ghosts vs. poltergeists

planning_my_escape · Joined: 14 Nov 2006 Posts: 2

I was just wondering if anyone knew the difference in the definitions of "poltergeist" vs. "spirit" vs. "ghost" and so on. I was told by a friend that a poltergeist is the only thing of that nature that can actually physically harm people (or just interact physically) and that ghosts and spirits can not. But due to recent events I have to disagree with her. She also told me that ghosts are beings that have always been around, and that spirits are the souls of dead people that have stayed behind after people die. Can anyone give me their opinion / ideas on this? It would be much appreciated. Thanks.

misty · Joined: 27 Oct 2006 Posts: 36 Location: Ghost Ville

That is a simple explanation owner-lou. I like it. Maybe we can get some experts to add some more info. I personally believe that spirits and ghosts are the same thing, people have just come to give them different names because of movies and all that.

sudharma88 · Joined: 14 Nov 2006 Posts: 66 Location: India

poltergeist comes from german where 'polter' means to knock and 'geist' is spirit. generally a noisy ghost creating chaos giving us a feeling of fear is a poltergeist. this is a spirit, usually mischievous and malevolent, which manifests its presence by making noises, moving objects, and assaulting people and animals.

medium · Joined: 29 Oct 2006 Posts: 41

Good explaination sudharma88. I hope I never run into one though.

koala · Site Admin Joined: 12 Oct 2006 Posts: 712

hello??? may i draw everyones attention the the 'reference section!'

"Poltergeist" is a German word meaning "noisy spirit." Current research indicates, however, that poltergeist activity may have nothing to do with ghosts or spirits. Since the activity seems to center around an individual, it is believed that it is caused by the subconscious mind of that individual. It is, in effect, psychokinetic activity. The individual is often under emotional, psychological or physical stress (even going through puberty). Effects can include rappings on walls and floors, the physical movement of objects, effects on lights and other electric appliances - even the manifestation of physical phenomena.

A ghost - or spirit or apparition - is the energy, soul or personality of a person who has died and has somehow gotten stuck between this plane of existence and the next. Most researchers believe that these spirits do not know they are dead. Very often they have died under traumatic, unusual or highly emotional circumstances. Ghosts can be perceived by the living in a number of ways: through sight (apparitions), sound (voices), smell (frangrances and odors), touch - and sometimes they can just be sensed.

thank you
koala

haunted · Joined: 29 Oct 2006 Posts: 36

Thank you for putting us in the right direction koala. I have never seen this explanation of poltergiest before, I always thought they were some type of ghosts, but this makes sense. Thanks for the help.

mrx3010 · Joined: 18 Nov 2006 Posts: 579

Hi, First time posting here just found the site but researched paranormal activity for well over 15 years before it was popular LOL.

Any way Poltergeist seem to be more of a spontaneous kinetic energy, in fact Lloyd Auerbach refers to them as RSPK Recurrent Spontaneous Psychokinesis. In most cases of PGE there are children or adolescents present. Some researchers think that the children may be the cause, not that they are faking it but that they may be having bursts of PK which are either attracting energies or creating psychical instances that are mistaken for ghostly activity.

The definition of ghost in itself is pretty broad, it seems to imply a larger realm of both spirits and various types of haunting i.e. intelligent, residual, nonhuman, extra dimensional etc. IMO all of these except a residual can affect or touch someone on a physical level.

Hope that's of some use.

mrx3010 · Joined: 18 Nov 2006 Posts: 579

I'll dig up some pics for you, but I have to tell you a funny story. We were in St Augustine Fl several years back videotaping in one of the hot spot areas where a lot of sightings have occurred. BTW if you want to record some good stuff go to St Augi trust me. We went back to the hotel and could not wait to review the tape, so we put it up on the screen and several minutes in we see this head float into one frame from a mist and back to nothing! We nearly died, it was amazing. The whole thing lasted for like 3 frames that's it. Anyway after getting home I was uploading it to the computer for further analysis. Now this was a new program and I was not 100% sure of how it worked so I began the upload. When I played it back on the computer it erased the original file! Man was I sick. I still have that avi somewhere but you know as well as me that it cannot stand on it's own without a hard copy. So to answer your question, Yeh we have had some great fun :)

mrx3010 · Joined: 18 Nov 2006 Posts: 579

Now it's just mostly a hobby for me and my wife. We plan vacations around haunted places at times but it's mostly just for fun now. We'll dig out some pics for you from our last outing this fall.

scaredmary · Joined: 27 Oct 2006 Posts: 31

Hello mrx3010, that so cool that you do that. Must be loads of fun with the family. Can you share any more interesting encounters or stories? Thanks

sudharma88 · Joined: 14 Nov 2006 Posts: 66 Location: India

poltergeist is just more active energy than rest of the ghost. hence sudden changes in temperature or feeling of touch makes us feel that there is a poltergeist

mrx3010 · Joined: 18 Nov 2006 Posts: 579

"Can you share any more interesting encounters or stories? Thanks"

LOL too many to even remember chronological but I have a few interesting experiences that we have encountered. Several summers back we went to NC to Patriots Point where we did a walkthrough on the Yorktown. Again this was so unplanned and we had nothing but a digital camera. We caught no good evidence on camera but had several great personal experiences which we both validated after we left. In the galley we both smelled engine oil or gas very strong only for a second. The strongest experience was in the brig however where we both heard footsteps and a breath over our shoulders. In all the places I have been I was never more in a hurry to leave a place. The feeling that we both had was a sense or RUN just move and don't look back. This was down a long dark corridor and no one was around us as it was the end of the day and the ship was closing down. I can tell you there were moments when I didn't know if we would reach the end of that hallway LOL. Now however Im dying to go back with real equipment :) It's a sickness really LOL.

bitterbuck1 · Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 12:35 am Post subject:

mrx3010,

Are most of your trips in the states or have you gone to other countries?

How awesome to plan the family vacations around historical haunts!

Please share more of you and your wifes stories, we are all ears!

Bitterbuck1

mrx3010 · Joined: 18 Nov 2006 Posts: 579

We just travel around the states, no ventures abroad as of yet. I looked for a file today to share, it's not one of the pics yet but it is an EVP we recorded about two years ago while staying at a cabin in Hico WV. I thought I saw something one night and so I decided to set up our camera. I set it on IR and started the recording. The next day we watched the video, we did not catch any visuals but did pick up several EVPs. This is the best and strangest one, when we heard it played back it gave us cold chills. We tried everything to duplicate this noise but could not. This sound seems to actually include an echo and would have been loud enough to hear in the room we were sleeping in but neither of us heard it until we played the tape. That said here it is for the first time to a mass audience.

http://members.aol.com/jomarspets/evp.MP3

sudharma88 · Joined: 14 Nov 2006 Posts: 66 Location: India

get on your ghost hunting adventure.i'm sure u will get something. upload it here for everyone to see