The Mysterious Mischief Of Poltergeist Phenomena

I have always been a sucker for scary ghost stories. In fact, the scarier, the better! Since my teenage years, I have sought out sensational tales of the supernatural for the sheer thrill of it.

One particular story, that of “Pete the Poltergeist,” still stands out in my mind.

Britain was going through a recession in the 1980s, but despite the economic downturn, two self-employed men in Cardiff managed to run a successful lawnmower repair business called Mower Services out of one of their homes.

One day, one of the men thought he heard someone throwing stones at the door of the workshop, but when he went outside, he was surprised to find that no one was there. The rocks seemed to come from nowhere!

Later, the men noticed that their keys were hidden, and there was a very strange smell in a certain part of the workshop that suddenly became extremely cold. Later, they began to even find money and witnessed objects being thrown across the workshop floor – but they did not know what or by whom!

As a result of this unexplained activity, they decided to close the shop one night and conduct their own séance-style experiment. They placed their hands on a table, fingers touching, and asked the presence to throw a stone at them – which it did! Then one of the men asked for a pen and the entity threw one at them as well!

Who or what did this? The two men simply concluded that they had a ghost in their workshop that had become “like a member of the family” and decided to nickname it “Pete the Poltergeist.”

I don’t believe that ghosts are “spirits of the dead” because I don’t believe in death. In the multiverse, once you’re possible, you exist. And once you exist, you exist forever one way or another…What we call ghosts are lifeforms just as you and I are. ~ Paul F. Eno

After further experiences with Pete’s mischievous behavior of throwing and moving objects, and even responding to requests to materialize items such as money or tools, the homeowner finally contacted David Fontana, Professor of Psychology at Cardiff University and a respected parapsychologist involved in notable paranormal investigations.

During several unannounced visits, Fontana witnessed firsthand events that convinced him of the poltergeist’s intelligence and intent. On one occasion, for example, a rock was thrown across the room as he entered, with no visible source. He documented the case thoroughly, noting that objects often seemed to appear out of nowhere or were thrown with deliberate force, a phenomenon that led him to call it the “responsive” poltergeist.

One day, while working in the workshop, one of the men happened to look up and saw the ghostly apparition of a little boy with no face waving at them. Could it be that an entity from the spirit realm was trying to connect with someone on the earth plane and had the level of understanding to do so? The man who saw it believed so.

The story also goes that this same man was alone in the workshop late one night and began to feel very uncomfortable. So, he politely asked Pete not to bother him that night as he was very busy. Amazingly, he did not see or hear anything further from the poltergeist that night.

The case soon attracted a great deal of media and public attention, not only because of the frequency of the activity, but also because of the large number of witnesses. Even local police officers, store employees, and insurance adjusters reported seeing objects flying or hearing unexplained noises. Fontana’s involvement added credibility to what became one of the most documented poltergeist investigations in the UK.

The activity eventually subsided when Mower Services moved to a new business location, but Pete the Poltergeist reportedly followed one of the workers home and continued his playful but disturbing behavior there.

Understanding Poltergeist Phenomena

Poltergeists are paranormal phenomena or supernatural events that involve unexplained disturbances, usually associated with a specific person or place. These disturbances typically include tapping or knocking sounds, banging noises, objects moving for no apparent reason, flooding, electrical disturbances, and even sudden outbreaks of fire.

Researchers Alan Gauld and Tony Cornell conducted a study of 500 poltergeist cases, revealing that the most frequently reported phenomena include the movement of small objects (64%), rapping sounds (48%), movement of larger items like chairs and tables (36%), sightings of phantom apparitions (29%), and the occurrence of voices or groaning sounds (26%).

The term “poltergeist” is derived from the German words poltern, meaning to “crash” or “bang,” and geist meaning “spirit” or “ghost.” Reports of poltergeist-related activity date back to at least 530 A.D., with cases throughout history often attributing the disturbances to ghosts and hauntings. One notable early case involved a young nun named Anthoinette de Grollée in France in 1526 who experienced mysterious sounds and apparitions.

