The Enfield Poltergeist

Famous English Case Where Genuine Phenomena Mixed with Fraud

Jun 10, 2007

Events began as true psychic phenomena, psi, but with the attention of the media and others, a creative human poltergeist agent, HAP, blended the activity with chicanery.

Beginnings

Peggy Harper lived in a townhouse in Enfield, North London with her children, Rose, 12, Janet, 11, Pete, 10 and Jimmy, 7. The activity began in August 1977.

Janet told her mother Pete’s and her beds were bouncing. Peggy investigated. The activity ceased, so she thought it was her children’s imagination. The next night, more psi occurred while the children were sleeping. A chair was sliding, knockings were heard and a bureau moved away from a wall.

Investigations

Police investigated. Officers heard knockings coming from walls. One saw a chair slide, but couldn’t discover what made it move.

Then, toys flew on their own. The Harpers went to the media. The Daily Mirror sent a reporter and photographer to the house. Nothing happened, so they left and heard a voice bidding them good-bye. They returned to the house and were pelted with Legos and marbles.

The Society for Psychical Research, was contacted, which sent psychic investigator Maurice Grosse. His being there stopped the activity, not uncommon in HAP cases. Finally, Grosse heard a crash in Janet’s bedroom and discovered a chair be been tossed four feet. Janet was asleep. It happened again. One of the photographers recorded it on film.

Other psi included interference with the electrical system, mechanical failure, video equipment malfunctioning, drawers wrenched from dressers, puddles appearing, fires starting, bed clothes torn from people and curtains reacting to breezes when there were none. Janet claimed to be tossed by an entity which neighbors witnessed through her window. A male voice emanated from Janet when she was in a trance-like state, claiming his name was Bill and he died in the house. His statement was verified.

Guy Playfair joined Grosse in the two year investigation. They focused the investigation on Janet, suspecting trickery. What the girl said seemed manufactured and wasn’t substantiated. A video camera was secretly installed in the bedroom.

Psychiatrists, other doctors and mediums were consulted. Doctors theorized Janet might be developing a second personality which happens in dissociative identity disorder. A speech therapist concluded that Bill’s voice came from a second set of vocal chords that most people don’t realize exist.

Janet was admitted to a hospital to be examined for mental or physical disorders. None were found. The psi stopped during this time.

Parapsychologist Anita Gregory caught Janet manipulating some activity. She manually bent spoons and bounced on the bed she claimed she was thrown from. Janet admitted she was consciously producing some of the psi to see if she would be caught. She was.

The psi stopped spontaneously after two years, leaving people to question if the psi was genuine.

Findings

In HAP cases, unpleasant emotions subconsciously trigger psychokinesis, PK, the ability of the mind to affect matter. This reoccurs spontaneously, RSPK. The psi either stops spontaneously or is treated with psychotherapy, releasing the unpleasant emotions.

This case had one major feature common to HAP cases. There was a lot of interpersonal psychological tension. Peggy hadn’t resolved her negative emotions regarding the divorce. This had an effect on Janet. Once Peggy released the negative emotions, the psi ceased.

Why the trickery? People wanted to see psi. Janet liked the attention and obliged, making it happen, which is common in some HAP cases.