Paranormal Powers

 


In the second half of the nineteenth century, the phenomenon of Spiritualism reveals the psychic powers of some people and raises the issue of explanation. It is this task that is enshrined in parapsychology, through the examination of particularly gifted individuals like Daniel Dunglass Home.

Born in 1833 in Currie, a town near Edinburgh, Home appears today as the greatest medium of all time. In 1868, compared to many observers a presentation that demonstrates the power, apparently undeniable, their psychic abilities.

Levitation

On December 16, 1868, in England, while with a group of people with Lord Adare, Lord Lindsay, Captain Wynne and Barry Smith, Home goes into a trance and starts to rise into the air. Floating out a window of the house where everyone is, goes at 20 feet above the ground and re-enter through the small window next room. Back to the room accompanied by Lord Adare. Not understanding how the latter could go through a half-open window, repeat the test Home: land rises again and goes out the window, head first and then the body almost horizontal, apparently rigid.

It is not the first nor the last time that lends itself to these exhibitions. Already in 1866, Home was raised to the ceiling of a room and drew a cross on it to show everyone that did not participate in a collective hallucination. Was thus, in front of witnesses, about fifty times during his career.

Precocious Talent

Already at the age of 4 years, the future medium moved to its environment by announcing events before they occur. Seems to have psychic powers of her mother, also known for his ability to "double vision." Having been an orphan, is adopted by her aunt, Mrs. Cook, who takes him to America when 9 years old. It is frail and suffers from tuberculosis. At age 13, Home announces the death of one of his colleagues, Edwin, who died three days later.

Some years later, a knock echoed by the family house and a few tables on the approach glide. The multiplication of incidents requiring the young to leave his aunt, a superstitious woman who accuses him of being possessed by the devil ...

We are then in 1851, shortly after the strange events that occurred at the home of the Fox, in Hydesville, marking the "birth of Spiritualism." Since many people who are interested in phenomena that are subsequently referred to as "paranormal." The amazing capabilities of young attention.

An impressive number of demonstrations

Since then starts an international career, which makes travel throughout Europe. Home is a sweet man, kind, lovely like a luxury, but refuses to receive money for their shows. The courts are fighting their presence. Among his admirers and protectors is the Emperor Napoleon III, Czar of Russia and the King of Bavaria. In contrast, the Italian authorities, particularly religious, do not appreciate their talents and do pass. In 1862, Home published his memoirs: Revelations about my supernatural life.

The exceptional nature of the case of Home is due to extensive testing, apparently solid (there are hundreds of witnesses), the extent of his powers. A commission sent by the Harvard University claims that, in the presence of the medium, a table was raised and moved a few centimeters, and the floor vibrated. The medium is not affected by the "environment" of the premises where it operates, and observers can follow the discussion without it disturbing in the slightest.

On December 16, 1868, in front of witnesses, Home flew through the air and flew out the window?.

When Home is in the process, the phenomena (whose nature can not explain) are many and varied: levitation, of course, but also vision, elongation of the body, materialization of objects and ectoplasm, telekinesis or moving objects from a distance, sound of music in the room, various phenomena of light,, spirit voices, etc. It can even handle without burning braziers. Sir William Crookes, renowned chemist who discovered the Talic (1861), intrigued by the fame of the medium, met with him and did tests on their capacities for many years.

The result of his research, published in 1871 in the Journal of Science Quarienly is entirely favorable to Home. The scientist tells the tests that had been home and finds that the medium can, for example, have an accordion with keys began to play alone move a distance, without having been able to find any trap. Home also underwent tests in St. Petersburg (1870), but his talent did not work then, a fact which did not surprise Crookes. The same, for a few sessions, obtained poor results: Home powers do not manifest continually simple order, which is rather an argument in its favor. Until his death in 1886 because of the tuberculosis he suffered since childhood, he was never able to prove any fraud.

Great Mediums

For the spiritualists, mediums are intermediate between men and spirits. For parapsychologists, are subject to possess psychic powers. On occasion the mediums were caught cheating, well, Eusepia Palladino in the nineteenth century and Uri Geller, closer to us. But the psychic powers do not manifest at will. It is conceivable that some mediums in great demand not resist the temptation to go to subterfuge in case of impotence, which does not necessarily put in doubt the reality of his powers.

In the nineteenth century .- This century is rich in mediums, and is difficult to choose. Take, however, the Davenport brothers, who tied, they are able to move objects distant and elevated themselves into the air. Or Eusepia Palladino, who was considered by many experts as the criminologist C. Lombroso (Hypnotism and Spiritualism, 1911) and the astronomer Camille Flammarion (unknown natural forces, 1907).

In the twentieth century .- The Frenchman Jean-Pierre Girard and Israeli Uri Geller is able to twist telekinesistas metal objects without touching them. In a television appearance was a phenomenon of "contagion" paranormal, to quote the terms of specialist R. Tocquet and twisted spoons, keys and watches from viewers. The evidence on this phenomenon were so numerous that the telephone exchange of British television (BBC) AUTO POWER on December 23, 1973, and the same happened to the French television on 15 November 1974.

In Russia .- In the former Soviet Union, scientists conducted studies on the paranormal. The medium Nely Mikhailova was the subject of his famous experiments were filmed sequences. A documentary distance separating the sample under strict control, the yolk and white of an egg in a glass bowl placed at 1.80 meters of it, and then reassemble them.