By far the most terrifying paranormal encounters imaginable. poltergeists are one of the most inexplicable. With literally thousands of reported cases of poltergeists hauntings, it is almost impossible to deny the existence of these malicious spirits.
Although the German word poltergeist, meaning noisy ghost, didn't come into mainstream use until the 20th century, reports of angry spirits causing havoc have long been made. The first recorded case was in a German farmhouse in 858AD, when an evil spirit began throwing stones at the occupants, making the walls shake and causing fires.
But what makes a poltergeist attack differentfrom a normal haunting? The easy answer is that poltergeists are almost always violent. Every cause is unique but typical occurences include objects flying through the air, doors slamming, pools of water and blood forming, outbreaks of fire and electrical disturbances. Whether the haunting involves just one of these outbursts or the entire arsenal, an encounter with a poltergeist is always dramatic and terrifying.
For centuries witnesses assumed that the spirits of the dead or that of the devil were the cause. In many cases, poltergeists are restricted to one particular location, and it is argued that the cause is a malicious spirit which draws on the energy of the people around it. Some vocal poltergeists have claimed to be the unhappy dead. One such spirit was responsible for disturbances in Paris in 1860. He declared himself a long dead rag and bones man and admitted using the electrical energy drawn from people within a house to cause mischief.
It was only when the Society of Psychical Research was formed in 1882 that serious alternative theories began to be put forward. Research made it apparent that in most violent paranormal cases adolescent children were involved. A great percentage of poltergeist hauntings seemed to occur around teenage girls. While many believed that these children were a focus for the poltergeist a source of energy used to power the ghosts activities others began to argue that it was the girls themselves who were responsible. With the theories of Freud all the rage by the turn of the century, scientists began to see these forces as a form of spontaneous psychokinesis, or the unconscious manifestation of sexual energy.
The Bell Witch
Although it is rare for poltergeists to cause death, it has happened. In 1817 John Bell, a farmer in Tennessee and his daughter Betsy began experiencing violent activity. The young girl was slapped by the spirit and had her hair pulled. Meanwhile her father bore more violent attacks, having his shoes pulled off and his face beaten, and even suffered from convulsions. The ghost then developed a voice and declared itself to be a witch. Eventually the assaults proved to be too much, and John Bell died.
The 2004 movie The Bell witch haunting shows Betsy Bell levitating. She would be exhausted after each attack, which suggests the teen may have been unknowingly responsible.
The Enfield Case
A well documented poltergeist haunting took place in Enfield, north London, in 1977. Peggy Hodgeson and her four children began experiencing strange events in their house. The childrens beds shook at night, chairs moved across the floor and loud knocks were heard behind the walls. The police were called in, along with a medium and a vicar, and witnessed a chair fly across the room but they couldn't stop the spirit.
The Daily Mirror caught many of the events on camera, including 11 year old Janet Hodgeson floating mid air while asleep. But the press some became victims to the poltergeists energy: cameras suffered faults, films jammed and flashes drained of power.
Over a period of two years the activity became increasingly destructive. Furniture was thrown downstairs, missiles hurled across rooms, fires borke out and Janet was witnessed being picked up by an unseen force and thrown around her bedroom. She also began to speak with a male voice which seemed to switch identities and declared itself to be a number of spirits, some of whom had died in the house.
Strangely, when Janet was admitted to a psychiatric hospital for tests, the violent activities ceased, only to start up again when she returned home. This led many experts to declare that the poltergeist acitivity was actually a form of unconscious psychokinesis energy created by Janet as she entered puberty, mixed with the emotional trauma the young girl felt because of her mothers recent divorce. According to one medium, however, the house was literally stuffed to the rafters with spirits from the local cemetary, who were feeding on Janets psychic energy to give themselves power. One of the spirits actually named themselves as a man named Bill who had lived there in the past. Research into the houses past history noted that there was a man who had lived there called Bill, they also tracked down one of his relatives.
Indepth documentary on the Enfield Poltergeist, including the recordings of the spirits voice as well as other strange poltergeist phenomenon.
Literally meaning to breath life into an object, psychokinesis is the ability to control the physical world using the power of the mind, either consciously or unconsciously. Ever since the Psychical Research began its studies into the phenomenon, psychokinesis has been one of the most intriguing paranormal fields and it has been shown to exist under certain circumstances. In controlled conditions people have shown an ability to move small objects without touching them and to increase the temperature and magnetic field of objects, a feat that often leaves a strong residual charge.
