From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
A poltergeist (German for noisy ghost) is commonly mis-defined as an invisible entity (ghost) that moves (and throws) objects and causes electrical malfunctions by psi. However, almost seventy years of research by the Rhine Research Center (Raleigh-Durham, NC USA) has led to the hypothesis that the "poltergeist effect", while certainly a manifestation of psi, is generated by a living human mind (typically a prepubescent female). Conceptually, this would classify poltergeists as something fundamentally different from ghosts (typically regarded as a manifestation of the dead). Moreover, according to researchers who have contributed to the body of data at the Rhine Center, the "poltergeist effect" has more of its roots in contemporary psychology and Freudian theory than parapsychology. Psychological trauma is the cause, while the "poltergeist effect" is simply the outward manifestation.
A poltergeist is typically connected to a person rather than a place, although the popular misconception of the poltergeist as a ghost has inevitably led to houses being classified as haunted. The haunting by a poltergeist is called infestation. Most classic poltergeist stories and (presumably) incidents originate in England.
Famous (said-to-be) poltergeist infestations :
- The demon drummer of Tedworth (17th century)
- The Borley Rectory phenomena (20th century)
- The Bell Witch (19th century)
- The haunting of the Fox Sisters (19th century) (probably the most famous, as it started the Spiritualism movement.
There is a poltergeist named Peeves in the Harry Potter books.
