Signs of a Ghost: How to Tell if You Have a Poltergeist on the Premises

Of all the paranormal phenomena, the poltergeist is probably the most mentioned and least understood by those outside of the field of parapsychology. Many people have heard of poltergeists, seen movies and TV shows, or read books, but most of them don’t realize what it’s really like to live with a poltergeist. So how do you know if you have a poltergeist in your house?

Poltergeist Basics

Steven Spielberg’s 1980s movie called Poltergeist was a huge hit and not a bad watch, but it has also created a number of misconceptions about the actual phenomena. Actually, the movie is not about a poltergeist at all. The word poltergeist comes from a German phrase meaning roughly “noisy spirit” and is believed to have arisen because of the amount of noise these spirits can make. Doors slamming, furniture being knocked over, cabinet drawers opening and closing, even electrical devices springing to life of their own accord—much of the phenomena associated with a poltergeist involves making a lot of noise.

But the first thing to remember is that you will not see a poltergeist – a visual apparition has nothing to do with this type of ghost. If you see a ghost, it’s not a poltergeist.

Parapsychologists have discovered that there are basically five stages of a disturbing poltergeist ranging from the bizarre and annoying to the very serious and dangerous and the activity is classified based on this.

stage one and two

The first stage of poltergeist activity is subtle enough that people don’t always realize that something out of the ordinary is going on. Most people just dismiss events as ‘weird happenings’ and rationalize them in a whole host of ways. But there are key things to keep in mind that will help differentiate between weird things that just happen and a poltergeist. Animals are a sure sign: If your pet has started acting strangely around the same time as these events, this may be an indicator. Dogs growling in a place where there is nothing, cats hissing and rushing out of a certain area abruptly, these can all be signs that the pet is aware of something that we humans are not. Strange cold spots are another sign, unexplained and quickly disappearing without explanation.

Stage two is where the poltergeist announces its presence and people begin to realize that something is wrong in their home most of the time. Some people will continue to deny anything paranormal, but for others, the signs will become clearer. Cold spots will increase in frequency, sometimes spanning an entire room. Weird scratches, cuts or cuts will appear on furniture that cannot be explained and this can even start to happen to the residents of the house: you wake up in the morning and there is a scratch on your arm that you cannot explain.

stage three and four

Stage three is the point where even the most skeptical person has to realize something is up and the poltergeist makes its presence unmistakable. It is often at this stage that people seek help from parapsychologists or religious experts. Lights and electrical appliances will develop a mind of their own, turning on and off as closed and locked doors are opened. Bumps and bumps are commonly reported and people in the house will feel hands that cannot see touch and scratch them.

Stage four is the start of true terror for the residents as the poltergeist ups their game from disruption to violence. It is at this point that if a specific person is the focus of the haunting, it will become obvious and adolescents are statistically more likely to be the focus. Objects will fly around the house, doors will close and open, often hitting people as they enter rooms. Sharp objects will start to move, such as knives in kitchen drawers, although they are not usually pointed directly at people and rarely cause injury.

stage five

Stage five is the evacuation point in the experience: don’t stay in the house any longer or someone could be seriously injured or even killed. In addition to flying sharp objects now embedded deep in furniture, scratches on people are drawing blood, and small fires are beginning to start in out-of-the-way places in the house. Objects are thrown with considerable force and larger items such as heavy furniture are moved.

Conclution

Very few of us will ever encounter a poltergeist, let alone reach stage five of the phenomenon. Poltergeists start without warning and often stop at an equally sudden and inexplicable moment. But the important thing is to document what is happening to you and seek help as soon as possible to make sure no one gets hurt or worse and that your home can be yours again.