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Posted by on Jul 13, 2016 in TellMeWhy |

What Are Poltergeists?

What Are Poltergeists?

What Are Poltergeists? Poltergeists are a type of creature that are most known for causing mischief. They can be minions of more powerful ghosts or entities. In general, Poltergeists are a type of ghost that enjoys causing confusion and chaos.

It is a spirit that is said to harass and torment its victims. This harassment typically includes minor but mysterious and disturbing events such as loud sounds, moving furniture, sheets and covers being pulled off beds, small objects inexplicably are falling off shelves, stones rising off the ground and being hurled at people, and so on.

In folklore and parapsychology, a poltergeist (German for “noisy ghost”) is purportedly capable of pinching, biting, hitting, and tripping people. They have traditionally been described as troublesome spirits who haunt a particular person instead of a specific location. Such alleged poltergeist manifestations have been reported in many cultures and countries including the United States, India‚ Japan, Brazil, Australia, and most European nations. Early accounts date back to the 1st century.

Of course, discussing different categories of ghosts is like discussing different breeds of dragons or races of leprechauns: it’s all made up, so there are as many types as you can dream of. Nevertheless, people all over the world believe in ghosts and spirits, and a 2005 Gallup poll found that 37 percent of Americans believe in haunted houses — and nearly half believe in ghosts.

No one knows for certain what ghosts are, or if they even exist; some believe that they are spirits of the dead who for whatever reason get “lost” on their way to the after-world; others think that ghosts are the souls of people whose deaths were violent or premature.

Content for this question contributed by Samantha Wilson, resident of Austin, Travis County, USA