The poltergeist (“noisey ghost”) has been described in literature for centuries. It is a phenomenon suposedly caused by adolescent “energy”-the knocking sounds heard are somehow expressions of living humans in the household.
Since we are dealing only with sound phenomena, recording a poltergeist haunting ought to be rather simple-just set up a microphone and taperecorder.
So, has anyone done such an experiment?
Incidentally, my wife has a recollection of a poltergeist growing up-her family lived on a farm in Brazil. there was an old house on the property that nobody had lived in for 30+ years (it was haunted). My wife (and two of her sisters) tried to stay one night in the house-but the knocking and banging sounds made impossible to sleep in it.
Anyone know if any geniune poltergeist sounds have ever been recorded?
Ghosts are not real. Imaginary things don’t make recordable noises.
The prevailing theory is that poltergeist activity isn’t caused by ghosts, but by an as of yet unexplained psychic phenomena. That isn’t much better than ghosts granted.
No, Acid Lamp is correct. When I was teenager and into this sort of bullshit, all the current literature speculated that poltergeists were psychic extensions of the person being troubled by them (which, from what I remember, was skewed toward girls undergoing puberty.)
“Psychic phenomena” is no more real than “poltergeist activity.” There’s no proof of either existing.
Well, he does say basically that in his second sentence.
There is no such prevailing theory because there is no evidence for any such thing as “psychic phenomena.”
These might be genuine woo beliefs, but none of it rises to the level of “theory” as that word is used in science.
How about “wacky hypothesis?” That might work.
I’d be comfortable with that.
I thought the actual reality is that the kid is doing it deliberately for attention due to whatever personal / behavioral issues. If I recall correctly, one of the most famous ones was caught in the act.
And then there’s the whole Amityville hoax.
Ghosts don’t exist, noisy or otherwise.
Thanks. I started to respond but decided it wasn’t worth it. I just hate it when I’m wrong about a theory of psychic phenomena.
Yes, it’s all whackadoodle belief, hence my characterization of it as “bullshit.” And the word “theory” is a synonym for “conjecture” there, not the scientific sense of the word. I thought this was all apparent.
I was responding to Acid Lamp’s use of that word, which I think he intended seriously.
To be slightly pedantic, it does rise to “theory” as the word is used in science, because a “theory” is an organized explanation for the existing evidence that is consistent with all of it. The problem is that the woo “evidence” doesn’t actually rise to the level of scientific observation. Or even been reliably demonstrated to exist at all.
OK. I guess we’ll know when he shows up again. When he said “That isn’t much better than ghosts granted” I assumed he meant he didn’t believe in either. But, yes, the parapsychology and paranormal literature–at least of the late 80s/early 90s–had shifted away from a ghostly explanation of poltergeists to an inward, psychic manifestation explanation, a type of psychokinesis. And, like I said, mostly linked to girls going through puberty (as well as boys, but girls seemed to be disproportionately affected).
I obviously don’t believe in any of this, but I was just defending Acid Lamp’s nitpick about ghosts. From a GQ perspective, even if it is all bullshit, it is kind of interesting to know–for me, at any rate–what the current state of paranormal/parapsychological belief is. It might be interesting if you want to write horror stories, explore the topic for yourself, conversational fodder, any of a number of things. I like learning about lots of things I don’t believe in.
All psychic phenomena in the world are caused by my subconscious. Seems silly as a hypothesis, until you realize that I have just as much evidence for my “theory” as anyone else has for theirs.
Also, I sincerely apologize for the Amityville incident-I was heavily into anchovy and pineapple pizzas at the time, and didn’t sleep well for a while there.
If he’s the poster I think he is, then yes, he’s a believer in stuff like ESP, etc.
Oh, my bad, then. Carry on.