Poltergeists Examining Mysteries of the Paranormal

IntroductionAs a daily newspaper reporter for thirty-eight years (recently retired) and author of four books on fear management and stress, I do not treat lightly the topic of poltergeists. Some of my colleagues, who know me as an investigator of everything from the AIDS epidemic to serial killers to nepotism in government hiring, may shudder at the thought of me now entering the shadowy world of the paranormal. Going senile in your old age, Clarkson?In fact, I have been considering this topic for more than twenty-five years, but did not take action until now.In 1980, a young man who had been the center of a poltergeist case came to my house to talk. Since then, I have been following with some interest as poltergeist cases pop up from time to time in the media and in scholarly publications. Some of them seem worthy of further examination. In the past couple of years, I have closely examined some of the cases in this book.I am not an expert in poltergeists or paranormal phenomena, so you could probably call me a skeptic. As an investigative journalist, I'm always looking for reasonable proof for extrasensory perception, UFOs, or ghosts.As a fear researcher, I believe we are just beginning to understand some of the amazing capabilities of the fight-or-flight system, which is hardwired into each of us by nature.For this book, I have reviewed about fifty poltergeist cases and interviewed hundreds of witnesses, paranormal experts, psychologists, university professors, magicians, and skeptics.Although I try to remain neutral, it is difficult not to arrive at some conclusions. I now suspect that pohergeists exist, or at least a type of poltergeist energy exists. That does not mean I believe they exist, just that I think there is enough evidence to suspect there is something going on from time to time that seems to defy the laws of physics. I remain skeptical, but not cynical, and you will see in my wording that I question the evidence. For example, when describing the supposed poltergeist events, I frequently use the words "reportedly" and "allegedly." "The table reportedly moved under its own power..."Some of the cases may raise as many questions as they provide answers, while others may have flaws or be the result of trickery. But if we are too quick to dismiss cases, we might miss some intriguing stories and theories on the edge of science.Poltergeists are hard to prove for a number of reasons. They often involve adolescents or teenagers, who may be prone to trickery or at least to drawing attention to themselves.Nevertheless, I believe there is enough evidence to raise debate. Please join me in this unusual adventure to examine something out of the ordinary.PEOPLE STILL BELIEVE Probably hundreds of millions of people in America believe in some form of the supernatural. A 2003 Harris Poll of more than 2,000 Americans revealed that 90 percent believed in God, 89 percent in miracles, 68 percent in the devil, 51 percent in ghosts, 31 percent in astrology, and 27 percent in reincarnation. In Britain, a 2004 survey showed that 42 percent of people believed in ghosts.A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE POLTERGEISTPoltergeists have fascinated people from ancient times to the Amityville Horror case on Long Island in 1974 to the contemporary Harry Potter books and movies.They were reported as early as 858 BC in a farmhouse in Rhine, Germany, where an unseen force reportedly threw stones, shook the walls, moved objects, and caused loud banging noises.Other cases were reported in AD 530 in Roman Italy and AD 900 in China and they continue to be studiMacInnis, Joseph is the author of 'Poltergeists Examining Mysteries of the Paranormal' with ISBN 9781554071623 and ISBN 1554071623.