Mindfield Issue 2 the Institut Métapsychique International Issue Celebrating a Centennial

The Bulletin of the Parapsychological 2019 Association 11.2.

Volume 11 Mindfield Issue 2 The Institut Métapsychique International Issue Celebrating a Centennial

WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 Mindfield 51 The Bulletin of the Parapsychological Association 11.2.2019

Volume 11 Mindfield Issue 2

From the 54 Mindfield Team by Renaud Evrard, Annalisa Ventola & Nikolaos Koumartzis

52 Mindfield Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG | Mindfield Editors Renaud Evrard, Annalisa M. Ventola Art Director Nikolaos Koumartzis Staff Writer Anastasia Wasko | 2018-2019 Board of Directors President: Dean Radin Vice President: Marilyn J. Schlitz Secretary: Renaud Evrard Treasurer: Everton Maraldi Board Members Sally Ann Drucker, Joseph W. McMoneagle, Peter Mulacz, Alejandro Parra, David J. Vernon Past President Chris A. Roe Student Representative Bruno A. Silva Executive Director Annalisa M. Ventola

The The Differences 81 Library 55 of Temperament of Hauntings Between English by Philippe Baudouin and French Supernormal Researchers in 70 Knowledge: Articles the 1920s The Work of Relevant to by Antonio Leon Eugène Osty 93 Parapsychology by Carlos S. Alvarado in Journals of The Various Fields Establishment of 61 Interview with (XXVIII) Metapsychics Mario Varvoglis 75 by Maurice van Luijtelaar During the by Renaud Evrard and Renaud Evrard Roaring Twenties by Renaud Evrard WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 Mindfield 53 From the Bulletin of the of Bulletin

Mindfield Team The Parapsychological Association 11 Volume Issue 2 2019

| BY RENAUD EVRARD, to France, the country of Des- agenda. For this generation, Université de Lorraine cartes, and the particular con- it is important to extend the

ANNALISA VENTOLA, texts it offers. Parapsychology studies of their predecessors Parapsychological Association - or metapsychics according to while anticipating the obsta- Nobel laureate Charles Richet’s cles they may encounter. Such & NIKOLAOS KOUMARTZIS, term - has experienced cycles a generation is born with the SEIKILO Cultural Organization of enthusiasm and marginal- reading of Bertrand Meheust’s ization. The articles presented masterly work Somnambulisme he centennial here trace several moments of et médiumnnité (1999) which of the Institut this story, shared between the reestablished the clandestine Métapsychique past glory of the Roaring Twen- history of animal magnetism, T International (IMI) ties and the current activities hypnosis, psychical research is an event to celebrate. This of IMI. with contemporary thinkers. institutional persistence is Coincidentally, the annual This issue of Mindfieldcontrib - not a guarantee of prosperity convention of the Parapsy- utes to this direction, hoping or stability; it is primarily the chological Association is back to celebrate one day the bicen- victory of a struggle led by in France for the third time tennial of IMI or other sister passionate people. It is also in the 21st century, where the societies. the outcome of the desire to situation seems to evolve very keep alive a unique historical slowly. A new generation is tradition of psi research. working to include parapsy- This issue of Mindfield turns chology in their official research

54 Mindfield Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG The Differences of Temperament Between English and French Researchers in the 1920s

he purpose of this The Backstage of article is to expose the the Foundation differences of tem- of the Institut perament between Métapsychique T International English and French researchers in the 1920s. For this purpose, I will use primary sources such as At the end of World War I, San- toliquido, a public health offi- letters and speeches obtained cial, sent a letter to Arnaud de from the archives of The Insti- Gramont, physicist and member of tut Métapsychique International the French Academy of Sciences, (IMI) and official journals. These to found the Institut Métapsy- differences were evident after chique International. Gramont’s | by ANTONIO LEON World War I (Evrard, 2016), during response was approval, only Rocco Santoliquido’s exchange recommending the consultation would be ready to do whatever it of letters prior to the foundation of the great physiologist Charles took, but Santoliquido should do of the Institute and during the Richet (Santoliquido, 1918a). what Gramont asked, that is, go experiments with Eva Carriere Santoliquido wrote to the indus- to Richet’s house in Paris. San- (pseudonym of Marthe Béraud, trialist Jean Meyer, a committed toliquido then went to Richet’s 1886-1969) in the Society for spirit, and the answer was that house; however, it became clear Psychical Research (SPR) and it would be impossible to create in the conversation that he had an Bisson’s letters. such an institution in Paris amid opposite point of view in regard official hostility. Meyer said he to the creation of such an insi-

WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 Mindfield 55 The Differences of Temperament Between The Bulletin of the Parapsychological English and French Researchers in the 1920s Association tute. Richet understood that the al (Santoliquido, 1918a), was the On the English island, government would never admit laboratory of Gustave Geley, the such a thing. To put an end to one that was overseeing diverse the various autom- the conversation, Richet asked experiences with Béraud (from atisms and mental Santoliquido to write a proposal December 10, 1917 to March 11, anyway, so he could reflect upon 1918) (Geley, 1924, p.196; and see activities were con- it. Santoliquido then sent a letter below). directly to Richet, dated October Santoliquido’s final words in the sidered; the English 3, 1918 (Santoliquido, 1918a). letter presented an idealistic goal were interested in In the letter, Santoliquido of the institute, a goal aimed at expresses his conviction that it is encouraging a thinking humanity those processes and the right moment to realize the for a new and superior phase in the question of sur- great project so long dreamed of which peace prevails. This was by the metapsychics (Lachapelle, implicitly an idealistic goal. These vival after physical 2005), that is, to found an inter- men had just gone through a national organization that will world war, and many lost close death. centralize everything related to relatives. There was a great psychical studies and will allow thirst for peace in each one. But tional action. In his first argument, to address all related questions it wasn’t only about peace; these Lodge said that the genius of each (Santoliquido, 1918a). men understood that by removing nation had particular characteris- Santoliquido, persuasive- the veil of metapsychic phenom- tics. The continent, that is the rest ly, proposes the creation of an ena, mankind could mature and of Europe including France, saw international organization while evolve and enter a new, more the subject treated medically and considering the difficulties of the evolved phase. psychophysically. On the English task, and its importance, because Richet, after reading the letter, island, the various automatisms it is such a vast undertaking. He expressed appreciation and asked and mental activities were con- states that the institution he permission to send the letter sidered; the English were inter- has in mind would not have the to the physicist Oliver Lodge in ested in those processes and the purpose of replacing or rivaling London for advice and guidance. question of survival after physical national or local organizations. On Santoliquido authorized, there- death. Lodge claimed that the the contrary, it would constitute fore Lodge, after a few days, sent question of survival of the phys- a kind of federation, allowing the his reply (which was very similar ical body was little explored by best yield of individual efforts and to Richet’s opinion), giving his Latin people, arguing that they ensuring the joining of all good contrary opinion. In his response, study these facts in such a man- wishes (Santoliquido, 1918a). Lodge states that there was no ner that they didn’t reach any con- Santoliquido also explained that doubt about the importance of clusion, either in one way or an- there was a precursor in Paris to research and work, and that both other. For Lodge, French scientists such an institute; that foundation, France and England would contin- cared little about problems of this in his eyes, seemed destined to ue on the path of peace. However, nature. He also mentioned that form the nucleus of the future In- he questioned whether it was time not a single publisher allowed stitut Métapsychique Internation- to undertake allied and interna- him to publish a French edition

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of his book Raymond or Life and In view of the above issues, opening of hearts to metapsychic Death, a book named after his son Lodge was inclined to question facts, but he did not consider it an who died in the war. After having the possibility of a combined ideal condition for the lessons to abbreviated the original transla- action, understanding that it happen in the public arena; he did tion, Lodge submitted it to several would be better for each country not want to try to convince people publishers, one after another, for to continue its research in iso- against their will. Lodge under- several months (Lodge, 1918). lation. However, he emphasized stood that all progress was slow, It is evident through the words with urgency the need to create a but overall, slowness was benefi- of Lodge, in his first argument, central organization, especially for cial. (Lodge, 1918). that there were two schools of finances (Lodge, 1918). In his fourth argument, he metapsychic studies—the French In his second argument, Lodge affirmed that there was no in- school, aligned with objective cited the antipathy that science, ternational institution that was metapsychics and material phe- the Church, and the law have over carrying out important scientific nomena such as ectoplasm, and metapsychic researches, maybe work, except for the catalog and the English school, aligned with even paralyzing them. He conclud- popularization of technical liter- the metapsychic subjective, intel- ed the best work would be individ- ature. Lodge knew that great soci- lectual phenomena, and questions ual and silent without attracting eties had relations of friendship, of life after death. hostile attention and without hav- or at least had before the war, but ing an aggressive stance (Lodge, each was a national society; each Lodge cited the an- 1918). carried out activities to the best of In his third argument, concern- their abilities, but those activities tipathy that science, ing the ideological content of had limitations (Lodge, 1918). the Church, and the Santoliquido in the sense of a Finally, Lodge speculated that transformation in humanity, Lodge there would be a league of na- law have over meta- stated that he did not know to tions, and that there could be an what extent he wanted to hurry alloy of scientific societies and psychic researches, the intellectual movement that universities in some way. But maybe even para- would transform the mentality national units had to first exist of some individuals. Lodge be- and thrive and then be combined lyzing them. He con- lieved in preaching patience and into international organizations cluded the best work perseverance, instead of bursts (Lodge, 1918). of a strong and exuberant energy. Santoliquido replied to Lodge’s would be individual Lodge thought the opportunity letter and sent his reply to Richet would come when a younger group dated November 8, 1918 (Santoliq- and silent without had more freedom, could take in uido, 1918b). Initially, Santoliq- attracting hostile at- the issues with more ease, and uido presents two excerpts from that a consequence of their work Lodge’s charter on which, in his tention and without had been to reduce opposition and opinion, one needed to meditate. having an aggressive gradually arouse public interest The first passage is that in which in the subject matter. The trials Lodge exposes that the necessity stance [...] caused by the war facilitated an of a central organization, especial-

