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Perhaps this topic has been discussed before,however, this is another area that I thought just might be a suitable thread for discussion.

Poltergeists

CHAIRS MOVE ABOUT by themselves. Walls shake from loud, unexplained banging. Water drips from a ceiling. Hairbrushes disappear for days, only to reappear in their place on the dresser. These are some of the classic symptoms of a poltergeist haunting. From the German for “noisy ghost,” a poltergeist refers to phenomena usually credited to mischievous spirits or ghosts and are characterized by psychokinesis or other physical manifestations.
Cases have been cited almost since the beginning of recorded history.

The Thornton Heath Poltergeist Case

Twenty-seven years ago, in Thornton Heath, England, a family was tormented by poltergeist phenomena that started one August night when they were woken in the middle of the night by a blaring bedside radio that had somehow turned itself on – tuned to a foreign-language station. This was the beginning of a string of events that lasted nearly four years. A lampshade repeatedly was knocked to the floor by unaided hands. During the Christmas season of 1972, an ornament was hurled across the room, smashing into the husband’s forehead. “As he flopped into an armchair,” reports Haunted Croydon [link no longer works], “the Christmas tree began to shake violently. Come the New Year and there were footsteps in the bedroom when there was no one there, and one night the couple’s son awoke to find a man in old fashioned dress staring threateningly at him. The family’s fear grew when, as they entertained friends one night, there was a loud knocking at the front door, the living room door was then flung open and all the house’s lights came on.”

Having the house blessed failed to rid the house of the phenomena. “Objects flew through the air, loud noises were heard and the family would sometimes hear a noise which suggested some large piece of furniture... had crashed to floor. When they went to investigate, nothing would be disturbed.”

A medium who was consulted told the family that the house was haunted by a farmer of the name Chatterton, who considered the family trespassers on his property. An investigation bore out the fact that had indeed lived in the house in the mid-18th century. “Chatterton’s wife now joined in in causing mayhem, and often the tenant’s wife would be followed up the stairs at night by an elderly gray-haired woman wearing a pinafore and with her hair tied back in a bun. If looked at, she would disappear back into the shadows. The family even reported seeing the farmer appear on their television screens, wearing a black jacket with wide, pointed lapels, high-necked shirt and black cravat.”

After the family moved out of the house, the poltergeist activity ceased, and none have been reported by subsequent residents.

This case is a bit lengthy but IMHO... worth a read. Off to find the movie now on Play.com!!! OO'er!!

Smurl Poltergeist

For 13 years (1974 -1987) on Chase Street in West Pittson, Pennsylvania, an ordinary family encountered something they couldn't explain, and couldn't free themselves of. Their story became famous when the media became involved, and their ordeal was told in a book and a movie, each titled "The Haunted." The families' name was Smurl.

It began when Jack and Janet Smurl moved from Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania to escape the flooding damage left behind from hurricane Agnes in 1972. In 1973, they moved into a duplex Jack's parents had purchased, sharing the house with them. Jack and Janet and their two daughters, Dawn and Heather lived in one half, and Jack's parents lived in the other. The house had been built in 1896, and was on a quiet street in a middle class, ordinary neighborhood.

The living arrangement was a happy one. Jack and Janet had been raised in Catholic homes, and they and Jack's parents were strong in their religious faith. They were (and are) a close loving family who enjoyed sharing the house. They did some remodeling and redecorating work on the house, settled into it, and Jack and Janet added twin girls Shannon and Carin to the family.

In January 1974, a year and a half after moving in, things began to change...

It started out as minor but puzzling annoyances and incidents. A mysterious stain appeared on a new carpet in the house that apparently could not be removed; deep scratches appeared on new bathroom fixtures in a remodeled bathroom; there were problems with leaking pipes in spite of repeated repairs to them, and a television set suddenly caught fire.

Over time, the incidents became more alarming and frightening. Jack and Janet's daughter Dawn claimed she saw floating people in her bedroom. Drawers began to open and close by themselves, the sounds of footsteps on the stairs, unplugged radios would suddenly begin blasting loudly, and the toilets would flush themselves.

Whatever the cause, the incidents continued to worsen. Horrible stenches would waft throughout the house, and Jack felt something physically touch him several times. The 'poltergeist' was appearing to be more and more demonic as time went on, and by 1977, it was apparent that the Smurls were facing more than unexplained annoyances.

The phenomena wasn't confined to Jack and Janet's side of the duplex; Jack parents, John and Mary were also subjected to frightening events. The house would become icy cold, and they would hear what appeared to be violent verbal fighting on Jack and Janet's side of the home, with abusive, foul language.

