The Poltergeist Phenomenon: An In-Depth Investigation Into Floating Beds, Smashing Glass, and Other Unexplained Disturbances

by Clarkson, Michael

• ISBN13: 9781601631473
• ISBN10: 1601631472
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-01-01
• Publisher: New Page Books

Summary

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 Phenomenonis 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.

Author Biography

Michael Clarkson has written six psychology books, including Intelligent Fear and The Secret Life of Glenn Gould, and has won many newspaper awards for investigative stories, including a Pulitzer Prize nomination for a rendezvous with reclusive author J.D. Salinger. He is considered an expert in fear, producing new research and lecturing on the subject. While working in the Niagara region, he researched many ghost stories and got the only interview with a young man thought to have caused a poltergeist incident that affected an entire shift of police officers. He lives in Fort Erie, Ontario.

Table of Contents

Glossary of Major Terms	p. 7
Introduction	p. 9
The Evidence
A Sampling of Eyewitnesses	p. 15
"House Phenomena" in St. Catharines	p. 23
A Visitor on Halloween	p. 32
The House of Flying Objects	p. 39
Police Controversy in New England	p. 46
Fire Sale at the Souvenir Place	p. 54
Sarah and the Pinwheel	p. 61
The Theories
Mind Over Matter?	p. 79
The Electrical Connection	p. 91
The Super Static Girl and More Electricity	p. 99
Ghosts and Exorcisms	p. 108
Things That Go Sneak in the Night	p. 120
The Strange Case of Tina Resch
The House of Styrofoam Cups	p. 137
The Circus Comes to Columbus	p. 145
The Ghostbuster and the Mythbuster	p. 155
Poltergeists in the United Kingdom
The House of Strange Happenings	p. 165
The Voice	p. 178
A Little Irish Gal and Wee Hughie	p. 186
From the UK to the U.S. and Beyond	p. 194
Poltergeists in Pop Culture and the Future
The New Frontier: Tapping Psychokinesis	p. 207
Poltergeists in Popular Culture	p. 220
The Business of Poltergeists	p. 226
Notes	p. 235
Bibliography	p. 240
Recommended Paranormal Resources	p. 248
Index	p. 251
About the Author	p. 255
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