The scuffing of invisible feet on the floor, objects flying through the air and slamming doors - such a picture can unbalance even the most cold-blooded person. If unexplained events occur in the dwelling, it is time to suspect the intervention of otherworldly forces. Who is a poltergeist and how dangerous is his neighborhood for humans? Let's figure it out together.
Description and history of the origin of the phenomenon
Who is this mysterious and awe-inspiring poltergeist? A common sign, an ethereal spirit? Partly yes.
There are several definitions of the concept of "poltergeist":
- Most esotericists are inclined to think that a poltergeist is a lost spirit, some kind of dark force. Most often, he is identified with a brownie or a reel, however, unlike them, a poltergeist is an evil and dangerous entity.
- Some parapsychologists are convinced that poltergeist is the result of uncontrolled telekinesis. In other words, there are people who are able to move objects with the power of thought, close doors, etc. However, not all of them know about their capabilities. And, of course, not everyone knows how to control them.
- According to skeptics, a poltergeist is nothing more than a joke or a hoax, that is, an attempt to wishful thinking.
The first mentions of this unusual phenomenon reached contemporaries from Ancient Rome. Poltergeist was written about in China and Germany in the Middle Ages. Already from the end of the XVIII century, parapsychologists, psychiatrists have carefully studied this phenomenon, conducting various experiments and research. In modern society, the whole world knows about poltergeist.
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In order to explain the phenomenon of poltergeist, many different theories have been put forward at different times. For example, in the Middle Ages, the description of a noisy spirit included throwing stones, flying things, unpleasant odors, loud noises. There were frequent stories of physical attacks by an invisible but tangible creature, as well as heartbreaking screams.
Cases in Russian history
The first Russian mention of a poltergeist (at least documented) dates back to 1666. Not far from the Ivanov Monastery in the Moscow almshouse, an invisible force, undoubtedly unclean, began to throw the guests from the beds and create an unimaginable noise. To fight the spirit, the Monk Hilarion was called, and it was he who expelled the ghost from the almshouse by the power of prayer.
The great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin also did not pass by the poltergeist. In 1833, he wrote in his diary about a strange incident that took place in one of the houses located near his home. According to the poet, the furniture in this house began to move and jump. Even after the arrival of the priest, the chairs and tables did not want to stop. This story made a lot of noise and caused a lot of talk and discussion.
And 10 years later, in 1873, a priest from the Simbirsk province by the name of Tsvetkov described an unusual case when all the household dishes in the house flew in different directions and broke, a samovar rose from the floor and flew around the room.
And 4 years later, the newspaper "Sibirskiy Vestnik" told its readers about the pogrom that took place through the fault of evil spirits in the home of the merchant Savelyev, who lived in the Tomsk province. The reporter, who visited the scene, literally relayed the interviews of the owner and 40 of his workers. According to them, things that had been lying quietly before suddenly rose from their seats, flew into the windows, breaking them. At the same time, none of them was able to track the moment when the objects rose, but everyone clearly saw their flight.
The writer VN Fomenko also describes multiple cases of this kind in his work "The Earth as We Don't Know It."
Types of poltergeist
Parapsychologists distinguish 5 stages in the development of a noisy spirit:
- Sensory. The person senses the presence of a poltergeist. At the same time, people can smell and enter into tactile contact with an unknown force.
- Communicative. A person clearly hears groans, voices, incomprehensible sounds, and also feels the wind walking in the premises.
- Physical. Best known to most people, it involves moving things, slamming doors, and turning electrical appliances on and off.
- Meaningful. One of the most unpleasant manifestations of a poltergeist: the spirit begins to deliberately frighten a person, for example, throwing objects at him.
- Aggressive. The most dangerous situation in which the spirit begins to directly contact a person, trying to hit, bite, and also sends him threatening inscriptions.
It is interesting that all these manifestations can follow each other, as if in a chain. Or they can appear separately on their own. It is generally accepted that at the end of the fifth, last, aggressive stage, the noisy spirit can calm down and then start all over again.
In some cases, a poltergeist can show its "face", ie, be visualized. These are the so-called manifestations of a ghost or phantom. However, do not confuse ordinary ghosts with poltergeists. The former, as a rule, are peaceful and do not bring with them such strong destruction as a noisy spirit.
