paranormality: Why We see What Isn't There. Macmillan. pp. 167–169. ISBN 978-1743038383.
    • Lambert, G. W. (1955). Poltergeists: A Physical Theory. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 38: 49–71.
  13. ^ Dingwall, Eric; Hall, Trevor H. (1958). Four Modern Ghosts. Gerald Duckworth. p. 105
  14. ^ Houran, James (2004). From Shaman to Scientist: Essays on Humanity's Search for Spirits. Lanham: Scarecrow Press. p. 11. ISBN 0-8108-5054-0.
  15. ^ French, CC., Haque, U., Bunton-Stasyshyn, R., Davis, R. (2009), "The "Haunt" project: An attempt to build a "haunted" room by manipulating complex electromagnetic fields and infrasound" (PDF), Cortex, 45 (5): 619–629, doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2007.10.011, PMID 18635163, S2CID 3944854{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ Wiseman, Richard. "The Haunted Brain". Csicop.org. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  17. ^ Muir, Hazel (2001-12-20). "Ball lightning scientists remain in the dark". New Scientist. Retrieved 2011-01-15.
  18. ^ Fodor, N. (1964). Between Two Worlds. West Nyack, NY: Parker Publishing.
  19. ^ Houran, James; Lange, Rense. (2007). Hauntings and Poltergeists: Multidisciplinary Perspectives. McFarland. p. 290. ISBN 978-0786432493
  20. ^ Goss, Michael. (1979). Poltergeists: An Annotated Bibliography of Works in English, Circa 1880–1975. Scarecrow Press. p. 92. ISBN 978-0810811812
  21. ^ Allan Kardec, Le Livre des Esprits. (2000). chapter 106, Jean de Bonnot. p.46.
  22. ^ IS: Espoon poltergeist: Mitä tapahtui Mäkkylän kummitustalossa syksyllä 1946? (in Finnish)
  23. ^ Esko Mustonen: Poltergeist: tuntematon voima. WSOY 1986. ISBN 951-0-13810-X (in Finnish)
  24. ^ "Paulaharju Samuli, Lapin muisteluksia – Salkko-Niila" (in Finnish). Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  25. ^ Colin Wilson (8 November 2010). Poltergeist: A Classic Study in Destructive Hauntings. Llewellyn Worldwide. ISBN 978-0-7387-2237-5.
  26. ^ Colin Wilson (21 February 2019). C.G.Jung: Lord of the Underworld. Aeon Books. pp. 2–. ISBN 978-1-912807-53-6.
  27. ^ CG Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections, Flamingo 1983, pp 126, 179
  28. ^ Harry Price, The Most Haunted House in England: Ten Years' Investigation (new edition, 1990)
  29. ^ Nickell, Joe. (2015). "Poltergeist Scribbler: The Bizarre Case of Matthew Manning". Skeptical Inquirer. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  30. ^ Spraggett, Allen (Jan 2, 1974). "Pursuing the Elusive Poltergeist". The Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  31. ^ Fairley, John; Welfare, Simon (1984). Arthur C. Clarke's World of Strange Powers. London: Harper Collins. pp. 28–31. ISBN 0-00-216679-8.
  32. ^ "WorldWide Religious News-Devil in the detail of Sicily's mysterious village fires". Wwrn.org. 2004-02-11. Archived from the original on 2008-06-08. Retrieved 2009-08-19.

Further reading

Look up poltergeist in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Poltergeist".
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