Spookiest Years, Part 18: The Years 1907 - 1909

In previous posts in this intermittently appearing "Spookiest Years" series on this blog (here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here,  here, here, here, here, here and here) I had looked at some very spooky events reported between 1848 and 1889.  Let me pick up the thread and discuss some spooky events reported in the years 1907 to 1909.

The journal The Annals of Psychical Science was the English language version of the French journal Annales des Sciences Psychique. In the April-June 1909 edition of The Annals of Psychical Science, which you can read here, we have some fascinating accounts of paranormal phenomena.  

On page 271 we have a paper by Dr. Julien Ochorowicz, describing experiments with the Polish medium Stanislas Tomczyk. We are told on page 274 that all of the experiments were conducted in good light, after Tomczyk was hypnotized by Ochorowicz. There is a very long documented history of paranormal phenomena seeming to occur under hypnosis, with very many reports from respected witnesses of clairvoyance occurring very powerfully under hypnosis. In the paper by Ochorowicz we have a long description of what sounds like telekinetic effects produced on a clock. 

Later in the same edition on page 285 we have an account of levitation effects produced during seances with the medium Francesco Carancini. The report is preceded by quite a few photographs showing objects floating mysteriously in the air.  Below are two of the photos, one (Figure 7 of the paper) seeming to show the levitation of a violin, and the other (Figure 37 of the paper) seeming to show the levitation of a trumpet:

We hear early in the account (page 286) that events such as this were witnessed by very many distinguished observers:

"The experimenters include Professors L. M. Milese, of the U niversity of Rome, V. Tummulo, De Franciscis, Doctor Cesari, and many others, well-known in scientific circles in Rome ; also the Duke of Cardinale, Baron Von Bilgner, Count Violara, Duke of Ayala Muntzer, Marquise Lanza, Countess Paglioni, and other residents of Rome. Several visitors to Rome have also been present at some of the seances: Prof. Schiller of the University of Oxford, M. Serge Yourievitch, Secretary of the Institut Psychologique in Paris, the Hon. Everard Feilding, Hon. Secretary of the Society for Psychical Research in London, Senor Pedroso, Plenipotentiary Minister of Cuba, and M. Mezroculos, Ambassador of Greece."

On page 288 we read this list of phenomena produced in the seances of Carancini:

"Among the phenomena observed we notice : 

 1. Transport and levitation of objects. 

2. Impressions on clay. 

3. Writing on lamp black in ltalian, Latin, modern and ancient Greek, and in an unknown language resembling Arabic. 

4. Luminous phenomena. 

5. Dematerialization and rematerialisation of matter."

Here I should note the extreme inaccuracy of statements made by skeptics about paranormal phenomena. You will hear such skeptics say things such as that spooky seance phenomena always occur in the dark, and that such phenomena never show up in photographs.  Such generalizations are not at all true.  We see above photographs of apparent levitations occurring in full light, and countless other photos have been taken of levitations. The phenomena of the 19th century medium Daniel Dunglas Home (such as levitations of Home and the playing of musical instruments no one touched) were reported by very many witnesses as occurring in full light. In general, you should follow the rule of "never trust any generalization about paranormal phenomena made by skeptics."  Skeptics routinely throw out untrue generalizations about types of phenomena they have not decently studied. 

The account of the Carancini sessions gives us the type of high quality evidence that we would like to have, consisting of dated accounts listing all the witnesses who were present. The location was the home of Baron Von Erhardt. Below are some of them (each account includes mention of many spooky phenomena, but I will quote only the most dramatic parts):

