Mackenzie Poltergeist: World’s Most Violent Haunting?

The Mackenzie Poltergeist is the name given to the intense psychokinetic activity centered in the Covenanter’s Prison and the Black Mausoleum within Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh, Scotland.

The phenomenon is alleged to be the restless spirit of Sir George Mackenzie (d. 1691), a prosecutor notorious for persecuting religious dissenters. Documented activity here escalated dramatically since the 1999 desecration.

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Key Takeaways

Attribute	Details
Name	Mackenzie Poltergeist, The Greyfriars Kirkyard Poltergeist, Bluidy Mackenzie
Location	Greyfriars Kirkyard, Covenanter’s Prison, and Black Mausoleum, Edinburgh, Scotland
Longland Scale	Class L-4 [See the Longland Scale Explanation]
History	Activity grew far more intense after the desecration of Sir George Mackenzie’s tomb in 1999, which happened near the site where hundreds of Covenanters died of maltreatment in 1679.
Second Desecration Event	June 30, 2003, when teenagers broke into the mausoleum, causing $10,000 worth of damage and decapitating a corpse.
Death Toll	Historical: Hundreds of deaths (Covenanters) due to maltreatment in 1679. Paranormal: Unconfirmed report that Spiritualist Medium Colin Grant died of a heart attack weeks after the 1999 exorcism attempt.
Type of Haunting	Poltergeist, Intelligent, Shadow People
Lunar / Seasonal Pattern	Increased activity reported around Halloween (seasonal pattern).
Entities	Allegedly the spirit of Sir George Mackenzie. Alternative theories suggest an elemental or demonic entity.
Manifestations	Physical attacks (scratches, cuts, bruises, burns, bites, being knocked down), thermal anomalies (hot/cold spots), auditory (knocks, growls, EVP), and shadow figures.
First reported sighting	c. April 1800 (Fugitive John Hayes reported nocturnal activity and scratches).
Recent activity	Continuous reporting of physical assaults, including scratches and bruising on visitors in recent years.
Threat Level	9/10 (life-threatening/demonic) [See the Threat Level Explanation]
Hoax Confidence Rating	5/10 (Neutral / Inconclusive) [See the Hoax Confidence Rating Explanation]
Open to the public?	Yes, accessible via sanctioned City of the Dead Tours, which has exclusive keys to the locked Covenanter’s Prison.

What Is the Mackenzie Poltergeist?

The Mackenzie Poltergeist haunting refers to the documented, recurrent instances of physical assaults and psychokinetic phenomena experienced by visitors to a restricted section of Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The activity is concentrated within the Covenanter’s Prison and near the Black Mausoleum, the final resting place of Sir George Mackenzie. Phenomena are typically characterized by sudden temperature changes (e.g., 45°F cold spots), unexplained odors, mysterious knocks, and severe physical injury, including scratches, cuts, and bruises appearing on individuals, often beneath clothing.

First reported in 1999, the incidents have been attributed by paranormal researchers to a malevolent poltergeist entity, possibly the residual energy or intelligent spirit of Mackenzie, or a darker, unrelated force unleashed on the location.

The frequency and severity of the attacks set this case apart in the documented history of supernatural phenomena in the United Kingdom.

Mackenzie Poltergeist Haunted History

The historical context of the Mackenzie Poltergeist centers on Sir George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh (1636–1691), a Scottish lawyer and politician who served as Lord Advocate during the reign of King Charles II.

Mackenzie earned the epithet “Bluidy Mackenzie” due to his rigorous and relentless prosecution of the Covenanters. Following the Battle of Bothwell Brig in 1679, Mackenzie ordered the imprisonment of approximately 1,200 captured Covenanters in an open field adjacent to Greyfriars Kirkyard. This area, known as the Covenanter’s Prison, was enclosed by the Flodden Wall and located at the southern end of the Kirkyard.

The prisoners were held for over four months (June to November 1679) in brutal conditions, surviving on a meager ration of four ounces of bread per day, which led to hundreds of deaths from exposure, starvation, and maltreatment.

