Poltergeists

Description

The word poltergeist comes from German and is usually translated as “noisy ghost.” In paranormal accounts, a poltergeist is less a figure that is seen than a pattern of physical disturbances: objects that move, fall or are thrown, doors, drawers and cabinets that open and slam, knocking, and sounds with no visible source.

• Physical effects rather than a visible figure.
• Activity tied to one home and the people living in it, sometimes concentrated in one room.
• Disturbances that witnesses describe as escalating.
• Electrical oddities, such as lights or appliances switching on, sometimes reported alongside.

Episode Appearance

In the Season 2 premiere, Halloween Special, Daniel describes what he calls poltergeist activity in the house his family rented in rural Maryland: books thrown down the stairs, kitchen cabinets slamming open and shut, a coffee mug and a commemorative plate flying across rooms, and a skeleton key thrown at his sister. Leafy describes an attic door that opens and bounces shut by itself and a ceiling-fan chain yanked down with no one near it.

Folklore and Background

Stories of houses troubled by unexplained knocking and thrown objects appear in the folklore of many cultures. The reports usually center on a single household and are often said to grow stronger over time, and believers usually attribute the activity to a spirit.

Theories and Analysis

Skeptics point to explanations such as settling buildings, drafts, plumbing and wiring faults, misperception or deliberate hoaxes. Daniel says he considered many of these himself, but that none fit what he saw. Poltergeist activity is not an established phenomenon, and the accounts on this page are the guests’ own.

Related Sightings

Within the Halloween Special, Daniel’s and Leafy’s accounts echo each other: both describe cabinets or doors opening and shutting on their own in otherwise ordinary homes, years and states apart.