The story of violent ghost phenomena through the ages. The poltergeist of 'noisy ghost' phenomenon is commonly thought to be the result of a dead person's angry spirit expressing that anger by violence in the physical world, or the projected energies of an emotionally volatile human being, often a teenager. In fact, poltergeists are more interesting than either of those suggested explanations, because they are actually something of a mystery. Are they spirits of some kind, natural or anomalous forms of energy, or the products of trickery or self-delusion, or something else altogether? This account sets out to seek answers to those and other questions by providing examples of poltergeist activity from late antiquity to the present day, and discussing who recorded them, why, and for what kind of audience. It also clarifies the mystery and presents the reader with explanations of increasingly common, well-documented and intriguing manifestations of apparently paranormal phenomena.

In December 2005 a family began to experience poltergeist-like phenomena in their home. Slowly but steadily the phenomena escalated, and in July 2006 the authors were asked to investigate. This book is a chilling diary of an ongoing poltergeist case which the authors believe rivals any previously documented.

Poltergeists was first published in 1979 and rapidly established itself as a leading work on the topic. It has been frequently referred to as groundbreaking and a classic of the genre. Illustrative cases from all over the world are presented, dating from the sixteenth century to the late twentieth. Included are destructive cases, fantastical cases, poltergeist assaults, phenomena that are allegedly brought about by a witch or a demon, and others which appear to be the handiwork of a deceased human being. Most cases are sourced from contemporary notes or diaries, often little known or unknown but nevertheless fascinating, with many translated from non-English language sources. The book includes a computer analysis of the leading characteristics of hundreds of cases of poltergeists and hauntings, and offers tentative conclusions as to the natural 'clusters' into which the cases fall. Poltergeists is essential reading for anyone who is interested in parapsychology and the paranormal.

Few people can claim the distinction of experiencing first-hand such occurrences as hauntings and the presence of poltergeists, but countless numbers of people are fascinated by these unexplainable events. Written by the world's most knowledgeable authorities in this field, the essays in this work promote a better understanding of the manifestations of and various reasons for hauntings and poltergeist phenomena. The experts come from such backgrounds as anthropology, history, philosophy, psychiatry, and sociology, and provide sober yet highly readable in-depth discussions of numerous ideas and rationalizations for hauntings and poltergeists, from a critical and scientific perspective. Divided into three major sections--sociocultural, physical and physiological, and psychological perspectives--this work provides an overview of each perspective and also addresses the general psychology of belief in the paranormal and how that belief relates to experiences with ghosts and poltergeists.

This is a new release of the original 1951 edition.

A poltergeist is defined as a disturbance or energy with bizarre physical effects of paranormal origin that suggest mischievous or destructive intent, such as breaking or moving objects and loud knocks or noises. The Poltergeist Phenomenon is an exciting, original look at an old subject by an award-winning investigative reporter. The author has reviewed 75 cases and interviewed hundreds of witnesses, paranormal experts, law enforcement officers, psychologists and skeptics to come up with eye-opening results: The typical poltergeist case involves a young person from a repressed home who is going through puberty. He or she may have epilepsy, which produces recurrent spontaneous psychokinesis, a state in which gravity is temporarily suspended. A respected former Princeton University scientist believes he has proven in laboratory experiments that psychokinesis exists and that poltergeist cases are probably true. This rare energy may be part of a person’s fight-or-flight system, which is hardwired into everyone and can erupt in certain conditions.

One bit a woman, leaving puncture wounds all over her body. Another attacked the contents of a warehouse full of glasses and mugs. Yet another lifted furniture into the air, then sent objects flying in another house. These are some of the strange and sometimes terrifying cases collected by poltergeist investigator William Roll. A parapsychologist, Roll studies these "noisy ghosts" to understand what they are and why they do what they do.

Provides an overview of psychokinetic phenomena experienced in the world to date. The text includes contributions from people who have had experience of such paranormal and unexplained psychic phenomena.

Rapping on the walls. Mysterious rains of stones. Furniture moving around by itself. Phantom voices. Unexplained fires. Invisible assaults.The symptoms of poltergeist activity are well known, but what is a poltergeist, really? Is it some type of demon, or an angry spirit whose only mission is to cause mischief and destruction? Is it the unconscious energy of a troubled living person, somehow affecting the environment from a distance? Or could it all be simply fraud or misidentification?In this comprehensive book, well over one hundred cases of poltergeist activity, from the first century to the present day, are summarized and examined. All the best-known cases are presented, from Borley Rectory to the Bell Witch, from the Great Amherst Mystery to Gef the Talking Mongoose, from Rosenheim to Tina Resch, from Enfield to the Entity. A large selection of fascinating and lesser-known accounts from all over the world are also included, and all contain testimony of the most eerie and extraordinary events.In addition, the book contains in-depth discussions of distinct patterns, stages, and theorized causes of poltergeist phenomena, drawing from some of the best research in parapsychology, neuroscience, and quantum mechanics, as well as a skeptical perspective to provide a grounded overview.The Unseen Hand is the ultimate, one-stop shop for readers interested in poltergeist disturbances throughout history and the theories behind what causes them.

In February 1958, the Herrmann family began to experience strange events at their home in Seaford, New York, USA. The first occurrences were harmless, just caps popping off bottles. But soon things escalated. Dishes were smashed, bookshelves toppled over and objects moved. Could these unexplained events have been the work of a devious poltergeist? Read all about Popper the Poltergeist and other hauntings.