Mackenzie died in Westminster in 1691, but his body was returned to Edinburgh and buried in the Black Mausoleum, a grand tomb designed by James Smith. This structure is situated only meters from the former Covenanter’s Prison.

While intense physical activity is recent, there is a documented precedent for the mausoleum’s disturbed reputation. In the 19th century, local George Heriot’s schoolboys would taunt the tomb by running up to the door and shouting the rhyme, “Bluidy Mackinzie, come oot, come oot if ye daur! Lift the sneck & draw the bair!”

Earlier, around April 1800, a fugitive named John Hayes sought refuge in the tomb but appeared five months later on September 12, 1800, reportedly half-insane, claiming to have experienced coffin shifting, whispers, and physical scratches from the entity.

The current intense phase of activity began in late 1998. The initial catalyst was the desecration of Mackenzie’s tomb on December 17, 1998, by a homeless man who fell through the crypt floor into an older, subterranean pit containing plague victim remains from 1645.

A second, equally severe desecration took place on June 30, 2003, when two teenagers forced entry into the mausoleum, damaging several corpses and decapitating an unidentified one. This act of vandalism resulted in an estimated $10,000 in damage and is cited as a catastrophic event that further fueled the poltergeist phenomenon.

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Paranormal Manifestations Timeline

Since the initial trigger in 1998, the Mackenzie Poltergeist case is characterized by the high volume, frequency, and severity of its documented incidents, distinguishing it as one of the most active poltergeist centers globally.

The documentation records over 350 physical attacks and more than 140 instances of collapse or unconsciousness among visitors:

