What's the difference between ghosts and poltergeists?

Question

What's the difference between ghosts and poltergeists?

Answer 1

Its all in the name.  Both are ghosts.  Polter geist, translated into English, means noisy ghost.  They have an important feature in common.  They do not exist.

Answer 2

Basically a ghost is just an entity that manifests itself in a variety of ways (apparition, sounds, smell, etc)  A Poltergeist is a type of ghost that has one purpose - to harass the people in the area in any way possible - innocently or in a mean/violent way.

Answer 3

one ias american the other is german and does the polka

Answer 4

ghosts lives in old houses, poltergeists lives in crazy people houses

Answer 5

In my opinion, A Poltergeist is a TYPE of Ghost. A ghost is spirit of someone deceased or the entity of something unexplained, either human or non-human. What you probably SHOULD (or were trying to) ask is "What's the difference between an Apparition and a Poltergeist?"

When people say "Ghost" we immediately get the idea of a human-like white/see-through figure. This is actually what an Apparition is. They show up in a transparent human form and wear the clothing of their period (usually... unless you see the apparition of an animal... then that's different). You might also note that they normally appear faint and disfigured as in being incomplete. They are most often reported being seen in older homes, hotels, theaters and cemeteries (though some are even known to be seen standing on abandoned roads and such...).

A Poltergeist on the other hand is a type of ghost or spirit you can't see. Poltergeists are well known for playing pranks, causing foul smells, knocking on walls/doors, throwing objects and moving objects. In fact, the name "Poltergeist" itself means "Noisy Spirit".

Answer 6

a ghost is an imaginary thing. and poitergeists..... sorry i dont know

Answer 7

A ghost is usually defined as the apparition of a deceased person, frequently similar in appearance to that person, and encountered in places he or she frequented, or in association with the person's former belongings. The word "ghost" may also refer to the spirit or soul of a deceased person, or to any spirit or demon.  Ghosts are often associated with haunting, which is, according to the Parapsychological Association, "the more or less regular occurrence of paranormal phenomena associated with a particular locality (especially a building) and usually attributed to the activities of a discarnate entity; the phenomena may include apparitions, poltergeist disturbances, cold drafts, sounds of steps and voices, and various odours.

Ghosts are controversial phenomena. According to a poll conducted in 2005 by the Gallup Organization, about 32% of Americans believe in the existence of ghosts.  The term ghost has been replaced by apparition in parapsychology, because the word ghost is deemed insufficiently precise.

Poltergeist (help·info) (German for noisy ghost) is a term used to describe a supposed spirit or ghost that manifests itself by moving and influencing inanimate objects.

Reports of poltergeist activity typically feature raps, bumps, thumps, knocks, footsteps, and bed shaking, all without a discernible point of origin or physical reason for occurrence. Many accounts also report objects being thrown about the room, furniture being moved, and even people being levitated. Though rare, a few reported poltergeists have been purported to speak, including the The Bell Witch in 1817 and Gef the Talking Mongoose in 1931.

Answer 8

A ghost is a mythical entity that supposedly can be detected by the human senses (sight, sound, etc.) but otherwise doesn't interact with the material world.

A poltergeist is a mythical entity that is said to interact physically with the material world (e.g., it supposedly causes things to move around on their own).

In the land of make-believe, any of these things can happen.

Answer 9

None, as neither exists.

Answer 10

both are figments of an overactive imagination.

Answer 11

ghosts most likely dont know they are even here...we may even seem like ghosts to them. they cannot affect this world nor communicate directly either.

poltergeists are manifestations that can affect this world. these are the spirirts you hear about throwing things around rooms...moving objects, leaving cupboards open, etc. usually these types are angry which is the reason they can affect our side. their anger seems to be a conduit for them to be able to actually realize they are no longer living and feel the need to "lash out" because they are frsutrated

this is my personal opinion..no i am not an expert. :)

Answer 12

There both imagined things. Please join us in the current century.

Answer 13

Maybe we should think more in the terms of Angles and Demons.

If ghosts are souls that have not yet ascended to heaven.

Would it not be reasonable to say that poltergeists are souls that have not yet descended to h**l?

Answer 14

A ghost is normally defined as the returning spirit of a deceased person. Parapsychologist stopped using this term due to lack of evidence of intelligence in some ghosts (they did not speak, look at you when you spoke to them etc.) and started using apparition (the image of a person not physically present) one can see apparitions of people still alive and an image does not automatically mean a spirit is present. There are many beliefs about ghosts (unfinished business, returning to favorite locations, etc.) but no knows what they are or even if all seen ghosts are the same.

Poltergeist does translate into "noisy ghost" and was thought to be a spirit with the power to move physical objects. Skeptical explanations aside (like children moving things and blaming it on a ghost) poltergeist are today thought to be examples of psychokinesis (PK) the ability to move matter with your mind. Poltergeist outbreaks are usually associated with mental tension and stress where the person has no healthy way of releasing this tension so the mind acts for them (usually without their knowledge) to relieve tension. The resolving of these situations almost always causes poltergeist activity to cease. This has been extensively studies by William Roll who has the defining book on the subject published back in 1977 called "Poltergeist"

Michael John Weaver, M.S.,

Licensed Mental Health Counselor

Answer 15

a ghost is a spirit which has one purpose...

to complete a task it left behind then it moves on

a poltergeist however, idk if it wants to complete a task or not but it can lift things, and it has color

ghosts can move anything, they move through everything

poltergeists can move through things but can pick stuff up aswell

poltergeists r evil little creatures...spirits lol

they harass and scare ppl

a ghost just wants to complete its final task

Answer 16

A ghost is what you think of in a normal haunting. Aunt Edna is just making sure her family is oK.

A poltergeist is a noisy ghost. It makes strange sounds and smells in the house, and it likes to move and or throw things around.

Answer 17

A ghost is usually defined as the apparition of a deceased person, frequently similar in appearance to that person, and encountered in places he or she frequented, or in association with the person's former belongings.

Poltergeist  (German for noisy ghost) is a term used to describe a supposed spirit or ghost that manifests itself by moving and influencing inanimate objects.

Answer 18

ghosts can be felt by their presence. Poltergeists actually move things in the physical world

Answer 19

ghosts are spirits of dead people and poltergeists are spirits that have the power to throw things