This poltergeist case is named for the city of Baltimore, Maryland, where he confused his victims, other citizens, officials, journalists and even Nandor Fodor, a respected psychoanalyst and researcher of phenomena related in one way or another to the human psyche.
From January 14 to February 8, 1960, the poltergeist (it was considered a manifestation of the presence of mind) sowed panic, causing various objects to fly, break, crack, explode, etc. and eventually bringing their victims to the point that they threw out of their homes everything that could be broken or even simply taken apart. At the end of a month of this incessant nightmare, the seething activity of the poltergeist suddenly stopped. The phenomenon has given rise to many different theories put forward to explain the mystery. However, none of them received unanimous support.
The head of the family who lived in the house where the poltergeist settled was Edgar J. Jones, a former police officer who retired after 37 years of service in the Baltimore fire department. Lived with him: Mrs Jones, his
wife, their daughter and husband - Mrs. and Mr. Theodore Pauls, and also Ted Pauls - 17-year-old grandson of Jones.
Ted, who had dropped out of school, was nevertheless a smart boy, according to family members and his school teachers. Shy and prone to solitude, he spent most of his time reading science fiction and books on the supernatural. In addition, he assumed the functions of correspondent and editor of the Fanjack newsletter, which the young man set up in the basement of his house. Ted sent copies of the newsletter to his friends. Both parents and grandparents were very worried that instead of school, the heir devoted himself to activities of this kind.
The first sign of something unusual came on January 14, 1960, when 15 miniature earthenware jugs exploded on a shelf in the dining room by themselves. In the month that followed, objects fell off shelves, shattered glass in windows, paintings fell to the floor, plants rooted out, soda bottles exploded like fairground crackers.
At first, all incidents occurred mainly in the late morning and time immediately after noon. On Sunday, January 17th, the noisy spirit first recalled itself at night. His first victim was Mr. Jones. He bent down to pick up a can of corn that had fallen from the shelf, but was hit on the head with another can, this time with sauerkraut, which suddenly fell off the shelf. After this attack, a small table left the room by itself, approached the stairs leading down, and rolled down the steps. At the same time, at the other end of the house, in the basement, a pile of firewood collapsed.
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The next day, January 18, brought a respite. However, a day later, it all started again: household utensils were flying around the rooms, and objects were smashed here and there. All family members ran around the house trying to assess the damage caused.
The next four days passed quietly. But then the spirit, apparently having gained strength, continued its destructive activity. For nine hours, objects flew through the air, breaking themselves and breaking everything around. Mrs. Jones's nerves failed. She fled from her house, moved to her sister. Paulz and Jones did something more radical. They threw out of the house everything that could be broken or taken apart. Thus, they were able to sleep peacefully for a while.
Several more incidents occurred the following week. And on February 9, the attacks of the evil spirit suddenly and inexplicably stopped.
By that time, the entire county already knew about the poltergeist at Jones' house. The unhappy family has become a kind of local landmark. Newspapers and reporters from the local radio station were constantly hanging around the cottage. They pestered family members, demanding any statements from them to the public.
There was no lack of theory.
According to one of them, all the events in Jones' house were simply a hoax skillfully performed by young Ted, but this assumption was fiercely contested by all the rest of the family. Other theories were based on some scientific character, but none of them received wide support. For example, opportunities such as exposure to radio signals, earth tremors, intense sound waves, etc. were considered. However, studies carried out with a high-frequency detector and seismograph, searches for traces of explosives on the wreckage of those household items that "exploded" as if by themselves, the efforts of the local police forensic experts did not produce any tangible results.
Another theory was put forward by a plumber who visited the ill-fated house just before the night when the poltergeist was in operation for the last time. He said that, in his opinion, the whole reason was the oven hood. The plumber advised Jones to remove all outer coverings and open a window in the dining room to equalize the pressure. In any case, as soon as the Jones followed the plumber's advice, all the unusual incidents in the house immediately stopped. For this reason, the family believed that it was the plumber who had solved the terrible problem.
Even before the poltergeist activity finally ceased, Nandor Fodor visited the Jones home to study what was happening there. His conclusion was in many ways similar to what he had done in other cases of this kind. He believed that Ted was an unwitting agent, whose mental energy caused the anxiety that arose.
According to Fodor's theory, Ted wanted to win recognition as a writer, and his work as a newsletter editor only confirmed this. Perhaps Ted hid his suppressed "I" behind the destructive activity of a poltergeist, and the young man's creative energy found a very unusual outlet for himself.
Fodor explained that the human body can generate energy that can cause anomalous phenomena through a certain activity of the individual's mind. Ted's aggressive state was, most likely, unconscious, since he himself considered himself a brilliant personality, although not understood and not properly appreciated by the surrounding family members, school teachers and comrades. Perhaps this aggression took the form of the destructive activity of a poltergeist.
According to Fedor, in the event that Ted felt that the assessment of his associates was increasing, the psychological state of the young man would improve and the need for self-expression through a poltergeist would disappear. Fodor shared his thoughts with Ted, and the researcher got the feeling that he had managed to ease the psychological tension of Paul Jr.
However, Fodor also understood that he needed to supplement his admonitions with something more tangible. He took a conscious risk and, speaking on local television and radio, called Ted "a gifted writer", adding that admitting this fact would surely bring the young man peace of mind and forever calm the poltergeist in Jones' house. As a kind of "literary therapy," Fodor invited Ted to write his own account of the events that took place, noting that this could also have scientific significance.
The psychoanalyst believed that the remedy he proposed would have an appropriate therapeutic effect on Ted. So, in fact, it happened. Parents and grandparents looked at him with new eyes, which restored the emotional balance of the younger family member. Despite the fact that for some time after Fodor's departure (the imminent departure was part of the psychoanalyst's plan), the poltergeist continued to remind of himself, his attacks gradually came to an end. The reason for this, according to Fodor, was that Ted no longer needed to express his protest in an ugly poltergeist form.
Despite their great respect for the revered scientist, the Jones family remained firmly convinced that it was the simple advice of a plumber that brought an end to their misadventures. Skeptics believed it was just a coincidence. The case in Baltimore has never received an unambiguous and comprehensive explanation.
In his description of these events, given in the book Between two worlds, published in 1964, Fodor came to the following conclusion:
“This case is very significant, because while researching it, I came across a completely new way of treating the mental disorders that accompany poltergeist.
… Everything is very simple. Find suppressed creative energy, manage to give vent to this suppressed “I”, create an atmosphere of love and trust, and the poltergeist will disappear by itself. After that, you can continue your psychoanalytic activity, resolve unconscious conflicts, but regardless of whether you do it or not, creative self-expression will undergo a wonderful transformation."