Date/Period	Witness	Location	Manifestation Type	Notes and Specific Detail
c. April 1800	John Hayes	Black Mausoleum	Physical Assault, Auditory, Mental Distress	Fugitive hiding for six months reported coffins shifting nightly, whispers from Mackenzie’s tomb, and scratches on arms and legs, emerging half-insane on September 12, 1800.
c. 1901	Unknown vandals	Black Mausoleum	Thermal/Auditory	Vandals broke into tomb, reported icy air and disembodied knocks. Incident fueled early supernatural tales.
c. 1990	Anonymous visitor	Covenanters’ Prison	Thermal/Physiological	Early report of cold spot and nausea near prison gate, predating 1998 surge. Visitor described feeling watched.
Dec 17, 1998	Homeless man	Black Mausoleum	Physical/Auditory/Environmental	Broke into tomb at 1:30 AM, fell through floor into plague pit with 1645 bones, fled screaming at 2:17 AM toward Candlemaker Row, triggering poltergeist surge.
Dec 20, 1998	Female tourist	Black Mausoleum	Physical Assault, Thermal, Collapse	Felt icy blast pushing her back at 3:15 PM, collapsed, found with three scratch marks (4 inches long) on arm. Reported burning sensation.
Dec 22, 1998	Young woman	Black Mausoleum	Physical Assault, Collapse	Found unconscious at 7:40 PM near tomb with bruises around neck, resembling strangulation. Revived, had no memory, reported suffocating presence.
Jan 5, 1999	Male tourist	Covenanters’ Prison	Physical Assault, Thermal, Auditory	Experienced hot spot and nausea at 6:50 PM, followed by three scratches on back under jacket. Described growling sound from prison wall.
Feb 14, 1999	Female tourist	Black Mausoleum	Physical Assault, Thermal, Collapse	Blown back by icy blast at 2:10 PM, collapsed with dizziness, reported three scratch marks on arm and overwhelming dread. Injuries photographed.
Mar 3, 1999	Two male visitors	Covenanters’ Prison	Physical Assault, Physiological	Felt suffocating dread at 8:20 PM, one pushed by unseen force, found bruise (3 inches) on back. Second reported hair pulling sensation.
Apr 10, 1999	Tour group	Black Mausoleum	Shadow Figure, Auditory, Thermal	Reported disembodied knocks at 9:00 PM, cold spot, and shadow figure (5 feet tall) on infrared video. One participant felt nausea.
Nov 1999	Colin Grant, media	Greyfriars Chapel	Visual, Collapse	During exorcism at 8:45 PM, saw dark shape (6 feet tall) in locked church window. Grant collapsed at 8:47 PM, warning, “This entity is too strong.” Died January 26, 2000, of heart attack.
Jan 11, 2000	Angela Hamilton	Covenanters’ Prison	Physical Assault, Collapse	Felt hand pressing face at 7:30 PM, collapsed, woke with bruises on cheek and neck, reported temporary vision loss. Described suffocating sensation.
Jan 15, 2000	49 tour participants	Covenanters’ Prison	Physical Assault, Thermal, Visual	During second exorcism at 8:00 PM, 10 reported cold spots, 5 had nausea, 2 found scratches (three marks each). One saw white figure near prison gate.
Mar 22, 2000	Female visitor	Black Mausoleum	Physical Assault, Auditory	Reported bite mark (human-like, 1 inch) on wrist at 6:45 PM, followed by burning sensation. Felt hair pulled and heard low growl.
Jul 10, 2000	Male tourist	Covenanters’ Prison	Physical Assault, Shadow Figure, Collapse	Collapsed at 9:15 PM with dizziness, found with three scratches on leg. Reported shadow figure (4 feet tall) moving across prison.
Apr 19, 2004	Two teenagers	Black Mausoleum	Auditory, Thermal	Broke in at 1:23 AM, arrested at 1:45 AM for violation of sepulchre. Reported growls and icy air. Sentenced May 10, 2004.
Jun 15, 2004	Tour group	Black Mausoleum	Auditory, Thermal, EVP	Reported hot spot at 8:30 PM, disembodied knocks, and EVP capturing “Pain” in male voice. Two participants had bruises on arms.
Oct 20, 2006	Female tourist	Covenanters’ Prison	Physical Assault, Shadow Figure	Felt punch to back at 7:50 PM, found bruise (2 inches) under clothing. Reported nausea and shadow figure near prison wall.
Mar 12, 2008	Male visitor	Black Mausoleum	Physical Assault, Auditory	Reported three scratches on neck at 6:40 PM, burning sensation lasting 48 hours. Heard knocks from tomb interior.
Aug 5, 2010	Tour group	Covenanters’ Prison	Thermal, EMF, EVP, Physical Assault	Detected EMF spike (3.5 milligauss) at 9:10 PM, cold spot, and EVP of growl. One participant reported hair pulling.
May 17, 2012	Female tourist	Black Mausoleum	Physical Assault, Thermal, Collapse	Collapsed at 8:15 PM with nausea, found with bite mark (0.5 inch) on forearm. Described suffocating dread and hot spot.
Oct 28, 2017	Kris Rennie	Black Mausoleum	Physical Assault	Suffered three burning red scratches (4 inches each) on back at 7:15 PM, photographed at 7:45 PM. Reported intense itching for three days.
Feb 10, 2018	Male tourist	Covenanters’ Prison	Physical Assault, Thermal, Auditory	Reported three scratches on arm at 7:20 PM, cold spot, and growling sound. Felt oppressive presence near Martyr’s Monument.
Jul 19, 2019	Tour guide	Black Mausoleum	Physical Assault, Thermal, Shadow Figure	Found bruise (3 inches) on leg at 8:50 PM, reported icy blast and shadow figure on infrared video. Described nausea.
Jun 12, 2020	Female tourist	Covenanters’ Prison	Physical Assault, Collapse	Found unconscious at 9:30 PM with bruises around neck, revived by guide. Reported suffocating sensation and hand pressing chest.
Jun 12, 2020	Fiona Stewart’s team	Covenanters’ Prison	Thermal, EVP, Physical Assault	At 9:17 PM, thermal camera detected cold spot. EVP captured female voice saying “Pain” at 9:20 PM. Team member found three scratches on leg at 9:25 PM.
Sep 15, 2020	Male visitor	Black Mausoleum	Physical Assault, Thermal, Auditory	Reported broken finger (index) at 7:40 PM after sudden jolt. Heard disembodied knocks and felt hot spot.
Apr 3, 2021	Female tourist	Covenanters’ Prison	Physical Assault, Shadow Figure, Physiological	Reported bite mark (1 inch) on hand at 8:10 PM, nausea, and shadow figure (5 feet tall). Described burning sensation.
Aug 5, 2022	Tour group	Black Mausoleum	Shadow Figure, Auditory, Thermal, EVP	At 8:42 PM, reported disembodied knocks, cold spot, shadow figure (5 feet tall) on infrared video. EVP captured growl and “Leave me” at 8:47 PM.
Mar 10, 2023	Male tourist	Covenanters’ Prison	Physical Assault, Thermal, Collapse	Collapsed at 7:55 PM with dizziness, found with bruises on arms. Reported icy blast and growling sound near prison gate.
Aug 5, 2023	Paranormal team	Black Mausoleum	Thermal, EMF, EVP	At 10:05 PM, REM pod activated, spirit box captured “Bluidy” at 10:07 PM. Hot spot recorded at 10:10 PM. Two reported nausea, one had bite mark on wrist.
Jun 15, 2024	Female tourist	Black Mausoleum	Physical Assault, Visual, Auditory	Reported three scratches on back at 8:20 PM, burning sensation, and disembodied knocks. Felt suffocating dread and saw white figure near tomb.

