The Enfield Poltergeist

Date: 1977–1979
Location: Enfield, London, England
Family: The Hodgson family (mother and four children)

The Haunting

In 1977, the Hodgson family began reporting strange disturbances in their council house. Furniture slid across floors, knocking sounds echoed through walls, and small objects were hurled across rooms. The activity focused on Janet, an 11-year-old daughter, who was often seen levitating and speaking in a gruff, adult male voice.

Investigations

The case drew the attention of journalists, paranormal researchers, and members of the Society for Psychical Research. Among the most famous investigators were Ed and Lorraine Warren, later popularized in The Conjuring 2. Recordings, photographs, and eyewitness testimony documented events over the course of nearly two years.

Skepticism

Skeptics argue the girls staged much of the activity for attention, pointing to inconsistencies in their accounts. Photographs of Janet “levitating” may have simply been her jumping off the bed. However, even skeptics admit that not all the events can be easily explained.

Cultural Impact

The Enfield case became one of the most studied hauntings in history, shaping how poltergeist phenomena are understood in both scientific and paranormal circles. Its influence continues in films, books, and ghost lore worldwide.

Conclusion

Whether elaborate hoax, misunderstood psychology, or genuine haunting, the Enfield Poltergeist remains one of the most debated supernatural cases of the modern era—an unsettling reminder of how thin the line can be between belief and disbelief.