A few weeks ago I posted a thread about the effects of Sub Frequency Sound Waves and the link with seeing ‘ghosts’. I have since found this article, written by Albert Budden, which has an interesting theory about poltergeists ~

‘When Ms X of Ashton, near Bristol reached for her baby, a painful blue spark almost electrocuted him. She cracked with static electricity so loudly that people looked at her in the street. At night she could hear Morse code signals when no one else could and, once, was jolted awake to be dazzled by an intense blaze of white light in her bedroom. She constantly experienced moments of intense deja vu.’

It is not noted where this lady lived, or if it was near pylons or cables.

‘Ms X's case is typical of the kind I study; cases in which inanimate objects sometimes suddenly move, bulbs pop, electrical appliances switch on and off, and balls of light appear. Sometimes the long-suffering victims have the strong and inescapable feeling that something invisible is in the house with them or even see apparitions. Such a victim might think of calling in an organisation that studies psychic phenomena but, in my experience, this will do little good, as they will probably assume that your house is haunted and ask to hold an all night vigil there.
I begin from a different assumption; that these apparently paranormal phenomena are the bizarre side-effects of electromagnetic pollution. We are all surrounded by a constant fog of waves of electromagnetic energy. There are some places where this unseen pollution is worse than at others and these hot spots are created when the ever-changing wave-forms from several microwave transmitters interact with each other to create powerful standing waves - rather like a mini electromagnetic tornado - which can actually change the rules of reality. Under these conditions the mayhem that results can be quite frightening.
Living in a hot spot is both puzzling and a health risk. Not only does your physical living space behave oddly, your nervous system and senses do too. I have known victims to develop unexpected allergies that undermine their well-being. Favourite foods or drinks unexpectedly make them feel nauseous, panic-stricken or experience swings of mood. If you are home most of the day and thus have a prolonged exposure to the hot spot, you could -as Ms X did - develop electrical hypersensitivity.
Besides hallucinations, your body could develop a high static charge and emit electromagnetic fields which could cause a tape recorders to grind to a halt or a washing machine to flip through its programme. It is no surprise that even the caring professions fail to recognise the signs of electromagnetic hot spot activity, either refusing to believe the victim's tale or diagnosing nervous instability.
When the normal electrical activity of the brain becomes destabilised by electromagnetic interference, epilepsy-like states can sometimes develop. Victims can suffer blackouts or see hallucinations such as balls of light coming through the walls. Even more bemusing, they can suffer lapses in consciousness after which they suddenly become aware that they are not where they thought they were and have no memory of even complex actions they might have performed. This condition is called automatic behaviour.’
You can read more of this story on electromagnetism and the paranormal in Fortean Times 92.

Seems like a very plausable theory to me. Any other ideas?
And before you all start jumping on my head - I'm NOT claiming that this is the only explaination, just one explaination!



Hammy x x x

So, are poltergeists electric? I thought only our friends were. (obscure Tubeway Army joke)

Like so much of the paranormal, I think this could certainly explain some poltergeists and `standard' hauntings. I don't believe (like certain unnamed professional debunkers) that once a theory works it can be applied across the board. This theory can't explain poltergeist phenomena where there is physical evidence of intelligence (like the Enfield poltergeist), but it could explain some cases. Maybe lots of cases. But not all.

And Hams, I would never jump on your head, because I might squash your Super Sceptic Hat for Girls.

Cuffy ~ the Enfield Poltergeist was faked towards the end.........'Janet' and 'Rose' admitted to faking the levitatins, voices and missile-throwing.
Could this be because they were actively deceitful and enjoyed being the centre of attention? Or could the Polt have effected them in some way.........?

Perhaps the Enfield case was a bad example. But what I'm saying is that the electricity theory feels just too....easy. There does seem to be more at work in many poltergeist cases. Maybe the electricity unlocks a side of the human brain, that then causes these things. I don't know, to be honest. I just think that our current understanding of science is unequipped to fully-explain every case.

Hello Ms Hamster nice to see you ,
I have a theory on Sub Frequency Sound Waves of my own(well not technically a theory some postulating done months back by couple of cooky people on the board ) .
It has been discussed(there is an article in the news section somewhere on this ) that with the use of cellphones and other electrical equipement the sightings of ghosts and phantoms has diminished . Perhaps these electrical currents are not the cause but the shortcircuits necisary for allowing and similarly dis-allowing a spirit / poltergiest /Orb through into our plain of exsistence .
I have put it down to some kind of pheremone but this is similar enough .

man you guys are just to quick.....

Yes, the crux of the matter is the same, but the scientists are approaching it from one end of the spectrum when maybe they should consider the opposite view (ie. Kismit's point).

***
From N O-Thomason from conversation with a scientist, Albert Budden:

The crux of Albert's work is the uncovering of hidden environmental hazards of electromagnetic fields from pylons, microwaves, TVs, industry and telephones.

He told me that some people seem to become hypersensitive to the constant bombardment of these fields, and this results in peculiar effects, both on the recipient's body and electrical equipment around them. Disorders of glands, migraines and amnesia are reported. The sufferer also disrupts or destroys electrical equipment they touch.

The hypersensitive person seems to store up electricity like a human battery, and discharges it in a flash at times of stress.

*peeks over edge of toybox*

Cufflink,

Don Hutchisons work may interest you in this type of phenomenon.

Using electricity and electro-magnetic fields he is able to move objects including items made of non conductive materials, i.e. wood.

He puts this forward as one explalnation for polts.

Do a search on google for more info, it was a long time ago when I read about this so cant be more specific, sorry.

That and several recent puter crashes have destroyed most of my research archive.


Teddy.

Hutchison's claims have been around for quite a while now, as have various electricity-based explanations for ghosts.

Cufflink is right. These blanket claims by people who have never seriously investigated what they are attempting to explain do not even remotely account for the multifarious supernatural phenomena that have been documented. It doesn't, for example, explain the willfullness of ghosts, the wantoness, the insolence, the guile or cunning.

I can well believe that there are unknown and wholly temporal forces that affect us - possibly quite profoundly - but that these same forces are responsible for every supernatural experience since the dawn of humans?

Albert Budden.
I must confess to not having heard of him before. Seems he has written on these matters.

Albert Budden

Hammy,

Usualy when I feel something come in the room I get a severe chill, you know when your really cold. Of course the rec room isn't that well insulated so, that must been I'm not sensing anyone and that it's just electricity in the rec room. I know that it's just a theory Hammy-girl, and I know that ghost's use the energy around them to move imamate objects and stuff, but I just don't buy it. Answer this: why do ivestagators investagate at night? I always thought it was because of dramtic affect- but I learned that is when ghosts come out more at night. Because of the wet and soggy weather.

Happy Holidays