Why All Hauntings Are Poltergeist

Not all Poltergeists are malevolent.

In an earlier blog about residual hauntings, I made the claim that I consider all hauntings “Poltergeists.”  A few followers messaged me and asked me to clarify this position.  Because paranormal investigators and society as a whole consider poltergeists to be malevolent hauntings.  I don’t; I base my assessment of poltergeists on their level of activity, not on the level of malevolence they exhibit.

The classic definition of a poltergeist is that of a “noisy ghost.” My definition fits this best. More than any other segment of our society, Hollywood has made the greatest impact, second only to religion. These two facets of our society have programmed us to think anything paranormal is bad. When you think of a poltergeist, you have to admit that the image that comes to mind is a little girl getting sucked into a television set.  This is why I think that society believes that poltergeists are evil.  They were programmed to think this way.

A haunting is nothing more than an attachment that enables a spirit to interact in our world. Without that ability to interact in our world, we would never know that a site is haunted. In fact, I surmise that paranormal investigations consist of nothing more than investigators collecting evidence of these interactions.  

These interactions are also proof that a spirit possesses cognizance. Meaning, there is a reason why they are interacting in our world. They choose to interact, and choice is proof of intelligence. That is why paranormal investigators conduct EVP sessions. They want a response to their questions, and that response proves their cognizance.  

Now, I have to admit that I don’t fully understand how a spirit is able to interact in our world. But this interaction is why I classify all hauntings as poltergeists. For me, the question during an investigation is simply: how much activity is occurring?   Based on the level of activity, is how I judge its severity.

The Platonic definition of a “soul” is the essence of a person. That means the soul contains everything that made you who you are. Your soul is you, plain and simple. If you were smart or dumb, good or evil, funny or serious, rational or irrational, your soul will exhibit those same characteristics. That’s what a ghost is: the soul no longer being encumbered by a physical body and interacting in our world.