Q&A: What Really is a Poltergeist?

The 1980s movie mis-identified what a poltergeist really is... and you'll be surprised to learn the truth.

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Recently our friend Anne Marie asked questions about poltergeists. The whole concept was mis-identified so here I'll set the record straight. 

Q: What is a poltergeist?   

A:  A poltergeist is activity that mimics a ghost, but is caused by severe emotional energy generated by a teenager (usually a teenage girl). I have actually been on three cases with Inspired Ghost Tracking of Maryland that involved poltergeist activity that we've explained that way. Once the teenage girls got some therapy in those houses, the "ghostly" activity ceased!

Q: I was under the impression that poltergeists were intelligent hauntings as evil entities. Is that incorrect? 

A:  No. Poltergeists are not intelligent haunts. They're just energy. 

Ghosts can be intelligent (interactive) or residual (thumbprints or impressions that don't interact and answer questions). They can also be good or evil - all depending on their personality when they were alive. 

Q: Is a poltergeist activity always caused by a teenager? 

A: Poltergeist activity is always caused by a teenager or a highly emotional person - it's basically energy that mimics ghostly activity.  

Q: I'm confused - So it's not a possession or an evil entity?

A true cause of poltergeist activity

A:  It's just emotional energy generated by a teenager (or highly emotional person) that causes things to resemble what a ghost could do: move objects, create a shadow figure, make noises, etc.
It's not a possession, and it's not it's own entity. 
It's energy that makes things happen.
It's like turning on a lightbulb and generating heat and light.

Q: What happened on your investigations? 

Learn all about Ghosts, spirits and poltergiests

A: On each of the investigations - the events happened in a teenage girl's room or in once case in the girl's sister's room. In the latter case, the teenager in the other room hated her younger sister and caused a lot of things to move in her sister's room, and caused a "dark shadow" to be seen in the closet (that backed up against her room). When we asked the mothers if these girls were all going through emotional turmoil, they all replied "yes" and in the latter case, the mother said "yes, the older, teenage sister doesn't like her younger sister."
   Of course, I grew up with two brothers, so I never experienced it in my youth. :) 

FOR MORE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT GHOSTS AND SPIRITS - check out my book "Lessons Learned from Talking to the Dead" by Rob Gutro