While I'm relating strange events that happened to me while in Taiwan, I have another one. I suppose that this experience could be classified under the category of "poltergeist activity." In German, poltergeist literally mean "noisy ghost." I'm sure that most of us are familiar with the concept; and that a lot of the people here have seen this now "classic" film.
In any case, because I taught at a university in Taiwan, I enjoyed the benefit of having my own office, or, as they used to call it, "study room." Of course, I had a personal computer in my office, a computer that allowed me to play c.d.'s and d.v.d's. I did not play music in my office very often because I found that I often needed to totally concentrate when doing research, correcting exams. However, on occasion, I would play music c,d.'s , with my door closed and at a low volume, so as to not bother my colleagues workng in other offices. My colleagues would do the same. As professionals, we all respected each other's rights. After all, these were offices, and we went to our offices primarily to work at research or class preparation. There were generally no problems.
I will never forget one night. It was rather late - 9 or 10 p,m. I was the only one in my office. In fact, I was the only person working on the entire first floor of the building. The building in question had previously been a student dormitory - "A" dorm, it was called. As I said, my office was on the first floor. This first floor consisted simply of one 25-30 meter hallway, with offices [previously dorm rooms] on each side of the hallway.
It was always easy to know when someone else entered that first floor. You always hear peoples' footsteps in the corridor, even if you had your door closed. The floor was of tile, and anyone's footsteps would make an echo. So, if anyone entered on to corridor, they would usually be heard before being seen. It was very easy to hear anyone's footsteps.
As I said, I was working late one night. I was listening to some music at a very reasonable volume level [not once did I ever blare or "crank up" my music so that it would atttain an offensive or bothersome level]. Suddenly, I heard a very loud and violent pounding on my door. The pounding was so violent that my door was shaking nearly off its hinges. In other words, not only could I hear the pounding, I could the door shaking.
I was very distressed. I expected to find a very irate, and possibly enraged person when I went to open the door.
I now almost wish that this had been the case; I wish that I had found an extremely irate person when I opened the door. Instead, what I found was nothing. Nobody was there. The hallway was completely dark, except for the light coming from my office. I did notice that the area immediately outside my doorway was significantly colder than in my office and in other parts of the hallway [After opening my door and finding no one there, I walked to the end of the hallway and turned on the corridor lights.]
So, again, I'm left wondering what the hell happened. If some person had been so angered by my playing music, why did they not stay around and tell me so?
I should mention that my office was in the miidle of the corridor, just about halfway. I should think that if someone had knocked on my door, only to run away, I certainly would have heard the footsteps, but I heard no footsteps. Was it a colleague or a student playing a prank on me? Perhaps, although if that was the case, I suppose it had to have been a naughty student. And yet, given the "culture" of that school, this does not seem like something a student would do.
And they must have been in stocking feet and had the ability to run like the wind, as they say.
Then there was the coldness. Was it due to my fear? I don't know. I simply know that when I opened the door, no one was there. And no other colleague appeared to be in their office.There was no light coming from any other office.
Just to make an absolutely huge rational leap [or is it a suspension of rational thought?], it still boggles my mind why a "ghost" would do something so puerile and banal. I mean, the "theory" is that these poltergeists somehow "tap into" thermal force to manifest themselves. To use an analogy, it's kind of like gasoline [petrol] for them. That's all well and good. But why would a ghost go through all that trouble just to pound on my door, scare me, and make itself a "pain in the ass." I mean, why not stay around and give me a wallop, beat "the hell" out of me?
What shocked me most of all was the rage that "informed" the pounding on my door. This went way beyond "hard" or merely irrate knocking. It was an expression of rage. So, I have to ask, why was who/whatever it was so angry? Perhaps my music was not "demonic" enough? Was this a way of requesting something by "Marylin Manson" or "Slipknot" ?How about a song by "Korn"?
What strikes me as odd about the whole "poltergeist" phenomenon is that they go through the trouble of manifesting themselves, and then proceed to do the most banal of things. Pound my door nearly off its hinges, and then leave it at that? Why not stick around for a chat, or a real good scare?
I suppose that I have to assume that it was a prank. Maybe a drunk kid got it into his mind to play a joke on teacher. Maybe he was so drunk that he could not control his pounding. Because whoever [or whatever] it was was way out of control. Whoever was that angry would have stuck around, either with the intention of screaming at me or with the intention of violence.
Yet, it comes to my mind that I should have heard something...running footsteps...anything. Very odd.
Another question that comes to my mind is - If these poltergeists do exist, what are they doing in our world, in our realm, our "plane" of existence. I would think that theirs is a very frusrating lot or condition. They must feel trapped in a realm that is not their own, like fish out of water as it were. I'm still not totally convinced that they exist, but if they do, what are they doing in our realm? Presumably, they have their own realm..
And as I asked above, why do they spend so much time and energy doing essentially banal and puerile things like hiding this or that object, or pounding on doors? It makes no sense. It's about as stupid as making a phone call, and hanging up when the person answers. It's all so childish, to the point of absurdity. I'll stop rambling now.