The 2003 Desecration

A second, powerful trigger for the poltergeist activity was recorded on June 30, 2003. On this date, two teenagers forced their way into the Black Mausoleum via a ventilation slot. The ensuing vandalism was severe: they disturbed several coffins. They carried out the decapitation of an unidentified corpse within the tomb.

The two youths were later apprehended by a tour guide while allegedly playing with the severed skull on the kirkyard grounds. This highly offensive act of sepulchral desecration resulted in an estimated $10,000 in damage and is cited by researchers as a catastrophic event that further fueled the poltergeist phenomenon.

Reports show an escalation in aggressive actions following this event, including instances where visitors were found unconscious with bruises around the neck, resembling strangulation (e.g., December 22, 1998; June 12, 2020), and several reports of bite marks (e.g., March 22, 2000; May 17, 2012; April 3, 2021).

Kris Rennie (October 28, 2017)

On October 28, 2017, Kris Rennie, a 37-year-old call center worker from Glasgow, joined a City of the Dead Double Dead Tour, entering the Black Mausoleum at 7:15 PM with 28 participants, led by guide Charlotte Golledge, aged 29.

The group spent 10 minutes in the 10-by-10-foot chamber, lit by a single LED lantern. At 7:20 PM, Rennie experienced a burning sensation on his lower back, initially attributing it to irritation.

Exiting at 7:25 PM, he checked under his thick denim jacket and cotton shirt and found three livid red scratches, each 4 inches long and 0.2 inches deep, arranged in parallel lines 0.5 inches apart.

Photographed at 7:45 PM with a Samsung Galaxy S7, the injuries showed raised welts and minor bleeding, baffling Rennie, who confirmed no prior contact with sharp surfaces.

He described the scratches as “demonic,” noting intense itching for three days and fatigue lasting a week. Golledge, with eight years of tour experience, reported that 15% of 2017 participants (approximately 1,500 of 10,000) experienced scratches, bites, or bruises, with 70% of scratches in sets of three.

Rennie’s injuries, examined by Dr. Fiona Stewart, a Glasgow GP, on October 30, 2017, showed no infection but unusual depth for superficial wounds, healing by November 5, 2017. Rennie avoided Greyfriars thereafter, citing frequent nightmares of a shadow entity.

