A reanalysis of a case study by Auerbach et al. (2023) on a poltergeist-like disturbance investigated with virtual technology during the COVID-19 pandemic finds that the case strongly aligns with the Haunted People Syndrome (HP-S) model. HP-S conceptualizes ghostly episodes as an interactionist phenomenon arising from individuals with heightened somatic-sensory sensitivities, stirred by dis-ease states, contextualized with paranormal belief, and reinforced via perceptual contagion and threat-agency detection. Content analysis by an independent researcher showed the case had below-average 'haunt intensity' and a pattern resembling embellished or false testimony, yet it displayed most HP-S recognition patterns. The findings imply that ghostly episodes are best understood through a biopsychosocial lens, regardless of potential psi contributions.
Anomalous events resembling trickster behavior—such as missing files, device malfunctions, unusual dreams, and emotional shifts—were reported by researchers writing about ghostly episodes. In a sample of 167 participants (7 credentialed frontier scientists and 160 amateur paranormal investigators), subjective experiences occurred 1.6 times more often than objective events, with endorsement rates from 7% to 30%. Rasch analysis showed a unidimensional hierarchy of 14 coherent items with strong internal consistency (KR-20 = .87) and minimal gender bias. While psychological mechanisms like memory reconstruction or cognitive load may explain many anomalies, their clustering and symbolic framing suggest deeper epistemological vulnerabilities, termed a “trickster chain,” in paranormal-themed writing. The findings may extend to other emotionally charged or liminal writing contexts.