Poltergeists

Poltergeists examines reported disturbances associated with raps, moving objects, destruction, assaults and other disruptive events. Alan Gauld and A. D. Cornell assemble case studies from the 16th to the late 20th century, including incidents attributed by witnesses to witches, demons or deceased people. The evidence is presented as historical and contemporary testimony rather than established supernatural fact.

Drawing on diaries, investigators’ notes and translated material from non-English sources, the book also considers the investigation of reported cases such as Hannath Hall in Cambridgeshire. A computer analysis of hundreds of poltergeist and haunting reports identifies recurring characteristics and suggests tentative groupings, placing individual accounts within a broader study of the phenomenon.