History of Poltergeists

Perhaps like you, I have had a deep interest in ghosts and ghost stories all my life. The more I read and researched ghosts the more interested I became of the phenomenon known as poltergeists. Also, perhaps like you, I am thrilled by a good story but require some solid sources and witnesses if I am to believe any story that purports to be authentic.

What exactly are poltergeists? Poltergeists are a phenomenon that have been recorded throughout history. The term poltergeists comes from the german word that translates as "noisy ghosts". Although many manifestations of ghosts have been recorded, such as spectres, globes, phantoms, shadow people and other paranormal manifestations, poltergeists are usually associated with physical manifestations such as objects moved or thrown, auditory manifestations such as voices or knocking sounds, audible footsteps, doors opening and closing and ultimately touching or injuring a person.

Nostradamus, the Sixteenth Century Seer, in his prophecies mentions a haunting with a poltergeist in Century VII, quatrain 41 that exemplifies the type of haunting that a poltergeist exhibits:

The bones of the feet and the

hands locked up, because of

the noise the house is unin-

habitable for a long time. Digging

in dream will they be un-

earthed, the house healthy and

inhabited without noise.

Several historic poltergeist cases have been well documented. The most famous cases will be discussed in future articles. Some of these poltergeist stories may be known to readers, such as The Bell Witch, The Borley Rectory, Gef the Talking Mongoose, The Electric Girl and others. Some poltergeist stories are more obscure or little known that I have researched and will share in future articles. As the internet has allowed more recent stories reported to the press to come to light, these recent stories will also be part of the articles to come.

The poltergeist phenomenon has attracted many interested professionals who range from philosophers, psychologists, doctors, reporters and spiritualists as well as famous people who have personally experienced the poltergeist phenomenon. Two such individuals in history are Martin Luther, the great father of protestantism and the president of the United States Andrew Jackson. Their stories are sure to interest any lover of ghost stories;.

As with all paranormal phenomenon, scientists and skeptics have put forward their own explanations of these documented events. Ranging from claims of outright fakery to investigations that examine the power of the subconcious mind under duress to the search for commonality in the poltergeist cases such as a young pubescent girl present during these events, the story of the poltergeist phenomenon is often intriquing and puzzling the more one examines the facts of the individual cases and searches for answers to the recurrence of the poltergeist activities.

Join me as we begin a journey of the history and circumstances of poltergeists as they have been reported through the ages up to the most current cases on record. And remember that like a parachute, the mind only works if it is open.