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National or local ed and trained mediums could cilitate the particular works and be exempt from the struggle for the contacts of the metapsychics societies would fully survival, being able to concentrate around the whole world. It would maintain their au- exclusively on their mediumship, provide metapsychists the means, if they place themselves at the the information, the possibility tonomy and their disposal of local institutions or of investigations, and the long- groups of researchers (Santoliqui- term investigation. He ends by characteristics. The do, 1918b). explaining that he would endeavor Institute would sim- Santoliquido also explained to carry out the synthesis and that the recent foundation, by development of these studies ply centralize its re- a generous patron in the Jean (Santoliquido, 1918b). search and endeavor Meyer case of a laboratory of The fear of exciting the opposi- metapsychic studies, proved tion of metapsychism seemed ex- to draw logical con- there was a remarkable increase aggerated in the eyes of Santoliq- in the interest in metapsychics uido. He argued that, on one hand, clusions. among young and ardent scholars if the indifference of scholars and like Jean-Charles Roux, Stephen official circles is very real, then ly for the financial problem, was Chauvet, Georges Maingot and on the other hand the hostility of urgent, arguing that mediums, in Geley, showing that the opportu- the police does not exist in Paris order to assure their existence, nity was prime for the then-pres- (Santoliquido, 1918b). were forced to work painfully at ent moment (Santoliquido, Oliver Lodge’s argument that the expense of their faculties; 1918b). he did not know of any example additionally, they were subjected Lodge’s letter contained ob- of an international society with to police persecution. The second jections and difficulties, but useful work was countered by passage became the argument that Santoliquido contrasted the four Santoliquido when he cited the the occasion will present itself, arguments with four counter- International Institute of Public when a group of youngsters who arguments. Lodge’s argument Hygiene and the fight against had more freedom would confront about the differences between major epidemics (Santoliquido, the matter at hand. English and Latin temperament 1918b). Santoliquido questioned Richet was not an obstacle to Santoliq- Realizing that the conversa- about the two arguments, won- uido. Each would continue its tions were taking longer and that dering if they would not really evolution according to its nature. precious time was being wasted, be an apology for the project and National or local societies would Santoliquido went to meet Jean through those points, highlighted fully maintain their autonomy and Meyer in Beziers. He stayed three their need and their possibility. He their characteristics. The Insti- or four days in the city. Meyer’s revealed that, in truth, the main tute would simply centralize its answer after the long conversation result of the central foundation research and endeavor to draw was emphatic; he said: “Marchez” would be to solve the problem of logical conclusions. Santoliquido (ie., “Let’s go!”) (Santoliquido, mediums, a primordial need and also showed that his proposal 1929). stone in the way of metapsychism. was that of a center of result and He argued that selected, educat- splendor and that it would fa-

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Experiments with with Béraud, undertaken in against. The French metapsychics, Eva Carriere at conditions reminiscent of those who spoke to their colleagues in the Society for of Cambridge, naturally led to a London, could do nothing more Psychical Research non-negative but weak result. Any than to realize, without under- experiment with later physical standing, this singular state of Geley (1922) understands that mediumship was doomed if it did mind, so contrary to their own. For the importance of the London not radically change its methods the French, ectoplasm was the sessions would be the definitive (Geley, 1922, n.2, p. 104). capital phenomenon of metapsy- establishment of the bankruptcy It is also important to show chics. They understood ectoplasm of the methodology employed by that this impartial study endeav- as the resolution of the problems the SPR for the study of physical ored to establish that the failure of substance, form, and individual mediumship, ie., objective meta- of the London experiments was and collective evolution, which psychics. due to the use of this inadequate was intended to clarify the prodi- It highlights the recognition in method, whereas the success of gious mystery of life (Geley, 1922, the face of the immensity of the Béraud’s previous observers was n.2, p. 105). service that the SPR provided due in no small part to the fact There was clearly a difference of to subjective, intellectual meta- that they were not bound by the formation between the French and psychics. However, it relativizes habits of labor considered inviola- British Schools of metapsychics. the role of the SPR in the study ble (Geley, 1922, n.2, p. 105). The French School began the of physical mediumship, as, for As a second harmful condition, study of metapsychics by focusing example, in research with ecto- Geley cited a deplorable organi- on an ability to unravel objective plasm. He understood that the zation of the sessions that had same method was employed, the most nefarious influence. The based mainly on the details of the sessions took place in a room, The French School testimonies, but that as a method improvised for this purpose, at began the study of it was effective for intellectual the headquarters of the Society mediumship not physical medium- that was a large building where metapsychics by fo- ship (Geley, 1922, n.2, p. 104). several administrations coexisted. cusing on an ability The most resonant fault was Geley pointed out that the Soci- that of the Cambridge sessions ety’s headquarters was basically to unravel objec- with Eusapia Palladino in 1895. a noisy building with the noises of Such a failure, for Geley, could the comings and goings of visitors tive metapsychics have retarded the development and staff, the hooting of elevators, through studying of objective metapsychics in fifty the telephone ringing, and doors years if it had not been offset by knocking (Geley, 1922, n.2, p. 105). physical phenomena the constant success of sessions A third damaging condition for and ectoplasm; how- with the same medium anywhere Geley came from the mood of the else: in Naples, Milan, Warsaw, experimenters. The SPR, in fact, ever, the same did l’île Roubaud, and Paris (Geley, had an understanding physical or 1922, n.2, p. 104). objective mediumship that has not occur in the En- In his view, the SPR’s attempt become traditional in England- glish School.

WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 Mindfield 59 The Differences of Temperament Between The Bulletin of the Parapsychological English and French Researchers in the 1920s Association metapsychics through studying affected the medium, triggering [...] the French paid physical phenomena and ecto- weak results, showing Bisson the plasm; however, the same did not impossibility of experiments with close attention to ob- occur in the English School. ectoplasm in London in the 1920s. jective metapsychics, During the London sessions, Juliette Bisson wrote a letter to Conclusion namely materializa- Dr. Albert von Schrenck-Notzing on July 9, 1920 (in Geley, 1922, The conflict between the English tion and ectoplasm, n.2, p. 106). She reported in the and French schools of metapsy- whereas the English letter that the sessions continued, chics is evident. It had already but that the good ones were few. been expressed before the founda- understood as more She argued that the experiment- tion of IMI through the exchange relevant the subjec- ers were hypnotized by the idea of of letters in which Sir Oliver Lodge trickery and fraud and that their advised against the creation of tive phenomena like conversations were only about the Institute by citing, as one of these matters. She concluded that the arguments, that the French the telepathy. the subconscious undergoes coun- paid close attention to objective terattack, and the medium gets metapsychics, namely material- irritated and does not produce ization and ectoplasm, whereas Geley, G. (1922). Les expériences the phenomena anymore. So the the English understood as more d’ectoplasmie de la Society for Psychi- cal Research de Londres avec Eva C. result that they would get would relevant the subjective phenome- Revue Métapsychique, 2, 103-131. not be good in their opinion. na like the telepathy. Geley, G. (1924). L’Ectoplasmie et la In another letter in London, Such a difference of schools was Clairvoyance. Paris: Ed Librairie Félix dated June 19, 1921, Mrs. Bisson again evidenced by Geley’s state- Alcan. described that the unconscious ments in which he quotes that the Lachapelle, S. (2005). Attempting Sci- and conscious mentality of the SPR had a failed methodology for ence: The creation and early develope- ment of the Institute Métapsychique In- experimenters was terrible (in experiments with objective medi- ternational in Paris, 1919-1931. Journal Geley, 1922, n.2, p. 106). Because umship. This observation is very of the History of the Behavioral Scienc- they were very suspicious and out important and revealing, as well es, 41, 1-24. of the idea of tricks and scams, as the state of mind of the experi- Lodge, O. (1918). Lettre à Charles Richet they had nothing with them. menters, contrary to objective and du 16 octobre 1918. Archives Institut Métapsychique International, Carton 3, On the other hand, the English physical phenomena, according to Dossier 8. experimenters complained about Bisson’s letters. It was a common Santoliquido, R. (1918a). Lettre à Mrs Bisson’s goodwill, strongly understanding in England of the Charles Richet du 3 octobre 1918. Ar- denying all hostility and appealing 1920s against the objective me- chives Institut Métapsychique Interna- her reports. diumship that the SPR absorbed tional, Carton 3, Dossier 8. Bisson’s letters were clear in back then. Santoliquido, R. (1918b). Lettre à affirming the hostile climate to- Charles Richet du 8 novembre 1918. Archives Institut Métapsychique Inter- ward metapsychics in the English Bibliography national, Carton 3, Dossier 8. Society. She asserted that the Santoliquido, R. (1929). Discours. Ar- Evrard, R. (2016). Enquête sur 150 ans British only thought of tricks and chives Institut Metapsychique Interna- de Parapsychologie. La legende de l‘es- tional, Carton 3, Dossier 8. frauds and that such behavior pirit. Escalquens: Trajectoire.

