Origin of Poltergeists and Famous Cases of Their Terror

Every horror fanatic should have seen one of the most applauded and greatest horror masterpieces of all time - The Poltergeist. The film depicts a story of a family being haunted/terrorized by entities that are believed to be poltergeists. The film was a huge success in the past and this year, a reboot of the famous film will be out in theaters. But before you watch the movie, let's explore the world of Poltergeists.

In German,  POLTERGEIST literally means“noisy ghost.” Poltergeists are known to be very violent. Here are some signs that you are having an encounter with a poltergeist.

• electrical disturbances, or electrical objects working on their own
• rapping or banging on walls, or other unexplained noises
• objects moving or being thrown around by themselves
• objects mysteriously disappearing and reappearing
• strange or unusual smells
• occasional levitation
• physical attacks

Poltergeists aren't what we call as normal “spirits,” they are categorized as psychic manifestations of stress or anxiety, often that of a teenager.  Poltergeist activities is often associated to psychokinesis, or the ability to affect physical objects with one’s mind. Here are some of the famous cases of poltergeist encounters/activities:

The Enfield Poltergeist: 

In 1977, a family living in Enfield, England experienced moving furnitures and inexplicable tapping on the walls. The haunting even intensified as demonic noises were all over the home and one of the children, 11-year-old Janet Hodgson, was seen to be levitating. Janet also got possessed by an entity calling himself Bill Wilkins.
 
Rosenheim Poltergeist: 

In 1967,  a parapsychologist named Hans Bender investigated claims that poltergeist activities which includes exploding light fixtures, moving furniture, and electrical malfunctions was said to be occurring at a law office in Rosenheim, Bavaria. Upon investigation, Hans attributed the “telekinetic powers” to the office’s secretary, 19-year-old Annemarie Schaberl.

The Great Amherst Mystery: 

In 1878-1879 at Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada, Walter Hubbell got the chance to record the details of an eerie poltergeist activity surrounding 18-year-old Esther Cox. The activity he recorded was too creepy in a variety of sinister form which includes banging sounds, scratching noises, seizures, swelling. But the creepy tidbit of the said incident was when a note was found written on her wall that says:

“Esther Cox, you are mine to kill” 

Poltergeists are known to be noisy and violent ghosts so it is the least thing some people would like to meet when they move to a new home, visit a place, etc.