Attachment to a person
Often, the manifestations of a poltergeist affect a specific person and even his entire family. Sometimes a phantom can manifest itself in the workplace, but basically one specific family member is chosen as the target for persecution, less often - two. They are the ones who witness the activity of the noisy spirit. But more often than not, this person or people themselves have no idea how you can cause a poltergeist.
Unlike ghosts that are tied to a specific place of residence, a poltergeist is consistent and can follow a person, even if he has moved to a new home.
Manifestations of the phenomenon
Is it safe to say that a poltergeist has visited the premises?
To verify this, you should take into account a number of signs indicating its presence:
- The appearance of unusual odors. It can be the scent of flowers or, on the contrary, the suffocating smell of cigarette smoke, in especially frightening cases - even decaying flesh. If there are no good reasons explaining this phenomenon, it's time to think and even worry.
- Disappearing items. Of course, this fact can be attributed to the absent-mindedness of a person. However, if things disappear at the most inopportune moment, this happens often, and after a while the objects materialize in other places, sometimes hard to reach, again, this is a reason for thought.
- Switching electrical appliances on and off. The TV starts working by itself, the channels switch abruptly, the “box” turns on at full volume in the middle of the night. It should be noted that the poltergeist is very fond of such jokes and can make the device work even when the electricity is off.
- Moving objects in the room. This can include items falling off shelves or moving them from place to place. And if the cabinet doors and the entrance interior doors "come to life", there is no doubt that something frightening is happening in the home.
- The appearance of unusual sounds. Most often, noisy ghosts like to stomp and knock, while sounds can be heard, for example, from walls and furniture. And also a phantom can sigh, moan, whistle, and sometimes even speak.
Last but not least on the list is physical contact. However, it is not always harmless - a poltergeist can try to bite, hit, pinch, and sometimes even push a person down the stairs.
Danger to people
Is poltergeist dangerous for people? To find out for sure, you should invite an esoteric specialist to the house, who will help you recognize whether a good or evil entity has settled in the room. If it has been established that the poltergeist does not harbor evil intentions, you should not worry.
An evil spirit can seriously ruin the life of the owners of the house. So, lack of money, problems with electrical appliances, illness - often his tricks. Not to mention shaken mental health, because not all people can withstand such a neighborhood.
In addition, a noisy spirit with its pranks especially often poisons people in attempts to evict them from their homes. In such cases, if there is no desire to leave, residents should do their best to fight the manifestations of poltergeist in an apartment or house.
Attempts to explain
Does a poltergeist really exist? Closer to the beginning of the 20th century, materialists did not abandon their attempts to prove that a poltergeist is nothing more than a fiction or a kind of fraud. All frightening events, in their opinion, are caused by the activities of people who cannot control their unconscious energy. All the scientific explanation of this phenomenon came down to this.
So, in his work "Poltergeist" the author W. Roll insists that the cause of the appearance of the spirit is people with an unstable psyche, often children during the onset of puberty.
Such people are called "hotbeds", and all the oddities that occur in the home are manifestations of psychokinesis, which has absolutely nothing to do with spirits. However, such an explanation can be taken with a stretch, because if you follow Roll's logic, flying dishes and slamming doors should be observed in any family where teenagers live. And of course, this interpretation is not suitable for families in which there were no children of this age, and the manifestations of a noisy spirit were noted. In addition, scientists, using multiple experiments, have proven that through psychokinesis, it is possible to achieve only light noise and tapping, as well as a slight movement of things.
They also try to explain the poltergeist as a manifestation of physical mediumship. Many mediums, communicating with otherworldly forces, especially at the beginning of their careers, became, as it were, a hotbed of such anomalous phenomena.
So, seventeen-year-old Daniel Dungles was kicked out of the house by his own aunt. The reason for this was the furniture moving in his presence. And a young assistant to a school teacher named Cook was removed from office, because during her time in the classroom pencils, books and chairs began to fly.
