Poltergeist Meaning

There are many different forms a ghost can take. Some of the most common depictions are the classic dark figure who vanishes from sight, or a light or shadow that flits from location to location. But what we don’t usually think of is the depiction that can cause mayhem, act with malicious intent, throw objects, or incite chaos.

These specific types of ghosts have come to be known as poltergeists. Poltergeists are ghosts that are typically known for causing physical chaos in the area that they are situated, the word coming from the German word for “noisy ghost”. There have been many different stories of ghosts capable of physically demanding acts such as lifting items, banging walls, opening and slamming doors, and even attacking others or restraining humans.

How are Poltergeists different from ghosts?

The difference between regular ghosts and poltergeists is that they fall in the category of ghosts which can interact with physical matter. Poltergeists usually seem capable of understanding that they are interacting with people, and many people believe that they take a more malicious ‘human’ attitude than that of a spirit.

Poltergeists generally appear to be of malevolent nature, and some even believe that they possess the intent of frightening or harming the people around them. It is rare that a person understands and grasps the actions of a poltergeist, but their hauntings tend to involve loud noises, the movement of objects and other behaviour of a physical nature.

Strong vs Weak Poltergeists

Poltergeists, much like many other spirits, can vary greatly from one haunting to another. They are most commonly known for moving objects and creating loud noises, although they can also possess other abilities that differ from one entity to the next.

The varying actions of each poltergeist can be a result of the strength of the spirit, and how strong or weak the poltergeists seems to be. Weak spirits may be able to do things like pull the sheets from sleeping people, or make the sounds of footsteps on a roof or in a hallway. A strong poltergeists spirit could be known to do things like push people off stairs, fling hanging photos from walls, slam doors, and other similar activities.

Some paranormal researchers have noted that poltergeists have been known to hide items. Within haunted houses, it is a common theme for items to go missing permanently or for a period of time, often turning up in an entirely different place.

Is There a Typical Physicality to a Poltergeist?

Poltergeists have been found to range in appearance. Many poltergeists are invisible to people but seem to be visible to animals. Poltergeists have also been known to be seen walking around areas within haunted houses, whereas others might just look like a dark, looming mist or shadow. The variation largely depends on how much power the entity has.

What Causes Poltergeist Hauntings To Happen?

Many consider poltergeists as a different type of haunting. It is of general understanding that many ghosts are often the product of a person passing away in an area, leaving their spirit behind. There are some different theories when it comes to the origins of poltergeists, which are detailed below.

Angry Spirits

One of the main beliefs about poltergeists is that they are the spirit of a person who died and had unfinished business on Earth. Although, it is also believed that poltergeists are ghosts of people who aim to cause chaos on the living.

This theory rings true when you consider the areas that attract a large amount of poltergeist activity, such as homes that are known to be places of violence, or old hospitals or prisons, for example.

Demonic Activity

Many religious groups believe that poltergeist activity is a clear indicator of demonic entities that are attempting to attack or injure people.

In Borley Rectory, which was once known as the most haunted house in England, was known for full-bodied apparitions of monks, spectral horses and nuns, and had a large amount of poltergeist activity.

It wasn’t uncommon for rectors and family members staying in the house to be attacked by indeed forces, being hit repeatedly by levitating stones, for example.

Exorcisms were also performed at the rectory, but were rarely successful due to priests being hit with heavy rocks as they performed the acts. The rectory eventually burned down.

Poltergeists, what are they?

What humans assume about regular ghosts, is commonly a soul of a deceased individual who vanishes from sight. Some of us would possibly suppose of shadow humans who flit from area to place. We usually don’t think of a being, capable of throwing objects, banging on walls, or pushing others around.

It is pretty frequent among a unique kind of ghosts. A ghost regarded for inflicting bodily chaos in its region is acknowledged as a poltergeist, the German phrase for “noisy ghost”. Throughout history, cultures of all sorts had memories of ghosts lifting items, pounding towards walls, opening doors, and even attacking others.

This special kind of ghost has been mentioned around the globe and even made its way into pop tradition using films like Poltergeist and The Haunting. There’s a lot more to poltergeists than simply noise.

Poltergeists are also known as Noisy Ghosts

These “noisy ghosts” are a precise class of haunting that we can have to interact with, count and make noise by hitting or throwing objects nearby. For the most part, poltergeists appear to be pretty cognizant and successful in interacting with people.

Unlike standard ghosts, poltergeists are typically malevolent, with the intent of horrifying, or harming humans around them. Their movements are not understood. However, tend to contain loud bangs, objects being thrown, and comparable behaviour.