60 Mindfield Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG Eminent authors from others areas who researched and/or were supportive of the validity of psi phenomena during the last 150 years

The Establishment of Metapsychics During the Roaring Twenties

The Emancipation was not easy to mix one’s repu- | by RENAUD EVRARD, of Metapsychics tation with the so-called “occult Université de Lorraine sciences,” an expression that was “The chimera that we have liked often confused with “psychical re- Institute and, under the iron fist to evoke for so long, by simply search” (which had gained traction of the physician and philosopher giving it the meaning of a beautiful in the Anglo-Saxon world). Pierre Janet (who was a profes- dream, both consoling and vain, is There were several other at- sor at the College de France), being realized today. The Institute tempts in France to develop an diverted attention from its original Métapsychique International (IMI) official institute that specialized objective, which was the study of is founded.” in psychical research. The Society the “psychic wonderful” (Brower, Dr. Gustave Geley (1865-1924) of Physiological Psychology had a 2010). In 1905, frustrated Geley began the first meeting of the brief life (1885-1893). The Uni- called for the creation of a new IMI of June 18, 1919 with these versal Society of Psychic Studies institute of psychical sciences words. Geley, a famous medical never achieved great prestige. The that “would have the duty to be doctor in the Annecy region of greatest adventure was that of interested in all that, near or far, France, had abandoned his profes- the International Psychic Insti- touches on Spiritualism” (Geley, sion for “the demon of research,” tute (like the IMI except for the 1905). That ambitious description and by 1895, he witnessed phe- “meta”), which launched in great was a premonitory promise for the nomena such as lucidity (clair- pomp in 1900 by the greatest future IMI. voyance), somnambulism, and scientists and amateurs of psy- The General Psychological Insti- premonitions. He recorded his chology of the time. Unfortunate- tute was considered by psychists observations in several works that ly, disappointment came quickly. an ultimate treason and a huge were first published under the The institute swiftly changed its waste, but it was not totally pseudonym of E. Gyel. Indeed, it name to General Psychological futile. The study of the medi-

WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 Mindfield 61 The Establishment of Metapsychics The Bulletin of the During the Roaring Twenties Parapsychological Association um Eusapia Palladino began at He thanked, by the work and The future Nobel the Institute in 1905 and, after the action, the patron who gave three years of sessions guided body to his “ideal Institute”: Jean prize winner Charles by Pierre Curie, Henri Bergson, Meyer (1855-1931), industrial- Richet (1905) opted and Arsène d’Arsonval, an official ist of Swiss origin, and rich wine report was released (Courtier, merchant of the region of Béziers. for the emancipation 1908). The authors were hesitant The combination of circumstances to draw conclusions to validate precipitating the genesis of the IMI of this special science the phenomena around Palladino, deserves to be narrated here. by giving it the name a fact that seemed justified to Meyer, as a fervent Spiritualist, some people and unjustified to used his fortune to revive Spir- of “metapsychics” others. But that moment sparked itualism in France. But he felt a meeting between psychology that something was missing in because he deemed it (then in search of academization) the cultural landscape: a society impossible to integrate and psychical research. The future studying the spiritist phenomena Nobel prize winner Charles Richet in a scientific way. He discussed metapsychics into the (1905) opted for the emancipation the matter with Gabriel Delanne of this special science by giving in 1916, telling the latter that he nascent psychology. it the name of “metapsychics” was ready to finance it. Delanne, because he deemed it impossible an engineer by training, was the Rocco Santoliquido (1854-1930), to integrate metapsychics into the best advocate for a scientific an Italian doctor who had distin- nascent psychology. He proposed approach to Spiritualism. (He was guished himself by curbing malaria the creation of a university chair also a collaborator of Richet.) But in parts of Italy. He had political position for a psychologist who Delanne (who suffered from atax- appointments working for pub- specialized in the subject. But ia) also mentioned his ideas to his lic health and in the Red Cross his request fell on deaf ears (IMI doctor who was none other than... League. After discovering spirit- Archives, Box 3, File 8). Differ- Geley. A first meeting was orga- ism in his family, Santoliquido’s ences in perspectives among the nized and, after only two hours interest was piqued. He acciden- Institute’s members lead to a form of conversation, Meyer entrusted tally read a book by Geley in 1913 of schism and saw metapsychics Geley with the keys of a modest and then tried in vain to meet him. flourish in the private space rather laboratory in a maid’s room on Av- But when Italy entered World than in public institutions. enue Suffren in Paris. This was the War I in 1915 on the side of the location in which Marthe Béraud, Triple Entente, Santoliquido was Geley, Director of starting in December 1917, was posted to Paris to preside over the Ideal Institute studied; the initial results of these the Allied Health Commission. He meetings were communicated on had to choose a secretary (so he Geley continued his introductory January 28, 1918 in the presti- wouldn’t have one imposed), and speech of June 18, 1919, admit- gious Collège de France. on December 11, 1915, Santoliqui- ting the immense joy of being The presence of Geley in Paris do proposed Geley, who was then “able to finally reach the goal of owes nothing to chance. Histo- assigned to southern Morocco. my life and devote all my time and ry joins the story here, where it The two men had never met and all my strength to our science.” is linked by the intervention of knew each other only by their

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correspondence! Geley even made At first, Santoliquido was met a conference room, two laborato- an appointment to meet with his with a certain skepticism because ries, and all the necessary equip- Italian colleague in a private place some people found the creation ment. However, Richet was not a so as not to shame him for not of an international institute Spiritist. If he agreed to support recognizing him (Osty, 1930). premature, given the hostility the project with all his authority, Santoliquido played a key role of the scientific communities it was probably because it con- in the recognition of public utility toward psychic phenomena and nected some of his faithful collab- that made the IMI a foundation. At the differences according to the orators. Richet didn’t want to put the end of World War I, he took up country in approaches to inves- all his energy into a new institute the idea of an official federation tigating psychic phenomena. But set up by some disciples of Allan of psychic societies - “a center of Santoliquido eventually gathered Kardec. achievement and outreach”—and enough support (including those The press echoed the senti- sent a circular to various re- of the former Minister Jules ment. In the Mercure de France, nowned researchers and specified Roche and the State Councilor the IMI was presented as “the his project: “The institution I envi- Ernest Meyer) and obtained the Institut Pasteur, in a way, of new sion would not, of course, be de- recognition of “public utility” on research.” There were many hopes signed to replace or compete with April 23, 1919. The designation and dreams for the endeavor. The national or local organizations. On meant the Institute could be Spiritualists rejoiced, believing the contrary, it would constitute a sustained through donations and that Richet had finally joined their kind of federation, allowing a bet- legacies. cause. Yet, many metapsychists ter performance of special efforts Santoliquido agreed to be the waited to see what direction the and ensuring the union of all good first president of the IMI and didn’t work would take. will” (IMI Archives, Box 3, File 8). shirk from “the easy pretext of in- sufficient competence.” He asked The Construction at the inaugural meeting: “Who, of the First Hour The press echoed moreover, would dare and could the sentiment. In judge himself competent, when Geley used Santoliquido’s formula it comes to questions pertaining to describe his program: “As a the Mercure de at the same time to all sciences, center of achievement, the Insti- affecting all philosophies; whose tute must know, study, analyze, France, the IMI was human and social impacts may and synthesize everything that is presented as “the exceed all expectations? “It is interesting from a metapsychic surprising that the inaugural role point of view all over the world. Institut Pasteur, of President did not fall to Richet, As a center of outreach, it must then Nobel laureate, who first observe and experiment, make in a way, of new occupied the position of Honorary known everywhere the result research.” There President. (Richet was probably of its observations and experi- seduced by the expression “in- ments; offer isolated researchers were many hopes ternational metapsychics,” which as well as psychological studies flattered his vision of things.) societies selected but complete and dreams for the But at last, there was a richly documentation.” The functions endeavor. endowed institute with a library, of an academic society were

WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 Mindfield 63 The Establishment of Metapsychics The Bulletin of the During the Roaring Twenties Parapsychological Association thus turned toward the scientific mind and allows them to devote and observations; an analytical community, the platform for the themselves to the development part devoted to the work of the work. The IMI’s principal goals of their faculties.” Geley planned other researchers, to the press were “the creation of laboratories, to immediately install an electric review and the main publications libraries, archives; popularizing camera model of his design, which made all over the world.” Foreign our work through conferences and was able to take pictures quickly researchers learned French to publications; the organization of without changing the focus. The read the publication. The quality thorough investigations wherever device created a long series of of the journal, exceptional from necessary.” successive photographs. Since its launch, was due in particular Geley’s project meant to contin- Marthe Béraud was no longer to scientific journalist René Sudre, ue the exploration of the physical available at the time, a call for who became, in the space of a few phenomena of mediumship. “The applications was organized. More years, a scholar of metapsychics question of mediums is closely than sixty mediums, many from and one of Geley’s best theore- linked to that of laboratories,” a Polish background, approached ticians (Evrard, 2016). Regular he explained. “I will try to find within a year. One of them, known lectures in Paris fed the columns and attach one or two selected by the pseudonym Franek Klus- of the Revue and attracted diverse topics. It is important to be able ki (Weaver, 2015), was able to public attention, and research that to offer them a situation that is exteriorize a physical substance had been suspended by the Great both honorable and safe, which (called “ectoplasm” by Richet) War resumed. The publication of gives them complete security of from his body. Controlled experi- the book La Télépathie, Recherch- ments showed that the ectoplasm es Expérimentales by chemist was likely to take various animal René Warcollier (1881-1962) lead Foreign researchers or humanoid forms. It was invited to long-distance telepathy exper- learned French to to dive into heated paraffin, which iments between small groups of caused it to leave behind (after apprentice telepaths in Athens, read the publication. dematerialization) an extremely New York, and Berlin, etc. War- thin glove; casts were immediate- collier’s research inspired later The quality of the ly made from the “thin glove.” The military uses of remote viewing. journal, exceptional exceptional pieces entered the scientific heritage of the IMI in the The Quarrel from its launch, was winter of 1920. of Ectoplasm due in particular to The IMI built its reputation on its official publication, Revue However, detractors attacked scientific journalist Metapsychique, which absorbed metapsychic activities from all and succeeded Les Annales des sides. Some scientists, doctors, René Sudre, who Sciences Psychiques, a journal and curious lay people disquali- became, in the that was launched by Richet and fied the value of the experiments the ophthalmologist Xavier Dariex carried out at the IMI and demand- space of a few in 1891. Revue Metapsychique ed independent replications from years, a scholar of was “divided into two parts,” a legitimate authority. L’Opinion details Geley: “an original part, journalist Paul Heuzé convinced metapsychics [...] accounting for our experiences psychologist and physiologist