Even neighbors were affected by the phenomena plaguing the Smurl family. Screams and loud noises were heard coming from the house, even when no one was home. Not all the neighbors were sympathetic, however. Some claimed the Smurls' story to be false, accusing them of trying to make money through book and movie deals about their 'haunted' house after the media became involved.

Someone called Janet's name to her when she was in her basement tending to her laundry - she replied at first, and tried to find who was calling her, in the end realizing that she had been alone in the house. As if this were a catalyst, the force invading the Smurl house grew bolder and stronger shortly afterwards. A black human shaped form manifested in Janet's kitchen, moving through the wall and into John and Mary's side of the duplex, where Mary also witnessed the phenomena.

Physical violence towards the family began and escalated. Even the pet German Shepherd was tormented, picked up and thrown repeatedly. Shannon was thrown down a flight of stairs, and a ceiling fan crashed down inches from her, barely missing hitting and injuring her. Janet was levitated and thrown, and there was continuous rapping and scratching heard within the walls.

Ed and Lorraine Warren were contacted by Janet in 1986 for help. The Warrens are well known psychical researchers and demonologists, who have also investigated the Amityville house in Long Island. Janet had heard about them, and in desperation asked them for help in spite of her skepticism. The Warren's interviewed the family and investigated the house. Their conclusion: of the 4 entities in the home, one was demonic. Efforts to force the demon to expose itself failed, instead resulting in additional violence from the entity. The only thing that seemed to provide a cessation of the activity were Holy Water and prayer.

The attacks upon the beleaguered family continued, growing worse in violence and intent. Jack and Janet suffered sexual attacks; and their daughter Dawn was nearly raped by the entity. Mysterious illnesses afflicted Carin Smurl and Ed Warren; Janet and Mary Smurl suffered bites and slashes on their arms.

When the Smurls' attempts to involve the Roman Catholic Church for help failed, the Warrens brought in Father McKenna to perform an exorcism, but this only angered the demonic entity. McKenna performed a second exorcism, which also failed.

Attempts to get away from the entity were also unsuccessful. The family was followed on a camping trip; and Jack was even tormented at work. In desperation, the family decided to turn to the media for help. The resulting press coverage opened the floodgates, and the Smurls' home became a tourist attraction, press magnet, and forum for skeptics. After repeated refusals by the Church to become involved, the media coverage finally motivated the Scranton diocese to offer an investigation into the Smurls' case.

A third exorcism performed by Father McKenna brought an end to the activity. In December 1986, however, after only 3 months of freedom from the torture, Jack saw the dark form beckoning to him. Once again the phenomena began. The Smurls moved out of their house and to another town, and the book was published shortly afterwards.

In 1988, three years before the Movie about the Smurls' ordeal was released, (1991) the Church performed a fourth exorcism, and at last the tortured family found a measure of peace and freedom from the darkness that had threatened and attacked them for so long.

Fascinating Cherub. There was another Thornton Heath poltergeist case but it was proved to be phoney:-

"Mrs. Forbes was the mistress of London’s Thornton Heath house. She was 35, married and had a son. The first time Fodor observed her and the poltergeist phenomena, he felt the activity could be caused by natural means.

He decided to have her studied in his laboratory at the International Institute for Psychical Research where he was the Director of Research. He felt he and his colleagues needed to scrutinize her actions. She had to undress for examinations and wear special clothing that would reveal chicanery.

In the laboratory, dishes moved and crashed on the floor. Glasses flew out of Forbes’ hands. Objects from Thornton aported to the Institute. Fodor was convinced that Forbes was producing the phenomena by physical means. He had her x-rayed and was proved to be correct. She secreted two objects which later appeared in her hands.


Read more at Suite101: Thornton Heath Poltergeist 1938: Dr. Nandor Fodor, Distinguished Parapsychologist, Investigated http://paranormal.suite101.com/article. ... z0dvrI2xdI"

Thankyou ever so much Rocki, for your input on these threads, as usual..so very much appreciated.

Back to the SMURL Poltergeist and here's a link I managed to find. The movie is VERY expensive to buy, from any sites that I have viewed...so for ME! this will have to do! HHmm! I found it very scary!

[youtube<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fH1uyO4hR0s&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fH1uyO4hR0s&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>][/youtube]

Oo'er..what happened there?

The last things that poltergeist are is restful.

Much nuisance Cherub.
Hope you are well,

Good Morning Almanuevo and thankyou for your good wishes!

I hope this finds you well too.

Yes, I agree that the last things that poltergeists are is indeed "restful"!

Certainly not in this Spielberg movie, that frightened the living daylights out of me!

for the videos Cherub!