What Are Poltergeists Capable Of?

Pointing out that poltergeists are surely solely recognized for transferring round objects and making noise. As ways as different skills go, matters are notably variable. Poltergeists can differ significantly from one haunt to another.

Poltergeists can be susceptible and strong, and how they often, the bangs, crashes, and scratches poltergeists make don’t contain any injury to the objects in a home. Other times, that racket is undoubtedly coming from matters being flung off shelves.

Light poltergeist exercise may consist of matters like pulling the sheets off snoozing people, heavy footsteps in hallways or making tapping noises on doors. Heavy poltergeist endeavour entails matters like pushing humans off stairs, images being ripped off walls, doorways slamming shut, and comparable things.

Another stranger, issue of poltergeist activity entails lacking items. Homes haunted by poltergeists have a bizarre tendency of having gadgets go missing. When (or if) they flip regularly positioned in a region or place, they couldn’t perchance be placed.

What Do Poltergeists Look Like?

Unlike with different kinds of ghosts, poltergeist appearances are random. Many poltergeists are invisible to people, however, appear to be considerable via animals. Some poltergeists can additionally be visibly strolling via hallways simply like a regular man or woman would, and others may additionally show up like darkish mists.

It all looks to rely on what form of energy the ghost has. Stronger ghosts are a higher probability of being seen than weaker ones. However, some of the most effective poltergeists in the world have in no way been seen.

What Causes Poltergeist Hauntings To Happen?

Poltergeists are regarded to be a specific kind of haunting than most others. With most ghosts, there’s the perception that a character died and what’s left is their spirit. This isn’t constantly the consensus when it comes to poltergeist hauntings. Believe it or not, there is more than one college of thinking when it comes to the origins of poltergeists.

Psychic Phenomena

One of the stranger components of poltergeist hauntings is its tendency to focus on adolescents and young adults going via puberty, as properly as human beings who lead very stricken lives. In numerous instances, hauntings manifest in places the place human beings haven’t died and no records of violence occur.

Parapsychologists regularly accept as true that the poltergeist recreation isn’t precipitated using a ghost. Instead, they accept as true that a character who may also be too pressured can liberate paranormal competencies that they don’t have to manipulate.

One of the largest proponents of this idea was once psychologist Carl Jung, who blamed a woman’s trance on a desk and a knife all at once splitting it in two.

Natural Phenomena

Along with psychic phenomena and ghosts, some other subsets of theories contain herbal phenomena. Scientists have counselled that underwater currents would possibly be the motive of some of the bangs and squeaks related to poltergeists.

Other recommendations that match below the “natural phenomena” umbrella encompass electrical interference, ball lightning, and seismic activity. That being said, this rationalization doesn’t explain the smart conduct of poltergeist activity.

Is The Film Poltergeist Realistic?

Well, sure and no. Poltergeist was once based totally on a real story about a haunting that took vicinity in Long Island. The haunting did consist of objects shifting on their own, human beings being attacked, and adolescents seeing unusual figures in the house.

However, the “Hollywood effect” is very actual, and it used to be sensationalized to be an extra terrifying story onscreen. So, whilst the actual haunting may additionally now not have worried youth being dragged into voids, it was once nevertheless pretty terrifying for the humans involved.

How Can You Get Rid Of A Poltergeist?

If you are unfortunate sufficient to stop up with a poltergeist in your home, your alternatives are pretty constrained on what you can do. Poltergeists are unique from well-known hauntings and are unpredictable when it comes to dispelling them. Here’s what we are aware of about them:

  • Some poltergeists will give up a recreation if requested politely. This is rare; however, it does happen.
  • Doing an exorcism or cleaning tends to help. This appears to put a kibosh on most hauntings, which include poltergeist activity. A residence blessing, a cleaning with sage, or even an exorcism can work.
  • Some won’t reply to exorcisms. Though most poltergeists will give up conduct if an exorcism is performed, no longer all do. The Bell Witch haunting, which subsequently culminated in the death of a person, used to be a poltergeist haunting that didn’t reply to exorcisms. Borley Rectory’s ghosts, too, are a top example.
  • Many unexpectedly cease appearing out or fade out of their pastime over time. A frequent fashion among poltergeists is to have their power limit after the most important bursts. One may even say they “grow out of it.”

Generally speaking, the great way to get rid of a poltergeist is to simply get away from them, and hope they don’t observe you!

Sam Ashford
Sam Ashford - Author

Hey, I'm Sam Ashford! I'm a ghost-hunting expert and founder of SpiritShack. My mission is to help people like yourself learn about spirituality and how to hunt ghosts!