The commotion often appears to have a mischievous intent, hence the traditional tendency to associate it with ghosts or other supernatural beings. However, in many cases it may equally be attributed to a force emanating from a living person ~ Barrie Colvin

Origins Of Poltergeist Activity

Traditionally, poltergeists have been associated with malevolent spirits or supernatural entities, although some parapsychological theories now suggest that the disturbances may be the result of repressed emotions, especially in young people, manifesting as psychokinetic energy – a theory known as recurrent spontaneous psychokinesis (RSPK). It essentially means that the person, referred to by investigators as the “living agent,” externalizes or materializes his or her repressed and often negative emotions.

The study of poltergeist phenomena is challenging. The activity is rare, unpredictable, and often short-lived, making it difficult for researchers to gather definitive evidence. Claims are anecdotal and prone to bias or exaggeration. Fraud has also been uncovered in some cases, although many well-documented cases have ruled out fraud. Skeptics have also argued that these occurrences may be due to hoaxes or natural phenomena such as seismic activity, although this view is not widely accepted by serious investigators.

While public attitudes toward poltergeists are heavily influenced by sensationalized media portrayals in films such as The Exorcist and Poltergeist, more objective studies often show that the evidence is far from conclusive. A study found that in many cases, witnesses experienced communication with the unknown force, often through coded knocks. Although sometimes attributed to ghosts, researchers have increasingly considered psychological explanations, such as RSPK.

However, some cases do not involve a specific person or living agent and seem to indicate communication with a discarnate entity, raising the possibility that poltergeists may involve forces from the afterlife. These cases challenge the assumption that all poltergeist phenomena result from psychological disturbances in the living.

In modern times, some theories suggest that poltergeists could be explained by extended physics, such as psi fields or zero-point energy, which may interact with the physical world in ways that science does not yet fully understand. While the evidence remains speculative, ongoing investigations continue to explore these mysterious occurrences.

The Battersea Poltergeist

The story of Pete the Poltergeist is one of the most famous cases of recorded poltergeist phenomena, but it is certainly not the only one. Other high profile incidents have been reported and investigated all over the world. Some of the most thoroughly documented incidents in England include Willington, Epworth Rectory, East Midlands, and Andover.

There is also the famous case of the Battersea Poltergeist from the 1950s, which involved strange and unexplained events at 63 Wycliffe Road in the Battersea district of London. The activity centered around Shirley Hitchings, a teenage girl, and her family. It began in 1956 with sudden loud noises and objects such as slippers moving on their own, and escalated over the next few years to more violent disturbances, including spontaneous fires.

The Battersea Poltergeist, nicknamed “Donald” by the family, is considered one of the most well-documented and mysterious poltergeist cases in Britain. The events attracted the attention of investigators and the media, with paranormal researcher Harold Chibbett taking a particular interest. Despite extensive investigation, the cause of the events was never definitively explained and the case remains unsolved. The activity lasted for 12 years and became so notorious that it was even discussed in the British Parliament. In recent years there has been renewed interest in the story, including a popular BBC Radio 4 series, The Battersea Poltergeist, which explored the case in depth.

Whatever its origin, a belief in spirits seems to have been common to all the nations of the ancient world who have left us any record of themselves. Ghosts began to walk early, and are walking still, in spite of the shrill cock-crow of ‘we have cleared things up’ ~ James Russell Lowell

The Enfield Poltergeist

Another famous poltergeist case is the Enfield Poltergeist in London. In 1977, the Hodgson family began to experience poltergeist activity. It centered around two young sisters, Janet and Margaret, who experienced strange disturbances in their home, including moving furniture, knocking sounds, disembodied voices, and even human levitation! Eleven-year-old Janet was physically lifted and placed in different places at different times.

The case received widespread media attention and involved investigations by paranormal experts, including Ed and Lorraine Warren, the famous paranormal investigators whose lives inspired the popular Conjuring horor film series. The activity continued for about 18 months, during which time journalists, neighbors, and paranormal investigators reported seeing heavy furniture move by itself, hearing a gruff voice, repeated tapping sounds, and Janet floating several feet off the ground.

Poltergeist phenomena continue to be a subject of intrigue and debate. While some view poltergeists as evidence of ghosts or supernatural forces, others propose psychological or environmental explanations. Regardless of the interpretation, these phenomena challenge our understanding of reality, human perception, and the unseen.

These phenomena raise important questions about the limits of science, the nature of consciousness, metaphysics, and the power of belief. Poltergeists remind us that much about our existence remains mysterious and unexplained, forcing even the most skeptical among us to reconsider the broader implications of what we accept as real and possible.