13 replies to this topic

[dtommy79]

Hi,

Can anyone tell me the difference between ghosts and poltergiests?

Thanks

[NightWalkerGStudy]

 SilentWalkerGStudy, on 01 July 2013 - 10:14 AM, said:

Yes. Ghosts can be sensed, seen and in most cases, although startling, are usually friendly (although mischieveous and in some cases evil) whereas poltergeists (German for "Noisy Spirit") are normally disruptive and are known for mainly throwing and banging things. Poltergeists are most ascociated with young girls starting or going through puberty and a well known thought is that the emotions of going through this change either creates or helps fuel poltergeist activity.

Carol Ann, for example?  

[PIT leader]

I don't mean this in a nasty way, but wouldn't it be easier to make one topic with several questions you have,rather than a topic per question. Besides that, welcome to the forums.

Edited by PIT leader, 01 July 2013 - 11:00 AM.

[dtommy79]

 SilentWalkerGStudy, on 01 July 2013 - 10:14 AM, said:

Yes. Ghosts can be sensed, seen and in most cases, although startling, are usually friendly (although mischieveous and in some cases evil) whereas poltergeists (German for "Noisy Spirit") are normally disruptive and are known for mainly throwing and banging things. Poltergeists are most ascociated with young girls starting or going through puberty and a well known thought is that the emotions of going through this change either creates or helps fuel poltergeist activity.

Thank you for putting me in the right direction "SilentWalkerGStudy". I always thought they were some type of ghosts, but this makes sense. So poltergeists have no visible forms, right? You just know that they are there by the moving objects etc.

[Judecat]

If all you have is a poltergeist then, in my experience they have no physical manifestation,  but in the case where there is an un noticed ghost associated with the house the same energy may cause the ghost to become more active and occassionally visible.  My poor mom had two adopted girls going thru puberty at the same time that she moved into a house that had a rarely heard, but well known in the neighborhood,  ghost.   Oh, yeah,  we had fun (not).

[Vlawde]

A ghost is a spirit, a poltergeist is not. A poltegeist is energy and emotion from a person, typically going thru puberty as Judecat said. These inner conflicts can cause things to move, etc. The source usually isn't conscious of doing this. So it's psychokinesis from a person, not a spirit

Edited by Vlawde, 03 July 2013 - 07:51 AM.

[chips1310]

Give me a ghost over one of them noisy buggers anyday !!!

[Sam.]

 Vlawde, on 03 July 2013 - 07:49 AM, said:

A ghost is a spirit, a poltergeist is not. A poltegeist is energy and emotion from a person, typically going thru puberty as Judecat said. These inner conflicts can cause things to move, etc. The source usually isn't conscious of doing this. So it's psychokinesis from a person, not a spirit

The poltergeist phenomenon is a theory though, and no conclusive evidence of it being a psychokinesis from a person has been shown. The fact is, it is centered around someone but I think it may not be impossible that these phenomonon are being amplified by something, such as ghost or an entity who by capting these forces, used them against one's will. That's a theory put forward by Guy Playfair a writter on the subject of parapsychology.

Edited by sam_comm, 03 July 2013 - 06:44 PM.

[Vlawde]

Pretty much  everything in the field is theory. Loyd Auerbach thinks it's forces from within a person.  SO first let's prove the existence of ghosts....

[Beatlefish]

Poltergeist "noisy ghost" Is a spirit that causes a commotion by moving things around and is a menace .

[Vlawde]

Most research points to telekinesis (sp)

I just googled it and most all articles think so. Here's a link to just one: http://www.crystalin...ltergeists.html

Poltergeist phenomena is a focus of study within parapsychology (a discipline which does not have wide acceptance within the mainstream scientific community). Parapsychologists define poltergeist activity as a type of uncontrolled psychokinesis. Recurrent Spontaneous Psychokinesis (RSPK) is a phrase suggested by parapsychologist William G. Roll to denote poltergeist phenomena.
Poltergeist activity tends to occur around a single person called an agent or a focus (typically a prepubescent female). Almost seventy years of research by the Rhine Research Center (Raleigh-Durham, NC USA) has led to the hypothesis among parapsychologists that the "poltergeist effect" is a form of psychokinesis generated by a living human mind (that of the agent). According to researchers at the Rhine Center, the "poltergeist effect" is the outward manifestation of psychological trauma.
Skeptics believe that the phenomena are hoaxes perpetrated by the agent. Indeed, many poltergeist agents have been caught by investigators in the act of throwing objects. A few of them later confessed to faking. However, parapsychologists investigating poltergeists think that most occurences are real, and the agents cheat only when they are subsequently caught cheating. The longevity and consistency between poltergeist stories (the earliest one details the raining of stones and bed shaking in ancient Egypt) has left the matter open for debate within the parapsychology community.

Edited by Vlawde, 06 July 2013 - 11:07 AM.

[Sam.]

You're right, it is now generally accepted by the Parapsychology community and many Paranormal investigators that the polteigeist phenomenon is of psychokenisis nature.

Evidences, though not wholly conslusive point that way. For instance the activity is always centered around a particular person in a household. He/She is often in the range of 10 to 21 years old but some researchers suggest that this phenomenon can occur until to late in adulthood.

There is some inconsistencies though, for instance why a person, though acting involontarily would throw things and hurt him/herself. It make sens to think that some malvolent entity could feed on this energy (hormonal or psychic, the origin is quite unknown) and make his presence known by wreaking havoc. I do agree that the lack of clear evidences made this hypothesis but a theory. But if we accept the possiblity of ghosts and entities, this is not a ludicrous opinion.

Edited by sam_comm, 09 July 2013 - 07:25 PM.

[EVP]

Admittedly, the poltergeist theory is generally accepted to be the result of a human agent, but apparently a very small percentage is said to be from spirit activity. If I'm not mistaken Nandor Fodor studied the phenomena intensely for many years and felt it had more than one cause.