Poltergeists was first published in 1979 and rapidly established itself as a leading work on the topic. It has been frequently referred to as groundbreaking and a classic of the genre. Illustrative cases from all over the world are presented, dating from the sixteenth century to the late twentieth. Included are destructive cases, fantastical cases, poltergeist assaults, phenomena that are allegedly brought about by a witch or a demon, and others which appear to be the handiwork of a deceased human being. Most cases are sourced from contemporary notes or diaries, often little known or unknown but nevertheless fascinating, with many translated from non-English language sources. The book includes a computer analysis of the leading characteristics of hundreds of cases of poltergeists and hauntings, and offers tentative conclusions as to the natural 'clusters' into which the cases fall. Poltergeists is essential reading for anyone who is interested in parapsychology and the paranormal.
This is a 30th Anniversary reprinting of a book that has been lauded by Newsweek and cited by numerous people -- from students of parapsychology to ghost hunters to celebrity paranormal investigators -- as the book that got them first interested and started on their paranormal journeys and studies. ESP, Hauntings and Poltergeists, first published in 1986, is reprinted with minor changes and minimal updates [Note that the authors subsequent books have much of the update material already]. Writing the book during the height of the (now-defunct) accredited Master's degree program at John F. Kennedy University in the San Francisco Bay Area, parapsychologist Loyd Auerbach put together a true handbook for those interested in all forms of psychic phenomena and experiences, with a eye towards investigation of the paranormal (apparitions, hauntings and poltergeists). The material is presented in four sections with appendices. Section One is a "handbook" providing basic foundation knowledge of parapsychology and psychical research, psychic phenomena and experiences, and even the skeptical viewpoint. Section Two takes a look at Pop Culture -- from TV and film to science fiction and comic books -- and news and reality TV coverage of the topics. Section Three is a casebook of sorts, covering famous cases of hauntings (including an expose of the Amityville Horror case) as well as cases investigated by some of Auerbach's colleagues (and his own very first case). Section Four is the handbook for the would-be paranormal investigator / ghost hunter. It's a step by step manual that contradicts so much of what has been altered by television producers for reality TV. Coming from the 100+ years of field investigation of the paranormal by his predecessors, colleagues, and his own experience, this common sense guide will enable people to truly investigate, understand, and generally resolve ghostly issues. Honest and direct, even if you think you know how to investigate, this section alone will enlighten you in ways you may not have imagined. Finally, the Appendices provide resources for any and all interested in the topics covered by the book. There are tools for the investigator in Appendix A. Appendix B provides an updated (2016) list of organizations and resources, a "Who Ya Gonna Call?" directory, as well as the questions you should ask to make sure the ghost hunters or parapsychologists you contact actually are trained or educated and know what they're talking about (and know what they're doing). Additional suggestions for furthering your education in Parapsychology and the paranormal is included in this section. Appendix C provides a long list of suggested reading materials. There have been a few additional more recent titles added to this appendix (2016) as a starting point for the 21st century. Once you read this book, you'll have a real understanding of what the real scientific researchers and investigators have been doing since the 19th century start of the field, how the best investigations are conducted, what parapsychologists generally think of apparitions, hauntings, and poltergeists, and so much more!
One couple. One cruise ship. One poltergeist out for revenge. Niamh A romantic cruise is exactly what Ben and I need after a dramatic start to our relationship. There can’t possibly be ghosts in the middle of the ocean. Can there?! Yes. Yes there can. And one of them wants a piece of me. If only I could work out why before someone gets hurt. Edie I failed. My exams, my relationship, my family legacy. Time home alone for the first time ever might help me reset. And the opportunity to put my future career skills to the test could give me the chance to prove myself. Except everything I touch seems to break. And it feels so much worse because I already hate myself. How can I prove myself? To my family, friends, and myself?
Apparitions, Hauntings and Poltergeists - Ghosts - Have Fascinated philosophers and scientists for millennia. Parapsychologists have made significant inroads into understanding what is really going on. Hauntings seem to be a kind of recording that becomes attached to a place or object and keeps replaying. Poltergeist is a kind of paranormal stress relief valve. Dubbed noisy ghosts, poltergeists are actually the manifestation of rage or another intense emotion of an "agent" who is often, but not always, a teenager.
In December 2005 a family began to experience poltergeist-like phenomena in their home. Slowly but steadily the phenomena escalated, and in July 2006 the authors were asked to investigate. This book is a chilling diary of an ongoing poltergeist case which the authors believe rivals any previously documented.
Skeletal remains rotting behind cellar walls, temple priests removing brains with iron hooks, phantom locomotives roaring across midnight plains—Brian Righi isn't making this stuff up. The ghost stories he finds in history are far more chilling than any Hollywood horror scene. Join the seasoned paranormal investigator on a tour through mankind's millennium-old obsession with death and the afterlife. Ghosts, Apparitions and Poltergeists surveys 4,000 years of hauntings and ghost huntings—from the embalming rituals of ancient Egypt to the Ouija boards and séances of nineteenth century Spiritualism—highlighting a few outlandish tales and colorful characters along the way. Once you've learned the history, launch a paranormal investigation of your own with Righi's guide to modern ghost hunting, full of detailed advice culled from his seven years of experience in the field.
What poltergeist accounts through the ages reveal about our own worldviews • Provides a wide array of case studies from ancient Greece and Rome to medieval Europe to the modern world • Explores the relationship between poltergeists and troubled adolescence • Looks beneath the Christian adulteration of pagan practices to reveal the hidden ancestral beliefs tied to poltergeists and haunted houses Stories of poltergeists and their mischievous and sometimes violent actions--knocking, stone or chair throwing, moving objects with invisible hands, and slamming or opening doors--are a constant through the ages. What changes is how we interpret this activity. For our pagan ancestors this phenomenon was caused by helper spirits whose manifestations revealed their unhappiness with a household. The medieval Christian church demonized these once helpful spirits and held exorcisms to expel them from the houses they haunted--which proved effective less than half the time. The Age of Enlightenment cast these incidents as clever hoaxes, and many still believe this today. But poltergeist manifestations continue to appear and often defy attempts to debunk them as pranks. What then is behind this phenomenon? Exploring accounts of poltergeists from ancient Greece and Rome, medieval Europe, and the modern world, Claude Lecouteux finds that while our interpretations of poltergeists may change, the manifestations always follow a similar course and evolution. He shows how modern scientific studies of poltergeist manifestations have found a strong tie between these visitations and the presence of a troubled adolescent in the house. Looking beneath the Christian adulteration of pagan practices to reveal the hidden ancestral beliefs tied to poltergeists and haunted houses, the author shows how these unhappy spirits serve as confirmation of the supernatural beings that share the earth with us and of our relationship with the natural and unseen world, a relationship we must take care to keep in balance.
In February 1958, the Herrmann family began to experience strange events at their home in Seaford, New York, USA. The first occurrences were harmless, just caps popping off bottles. But soon things escalated. Dishes were smashed, bookshelves toppled over and objects moved. Could these unexplained events have been the work of a devious poltergeist? Read all about Popper the Poltergeist and other hauntings.
