Poltergeist!: A Study in Destructive Haunting

Colin Wilson examines reported poltergeist activity through accounts of destructive hauntings, unexplained disturbances and alleged mind-over-matter effects. The book considers how such cases have been recorded, investigated and interpreted across different periods and places.

Among the subjects discussed are the Bell Witch, Borley, Cock Lane and Pontefract hauntings, alongside séances, possession, psychokinesis and the work of investigators including Harry Price, Nandor Fodor and Cesare Lombroso. Wilson also considers whether some manifestations might arise from human consciousness rather than an external spirit. Combining case histories with discussion of psychical research, the book presents poltergeists as a disputed field where testimony, investigation and competing explanations frequently collide.