Poltergeists at London Ghost Festival 2010

(Cross posted from my other blog)

I’m just writing my talk on poltergeists for the London Ghost Festival tomorrow. They have a wonderful fun packed week of events and I am in London tomorrow and giving a talk at Shoe Lane Library from 12pm to 1pm, admission free. I have been so busy recently I forgot to plug the event, but I’m really looking forward to my tiny role in it If you are free tomorrow and can make it, well here are the details –

FREE LUNCHTIME TALKS: The Many Explanations Of Ghosts

Talk 3: Poltergeists: evil among us? By Chris Jensen Romer

Wednesday 27th October 2010

Shoe Lane Library, Hill House, 1 Little New St, London, EC4A 3JR

One common explanation of paranormal activity can be put down to the notorious Poltergeist. The very name conjures images of terrifying events, and Hollywood horror films. Yet in some ways the reality is more frightening and disturbing than the media portrayal. Poltergeists may lurk much closer to home than you imagine. What is a poltergeist: A disturbed spirit, unconscious psychic energy or something far more sinister? In this talk we hear the latest thinking behind these strange yet fascinating cases and survey some of the  poltergeists of London, before reaching a conclusion that may surprise (and frighten!) you…

Chris “CJ” Jensen Romer has been involved in psychic research for over twenty years, is a member of Society of Psychical Research and has investigated a number of purported poltergeist cases first hand. He has worked on a number of paranormal TV shows, including spells as a researcher for both Most Haunted and Most Haunted Live.  He maintains “Polterwotsit”, an internet blog dedicated to coverage poltergeist cases at https://polterwotsit.wordpress.com The London Ghost Festival and City of London Libraries are extremely thankful to Chris for giving his time for free.

 

INFORMATION

Venue: Shoe Lane Library (near Chancery Lane tube)

Address: Hill House, 1 Little New St, London, EC4A 3JR

Time: 12.30pm – 13.30pm

Price: This is a free event

Nearest Tube: Chancery Lane

Contact number: 020 75837178

Hope some of you can make it and will say hi!

cj x

University of Bergen haunted?

Thanks to Yvonne Wollertsen for drawing this to my attention. Do check out her blog! All credit to Yvonne here. 🙂

Now if you are one of my Norwegian friends, please dont laugh at me. 🙂 I have attempted a translation, and I know it is going to be pitiful, as I can barely do Danish (and yes I am Danish, I know!) and have no Norwegian,  and so  if Leif or Karl or Anders or Yvonne (or even Graham!) can correct it for me, I’ll be eternally grateful! I may even be the victim of some obscure Norwegian in-joke — here is the original post in Norwegian.

Here is my attempted translation! The question marks mean I am uncertain about my translation (?) and would particularly welcome help.  OK, article follows —

It’s as if someone is in the room with you, say employees in Special Collections. They experience sounds and physical events that are  impossible in the locked premises.

” I was down in the basement of a day in the spring to pick up some books. And when I went over to the shelves with their hands full of books, I suddenly feet someone is blowing in my face. It was an icy gust. And there was a feeling that there was someone inside the room with me, ” Engineer Pedro Vasquez continues.

The University Library holds the collections of Old Bergen Museum’s library, which was founded in 1825. The department speculate on if a former employee has returned,; if so he has proven to be as hardy as the books. Also an earlier report from the collections mentioned the ghost (?).

The Special Collections are characterized by high security and there is strict control over who can access them. Therefore, the staff on duty when they hear sounds know they are alone in the room.

” I was all alone and knew that it should not be anyone else there. Suddenly, I heard pages flipped in the large manuscript books we have, just around the corner from where I stood, ” says Nils-Erik Moe-Nilssen, and holds one of the books he is talking about and demonstrates the clear sound of old pages being turned. “There was no wind, and nothing to make the pages to flutter in this way. And of course there was no one around the corner when I looked ” he says.

Former employees have also heard coughing just behind them, and books falling off the shelves for no apparent reason when employees are working in the basement.

“One time I was down there, I heard something fall. I turned around and was sure I saw a head lying on the floor ” (?) says Vasquez.

When he fetched  a colleague and went back to investigate, it turned out to be a collection of letters that had fallen off the shelf, and which had slid out into the corridor.

“But why did it fall off the shelf? And why did  it roll? It is square, not round”  insists Vasquez, who nevertheless was relieved that there was not a head lying on the floor.”

So far no one has actually seen the alleged ghost, but three people have noticed things they can not explain in Special Collections so far. Are they scared after the experiences?

” No, I’m not afraid to go there alone” said Moe-Nilssen.

He looks a little unsure, before he adds:

“Today a book fell down five meters from me. There was no reason why it would fall.”

🙂

Interesting little story, though not spectacular. Still if the University of Bergen want an experienced investigator, I’m sure Yvonne would check it out, and I need an excuse to go to Norway too!

cj x