• "Tuesday, May 12th (from 9.30 to II p.m., 1908). Present: Sig. C. Serra, Duca di Cardinale, Fraulein Eliza Miinbher, Baron Bilguer, Doctor Corsi, Prof. Monnosi, Signora Trevisani and daughter, and the medium Carancini.,.. A tambourine played and danced about in mid-air for several seconds... Some photographs were taken with magnesium, among which, that of a violin suspended in the air (see Figure 37) and which fell, without the least noise, to the left of Fraulein Miinbher." 
• "June 25th, 1908. (32nd Seance.) Present: Sig. Basile, Doctor Corsi, Commander Monnosi, Signora Trevisani and daughter, Baron Von Erhardt and tbe medlinn Carancini....and now the phenomenon of levitation took place ; after a few seconds of hesitation, the heavy table rose gently from the ground, the medium called out 'fire! fire!' (juoco, fuoco), signifying that a photograph of the phenomenon could be taken. Baron Von Erhardt delayed, losing time in finding the spring which lights the magnesium, but, in spite of this delay, the film reproduces the table placed above the shoulders of the medium and the side-board near him. (See Fig. 5.)"
• "September 18th, 1908. (45th Seance.) Present : Sig. and Signora Giannini, Sig. and Signora Steffoni, Signora Belloni, Signora Levi, Prof. Monnosi, Sig. Basile, Baron Von Erhardt, Carancini. ..The violin, dancing about in mid-air (in the light and, consequently, distinctly perceived by everyone present), touched several heads, then fell on to the same big table." 
• "November 20th, 1908. (65th Seance.) Present : Doctor and Signora Cesare; Signora Belloli and daughter; Sig. Giannini and daughter; Prof. Monnosi, the writer, Baron Von Erhardt, Carancini. Phenomena: The big table is levitated on one side and rapped several times, with its legs....The musical box and trumpet are carried from the sideboard, where they were standing, on to the table ; the camera has caught the trumpet in mid-air (see Fig. 7)."

We are told that the medium was himself levitated, although the photograph fails to capture him being clear of all material support (unlike the photos of the levitated violin and trumpet, which do seem to show them clear of all material support). We read this:

"At the seance held on the evening of November 27th, I908, the phenomenon of the levitation of the medium occurred; he was levitated to the height of one yard, a phenomenon distinctly visible to the spectators; the controllers verified all absence of support from the table or chair. Unfortunately, the photograph (Fig. 35) does not show the medium's feet, nor testify to this complete absence of normal support vouched for by the controllers. We reproduce it, nevertheless, for the benefit of our readers.."

In the next two editions of the  The Annals of Psychical Science (here and here) Dr. Julien Ochorowicz, continues to describe experiments with the Polish subject Stanislawa Tomczyk. We have quite a few photos of her performing levitations on small objects. Below is Figure 5, entitled "Levitation of a magnet."

On page 334 of the edition here, the July- September 1909 edition of The Annals of Psychical Science, Ochorowicz reports telekinetic phenomena and possibly teleportation phenomena occurring around Stanislawa Tomczyk:  "Several objects were brought from a room on the ground floor, a handful of snow fell on to the table, a metal seal was put into my pocket, a piece of charcoal was thrown at us from the stove, over three yards away, the large clock hanging on the wall was opened and stopped, the cord of an electric bell was shaken about and pressed and the bell set ringing, etc." Using the word "apport" which may refer to a mysterious appearance, Ochorowicz states this on page 372: "The apport of a dumb-bell, weighing two pounds, was effected yesterday without fatigue to a distance of more than three yards, and a handful of snow was brought from outside, by request, through closed doors."

Later in the same edition of The Annals of Psychical Science, we read a report on tests with the Italian medium Eusapia Palladino. The amount of time that Palladino was investigated by scientists was enormous. On page 401 we read "Eusapia Paladino gave forty-three sittings to the Institut General Psychologique during the years 1905, 1906, and 1907." Skeptics always try to to dismiss the case of Palladino by pointing out cases in which she broke rules she was supposed to follow, claiming that such cases were cheating. There is a reason why such claims have little relevance.

It was well-known by all her investigators that Eusapia would frequently break rules she was told to follow, if she was allowed to do so. There are various possible explanations for particular events of this type: (1) possibly she didn't understand the concept of needing to follow experimental rules, or (2) she might have been trying to trick people, or (3) she might have been often unable to follow rules because of being in a state of trance in which rule-following can't be expected. Whatever the reason was for her failure to follow experimental rules if allowed to do so, all of her main experimenters knew that she could not be counted on to willfully follow such rules; so they followed a habit of testing her under strict conditions in which cheating was impossible.  It was under such strict "cheat-proof" conditions that Palladino's most spectacular results were very often obtained. The fact is that many different experimenters tested Palladino under conditions in which cheating was not possible, and under such conditions all kinds of astonishing paranormal effects were observed.  Such paranormal effects were observed by many observers in good light, and very often photographed. The observers were very often scientists and medical men, many of whom seemed to hate observing what they observed. The observers included very distinguished figures such as Marie Curie. 

On page 404 of the publication, we have this account of paranormal effects occurring in the presence of Eusapia under tightly controlled conditions that should have made cheating impossible. 

