Poltergeists! Supernatural manifestations, human factors, or... both.

The poltergeist phenomenon, known as the activity of noisy spirits, arouses much controversy and fascination. For years, researchers have been analyzing cases that combine paranormal elements with human influence. In the context of famously haunted locations such as Borley Rectory, theories have emerged suggesting that these phenomena may result from both the presence of spirits and the unconscious psychokinesis of those who frequent the location. This article will present various aspects of this phenomenon and cases that illustrate the complex relationship between the supernatural and the human psyche.

Harry Price; Image courtesy of Wikimedia, public domainThe poltergeist phenomenon is likely a misunderstood form of paranormal activity, at least in connection with haunted houses. The word "poltergeist" means "noisy ghost" in German, and for many years, investigators believed that noisy spirits caused the reported phenomena. Events occurring in a "haunted" house involving a poltergeist were thought to be caused by an external force. When a genuine poltergeist incident was discovered, it turned out to be the result of both "intelligent spirits" and human agents, and there are also cases where investigators are certain that the events were caused by both. I believe it's possible that certain locations can attract both phenomena!

First, let's look at two different types of phenomena that are called "poltergeists".

Poltergeist cases are the result of the actions of real, intelligent spirits... while poltergeist-like phenomena are the result of human agents. What makes it so difficult to determine whether the phenomenon is actually a combination of both factors... is that haunted places contain enough energy to allow spirits to exist there, as well as the subconscious energy of the human agent needed for manifestation.

In both cases, similar phenomena occur, such as knocking and stomping sounds, unprovoked noises, stationary objects such as household appliances being activated, doors slamming, lights rotating intermittently, fires exploding, flying dirt and stones, physical sexual assaults, and much more. In some cases, such events can be tangible evidence of spirit activity, but in other cases, when anomalous phenomena occur, they may not be the work of spirits.

Barring actual cases involving negative and violent spirits, the commonly accepted theory regarding poltergeists is that their activity is usually caused by someone working in home maintenance.

This person is usually a young, emotionally disturbed girl. It is believed that such a person can unconsciously manipulate objects in the home through psychokinesis (PK), the power to move objects with the brain. This kinetic energy remains unexplored, but even mainstream scientists acknowledge its existence. It is not yet known why this energy accumulates in women during puberty, but it is known that such a process does occur. It seems that when the phenomenon begins to manifest, the girl is usually in a state of emotional or sexual arousal. It is also possible for even young boys, as well as adults, to unconsciously manifest this ability. The vast majority of people do not intentionally cause such phenomena and are usually surprised to discover they possess the ability to do strange things.

What can be even more challenging is that the investigator is present when spirits and energy activities manifest simultaneously in the same location. It is believed that these factors could, and did, occur simultaneously in the most famous "haunted house" of the last century.

Borley Rectory

One of the world's most famous haunted house cases was actually the site of a possible human agent. There seems little doubt that Borley Rectory was haunted... whether you believe researcher Harry Price (I do) or not. A long history of independent research leads one to believe that the bogeyman had left the rectory many years before Price took an interest in it.

Previously, Borley Rectory was a decaying old manor house in the English county of Essex. Harry Price became interested in it in 1929 when newspapers reported strange occurrences that had been occurring there for many years. Price later wrote two books about the house, and it has since been called "The Most Haunted House in England."

Price was asked by the newspaper to investigate and describe events such as the discovery of ghostly footprints, strange lights, ghostly whispers, a headless man, sounds coming from outside, the appearance of builder Henry Bull, and the ghost of a nun walking in the garden.

Local legend says that the monastery was once inhabited, and in the 13th century, a beautiful young novice was killed while trying to escape. The monk was hanged, and his future bride was bricked up alive within the monastery walls.

For many years, stories were told by reliable and independent witnesses. Price interviewed many former tenants and thoroughly investigated the house, even renting the place for a year with a 24-hour vigil on Christmas Eve. Many of the accounts Price gathered at Borney Rectory came from firsthand experience, as he spoke with people who had seen or heard strange phenomena, such as the sound of a bell ringing, knocking sounds, and objects moving from one place to another.

Although disturbing, the ghosts at the rectory were relatively quiet until October 1930, when Reverend Lionel Foyster and his wife, Marianne, entered the house. During their stay, they noticed an increase in paranormal activity. People were locked between rooms, household items disappeared, windows were smashed, furniture began to move, strange sounds came from nowhere, and much more.

However, the worst incident directly affecting Mrs. Foyster was when she fell out of bed at night, struck by an unseen hand, and then forced to catch heavy objects flying through the air day and night, and finally almost suffocated by a mattress. Shortly thereafter, writings scrawled by an unknown hand appeared on the walls of the house. The writer seemed to be pleading with Mrs. Foyster, as the writing read, "Marianne, please help me" and "Marianne, say Mass."

Since all the events unfolded in Mrs. Foyster's presence, Price attributed her to unconscious manipulation. However, he still believed in the existence of the ghostly nun and the other phenomena reported to him. The rectory did not fit the previously accepted definition of a haunted house, which was gaining an increasingly negative reputation. Despite the tangle of phenomena centered around Marianne, Price maintained that at least one ghost found the vicar's wife sympathetic to him in the house. This was the only explanation he could find for the cryptic messages scrawled on the wall.

According to Price, and I agree, Borley Rectory was, in a sense, a catalyst for paranormal activity. It was a place that seemed to attract energy and also served as a battery through which Marianne Foyster could unconsciously tap. Three distinct types of phenomena occurred in the house: ghosts that interacted with investigators, possibly haunted by the aforementioned nun, and poltergeist-like phenomena that manifested through Mrs. Foyster.