The Thornton Heath Poltergeist

The Thornton Heath Poltergeist case, investigated by psychoanalyst and paranormal researcher Nandor Fodor, represents a landmark in the study of poltergeist phenomena. Fodor’s investigation pioneered the psychological approach to understanding poltergeists, suggesting unconscious human agency rather than spirits.

The Setting

In February 1938, the Forbes family of Thornton Heath, South London, began experiencing violent phenomena in their home. The family consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Forbes, their adult son, and Mrs. Alma Fielding, a houseguest in her late thirties.

The Phenomena

The activity at Thornton Heath was dramatic and diverse:

Object Movement

• Eggs flew from the kitchen and smashed against walls
• China ornaments levitated and crashed
• A chair climbed onto a table by itself
• Objects appeared to materialize and dematerialize
• Items were thrown with considerable force

Apparitions

• Mrs. Fielding reported seeing a ghostly figure
• Strange shadows were observed moving through rooms
• A presence was felt throughout the house

Physical Effects

• Scratches appeared on witnesses
• Mrs. Fielding reported being attacked by invisible hands
• Pools of water appeared inexplicably

Unusual Phenomena

Most remarkably, small objects seemed to “apport” (materialize) inside sealed containers:

• Eggs appeared inside glass containers
• Small items materialized in Mrs. Fielding’s closed handbag
• Objects appeared in observers’ pockets

The Investigation

The case attracted the attention of Nandor Fodor, research officer for the International Institute for Psychical Research. Fodor was a Hungarian psychoanalyst who combined Freudian psychology with paranormal investigation.

Fodor’s Approach

Unlike previous investigators who sought spiritual explanations, Fodor approached the case as a potential psychological phenomenon. He:

• Conducted extensive interviews with all witnesses
• Performed psychological assessments
• Documented phenomena meticulously
• Applied psychoanalytic theory to his analysis

Key Observations

Fodor noticed several important patterns:

1. Focus Person: The phenomena centered strongly on Mrs. Alma Fielding
2. Timing: Activity increased when Mrs. Fielding was emotionally distressed
3. Control: Some phenomena seemed unconsciously controlled by Mrs. Fielding
4. Fraud Discovery: Fodor eventually caught Mrs. Fielding concealing objects to fake “apports”

The Psychological Theory

Fodor developed a revolutionary theory based on his investigation:

Dissociation

He proposed that Mrs. Fielding suffered from dissociative states during which:

• She could perform actions (like hiding objects) without conscious awareness
• She genuinely believed in the supernatural nature of events
• Unconscious psychological conflicts manifested as apparent phenomena

Trauma Connection

Fodor’s analysis revealed:

• Mrs. Fielding had experienced trauma, including sexual abuse
• She exhibited signs of hysteria (in the clinical sense)
• The poltergeist activity may have been an unconscious expression of suppressed emotions
• The phenomena served a psychological function of expressing distress

Genuine vs. Fraudulent

Fodor believed the case contained both:

• Genuinely unexplained phenomena witnessed by multiple observers
• Fraudulent activity (the apports) committed unconsciously by Mrs. Fielding
• A blend of psychological and potentially paranormal elements

Controversy and Significance

Fodor’s conclusions were controversial:

Within Paranormal Research

Many in the paranormal community rejected his psychological explanations, preferring spiritual interpretations. He was criticized for “explaining away” genuine phenomena.

Within Psychology

His work was largely ignored by mainstream psychology, which rejected the existence of any paranormal phenomena.

His Contribution

Despite controversy, Fodor’s work was groundbreaking:

• He was among the first to apply scientific psychology to poltergeist cases
• His theory of unconscious agency influenced later research
• He demonstrated that fraud and genuine phenomena could coexist
• His work anticipated later “RSPK” (Recurrent Spontaneous Psychokinesis) theories

Legacy

The Thornton Heath case influenced subsequent paranormal research:

The Agent Theory

Modern researchers often identify a human “agent” at the center of poltergeist activity, usually an adolescent or person under psychological stress. This approach stems from Fodor’s work.

Psychological Framework

The idea that poltergeist phenomena might represent externalized psychological conflict became a major theoretical approach in parapsychology.

Documentation Standards

Fodor’s detailed psychological profiling established standards for holistic investigation of paranormal cases.

Fodor’s Later Work

Nandor Fodor continued investigating paranormal cases through a psychological lens. His books, including “On the Trail of the Poltergeist” (1958) and “The Haunted Mind” (1959), further developed his theories.

He argued that many haunted house cases involved:

• Repressed trauma
• Unconscious psychokinetic ability
• Psychological projection
• Dissociative phenomena

The Unanswered Questions

The Thornton Heath case leaves important questions:

1. Were any of the phenomena genuinely paranormal?
2. Can psychological states produce physical effects in the environment?
3. How do we distinguish fraud from unconscious action?
4. What is the relationship between trauma and poltergeist activity?

These questions remain central to poltergeist research nearly a century later.

The Thornton Heath case stands as a turning point in paranormal investigation, bridging the gap between spiritualist explanations and scientific psychological analysis of extraordinary phenomena.