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Henri Piéron to lead a commission It was work of Richet published his gigantic in the Sorbonne for the study of Traité de métapsychique in 1922. ectoplasm. But the commission Hugolian style He used eight hundred pages to did not uncover convincing phe- that harangued his multiply the observations made nomena—in fact, the occasional by him and by others, propos- experimenters suggested that scientific colleagues; ing an effort of classification but fraud explained all the phenome- without pushing too much spec- na without demonstrating those he wanted to achieve ulation. It was work of Hugolian tricks. The commission was the recognition of style that harangued his scientific unscrupulous in its methods. It did colleagues; he wanted to achieve not put in place the best condi- the legitimacy of the recognition of the legitimacy tions to promote the production metapsychics in his of metapsychics in his lifetime. of phenomena and it did not use Several of his colleagues an- metapsychists’ methodologies of lifetime. swered him, notably Pierre Janet, objectification (photographs, par- who tried to establish a definitive affine gloves, etc). The so-called psychists. But while Guzik was distance between psychology and “failures” of these inquiries in deemed capable of producing Richet’s “occult psycho-physiolo- 1922 and 1923 contributed to the luminous phenomena and appear- gy.” The case against Villa Carmen general discrediting of metapsy- ances of animals or human forms, is used against the latter, pre- chics (Lachapelle, 2011). he had been caught cheating tending to reveal that the famous Geley was faced with what several times. Geley’s study was Marthe Béraud (before taking the he interpreted as a campaign therefore set up with strict control pseudonym of Eva Carrière) was of discredit against metapsy- conditions. The IMI laboratory ran already the main medium in the chics. While, in 1921, he chose to at full speed with this experiment: vaudevilesque and scandalous respond to negative newspaper 80 sessions in 1922 and 1923. experimentation carried out by articles with new experiments More than 80 people more or less Richet and Delanne in Algiers in to emphasize the work versus familiar with the metapsychics 1905. By reducing the nobelized agitate the controversy, at the were invited to observe; then, thir- physiologist to a gullible old man, end of 1922, he proposed to ty-five signed a joint account that without a balanced examination of devote a year to a “counter-of- was published in Le Matin June 7, this complex issue (Evrard, 2016), fensive through a demonstration 1923 (but a counting error made his detractors hoped to stifle his work,” even though this affected the report known as the Manifesto entire advocacy for metapsychics. the progress of his own research. of the 34). The signatories includ- But the quarrel of ectoplasm Geley wanted to have Kluski (who ed many doctors (mostly from was cut short after the tragic produced ectoplasmic molds the IMI), a few physicists, and no death of Geley in a plane crash on under controlled conditions) for magicians. July 15, 1924. He was returning the effort, but Kluski was wrin- However, the titles that accom- from Warsaw with new molds kled by the malicious remarks of panied their names made use of of ectoplasmic materializations. critics and preferred to stay in the argument of authority against That day, the director of the IMI Poland. So Geley turned to Jean the argument of authority. This was in a hurry because he had an Guzik, another professional Polish confrontation on the experimen- appointment on July 21 in London medium already well known to tal level was replicated literally: with Hope, a medium “skoto-

WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 Mindfield 65 The Establishment of Metapsychics The Bulletin of the During the Roaring Twenties Parapsychological Association graph” (one who can make im- living? As far as I’m concerned, under the same conditions” (Osty, pressions on photographic plates I can only consider to take the 1926, p. 5). through thought), someone Geley lead of the International Meta- Osty devoted himself to sub- had been trying to study since psychic Institute on the condi- jects endowed with supernormal 1919 and that he had suspected tion of a complete freedom of knowledge; they were much less to be a cheater. The pilot of the work and writings. (Osty, 1931, rare than the producers of para- plane, when he learned the origin pp. 90-91) normal action on matter. This was of these molds, refused to leave a strategic maneuver designed to with objects he considered as Osty deployed a new phase in circumvent the adversity caused “devilish and evil.” A second pilot the history of the IMI, one that by the Sorbonne’s experiments. also ran away. Geley had to char- produced a discontinuity with the The “intellectual metapsychic” ter a special plane, but it crashed many speculations of Geley and seemed to him to be the “healthy in the outskirts of Warsaw imme- the spiritism affirmed by Meyer. part” of the discipline, proper diately after takeoff. When Geley’s But it was not easy to get rid of to experimental study rather body was removed from the debris this spiritist hold, evidenced by than inquiry. More precisely, of the aircraft, he was still holding later events, such as the oust- the new director proposed to the small suitcase that contained ing of Sudre, a fierce opponent limit research to a single form the fragments of proof obtained of Spiritualist theses. Djohar Si of supernormal knowledge: the during his last experiments… Ahmed (2014) sees in this rejec- one with a human as an object of tion of Spiritualism the identifica- hyper-knowledge—the target of The Osty Program tion of a shameful moment which, the “metagnome.” The choice of through a long process of repres- human target metagnomy entails On the death of Geley, the direc- sion, became a secret of origins complexity because it posed tion of the IMI fell to the doctor that caused various symptomatic methodological and theoretical Eugène Osty (1874-1938), a man behaviors. challenges far more import- recognized for his brilliant work Osty wanted to reorient the mis- ant than those associated with with various paranormal practi- sion of the IMI. He believed that divination on playing cards (as tioners. His appointment came several years had already been with a tightening of agnoticism devoted to proving the reality of Osty deployed a specific to the scientific process. metapsychic phenomena, and that To the patron Jean Meyer, who after the demonstration, the time new phase in the urged him to accept the position, had come for experimentation and history of the IMI, he asked: research into the psychological, physiological, and physical deter- one that produced a What would you say if, one day, minants associated with meta- from the laboratory that you ask psychic phenomena, a place from discontinuity with the me to lead, came out studies of which the most important discov- many speculations facts suggesting that the teach- eries for mankind should flow. It ings of the House of Spirites are, became a matter of understanding of Geley and the in all or in part, illusory interpre- and explaining, of “closing the spiritism affirmed by tations of facts produced exclu- era of the sterile accumulation sively by unknown powers of the of facts incessantly reproduced Meyer.

66 Mindfield Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG Volume 11 The Establishment of Metapsychics Issue 2 2019 During the Roaring Twenties initiated by Richet forty years Instead of shutting It took several years and the earlier). Osty inscribed himself help of his son Marcel to design with the same astonishment and himself up in a a device to use ultraviolet light sense of curiosity that led him to scientific ivory tower, to photograph phenomena that the metapsychic: understand how occurred in the dark. Osty used a man’s psyche could penetrate Osty opened the IMI. this method to catch several that of another, without the com- mediums who faked the ability monly limiting obstacle of space Under his leadership, to manifest physical phenome- and time. Osty had an expression the institute became na - it is this reason that some that he used for some of his stud- people reproached Osty for his ies, but the expression can be a place accessible skepticism toward these cate- applied to all his works: “At the to the public in the gory of phenomena! In 1926, the confines of classical psychology device was not yet ready when and metapsychic psychology.” He heart of the Roaring the new sessions with Guzik was sometimes successful in pio- came to an end. It was only in neering work on dermographism, Twenties. 1930 that the famous sessions body exits, trances, psychedelic with the Austrian medium Rudi substances, prodigious calcu- The Unknown Schneider began. lators, artistic psychology, and Powers of the Mind The initial device became an so on. His works captured the automated detection system essence of what a metapsychic However, Osty did not forget to comprising variously oriented in- perspective brings to science. fulfill the scientific ambitions of frared rays produced by emitters Instead of shutting himself up the IMI: and reflected by small mirrors in a scientific ivory tower, Osty to receivers containing a photo- opened the IMI. Under his leader- The problem to be solved is, cell. When one or more infrared ship, the institute became a place indeed, to render demonstrable, rays were “cut off,” an amplifier accessible to the public in the in a manner that must satisfy all relayed a signal to a ringing tone heart of the Roaring Twenties. scientific minds, the control of which activated (simultaneous- The director connected scholars matter by the mind, and to dis- ly) a magnesium flash and two and seers and generated mutual cover the process by which the instant-trigger cameras (one respect on both sides. People thinking function of the human with three stereoscopic views), consulted him for all kinds of being arrives—thus manifesting so that the device could only things, and he did not hesitate to a supernormal knowledge of na- reveal two things: make available his “culturalized ture—to draw from a human or- • a possible wandering hand or metagnomes” to answer many ganism and to manage outside of a possible fraudulent device, challenges: the search for missing it energies that no physiologist, which are immediately caught in persons; collaboration in a police no physicist of today knows and the bag; investigation; help with medical can understand yet. It is, in short, • a hypothetical “substance,” still diagnosis, etc. The applications the secret of the creative life unlisted, the density of which of such a faculty are potentially that is sought about an individual would gradually or suddenly numerous! paranormal power(Osty, 1932). “cut off” the field of observation.

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From October 1930 to December first was the classic resistance of A Society of Friends 1931, thanks to the important scientific circles and their members financial effort of Meyer, Osty who took hold of so-called demon- of IMI was founded organized at the IMI a total of strations of “Schneider’s frauds” in 1934 to serve 90 sessions with Rudi Schnei- and undermined three years of ex- der. However, the many photos perimental studies—even though as an interface obtained do not show arms or the replications were successful in substance! As Rudi prepared to England in 1932. (Afterward, Osty with the curious return home to rest after thirteen was the first French guest to give metapsychic public; unsuccessful sessions, the ma- the “Frederic W. H. Myers memo- chine went off and photos were rial reading” at the London SPR volunteers became taken automatically while nothing about these experiments.) The entrusted with the visible seemed to be entering the second obstacle was the loss of field. The bell rung and an inspec- the IMI’s financial income following tasks of organizing tion showed no technical dysfunc- the death of Jean Meyer in April tion or parasitic phenomenon. The 1931. The family of the latter felt conferences and triggers were even announced by completely wronged in the succes- publications. the medium. More impressively, sion and brought a lawsuit against the occultations oscillated par- Meyer’s secretary Hubert Forestier, ther, December 26, 1931, Archives allel to Schneider’s breathing who had been appointed manager IGPP, 10/16, No. 14) movements (which happened for life of the Society of Metapsy- in a special trance obtained by chic Studies. After more than a year Exist Despite an exceptional hyperventilation of stormy legal procedures that Everything [between 200 and 300 breaths exhausted Osty, the finances of the per minute, recorded by a pneu- IMI were no longer sustainable. The Due to the decline of its scientific mograph glued to his chest]). research programs involving the activities and the death of several Occasionally, observers who were salaries of psychics were ending, of its prestigious members (partic- present noticed the “usual” phe- and the function of the IMI director ularly Richet in 1935), the IMI de- nomena, which included a misty reverted to a voluntary role. Osty veloped a new form of internal or- fog and unexplained movements of was forced to resume his medi- ganization. A Society of Friends of objects in the dark. Osty thought cal consultations after failing to IMI was founded in 1934 to serve he discovered a primordial form convince new patrons, such as the as an interface with the curious of influence of the mind on mat- Rockefeller Foundation, to support metapsychic public; volunteers ter, an aspect of psychophysics the IMI. He confided to one of his became entrusted with the tasks that was the “first stage” of the correspondents: “I fear that we are of organizing conferences and materializing “process of energy” obliged to suspend for an indefinite publications. In 1937, the Charles (Osty & Osty, 1932, p. 99), able to time our awakening. And it’s really Richet Metapsychic Society was help them to understand the more unfortunate, because our hope was created, which perpetuated the complex forms of the ectoplasm. great to carry the investigation far Richet’s dinner-meetings (which The innovative and ingenious enough. But one must know how had been happening monthly from metapsychic Osty nevertheless to bow to the fancies of Destiny.” 1913 till the time of his death). faced mounting obstacles. The (Letter from Osty to Gerda Wal- The Society had gathered around

