Signs of a ghost: how to know if you have a poltergeist in the premises

Of all the paranormal phenomena, the poltergeist is probably the most talked about and the least understood by those outside the field of parapsychology. Many people have heard of poltergeists, watched movies and TV shows, or read books, but most of them don’t realize what it’s really like to live with a poltergeist. So how do you know if you have a poltergeist in your house?

Poltergeist Basics

Steven Spielberg’s movie in the 1980s called Poltergeist was a huge success and it wasn’t a bad watch, but it has also created a number of misconceptions about the real phenomena. Actually, the movie is not about a poltergeist at all. The word poltergeist comes from a German phrase roughly meaning “noisy spirit” and is believed to have come about because of the amount of noise these spirits can make. Doors slamming, furniture being knocked over, cabinet drawers opening and closing, even electrical devices springing to life on their own, much of the phenomena associated with a poltergeist involves making a lot of noise.

But the first thing to remember is that you will not see a poltergeist – a visual apparition has nothing to do with these types of ghosts. If you see a ghost, it’s not a poltergeist.

Parapsychologists have found that there are basically five stages of a disturbing poltergeist ranging from the bizarre and annoying to the very serious and dangerous and the activity is classified based on this.

stage one and two

The first stage of poltergeist activity is subtle enough that people don’t always realize something out of the ordinary is going on. Most people just dismiss the events as ‘strange occurrences’ and rationalize them in a whole host of ways. But there are key things to keep in mind that will help differentiate between strange things that just happen and a poltergeist. Animals are a sure sign: If your pet has started acting strange around the same time as these events, this may be an indicator. Dogs growling in a place where there is nothing, cats hissing and running out of a certain area abruptly, these can all be signs that the pet is aware of something that we humans are not. Strange cold spots are another sign, unexplained and quickly disappearing without explanation.

Stage two is where the poltergeist announces its presence and people begin to realize that something is wrong with their home most of the time. Some people will continue to deny anything paranormal, but for others the signs will become clearer. Cold spots will increase in frequency and sometimes take up an entire room. Strange scratches, cuts or cuts will appear on the furniture that cannot be explained and this can even begin to happen to the residents of the house: you wake up in the morning and there is a scratch on your arm that you cannot explain.

stage three and four

Stage three is the point where even the most skeptical person has to realize that something is up and the poltergeist makes its presence unmistakable. It is often at this stage that people seek help from parapsychologists or religious experts. Lights and electrical appliances will develop a mind of their own, turning on and off as closed and locked doors open. Knocks and bumps are commonly reported and people in the house will feel touched and scratched by hands they cannot see.

Stage four is the beginning of real terror for the residents because the poltergeist ups their game from disruption to violence. It is at this point that if a specific person is the focus of the haunting, it will become obvious and teenagers are statistically more likely to be this focus. Objects will fly around the house, doors will close and open, often hitting people as they enter rooms. Sharp objects will begin to move, such as knives in kitchen drawers, although they do not normally point directly at people and rarely cause injury.

stage five

Stage five is the evacuation point in the experience: don’t stay in the house any longer or someone could be seriously injured or even killed. In addition to the flying sharp objects that now embed themselves deep into furniture, scratches on people are drawing blood and small fires are beginning to start in out-of-the-way places in the home. Objects are thrown with considerable force and larger items such as heavy furniture are moved.

conclusion

Very few of us will ever encounter a poltergeist and even fewer will reach stage five of the phenomenon. Poltergeists start without warning and often stop at an equally sudden and inexplicable moment. But the important thing is to document what is happening to you and seek help as soon as possible to make sure no one gets hurt or worse and that your home can be yours again.