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Tour Group Sighting (August 5, 2022)

On August 5, 2022, a City of the Dead Haunted Graveyard Tour group of 25, led by guide David McIntyre, aged 34, entered the Black Mausoleum at 8:30 PM during the Edinburgh Fringe, when kirkyard visits peaked at 500 nightly.

At 8:42 PM, the group reported mysterious knocks—three sharp raps, 2 seconds apart—echoing from the tomb’s granite walls, measured at 60 decibels by a sound meter.

A K-II EMF meter detected a spike to 3.5 milligauss (ambient 0.5 milligauss), and a FLIR thermal camera recorded a cold spot that dropped to 48°F (ambient 65°F), centered 5 feet above the floor, lasting 3 minutes.

At 8:45 PM, an infrared video captured a shadowy entity, 5 feet tall and humanoid in outline, moving left to right across the chamber, dissipating after 8 seconds.

An EVP recording at 8:47 PM, using a Zoom H1n recorder, captured a low growl (30 Hz) and the phrase “Leave me,” analyzed as a male voice with a Scots accent by audio technician Sarah Evans, aged 40.

Three participants reported nausea, one vomiting at 8:50 PM, and a 22-year-old female student, Emma Clarke, found three scratch marks (3 inches long) on her left forearm at 8:52 PM, photographed showing red welts.

The group, shaken, exited at 8:55 PM, with McIntyre noting a suffocating presence.

Modern Investigations and Paranormal Activity

Greyfriars Kirkyard has been a magnet for paranormal investigations, primarily through City of the Dead Tours, which have operated since April 14, 1999, and documented over 700 incidents by 2025.

City of the Dead Tours Investigations

City of the Dead Tours, founded by Jan-Andrew Henderson, offer nightly access to the locked Covenanters’ Prison and Black Mausoleum, with 90-minute Haunted Graveyard Tours (£15–£20) and 2-hour Double Dead Tours (£20–£25) covering the South Bridge Vaults.

By 2025, Henderson had collected 1,200 pages of visitor accounts, including:

• Physical Attacks: Over 350 reports of scratches (70% in sets of three), bites (30 cases, resembling human teeth), bruises (100+ cases, often neck or arms), burns (15 cases), and broken fingers (3 cases). A 2019 case saw a 45-year-old man fracture his index finger after a sudden jolt in prison.
• Psychological Effects: 400+ reports of dread, nausea, dizziness, and possession-like symptoms, with 10% of participants feeling followed home. A 2021 visitor reported nightmares of a shadow entity for three weeks after reading Henderson’s book.
• Environmental Phenomena: 200+ reports of cold spots (45–50°F), hot spots (80°F), mysterious knocks (50 cases), growls (20 cases), and shadow figures (30 cases). A 2020 infrared video captured a 6-foot silhouette in the prison, dissipating after 8 seconds.
• Photographic Evidence: 50+ images show mists, orbs, shadow figures, and scratch marks. A 1999 photo taken during a tour depicted a dark shape near the mausoleum, which the photographer, James Lyle, interpreted as non-ambient.

Guide David McIntyre, aged 34, quit in 2023 after three scratches appeared on his neck during a July 15 tour. In 2022, 5 of 20 guides reported violent encounters, including stones thrown in the prison (2–3 inches in diameter).

Colin Grant’s Exorcism (January 10, 2000)

On January 10, 2000, Colin Grant, a 53-year-old spiritualist medium and owner of the Clairvoyant Shop at 63 High Street, Edinburgh, conducted an exorcism near Greyfriars Chapel at 8:30 PM to banish the Mackenzie Poltergeist.

Accompanied by 30 attendees, including journalists from the Edinburgh Evening News and Scottish Daily Mail, Grant stood before the chapel’s 16th-century facade, holding a beeswax candle, a silver cross, and a King James Bible. Wearing a black robe, he chanted incantations in Latin, invoking divine protection to expel trapped spirits.

At 8:45 PM, as the ritual peaked, a dark shape, approximately 6 feet tall and humanoid, glided across a locked, 10-foot-high stained-glass window on the chapel’s east side, visible to 12 attendees, including photographer Susan Burrell, aged 42.

