1953, Anthony Flew, A New Approach to Psychical Research, p. 28:To avoid commitment to any theory it might be better, though awkward, to speak of poltergeistic disturbances or poltergeistic outbreaks. These are sporadic, starting suddenly and unexpectedly and ending just as suddenly.
1963, W. F. Jackson Knight, Folklore, vol. 74, no. 1, p. 302:In the same disused church there had also been ‘poltergeistic’ phenomena. It was discovered that they were due to the presence of ‘elemental’, sub-human, spirits.
2006, Brad Steiger, Revelation: The Divine Fire, ISBN 9780977790470, p. 195:But then the apartment began to be visited by poltergeistic manifestations. They would awaken in the morning to find bookcases turned over, furniture strewn about, the entire living room in a mess.
