poltergeist
n. an alleged paranormal phenomenon in which an unseen “presence” disturbs a household by noisy and destructive pranks, such as slamming doors, rapping on walls, upsetting furniture, and breaking crockery. Parapsychologists often approach such manifestations with the idea that they may be caused by conscious or nonconscious psychokinesis rather than being independent phenomena. [German, “noisy ghost”]