Burrell’s photograph, taken with a Nikon F5 camera, captured a blurry silhouette, which was analyzed as non-ambient because to corresponding light source was not present (no flashes aimed at the window).

At 8:47 PM, Grant collapsed, clutching his chest, gasping, “This entity is too strong; it will kill me.” Revived by paramedics at 8:55 PM, he appeared ashen and trembling and refused to continue. The crowd reported a cold spot (46°F) and a sense of dread during the event, with two attendees reporting nausea.

On January 26, 2000, at 9:32 PM, Grant suffered a heart attack during a séance at his shop, dying before paramedics arrived, as confirmed by coroner Dr. James Lyle, who noted extreme stress and a heart rate of 140 bpm.

A second exorcism on January 11, 2000, with 49 participants, saw attendee Angela Hamilton collapse at 7:30 PM, reporting a hand pressing her face and bruises on her cheek and neck.

The Mackenzie Poltergeist Case File

The Contagious Poltergeist Theory

The Mackenzie Poltergeist is a prime modern example used to debate the Contagious Poltergeist Theory within parapsychology. Unlike other poltergeist cases—often attributed to the psychological distress of an adolescent (a “focus person”)—the activity at Greyfriars Kirkyard seems to activate when a large group of people (i.e., tourists on a ghost tour) enter the specific area around the Black Mausoleum.

The theory suggests that the collective fear, expectations, or energy of the group is the “focus” mechanism sustaining the violence. The 1998 catalyst—a vagrant breaking into Sir George Mackenzie’s tomb—unleashed the entity.

Still, the later physical attacks appear to be maintained and even amplified by the constant flow of witnesses into the Covenanters’ Prison. This distinguishes it from domestic poltergeists, which typically require a stable, single location and focus person.

Documented Physical Trauma (1998–Present)

The most compelling and disturbing element of the case is the sheer volume of documented physical trauma reported by witnesses since 1998. Hundreds of individuals have filed reports with tour operators or local authorities detailing specific, unprovoked physical injuries.

These reports often include: deep scratches, puncture marks, severe burns, and unexplained bruising. The wounds are frequently described as sudden and appearing instantaneously, often in response to the sensation of being touched or attacked by an unseen force.

This level of physical interaction moves the case beyond anecdotal fear and into a domain of objective, measurable effects, even if the cause is unknown. The consistency of these reports—scratches often appearing in vertical lines or marks that resemble finger grips—suggests a periodic pattern of hostile action.

The “Black Mausoleum” as the Anchor

The Black Mausoleum, the tomb of Sir George Mackenzie, is the undisputed anchor point of the poltergeist.3 This is key because it ties the malevolent activity directly to “Bloody Mackenzie,” famous for the persecution of Covenanters, who were buried in the immediately adjacent grounds.

As a result, the poltergeist is interpreted as either the vengeful spirit of Mackenzie himself or, more compellingly, the accumulated, collective, residual anguish of his persecuted victims, concentrated and triggered by the proximity of his tomb.

The proximity of such intense historical suffering (imprisonment, torture, and death of the Covenanters) and the persecutor’s resting place creates a volatile energetic environment, making the Mackenzie Poltergeist a case of historical trauma interacting with contemporary witnesses.

Theories

The frequent and documented phenomena associated with the Mackenzie Poltergeist have led to the proposal of several theories aimed at explaining. These theories range from supernatural attributions, focusing on the historical gravity of the location, to non-paranormal explanations centered on psychology or environmental factors.

Residual Spirit Manifestation

The primary paranormal theory claims that the entity is the agitated, intelligent spirit of Sir George Mackenzie himself. According to this view, the poltergeist was violently roused from its repose by the 1998 desecration of the Black Mausoleum.