Mind Power
Among advocates of psychokinesis is Israeli magician Uri Gellar, who claims that he can bend spoons, break keys and stop watches with the power of his thoughts. Gellar also claims to be a psychic, and has even hinted in the past that his powers are a gift from extraterrestrials. But while he often demonstrates these abilities in front of the cameras, he has yet to perform under controlled conditions. Other psychokinetics have been studied in laboratory conditions, and have proven their ability to move small objects with the power of their mind and to influence the way that a dice falls.
In poltergeist like cases the psychokinetic activity is believed to be unconscious and caused by severe emotional trauma. Many cases involve girls who report sexual abuse and experts claim that the unseen force is the result of hysteria or anxiety that somehow translates into telepathy. While this force cannot be explained by our current laws of physics, answers may lie in new theories of quantum mechanics. This field promises to reveal that the mind is capable of more than we think possible.
Whether paranormal powers are responsible for cases like that in Enfield is still an ongoing debate. There are just as many people who claim that poltergeists are elaborate frauds as there are those who believe. However, the evidence is becoming hard to ignore, so when things go bump in the night its wise to pay attention.
Science Religion
Religion Science
Are they polar opposites or Yin and Yang, heart and mind. Can we live with solely making choices of the heart, or of the mind? Or should there be a balance of the two, a co-existence? Who is right who is wrong or is it all the same, but just looking from two different vantage points? A Life of religion, without sciences, no medical breakthroughs, no technological advancements. To grow in soul and heart, but notin mind and body, to not understand our brains and body, to not discover our bodies true potential, to not find better ways to save lives and further longevity, to communicate, to reach out towards the stars. A world without mathematics, physics, biology and chemistry to raise questions and warrant finding answers, to make us curious to find out the answers to strive to understand. A life without understanding, to be in the world we walk on and not know of atoms and genes, of protons and neurons, of medical treatments, of brain surgery, of gravity and the speed of light, of space travel, of what the universe holds beyond our own miniscule existence, hurtling through space on a giant orb transfixed in a black void surrounded by everything and nothing, to not try and find out...more!
Could we evolve as a species without this? An outlet for our curious minds, a need to understand, to grow and learn everything we can, to find purpose and meaning outside of "God created heaven and Earth and everything in between".
And what of a world with science but not religion?
Scientific breakthroughs and testing, science is a fast paced world everyone wanting to out do that last breakthrough, to create something better, faster and stronger, to cure, create viruses, chemical warfare. Wanting to out do the last invention, but at what cost? No one taking the time to understand the implications, or if it is right or wrong, no one there to guide, no rules no boundaries, no one thinking about the morality only for the basic functionality of achieving the unknown, to answer questions at all costs. Intelligence without belief, without inner self, without moral guidelines, not believing in some higher force that connects us all, nobody to be accountable to for your moral values, for the wrongs. No justification of the heart, no miracles, no hope, no faith. Could we live in a world without beliefs, raise our children in that kind of cold and barren landscape? Could we enjoy life? Could we feel a sense of belonging of purpose of goodness of individuality?
Religion and science should go together hand in hand, each keeping the other in line, not trying to disprove or forsake the other. Intelligence without belief i would think would be a cold and stale existence. No colour, no passion, no art or beauty, no feeling of a higher purpose, that there is more to life and just living.
And religion without science would leave us with no way forward, with many unanswered questions. And a longing for some kind of fallible truth and knowledge, not being able to understand how things may work, or how to better them or to understand the world around us in all its complicated simplicity.
The moral questions that science cannot answer, lies in religion in beliefs in looking inside yourself.
The questions that religion cannot answer can be answered by the sciences.
What good is a mind without the heart to give it hope, to give it motive to go on and give it a sense of right and wrong to give empathy and wonder to drive us on to a higher goal.
And what good is a heart without a mind, to raise questions, curiosity and a lust to know the unknown, to not live in ignorance. To find solutions to problems to give clarity and understanding, to help us thrive to better ourselves.
I believe we need both to understand and accept life, to strive to know the unknown but not at an irreplaceable, immoral cost. To be able to look back at it all in wonder. To enjoy and educate. To colour and clarify. To know that we need both science and religion to move on, to understand ourselves more, in both mind and body as well as heart and soul.
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