The Brazilian medium Mirabeli was fired from the shoe store, because during her shift various incomprehensible things happened, for example, she began to "jump" off the shelves of shoes. Another example of physical mediumship was Matthew Manning, who from the age of 11 was able to unconsciously make things fly through the air. In his presence, objects moved and disappeared, strange sounds were heard in the rooms. Over time, the young man was able to curb the energy and direct it to the treatment of people, after which the inexplicable processes stopped.
However, many researchers are still convinced that a poltergeist is not the result of unconscious human activity, but still a manifestation of the spirit.
How to summon a poltergeist
Why do people need to summon a poltergeist? Is it not enough to mention him alone to avoid meeting him by all means? But some want to build relationships with the spirit in the home, and even get answers to troubling questions.
According to the recommendation of some esotericists, the following steps should be followed to invoke a poltergeist:
- Prepare the necessary items: matches, a piece of white cloth and a black candle.
- At midnight, unfold the fabric on the floor and place a candle in the center of it.
- Light the fuse with your left hand.
- Speak out the phrase: “Appear, summoned spirit! Fulfill my request."
- Blow out the candle and wrap it in a white cloth.
After carrying out all the actions, you should hide and listen. A poltergeist who comes usually brings cold, rustling and noise with it. If the spirit is ready for contact, it will not misbehave. When the “guest” is in a belligerent mood, he can begin to show aggression: open and close doors, knock on dishes, move objects around. To get rid of a poltergeist, you should very quickly light a candle (this time with your right hand) and say: “As you were called by me, so I send you back! Get lost!"
A lit candle is left on the windowsill overnight. Its light will prevent the noisy spirit from trying to penetrate the dwelling again.
As you can see, this ritual is quite risky, so a person who decides to meet with a poltergeist should think carefully before performing it.
Interesting Facts
Realistic stories about a poltergeist often thrill people and arouse constant interest. The most widely reported cases of meetings of people with a noisy spirit occurred in Anfield and Edinburgh.
So, in the North London area called Anfield in 1977, an incident occurred that could well become a plot for a horror film. Peggy Hodgson and her four children witnessed the appearance of a real poltergeist in their house.
It began like this: after the mother began to put the children to bed, one of the daughters complained that her bed was vibrating strangely. Entering the nursery, the woman was stunned: the heaviest chest of drawers moved on the floor without assistance. Mother tried to put the furniture back in place, but the chest of drawers resisted, as if someone was trying to push it to the door. At this time, a sound resembling the shuffling of feet was clearly heard. Gradually, the house began to fill with other different sounds that prevented the household from falling asleep.
The Enfield poltergeist manifested itself in different ways. Numerous eyewitnesses who visited the house could see with their own eyes furniture and things flying around the room, inscriptions on the wall and spontaneously igniting matches. The spirit paid special attention to Janet, the youngest daughter of the mistress of the house. She often fell into hysterics and even began to speak in a rude male voice, calling herself William.
Many treated this story as a prank, however, a photographer who visited the "haunted house" captured a picture in which Janet was lifted into the air and thrown against the opposite wall with unprecedented force. In the photo, you can clearly trace the distorted face of a child flying in the air. It is doubtful that the girl would intentionally hurt herself.
The frightened family, of course, turned to specialists who have been monitoring the situation for 2 years, and, according to them, have witnessed over 1000 poltergeist phenomena. Over time, the family moved out of the house, it is currently unknown whether something supernatural is happening in it.
Located in Edinburgh, Scotland, the cemetery has long been considered the home of a reputed poltergeist. Here is the grave of a Scottish lawyer named Mackenzie, who lived in the 17th century. It is his conscience that is responsible for the death of almost 20,000 opponents of Charles II. Because of his sinister reputation, the attorney is known as the Bloody Mackenzie.
Since about 1999, local residents began to claim that unprecedented activity had begun near the lawyer's grave. Since then, more than 300 people have reported the attack by the Mackenzie poltergeist in that area of the cemetery. The victims received bruises, abrasions, bruises, there were even several stories about broken bones. And also there is data on 170 unconscious tourists, at different times strolling through the cemetery and the surrounding area as part of the excursion program.
Poltergeist is an evil creature of the other world, a spirit that haunts the inhabitants of the dwelling. There are many interpretations of this chilling phenomenon, but no one has yet managed to finally explain the phenomenon.