Defining Poltergeists

About the lecture

In this lecture, we think about how to define a poltergeist, focusing in particular on: i) a definition of parapsychology and the elements which make up the areas of research; (ii) the nature of poltergeists instances to encompass all three of the main areas of parapsychology; (iii) the definition of a poltergeist being a German translation of ‘noisy ghost’; (iv) instances of poltergeist activity, which can include moving objects, loud noises, disappearing objects, spontaneous floods, electrical disturbances and spontaneous fires; (v) a definition of poltergeist activity; (vi) key differentiators between hauntings and poltergeist activity, with hauntings being location-focused and poltergeist activity being person-focused, as well as the increased longevity of hauntings when compared to poltergeist activity.

About the lecturer

Professor Ciarán O’Keeffe is associate professor of education and research and head of the School of Human and Social Sciences at Buckinghamshire New University. Professor O’Keeffe’s research interests include investigative psychology and parapsychology, and has made numerous television and radio appearances alongside an array of celebrities. Some of Professor O’Keeffe’s recent publications include 'Things That Go Bump In The Literature: An Environmental Appraisal of 'Haunted Houses'' (2020) and 'Restorative Justice and Recidivism: Investigating the impact of victim-preference for level of engagement' (2014).