s ' n o r f Saf e circl
by Saffron Caudle
GHOSTS AND POLTERGEISTS AND DEMONS, OH MY! Halloween embodies all things spooky, mystifying, and haunting. As one of my favorite holidays, I would like to go over some of the scariest supernatural phenomenon. Whether fact or fiction, life is more exciting when you can embrace the unknown (and, let’s face it, this stuff is downright fascinating)! In this article I will be explaining the differences between ghosts, poltergeists, and demons. You never know when you might get haunted (just remember don't go into the basement when you hear those ghost-chains rattling!). So let’s get acquainted with which entities could be harmless and which ones are definitely not. Ghosts: The old classic when it comes to supernatural entities; ghosts are known to simply be the spirits of people who have passed away and make themselves seen by the living. They tend to only manifest visually, but some have been reported to bring audible messages from beyond, change the temperature of a room, or bring a certain odor with their presence. Ghosts are almost exclusively dead humans who passed into the afterlife with unresolved issues or suffered a violent death; so, generally, ghosts are troubled souls. However, that doesn't exactly make them dangerous or malevolent (although they can be if they were a particularly evil person in life). They tend to stick to the location where these hard-tomove-past events took place, but have been known to attach their spirit to objects and even humans in the past. This can explain "haunted houses," where a spirit remains regardless of who is moving into or out of the space. Many people who claim to have had ghostly encounters say they've had the sensation that they're being watched, and also heard strange noises or voices in their homes. PAGE 11
Poltergeists: The word itself translates to "noisy ghost," which refers to its apparent ability to make noise, throw around objects, and otherwise disrupt our physical environment. They're said to be able to bite, pinch, and attack or harass their human victims, as well as move, throw, and even break objects. Many experts believe they have nothing to do with ghosts or spirits at all. The best way to describe a poltergeist is active kinetic energy that causes physical disturbances. This makes sense, as ghosts are generally unable to break through to the physical realm in the extreme ways that make poltergeists unique. Another key difference is that poltergeists aren't typically visible the way ghosts are; although they have no trouble making their presence known. Poltergeists are extremely angry and violent non-corporeal entities who have the power to lash out and physically interact with our environment. So while seeing a ghost is certainly scary beyond belief, being in a space with a poltergeist, invisible or not, is straight-up dangerous.
Unlike ghosts, poltergeists are said to feed directly off of the emotional state of a particular person, rather than being linked with a place. They are psychic disturbances that surround an unhappy person. Some experts explain it as a mass form of energy that a living person is controlling unknowingly and for this reason, poltergeists are known to follow energy or a person, rather than occupying a particular space like a ghost does. Demons: are defined as "an evil spirit or devil, especially one thought to possess a person or act as a tormentor in hell. They're widely considered to be insidious and malevolent in nature, and have been referenced in countless types of folklore, religions, and cultures throughout history. In religious terms, they're often considered to be fallen angels, or other "lower gods" who wield some sort of supernatural power. A demon isn't out for any resolution of an issue but rather pure malicious evil, as it feeds off the emotional energy of fear and anger. While the danger and potential for physical destruction associated with demons can be compared to that of a poltergeist, it's considered much more severe in demonic cases, and demons have the power to make themselves very much seen in the human realm. Demons can manifest themselves to us, taking on physical form