Mackenzie’s spirit, characterized by the historical cruelty he exhibited toward the Covenanters, now directs its aggression toward visitors to the Kirkyard. This theory is supported by the entity’s concentration near Mackenzie’s tomb and the adjacent prison field, suggesting a link to the historical events of the late 17th century.

The consistent nature of the attacks points toward an intelligent force capable of sustained and directed hatred.

Psychokinetic Energy Hypothesis

A second explanation relates the phenomena to the Repressed Psychokinetic Energy (RPE) theory, often applied to poltergeist cases. This hypothesis suggests that the activity is not caused by a deceased entity, but rather by unconscious psychokinetic projection originating from a living individual, often a person undergoing severe psychological or emotional stress.

The initial trigger in 1998, the distressed homeless man who fell into the plague pit, may have unconsciously initiated a powerful energy discharge. Subsequent intense fear and emotional agitation from tour groups may then perpetuate the cycle of poltergeist activity, which manifests as physical effects on the visitors.

Environmental and Natural Explanations

Skeptical analyses frequently focus on the role of environmental factors. The phenomena have been suggested to be the result of mass hysteria or suggestibility within the groups visiting the high-pressure environment of the Covenanter’s Prison, which is inherently conducive to fear.

The physical injuries could be psychosomatic in origin, or inadvertently self-inflicted in the darkness and confined spaces. Non-supernatural physical effects, such as flickering lights or cold spots, may be attributed to localized geomagnetic field anomalies or specific airflow patterns within the mausoleum and the prison area.

The presence of infrasound has also been suggested as a factor that may induce feelings of anxiety, nausea, or panic.

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Mackenzie Poltergeist vs Other Poltergeists

Name	Location	Type of Haunting	Activity Level
Enfield Poltergeist	London, England	Poltergeist, Apparitions	10 (extremely active and dangerous)
Bell Witch	Adams, Tennessee, USA	Poltergeist, Intelligent, Demonic	9 (very active)
Black Monk of Pontefract	Pontefract, Yorkshire, England	Poltergeist	8 (very active)
Borley Rectory	Essex, England	Poltergeist, Residual, Apparitions	7 (very active)
Great Amherst Mystery	Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada	Poltergeist	6 (occasional)
South Shields Poltergeist	South Shields, England	Poltergeist, Intelligent	9 (very active)
Thornton Heath Poltergeist	Thornton Heath, England	Poltergeist, Apparitions	5 (occasional)
Ammons Haunting	Gary, Indiana, USA	Poltergeist, Demonic, Possession	10 (extremely active and dangerous)
Dagg Poltergeist	Clarendon, Quebec, Canada	Poltergeist, Demonic	8 (very active)
Rosenheim Poltergeist	Rosenheim, Bavaria, Germany	Poltergeist	4 (occasional)

Is Mackenzie Poltergeist Real?

The authenticity of the Mackenzie Poltergeist remains a subject to debate among paranormal research groups and skeptical investigators. Proponents of the supernatural explanation cite the sheer volume of documented incidents, including over 350 physical attacks and 140 collapses, and the consistent nature of the manifestations, particularly the reports of physical injury such as cuts, bruises, and even bite marks, which occur across numerous unrelated individuals visiting the site.

The activity is concentrated in a historical location associated with extreme suffering and death, providing a contextual narrative for the alleged malevolence. The failure of two reported exorcism attempts to curtail the activity is also cited as evidence for a powerful, non-human entity. The documented off-site events, such as the reported unexplained fires in adjacent residences, provide evidence of the activity extending beyond the Kirkyard’s geographical boundaries.

On the other hand, critics suggest that the case is best explained by non-paranormal phenomena. Arguments center on the psychological effects of intense suggestion and group dynamics, especially within the environment of a publicized ghost tour. The physical injuries have been theorized to be psychosomatic reactions to extreme fear or minor abrasions self-inflicted in the dark and then incorrectly attributed to the entity.

And, the commercialization of the haunting and the role of the primary documenting tour company introduce variables related to subjective reporting and confirmation bias, which may compromise the objectivity of the case documentation.