Having lived with a few poltergeists over the years, I wanted to write about them.

I don’t know about you, but say the word ‘poltergeist’ and I suddenly get images of some small, blonde child with a cute voice who tells anyone who wants to listen that ‘they’re here!’ Well, okay, they’ve been here for many centuries and have been written about since the dawn of time – well, at least as long as men have had something to write with anyway!

Records of poltergeists go back as far as the 12th century and were considered evil spirits of Satan

Poltergeist or ‘noisy spirit’ as it’s translated in Germany is perhaps apt for this troublesome spirit. It manifests itself using noise which can be banging, scraping, or smashing objects – it has no sense of shame it seems! Poltergeists can make objects move or even disappear to reappear elsewhere immediately or even days/weeks/months later. To cut a long story short, a poltergeist is a destructive force and is usually centred on a person than a place.

‘Domovoy is a noisy spirit from Russia that performs household chores and disturbs sleep with loud noises.

‘Mumiai is the Indian equivalent, also known for throwing objects and attacking people. Apparently it prefers to indulge its nasty side on criminals and lazy people!

Person-based poltergeist phenomena is more usual in that it focuses on one particular person – usually a pubescent youth and usually female as their energy is considered dramatically higher than a boy. The poltergeist chooses to latch onto these victims and use their energy to do whatever they choose to do. Some of the most famous cases include:

The Harper household in the late 1970’s Enfield, London and lasted eleven months. One of the daughters, Janet, seemed to be the main focus of the energy and she was caught on film, levitating in the air, thrown across her bedroom, voice manifestation and objects moved amongst other phenomena.

Another case was in Scotland in 1960 where a young girl aged eleven began hearing a ‘thunking’ noise like a ball bouncing and it was coming from near her bed. The girl was able to remain calm during these inexplicable noises and investigators were able to record the phenomena in a detailed manner.

The phantom drummer of Tedworth around 1662. A local landowner in Wiltshire, England, brought a lawsuit against a drummer, and he won, confiscating his drum. After which his house was plagued by drumming noises which the people believed the drummer had manifested through witchcraft, others believed it to be a hoax.

Of course there are always exceptions and some poltergeists are associated with buildings, such as a hotel in Conwy, North Wales. The locals have named him ‘George’ and he apparently likes to fill ashtrays with water and makes a mess around the hotel, which amuses the guests and annoys the proprietor who has to clear up after him!

I was witness to poltergeist activity that seemed to centre on an old house near Bury, Lancashire, England and the surrounding lands that had been turned into a dog and cat boarding kennels and cattery. Along with stables for horses it was a very busy place and I was a temporary kennel manager. It had obviously been going on for a while before I took up the job as when I first mentioned the strange phenomena I was experiencing every day, no one was surprised or daunted!

We witnessed bowls and tin openers disappearing in a blink of an eye. We heard our names being called; of course I answered and went to where I heard it, only then to remember I was alone in the house. We ‘lost’ twenty odd bowls full of dog food that I’d just made up for feeding, but after answering the telephone and going back to the kitchen, they were all gone. No other way in or out of the kitchen past me! After a long search, we found them stacked neatly in one of the stables across the yard. I saw figures of a young girl and of a groom. We heard various noises, whispering, knocks, doors closing and opening by themselves, door knobs turning and being pushed. I was only there covering maternity leave for four months, but it was one of the most active places I have ever known.

Poltergeists have been extensively researched and continue today. There have been so many cases over the years, many have been found to be fraudulent pranks, yet others are still unexplainable. I for one am more anxious about a poltergeist than any other form of supernatural phenomena, as I do believe that it centres around an individual more than a building. To know that each person is capable of manifesting this type of energy is startling and I have watched my daughters growing with anticipation. Thankfully no knocking, scratching or flying objects, no disappearing into the television or growling voices – only the usual tantrums of a healthy teenage girl – thankfully!