"The two hands, feet, and knees of Eusapia · being controlled, the table is raised suddenly, all four feet leaving the ground, then two and again four feet; Eusapia closes her fists, and holds them towards the table, which is then completely raised · from the floor five times in succession, five raps being also given. It is again completely raised, whilst each of Eusapia's hands is on the head of a sitter. It is raised to the height of one foot from the floor and suspended in the air for seven seconds while Eusapia kept her hand on the table and a lighted candle was placed under the table; it was completely raised to a height of ten inches from the floor and suspended in the air for four seconds, M. Curie only having his hand on the table, Eusapia's hand being placed on top of his. It was completely raised when M. Curie had his hand on Eusapia's knees and Eusapia had one hand on the table and the other on M. Curie's hand, her feet tied to the chair on which she was sitting. Two and then four feet of the table were raised when a weight of ten kilogrammes was placed on the table, the hands, feet, and knees of Eusapia being thoroughly controlled. It was completely raised when touched by no one, not even Eusapia, she being under perfect control."

Again we have a report of the complete levitation of an untouched table, something that occurs in great abundance in the literature of the 19th century and early twentieth century, with very many distinguished observers reporting such an effect. 

On the next pages in this edition of the Annals of Psychical Science (the July- September 1909 edition) we have these reports of paranormal effects occurring around Eusapia:

• "At another complete levitation, all standing up, the table rose to eighteen inches from the floor: someone asked the table to break: one leg was broken" -- page 405.
• Both a curtain and Eusapia's gown "swelled out" as if blown by some supernatural wind -- page 406. 
• A variety of objects were mysteriously moved around or mysteriously broken -- page 407.
• "A three-legged wooden table, placed at a distance of a yard from Eusapia, and connected with a registering apparatus, came forward or went backwards at Eusapia's command; it was even pushed and thrown against the wall, Eusapia's feet being tied by laces to the legs of her chair." -- page 407.
• Various reports of witnesses being touched as if by invisible hands -- page 408. 
• "Blueish phosphorescent lights appeared and disappeared in turn about Eusapia's forehead, on her right side, on the black background of the curtain, and on the table." -- page 408. 
• "Lights were rising out of the centre of Eusapia's body" -- page 408.
• "Two very bright luminous specks appeared over Eusapia's head" -- page 409.
• "Forms of hands, luminous fingers, were seen at the same time that contacts were felt." -- page 409. 
• "Eusapia succeeded at discharging at a distance three electroscopes of different construction" -- page 412. 

There are very many distinguished witnesses in many different years who claimed to have seen the most inexplicable and paranormal phenomena in the presence of Eusapia Palladino. To read long accounts, you can read my posts here and here. On page 556 of a 1907 edition of The Annals of Psychical Science, we read this about scientific investigation of Eusapia Palladino:

"Naples. They have been perhaps more important than all that have preceded them, because conducted under even more severe scientific control. These seances took place in the laboratory of Professor Ph.  Bottazzi, Director of the Physiological Institute in the University of Naples. There were also present, Dr. G. Galeotti, Professor of General Pathology in the University of Naples; Dr. T. De Amicis, Professor of Dermatology and Syphilography at the same University, Dr. 0. Scarpa, Professor of Electro-Chemistry at the Polytechnic School in Naples; M. E. Jona, Senator, President of the Italian Electro. Technical Association; Dr. A. Cardarelli, Senator, Professor of Clinical Medicine in the University of Naples; M. N. Minutillo, Professor of Jurisprudence in the University. Mme. Bottazzi was also present at two seances, in the course of which mediumistic faculties revealed themselves in her-which disturbed her considerably. By the light of three lamps the table round which the experimenters were seated was seen to rise as high as nearly half a yard (4oc.) or to float in the air untouched, without any contact with Eusapia, for about twenty-five minutes; then apparitions of hands began, and of black heads, etc."

For a book length account of such phenomena, you can use the link here to read "Eusapia Palladino and Her Phenomena" by Hereward Carrington. Accounts of paranormal phenomena occurring around Eusapia Palladino sometimes appeared in mainstream newspapers. Using the links below, you can read a lengthy 1907 account of the investigations of Eusapia Palladino, which appeared in the mainstream Washington D.C. newspaper The Evening Star (a paper I once delivered to subscribers when I was a boy). The account says that several types of dramatic paranormal phenomena were witnessed by hundreds.

https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1907-09-22/ed-1/seq-37/

https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1907-09-22/ed-1/seq-38/

In 1910 there appeared the following newspaper account about one of the mediums discussed above: