The phenomena traditionally attributed to recurrent spontaneous psychokinesis is shown to be inherently comprised of vague sensory and environmental stimuli. The ambiguous nature of these experiences precludes any definite supposition as to their source of origin or whether there is only one causal mechanism. Further, many of the so-called paranormal effects are fully comparable to known psychophysical phenomena. Consequently, it is argued that this hypothesis as an explanation of poltergeist-like experiences is premature and unjustified.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AuerbachL. (1986) ESP, hauntings, and poltergeists. New York: Warner Books.
2.
BenderH. (1969) New developments in poltergeist research: Presidential address. Proceedings of the Parapsychological Association, VI, 81–102.
3.
CornellA. D.GauldA. (1960) A Fenland poltergeist. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, 40, 343–358.
4.
CornellA. D.GauldA. (1969) A ghost on television. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, 45(739), 14–17.
5.
CoxW. E. (1961) Introductory comparative analysis of some poltergeist cases. Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, 55, 47–72.
6.
EasthamP. (1988) Ticking off a poltergeist. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, 55 (811), 80–83.
7.
EisenbudJ. (1967) The world of Ted Serios. New York: Morrow.
8.
EisenbudJ. (1977) Paranormal photography. In WolmanB. B. (Ed.), Handbook of Parapsychology. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. Pp. 414–432.
9.
EislerW. (1975) The Bronx poltergeist. In MorrisJ. D.RollW. G.MorrisR. L. (Eds.), Research in parapsychology 1974. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press. Pp. 139–143.
10.
EricksonM. H.RossiE. L.RossiS. I. (1976) Hypnotic realities: The induction of clinical hypnosis and forms of indirect suggestion. New York: Irvington.
11.
EspeH.SchulzW. (1983) Room evaluation, moods, and personality. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 57, 215–221.
12.
GearhartL.PersingerM. A. (1986) Geophysical variables and behavior: XXXIII. Onset of historical poltergeist episodes with sudden increases in geomagnetic activity. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 62, 463–466.
13.
GreenE.ParksP.GuyerP. M.FahrionS. L.CoyneL. (1992) Gender differences in a magnetic field. Subtle Energies, 3(2), 65–103.
14.
HattersleyR. (1981) Beginning photography. New York: Doubleday.
15.
HaynesR. (1986) What do you mean by ghost?Parapsychology Review, 17(4), 9–12.
16.
HouranJ.LangeR. (1996a) Diary of events in a thoroughly unhaunted house. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 83, 499–502.
17.
HouranJ.LangeR. (1996b) Hauntings and poltergeist-like episodes as a confluence of conventional phenomena: A general hypothesis. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 83, 1307–1316.
18.
HuffordD. J. (1982) The terror that comes in the night: An experience-centered study of supernatural assault traditions. Philadelphia, PA: Univer. of Pennsylvania Press.
19.
KargerF.ZichaG. (1968) Physical investigation of psychokinetic phenomena in Rosenheim, Germany, 1967. Proceedings of the Parapsychological Association, 5, 33–35.
20.
LambertG. W. (1955) Poltergeists: A physical theory. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, 38, 49–71.
21.
LangeR.HouranJ.HarteT. M.HavensR. A. (1996) Contextual mediation of perceptions in hauntings and poltergeist-like experiences. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 82, 755–762.
22.
LesterJ. R. (1991) The strange case of Nina: Some electronic evidence of a haunting. Theta, 17(1), 7–12.
23.
MaherM. C.HansenG. P. (1992) Quantitative investigation of a reported haunting using several detection techniques. Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, 86, 347–374.
24.
MaherM. C.HansenG. P. (1995) Quantitative investigation of a “haunted castle” in New Jersey. Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, 89, 19–50.
25.
MaherM.SchmeidlerG. R. (1975) Quantitative investigation of a recurrent apparition. Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, 69, 341–352.
26.
McClenonJ. (1990, January-February) A preliminary report on African-American anomalous experiences in northeast North Carolina. Parapsychology Review, 21(1), 1–4.
27.
MossT.SchmeidlerG. R. (1968) Quantitative investigation of a “haunted house” with sensitives and a control group. Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, 62, 399–410.
28.
MumlerW. H. (1875) Personal experiences of William H. Mumler in spirit photography. Boston, MA: Colby & Rich.
29.
NelsonR. D.RadinD. I. (1990) Effects of human intention on random event generators: A meta-analysis. Proceedings of the Eastern Psychological Association Conference. March 29-April 1. Philadelphia, PA.
30.
NicholsA. (1994) Phantoms on film. Fate, 47(11), 48–51.
OrneM. T. (1962) On the social psychology of the psychological experiment: With particular reference to demand characteristics and their implications. American Psychologist, 17, 776–783.
33.
OsisK.McCormickD. (1982) A poltergeist case without an identifiable living agent. Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, 76, 23–51.
34.
OwenA. R. G. (1964) Can we explain the poltergeist?New York: Garrett/Helix.
35.
PersingerM. A. (1988) Increased geomagnetic activity and the occurrence of bereavement hallucinations evidence for melatonin-mediated microseizuring in the temporal lobe?Neuroscience Letters, 88, 271–274.
36.
PersingerM. A. (1992) Enhanced incidence of “the sensed presence” in people who have learned to meditate: Support for the right hemispheric intrusion hypothesis. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 75, 1308–1310.
37.
PersingerM. A. (1993a) Average diurnal changes in melatonin levels are associated with hourly incidence of bereavement apparitions: Support for the hypothesis of temporal (limbic) lobe microseizuring. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 76, 444–446.
38.
PersingerM. A. (1993b) Transcendental Meditation and general meditation were associated with enhanced complex partial epileptic-like signs: Evidence for “cognitive” kindling?Perceptual and Motor Skills, 76, 80–82.
39.
PersingerM. A.CameronR. A. (1986) Are earth faults at fault in some poltergeist-like episodes?Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, 80, 49–73.
40.
PierceH. W. (1973) RSPK phenomena observed independently by two families. Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, 67, 86–101.
41.
PlayfairG. L.GrosseM. (1988) Enfield revisited: The evaporation of positive evidence. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, 55(813), 208–219.
42.
PrattJ. G.PalmerJ. (1976) An investigation of an unpublicized family poltergeist. In MorrisJ. D.RollW. G.MorrisR. L. (Eds.), Research in parapsychology 1975. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press. Pp. 109–115.
43.
RadinD. I.FerrariD. C. (1991) Effects of consciousness on the fall of dice: A meta-analysis. Journal of Scientific Exploration, 5, 61–84.
44.
RadinD. I.RollW. G. (1994) A radioactive ghost in a music hall. Proceedings of the 37th Annual Convention of the Parapsychological Association, Univer. of Amsterdam.
45.
RaudiveK. (1971) Breakthrough. New York: Taplinger.
46.
RollW. G. (1970) Poltergeist phenomena and interpersonal relations. Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, 64, 66–99.
47.
RollW. G. (1976) The poltergeist. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press.
48.
RollW. G. (1977) Poltergeists. In WolmanB. B. (Ed.), Handbook of parapsychology. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. Pp. 382–413.
49.
RollW. G. (1994) Are ghosts really poltergeists? Proceedings of the 37th Annual Convention of the Parapsychological Association. Univer. of Amsterdam, August 7–10.
50.
RosenbergR. (1974) A haunting in New Jersey. Theta, 39–40, 17–18.
51.
SchmeidlerG. R. (1966) Quantitative investigation of a “haunted house.”Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, 60, 137–149.
52.
StanfordR. G. (1977) Experimental psychokinesis: A review from diverse perspectives. In WolmanB. B. (Ed.), Handbook of parapsychology. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. Pp. 324–381.
53.
StevensonI. (1972) Are poltergeists living or are they dead?Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, 66, 233–252.
54.
TillerS. G.PersingerM. A. (1994) Elevated incidence of a sensed presence and sexual arousal during partial sensory deprivation and sensitivity to hypnosis: Implications for hemisphericity and gender differences. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 79, 1527–1531.
55.
WalshR. (1995) Phenomenological mapping: A method for describing and comparing states of consciousness. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 27, 25–56.
56.
WeingartenS. M.CherlowD. G.HolmgrenE. (1977) The relation of hallucinations to the depth structures of the temporal lobe. Acta Neurochirurgica, Supplement 24, 199–216.