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twenty co-opted members, who and dowsing, making heterodox 1907 et 1908. Mayenne, France: Impr. de functioned in part as an ante- and controversial convictions in C. Colinnovembre. chamber of the foundation and a widely read book, Human, This Evrard, R. (2010). Contribution à l’histoire de la parapsychologie en continued to give life to the field Unknown (Carrel, 1935). France 1935-1968, l’ère du réalisme of metapsychics. The Society Studies on dowsing occupy the fantastique. The Missing Links, 1(2), also held meetings and cordial discussions between the military 35-56. exchanges; discussions on the in- (including members of the famous Evrard, R. (2016). La légende de l’esprit. ternational news of the field; and Polytechnic school), members of Enquête sur 150 ans de parapsychologie. Escalquens, France : Trajectoire. small events that included experi- the clergy, and members of the ences “to see” in the presence of Rationalist Union, a militant and Geley, G. (1905). Comment faire progresser les études psychiques? more or less accustomed subjects, apolitical association convinced of Quelques vœux et projets. Laval, but the World War II affected the the central role of science in the France: Impr. de L. Barnéoud. Society’s activities. The “Ideal future of human activities, which Lachapelle, S. (2011). Investigating Institute” that had finally materi- put emphasis on the denunciation the Supernatural: From Spiritism and alized was haunted with memories of any form of thought or practice Occultism to Psychical Research and Metapsychics in France, 1853-1931. and nostalgia. Innovative works that deviated from the scientific Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Univer- still found their place but the right track (Lagrange, 2002). The sity Press. national and international appeal metapsychists were momentarily Lagrange, P. (2002). Union rationaliste. was less than in the previous removed from a debate where In: P. Sbalchiero (dir.), Dictionnaire des decade (Evrard, 2010). they could have brought their miracles et de l’extraordinaire chrétien (pp. 828-830). Paris: Fayard. The situation of the 1930s was skills. This example foreshadowed Osty, E. (1926). Projets et Buts de Re- rather negative. No metapsychic other situations where the debate cherches de l’Institut Métapsychique phenomenon reached a supportive on the paranormal escaped the International de Paris. Revue métapsy- consensus among the scientific expertise of the metapsychists. chique, 1-23. community. The limits of science The IMI seemed to wall itself Osty, E. (1930a). Le professeur R. San- were not yet fixed and incredible away in a deep silence, commu- toliquido. Revue métapsychique, 465- 470. things were considered plausible. nicating only to a small audience. But lines of demarcation were World War II completed the Osty, E. (1931). Monsieur Jean Meyer. Revue métapsychique, 89-92. slowly inscribed, placing metapsy- process and made the foundation chic phenomena, like foils, always mute, while seeing emerging new Osty, E. (1932). Reprise prochaine d’expériences sur les Pouvoirs inconnus outside the scientific domain. The generations... de l’Esprit sur la Matière. Revue méta- experiments remained known and psychique, p. 418. produced by a small contingent References Osty, E., Osty, M. (1932). Les pouvoirs of researchers, and it was this inconnus de l’esprit sur la matière. Paris: Alcan. isolation that proved detrimental Brower, M.B. (2010). Unruly spirits: The science of psychic phenomena in mod- to them. Richet, C. (1905). La métapsy- ern France. Urbana, IL: University of chique. Proceedings of the Society for Metapsychic research in France Illinois Press. Psychical Research, 19, 2-49. was no longer federated by the IMI Carrel, A. (1935). L’homme, cet inconnu. Si Ahmed, D. (2014). Pour une psycha- at that time. New people took the Paris: Plon. nalyse des expériences exceptionnelles. floor, such as Nobel Prize winner Courtier, J. (1908). Rapport sur les Paris: L’Harmattan. Alexis Carrel (1873-1944), who led séances d’Eusapia Palladino à l’Institut Weaver, Z. (2015). Other Realities: The amateur studies on mediumship général psychologique en 1905, 1906, Enigma of Franek Kluski’s Mediumship. Hove, England: White Crow Books.

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he celebration of the centenary of the Insti- tute Métapsychique International (IMI) is T Eugène Osty an opportunity to remember the contributions of the individuals involved in the history of this Eugène Osty (1874-1938) was a unique organization, pioneers French physician who left medical practice to devote himself of psychical research in twenti- to psychical research (on Osty eth-century France. A particularly see Evrard, 2016, Chapter 8, and important one associated with Villanueva, 2001). He became the IMI during parts of the 1920s director of the IMI in 1924 fol- and 1930s was Eugène Osty. In lowing the sudden death of its | by CARLOS S. ALVARADO, this short article I would like previous director, Gustave Geley Research Fellow, Parapsychology to remind readers of Mindfield (1865-1924). His activities in Foundation of some of the contributions of psychical research were covered Osty to the study of ESP, work by the press (e.g., Ratel, 1926), called for an abandonment of ac- that has been forgotten by many and were formally reported in cumulation of facts to emphasize today. books and in the Revue Méta- instead explorations concerned psychique, IMI’s journal. In his with the understanding of psychic initial research program for IMI he functioning (Osty, 1926b).

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. During hypnosis . . . this sensibil- of targets involved, errors in the The subconscious ity makes lucidity permanent” (p. process, and the role of mental modality of the psy- 18), but is diminished by fatigue. imagery, dissociation, and the There was a first stage of lucid unconscious in the production of chism is liberated hallucinations (imagery) in which veridical perceptions. This book Mme. M. mainly saw visual imag- was translated as Supernormal from the conscious es. These could be veridical, cor- Faculties of Man (1923), which I responding to a target person or use in the discussion below. modality, and place, or symbolic, consisting of a According to Osty the general seems to become “mental elaboration of sensations process of supernormal knowl- and cannot be normally evoked edge was as follows: “As soon as sensitive to influ- other than by the symbolic form the metagnomic sensitive ceases of a word” (p. 25). In the second to think in the ordinary way and ence from the tran- stage the conscious mind of Mme. his special faculty comes into scendental plane of M. perveived and interpreted the operation, his psychic activity images, an example being: “I see a is transformed. A latent intelli- other psychism large expanse of water . . . , I hear gence comes into action, and the the sounds of waves, it is the sea apparent functions of conscious . . .” (p. 26). But sometimes she and subconscious thought reverse Osty and just verbalized the identity of the their parts. The subconscious mo- Supernormal target without details. dality of the psychism is liberated Knowledge Osty discussed many other from the conscious modality, and topics in Lucidité et Intuition seems to become sensitive to Osty is best known for his system- in relation to other individuals. influence from the transcendental atic discussions of the features These included the following: lucid plane of other psychisms; and the and psychology of supernormal perceptions about somatic states, conscious, abandoning the direc- knowledge in gifted individuals relationships, and the future, tive function, becomes a specta- (e.g., Osty, 1913, 1922, 1926a), psychometry, the variety of “lucid tor, whether it merely registers some of which was published be- mentalities,” professional psy- supernormal information already fore he was affiliated with the IMI. chics, lucidity and sex, the spe- completely expressed in spoken His book Lucidité et Intuition cialization of lucid talents, and the words or by automatic writing, (1913) illustrates his interest in various manifestations of imagery or whether it has to interpret the single-subject studies, the fea- in lucidity. artifices of mental representation” tures of lucidity, and his psy- In his book La Connaissance (Osty, 1923, p. 206). chological approach. In his view Supra-Normale (1922) Osty con- One of the most interesting lucidity was the subconscious tinued to study gifted subjects. aspects of the book was his perception of information from Osty used the term “metagnomy,” discussions of errors. Metagnomy, the thoughts of others. Hypno- proposed by Boirac (1917, p. 224), he wrote, “presents itself more sis created in Mme M. a special as well as supernormal knowl- or less infected by error” (p. 205). state, with “sort of a new sense, edge. He included in his book According to Osty the sources endo-cerebral, that allows her to discussions of the source of the of error came from the defec- perceive the thoughts of others . . information perceived, the range tive functioning of the subject’s

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psychism, or from outside influ- also the possibility of psychic people would come to receive ences from the target person or influences from the mind of others readings by Forthuny, form an im- the experimenter. The first could that introduced mistakes based on portant part of the book. Forthuny involve the simple fact that the false beliefs or wrong information. entered into a light trance while psychic was not sensitive to psy- Osty also returned in this book giving readings. To induce this he chic information, or only partially to the importance of mental attempted to stop his thoughts so. The psychic’s subconscious, dissociation. “There is not, as in while looking at some point in the Osty argued, could produce much the hypnotic state of ordinary room or at a person, and waited fabulation, that is, invention that persons, a diminution of con- for images to provide him with will naturally result in false infor- sciousness which may extend to information. Osty wrote that: “The mation, or in veridical information vanishing point, but only a rupture psychism of Mr. Forthuny . . . uses mixed with purely imaginal one. of the functional synergy between most of the sensory modalities The mind of the psychic, Osty the conscious and subconscious representative of internal thought. argued, could also modify psychic planes of thought, transposing To make conscious the paranor- perceptions for various reasons, their activity” (p. 119). In his view: mal information acquired, almost such as false assumptions, or “This functional dissociation of all the categories of the imaginal failure to interpret the content of psychic activities is a necessary psychodynamism come to play, the mentation. Then there was condition for metagnomic faculty in succession, superimposing or to come into action . . . The disso- intermixing” (p. 208). This included “There is not, as in ciation of psychic functions takes visual and other sensory modali- place according to modalities ties, and emotions, remembranc- the hypnotic state which vary with mental condi- es, and apparent motor and verbal tions” (pp. 119-120). automatisms. of ordinary per- Many of the above-mentioned On occasion Forthuny saw sons, a diminution topics were discussed by Osty letters on a wall or in the air that in a later study of psychic Pas- corresponded to names of people of consciousness cal Forthuny (1872-1962, whose and places. In one instance, “over real name was Georges Léopold the head of one of the persons in which may extend Cochet), Une Faculté de Con- the public and as an extension of to vanishing point, naissance Supra-Normale (Osty, him, he saw outlined over the wall 1926a; I am using the Spanish a capital [letter] B” (p. 200). The but only a rupture of translation, Osty, 1926/n.d.). The person in question did not corrob- book is divided in four chapters orate the relevance of the letter the functional syn- in which Osty discussed For- and Forthuny, remembering a wine ergy between the thuny’s life before he developed merchant he knew, said he was his psychic gifts, the appearance being told (apparently hearing conscious and sub- and development of metagnomy, a voice), about a wine merchant Forthuny’s public seances at the in the South. The target person conscious planes of IMI, and what Osty learned from acknowledged knowing such a thought, transposing Forthuny’s gifts. person and admitted the relevance Details about the public meet- of the letter B. “F. saw again in the their activity” ings sponsored by the IMI, where wall a capital B to which it was

72 Mindfield Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG Volume 11 Supernormal Knowledge: Issue 2 2019 The Work of Eugène Osty added then the small letter o” (p. Displacement ef- a topic explored by Lachapelle 201). The merchant in question (2011) using archival materials at was named Bonnefoy. fects were also ob- the IMI. In addition to his admin- Displacement effects were also istrative duties at IMI, his public observed. Forthuny perceived served. Forthuny lectures, and other contributions, information that was not about Osty also wrote about many top- the target person but, in the case perceived infor- ics during his career in psychical of public demonstration, about mation that was research. This included mediumis- persons sitting in front, behind or tic paintings (Osty, 1928), out- next to that person. Also, some- not about the tar- of-body experiences (Osty, 1930), times it seemed that the infor- haunted houses (Osty, 1936a) mation came from the memory get person but, in and physical mediumship (Osty & record of the target person, and it the case of public Osty, 1931-1932). generally referred to fragments of their life. demonstration, Concluding The visual impressions varied Remarks much. Some changed like the about persons sit- “projection of a cinematographic Although this is not the place film; others are like a painting ting in front, behind to discuss in detail critiques of of motionless content; in some or next to that per- Osty’s work, it is important to moments it has the forms, move- notice that, while his work about ments and color of life; in others son. supernormal knowledge was well it is . . . black and white” (p. 210). received in some quarters (e.g., The images appeared in front of In addition to a cerebral uncon- Romeyer, 1924; Tischner, 1927), Forthuny, sometimes on top or scious, Osty thought metagnomy some of it, such as that reported close to people he was giving involved a transcendental part of in La Connaisance Supra-Nor- readings to. the unconscious mind. male, was considered problematic Forthuny’s, and other psychics, in terms of reporting style, that showed, according to Osty, three Other Work is, lack of details regarding the stages. “In the first phase para- conditions in which the observa- normal contact takes place with Osty continued to write about tions were made (Schiller, 1924; reality independently of what is supernormal knowledge in various for a later view see Gauld, 1982, p. conscious . . . In the second phase articles. This included the diag- 133). According to French psychol- paranormal knowledge, already nosis of disease (Osty, 1929), long ogist Henri Piéron (1881-1964) the elaborated, is transformed in the term premonitions (Osty, 1936b), book about Forthuny (Osty, 1926a) brain of the metagnome into the and chance, fatalities and coinci- was weak in terms of establish- ordinary modalities representative dences (Osty, 1937). ing the facts. In his view, Osty’s of internal thought . . . [In the third He was also involved in many writing lacked “the scientific rigor phase] the intellectual function activities behind the scene to or- which would make them incon- called conscience intervenes, fig- ganize psychical research as a sci- testable” (Piéron, 1926, p. 874). uring out the sense of the mental entific specialty, to make the field This may have contributed in part images that take place” (p. 191). more systematic and professional, to the neglect of Osty’s work with

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While this is an im- of which I have discussed only a dies par les sujets doués de connais- few aspects in this short article, sance paranormale. Revue Métapsy- portant point, we was of great importance both to chique, No. 6, 501–543. the development of the IMI, and Osty, E. (1930). La vision de soi. Revue should not neglect psychical research in France. Métapsychique, No. 3, 185-197. Osty’s rich qualita- Osty, E. (1936a). Maisons hantées. Re- References vue Métapsychique, No. 2, 77-86. tive analyses which Osty, E. (1936b). Premonitions a longes Carpenter, J.C. (2012). First Sight: ESP écheances. Revue Métapsychique, No. 6, go beyond issues and Parapsychology in Everyday Life. 470-508. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. of evidentiality and Osty, E. (1937). Hasards, fatalités, Evrard, R. (2016). Enquête sur 150 Ans coincidences et connaissance extra- have potentially de Parapsychologie: La Légende de sensorielle. Revue Métapsychique, No. l’Esprit. Escalquens, France: Trajectoire. 1, 49-63. important insights Gauld, A. (1982). Mediumship and Sur- Osty, E. (n.d.). Una Facultad de Cono- about the nature of vival. London: Heinemann. cimiento Supranormal: Pascal Forthuny. Lachapelle, S. (2011). Investigating Madrid: Aguilar (First published in mentation, veridical the Supernatural: From Spiritism and French in 1926). Occultism to Psychical Research and Osty, E., & Osty, M. (1931-1932). Les and not. Metapsychics in France, 1853–1931. pouvoirs inconnus de l’esprit sur la Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University matière. Revue Métapsychique, No. 6, Press. 393-427, No. 1, 1-59, No. 2, 81-122. French sensitives shown by some Osty, E. (1913). Lucidité et Intuition: Piéron, H. (1926). Review of Pascal later authors. Étude Expérimentale. Paris: Félix Alcan. Forthuny (sic), by E. Osty. Année Psy- While this is an important Osty, E. (1922). La Connaissance Su- chologique, 27, 874. point, we should not neglect pra-Normale: Étude Expérimentale. Ratel, S. (1926, July 30). “Le material- Osty’s rich qualitative analyses Paris: Félix Alcan. ism a vécu” declare le docteur Osty de which go beyond issues of evi- Osty, E. (1923). Supernormal Faculties l’Institut métapsychique International. dentiality and have potentially in Man: An Experimental Study. London: Comoedia, 1. important insights about the Methuen. Romeyer, B. (1924). La connaissance nature of mentation, veridical Osty, E. (1926a). Une Faculté de Con- supra-normale: Étude expérimentale. and not. His attempts to explore naissance Supra-Normale: Pascal For- Archives de Philosophie, 2, 55-62. the phenomenology of lucidi- thuny. Paris: Félix Alcan. Schiller, F.C.S. (1924). Review of Super- ty based on the experience of Osty, E. (1926b). Projets et buts de normal Faculties of Man, by E. Osty. his sensitives could guide new recherches de l’Institut Metapsychique Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, 34, 333-335. studies today, and perhaps it International de Paris: Appel du Comité. Revue Métapsychique could be considered in relation to , No. 1, 1-23. Tischner, R. (1927). Review of Une Fac- ulté de Connaissance Supra-Normale, more recent psychological ideas Osty, E. (1928). Aux confins de la psy- by E. Osty. Zeitschrift fur Parapsycholo- about ESP functioning (Carpenter, chologie classique et de la psychologie métapsychique: II. M. Augustin Lesage, gie, 2, 576. 2012). peintre sans avois apris. Revue Méta- Villanueva, J. (2001). The work of Eu- Regardless of this, there is no psychique, No. 1, 1-35. gène Osty. International Journal of doubt that Eugène Osty’s work, Osty, E. (1929). La diagnostic des mala- Parapsychology, 12, 27-42.

74 Mindfield Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG Interview with Mario Varvoglis

Mario P. Varvoglis PhD is a parapsychologist and President of the Institut Métapsychique International (IMI) in Paris. His research includes experimental studies of ESP using the Ganzfeld procedure, and of micro-PK using random event generators (REG). He is a past President of Para- psychological Association (2001-2002).

by RENAUD EVRARD

First question – Bertrand Méheust, you have a lot of what is the IMI to- emphasis on history, on philosophy, day? on the politics of parapsychology. Someone like Peter Bancel is inter- Well, one might say that the IMI ested in meta-analytic approaches, is a work-in-progress. It has been theory and models. So what I’m a work-in-progress for hundred saying is that the IMI is not a single years, and still is. Basically, the thing, with a centralized policy and Institute brings together several research program, although we all trends in the field, experimental do share some common values and research being just one of those. We perspectives on psi. have a great interest in theoretical issues, and of course much of what You are describ- we do is geared toward educating ing the IMI like the I was mostly giving a snapshot the general public – conferences, work of the cur- of what’s happening at the IMI relations with the media, and so rent members of today. Of course, if you want to forth. The IMI is essentially its the Board of di- adopt a very general perspec- Board members, so its focus ob- rectors. Maybe tive, a fair summary would be viously reflects different interests this is a little re- to say that the main objective, and priorities. With someone like ductive?

WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 Mindfield 75 Interview with The Bulletin of the Parapsychological Mario Varvoglis Association over the past 20 years, has tally. The Entanglement exper- What were the been to put the Institute back iment is a microPK project that latest significant on the map, both locally and explores human influence events for the IMI, internationally. I think we have on quantum systems. This latter outside experi- succeeded, to some modest project, led by physicist Peter mental research, extent, to become the reference Bancel, investigates how in- during the last ten for French parapsychology - a tentionality might interact with years? reference for the general public, entangled photons. The question for journalists, for researchers at the heart of this challenging A number of things. One was who want to know what’s really experiment is whether psi effects the creation of an association, happening in the field and con- are ultimately compatible with the Amis de l’IMI (or A-IMI - tribute. quantum physics, or whether the friends of IMI) opening the they imply that quantum physics Institute’s workings to a larger is somehow incomplete when public, for example by organiz- What is the latest consciousness and psi are con- ing conferences and workshops. research done by sidered. Another major event was the the IMI? We also have a number of ex- creation of the IMI Group of ploratory projects. A very inter- students in 2003 by Paul-Louis The two most recent research esting approach initiated by IMI Rabeyron and Thomas Rabeyron. projects are the Selfield project board member Jean-Paul Bailly It contributed, indirectly, to the and the Entanglement experi- is like a modern take on the Ouija renewal of academic interest in ment. The Selfield is a precogni- board. It explores the possibility of parapsychology. tion-oriented research protocol unconscious processes in a group Of course, we’ve also consis- (see our article in Journal of psi context. Several individuals tently sought to develop our Parapsychology, vol. 83(1)). Its sitting together pose questions network with French scientists broader goal is the development to a fictitious entity; each person that are outside our field, and in of a protocol that stabilizes psi is connected to a plethysmo- 2010, just 9 years ago hosted the effects while allowing for flexi- graph and the random variations PA annual convention. bility in experimental design so in heartrates collectively deter- We’ve also participated in a that different questions about mine the sequence of words that number of exhibitions exploring psi can be addressed experimen- emerges, selected from a data- the interface between psychi- base. The idea is to see whether cal research and art. We have The two most recent some meaningful sentences will collaborated with Andreas Fisch- emerge, addressing the question er of Freiburg’s IGPP, but also research projects are asked. It might take us a step to- with figures in the French art ward better understanding group & cultural scene, such as Bru- the Selfield project processes in psi, in a manner no Decharme, Pascal Pique and and the Entangle- reminiscent of the Batcheldor or Gérard Audinet of the Maison de ‘Phillip’ sittings. Victor Hugo. ment experiment.

76 Mindfield Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG Volume 11 Interview with Issue 2 2019 Mario Varvoglis

When I arrived at the Besides this, a key difficulty is That’s the big question, isn’t it? getting bright, young people com- The first project is to find another IMI, 21 years ago, I ing in. The average age on the IMI President… was still in the univer- Board is pretty high and climbing. No, seriously… One possible Of course, we’re not alone here, direction is a shift in our research salist paradigm for other psychical societies have a approach. When I arrived at the research, working with similar problem. We need to re- IMI, 21 years ago, I was still in the new our membership, to get fresh universalist paradigm for research, large number of un- blood into the field. working with large number of un- selected participants selected participants and aiming And what about and aiming for modest for modest effects. But, over the the general recep- course of the years, both I and effects. tion of metapsy- other members of the IMI have chics? become convinced that the payoff What difficulties is better in an “elitist” approach. has the IMI en- That’s a long-term issue, it has So one ambition, for sure, is to be countered in the always been. Especially in France. more selective and find a few good past few years But I must say that in the past few participants to work with, inten- and today? years, we haven’t had too many sively. I don’t necessarily mean direct confrontations with skeptics, working with “psi-gifted” subjects, especially the irrational breed. but rather focusing on cohorts The major difficulty is running an Maybe it’s that our communication that show promise, like good institute on a purely volunteer is improving, or that have done hypnotic subjects or experienced basis. It’s very complicated to nothing particularly provocative or meditators. get anything long term done, to just that we’re below their radar. Another direction is to be more have a real systematic program. But I don’t really think they’ve just responsive to the public’s inter- In a way, it is a miracle we’re still forgotten about us, because we est in the cultural and artistic around! I’m happy we have been are certainly more visible than in aspects of metapsychics. We are able to undertake several formal the past, through general public often approached by museums, or exploratory research projects, articles, TV-shows, and so on. curators, or artists, who want to that we have a good Board of Maybe things are evolving, and the collaborate with us, and bring directors and the support of the general climate is becoming more forth the cultural, rather than A-IMI – all that’s very positive. receptive to psi. There are a num- scientific facets of metapsychics. But the difficulty for us is continui- ber of signs pointing to that. I think it’s a legitimate strategy ty. For example, we are in the par- for raising awareness and interest adoxical situation of being able to What are the am- in our field – easier to digest and construct original and interesting bitions and proj- less provocative. approaches to test psi, but mostly ects for the future Finally, I hope we will see a this is done without any funding, of the IMI? growing ambition for theoretical, so we quickly discover we don’t as opposed to experimental re- have the resources to run them.

WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 Mindfield 77 Interview with The Bulletin of the Parapsychological Mario Varvoglis Association search. Historically, the IMI played Dick Bierman in Holland, the The best relations a role here, and it’s consistent IGPP… Peter Bancel, who is our with a general trend in European most active researcher, is definite- are clearly with peo- parapsychology. This year we’re ly growing our network with many ple and institutions co-organizing a theory workshop specialists in Europe. There are with Dick Bierman, just before the good possibilities there. abroad, like the Bial PA Convention, and I hope this will Within France, the picture is foundation, IONS, be just the first of a series of en- more mixed, but I do hope that counters that promote theoretical in the coming years we’ll devel- Dick Bierman in Hol- developments in the field. op links and even collaborative land, the IGPP… projects with individuals in an One of the objec- academic setting. One clear-cut the student group like father and tives is to survive, avenue here is collaborating with son Rabeyrons and yourself. It’s isn’t it? some past members of the IMI really too bad that the student group of students, who have now group no longer exists. But it’s Yes, of course, the survival issue gone on to academic posts, like great that it contributed, if only is there, all the time. Though, hav- yourself and Thomas Rabeyron. indirectly, to the re-emergence of ing witnessed the IMI’s survival for You both now hold academic academic interest in psi. Hopefully the past 20 years, I must say I’m positions in clinical psychology, in students will be able to collab- more optimistic than before. The the University of Lorraine (Nancy). orate with the IMI and use our IMI is certainly in a better financial This is very promising for French resources to conduct studies, do situation than in its recent histo- parapsychology, especially in your literature searches, and so forth. ry. Maybe we’ll manage another capacity to supervise doctoral 100 years after all! Still, running students. I do hope some of your And what about an institute through volunteers students will go beyond “the psy- your links with does not bode well for long term chology of parapsychology”, and newcomers in the survival. And if we want to go be- conduct some real psi research, field, like the In- yond mere survival, we really need but in any case, this is an ex- stitut for Research funds for full-time researchers tremely encouraging development. on Extraordinary and administrators… Experiences (IN- It is also a fruit of REES), and other What are your re- the IMI… societies doing lations with some things around the partners, academ- Yes, it is basically thanks to the paranormal? ic or not, in France IMI’s student group that a num- and abroad? ber of young adults sustained an Well, I think that with the IN- active interest in psi for several REES, in particular, the gap is The best relations are clearly with years. This was a major contribu- pretty wide. Basically it’s an people and institutions abroad, tion of the IMI, and especially of organization that is geared like the Bial foundation, IONS, those who created and sustained

78 Mindfield Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG Volume 11 Interview with Issue 2 2019 Mario Varvoglis toward communication for the ever, that they have real promise [...] the existence of general public with magazines, in the research area if they decide conferences, TV shows and such. to go that route. the IMI is significant Its coverage is quite a bit broader in terms of identity. than ours, and focuses mainly on How would you wellbeing, on the one hand, and summarize your A bit like with the the question of the afterlife on contribution to the Parapsychological As- the other. It’s positive and looks IMI over the past to give people hope and a sense twenty years IMI? sociation, that gives of meaning, but rather different a focus, a history, a than a source of information or Hmmm, I’m probably not the best research. to do that… I guess our main shared identity, for Iris, “school of the intuition,” achievement is to have helped is another organization in France resurrect the Institute. For a those addressing psi touching on the paranormal, and variety of reasons, it was on the phenomena. is a bit closer to the IMI in terms way down when I was invited to of its positioning. Its director take on its presidency, and I do colleagues in the PA, it was quite Alexis Champion was an IMI think I helped get it back on its natural for me to look to situate member (and briefly its Direc- feet. But, of course, not alone. In the IMI in a more international tor). Their orientation is more fact, I think my main contribution network. commercial with a goal to train was to look to bring together all people in intuition and in remote those in France who had some- And my last and viewing applications. The IMI thing to say in parapsychology – hardest question: remains the only private para- to federate the vital forces of the do you think it is psychological research center in field that were rather dispersed still worth it keep- France that is clearly dedicated at the time. ing the IMI as it is to a scientific approach. for another centu- You had the role ry – as keepers of It’s a hard con- of bringing people an old heritage, a clusion after 100 together. scientific society years, that the with limited means IMI is still the only Yes, that was important. And so and activities? one. was linking French parapsychology with international research. There are different answers to Yes, that’s not so great. Iris has a During its first three decades, that. In a way, some would argue lot of potential, but their financial starting in the 1920s, the IMI was that parapsychology will succeed strategy orients their activities a prominent player on the inter- when there is no such thing as more towards general public ap- national scene, but far less so parapsychology anymore. When plications – such as intuition and after the 1950s. Coming from the psi phenomena have become part creativity training. I do think, how- US, and having many friends and of normal science. In that sense,

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If parapsychology But the PA is dis- or physics, if it mutates to the cussing changing study of some microscopic neu- becomes absorbed its name. Similarly, ral structure like the microtu- in other fields, like “Metapsychics” is bules, or some physical curiosity not a name with a like advanced waves, I think the the neurosciences or clear meaning for link to the big epistemological people, who of- and ontological questions will physics, if it mutates ten confuse it with disappear. Of course, reduction- to the study of some “metaphysics”… ism may indeed be ‘right’ and we may ultimately find that we can microscopic neural Yes, I agree. Again, the only thing deconstruct all psi to microphys- structure like the mi- I can say is the issue is complex ical or microbiological events. and that’s why we see the same But for now, I think it’s import- crotubules, or some debate coming up in the field ant to sustain our attention to regularly. The word “parapsychol- phenomena that are particularly physical curiosity like ogy” is often criticized and nobody challenging to current para- advanced waves, I really likes it. Dean Radin has a digms, including ectoplasm, levi- full article on this in the Journal tation, poltergeists, and the best think the link to the of Parapsychology. But separate data in line with the survivalist big epistemological a field from a word that carries hypothesis. In this sense, the its history and identity is far from early work of the IMI, the SPR and ontological ques- easy. and other centers of psychical research should not be aban- tions will disappear. Every journalist doned prematurely: it gives clues that contacts the about the social and cultural you could say that the IMI will IMI wants to see contexts in which “mega-psi” have succeeded its mission when the ectoplasmic emerges, and keeps us from the topics it deals with have been molds… jumping to simplistic theoretical integrated into universities and of- conclusions about the nature of ficial research centers. A pragmat- Indeed. Which brings me back the phenomena. ic vision of success, if a bit sad. to your question – whether it’s On the other hand, I think there worth keeping the IMI and other is something to be said about such institutions alive. Is it a history and meaningfulness: the good idea to rid ourselves of existence of the IMI is significant our roots, the macro-phenom- in terms of identity. A bit like with ena that got everybody excited the Parapsychological Associ- about psychical research, over ation, that gives a focus, a his- a century ago? If parapsychol- tory, a shared identity, for those ogy becomes absorbed in other addressing psi phenomena. fields, like the neurosciences

80 Mindfield Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG The Library of Hauntings Previously published by Philippe Baudouin (2019). La bibliothèque des hantises. Bouclard, 1, 4-23.

“May a creature full of deaths be ways of the narthex of the first living? I was a kind of giant library basilicas-the vestibule, located at full of deaths, of sinister prodi- the entrance of the sacred build- gies, of surroundings events that I ing, was originally intended to didn’t control.” Giorgio Manganel- keep the possessed and heretics li, A et B (1975) away from the faithful. I reach the archives room behind the ante- een from the street, only chamber. The thick layer of dust a discreet rusty plate that covers the old manuscripts indicates its existence: of the IMI gives me the image of a The Institut Métapsy- chamber of wonders that decades S of researchers miraculously saved Corne. © Emmanuelle are All pictures chique International (IMI) receives from a forgotten century. The visitors “only by appointment.” classification of the hundreds of | by PHILIPPE BAUDOUIN Access to the archives of French books and other documents that parapsychology is on merit. And Philippe Baudouin is a populate the walls seems to have it is clear that time strengthens radio broadcaster, and a 1, been entrusted to Charles Fort philosopher working on the this challenge. The effect that this the author of the famous Book place has on me never varies: the archeology of the radio. He of the the Damned: books with published an essay about first wave of apprehension always improbable labels like “telepa- Thomas Edison’s interest follows the feverish expectation thy,” “possessions,” “haunted in psychical research (in as I go from the metro station to houses,” “hypnosis,” “UFOs,” and Edison, 2015), and an- the imposing facade of the rue other about Émile Tizané, 1 The American writer Charles H. Fort de l’Aqueduc, where I receive the a gendarme who made (1874-1932) spent most of his life in the authorization to enter this place. journals and publications of his day, list- investigation on hauntings The antechamber of the “meta- ing all kinds of bizarre events in order to (Baudouin, 2016). psychists” is reminiscent in some conceive of what he saw as a “sanatorium of exaggerated coincidences.”

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The IMI is celebrating 100 years of existence this year. [...]The decree signed that day by Raymond Poin- caré, then president of the Republic of France, granted the community of metapsychists the covet- answers to the bizarre phenomena drugs. But in spite of this, some of they have experienced. With her these testimonies still encourage ed status of “foun- glasses and her disillusioned air, her to believe in the objective pos- dation recognized of Jocelyne makes me think of Janine sibility of these phenomena. Melnitz, the hotline operator of The library and the stories it con- public utility.” Ghostbusters. Her daily life is quite tains are, moreover, the material a paranormal banality because of evidence supporting such a stance. “poltergeist” adorn the shelves. the large sample of extraordinary As she likes to remind people, Joc- I am moved by this improbable stories she has to deal with. elyne is an heiress in a long line of arrangement, but it is the sobri- To relay the requests for infor- secretaries whose role as protec- ety of the place that strikes the mation to the IMI’s psychological tress has always been decisive for me above all. No trace here of listening unit, Jocelyne establishes the preservation of archives. The pentacles or two-headed fetuses a first diagnosis and attempts, for exemplary commitment of Fanny bathed in formaldehyde. Pity. each case, to check the small box- Galloy—the first to occupy the es on the contact form: telepathy, position in 1925--seems to have Chronicle of an clairvoyance, premonition, or con- profoundly influenced those who Ordinary Haunting tact with dead people. But most of follow in the role. It is to her that the time, the incoming calls have we owe the survival of the docu- Only a woman’s voice disturbs the nothing to do with the paranormal. mentary collection under the Occu- serenity of the place. Jocelyne, A few minutes of discussion are pation, during which the psychical the secretary, is in charge of the usually enough for Jocelyne to rec- research activities of the IMI were hotline. She is the only employee ognize the real reason for the call: closely watched by the German au- of the IMI. Every day she receives very often, people who contact her thorities. Jocelyne’s daily work is several calls from people in dis- suffer from mental disorders or are to keep the soul of the place alive. tress who, often shocked, seek under the influence of psychotropic

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A Cabinet of as IMI’s slogan emphasizes: “The reading such books has always Supernatural paranormal, we do not believe in been synonymous for me with Curiosities it. We study it.” However, the IMI deep boredom. Fortunately, there would not be what it is today with- are some exceptions to the rule. Here I am, once again, busy rum- out the financial support of Jean The one published in 1916 by Léon maging through the innumerable Meyer, their rich Spiritist patron, Chevreuil on the survival of the boxes piled up in the closets of the who especially endowed the in- soul is a good example. Jules Bois IMI. I tirelessly engage in the same stitute with a real laboratory that (1894, p. 7) designated such texts ritual, hoping on every occasion to was entirely dedicated to the study under the pretty name of “trinkets make new discoveries, like I have of unexplained phenomena. of sanctuary” because their main done from the beginning of my The omnipresence of texts of quality resided, according to him, in research devoted to the relation- spiritualistic obedience among the the astonishing strength of resis- ships maintained by the pioneers of thousands of volumes gathered tance that they could oppose to telecommunication techniques with here recalls the heavy moral debt the ambient skepticism. This little the occult sciences. of the IMI toward the doctrine of jewel of Occultist literature, sober- The IMI is celebrating 100 years Allan Kardec. I must admit that ly titled We Do Not Die, offers to of existence this year. The trea- those who seize a delicious mixture sures in this library still bear the The boxes are real of esoteric discourse, experimental traces of the struggles and con- psychology, and poetry: “It is not flicts that were necessary for its of- machines to travel because of the functions of the ficial recognition on April 23, 1919. liver and the spleen that we have The decree signed that day by in time. We see im- the love of truth, of good and of Raymond Poincaré, then president ages of the mediums beauty, which arouses indignation, of the Republic of France, granted and which gives vent to enthusi- the community of metapsychists following each other asm; these come from psychical the coveted status of “foundation forces,” writes Chevreuil. “These recognized of public utility.” The ef- in front of Parisians forces exist so much that, in the forts French researchers had made in need of thrill: the history of humanity, they have since the end of the nineteenth always triumphed over the satanic century to try to extract hypnosis trances of the Aus- forces of matter, they are the ones and other controversial phenomena who won the Battle of the Marne.” from the field of superstitions were trian Rudi Schneider If Chevreuil has since fallen into rewarded (albeit nearly forty years (1908-1957), whose anonymity, the author of this book after the creation of the Society was, it should be remembered, one for Psychical Research in London). climaxes of crisis of the first winners of the presti- These French researchers could gious Fanny-Emden Award, imple- finally claim to be scientific, like were accompanied mented by the Academy of Sci- their peers in the field of physics, by uncontrollable ences to reward research aimed at chemistry, and biology. The quest analyzing “suggestion, hypnotism, for scientific legitimacy has always jolts and sometimes and in general all the physiological been accompanied by a certain actions that can be exercised at a aversion to different forms of belief, even ejaculations; distance by the human organism.”

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zealous, did not hesitate to fix a necklace around the neck of their guinea pigs who were connected to one of the walls of the room—this was done to avoid any suspicious movement during the experiment. Hindered and bound, the medium was then placed in the heart of a device close to bondage and other sadomasochistic games. Freaky.

Charles Richet, a Metapsychic Monster

Wedged behind their glass pane of a frame, faces are watching me. Alongside these old grimoires ing during his sessions. Before me These are the fathers of French attract my attention, but so do are images of a bygone era where metapsychics. They keep an eye other boxes, including wooden mediums willingly lent themselves on the place they helped create boxes. I recognize them: they to the game of scientists to prove in the aftermath of World War I. contain the impressive collection their so-called “abilities.” If, in the (The library alone contains six of stereoscopic plates devoted to aftermath of World War I, such thousand works!) The austere man the mediumistic phenomena. The experiments responded to a heavy in the center, proudly displaying first three decades of existence social demand toward exporing the his English brushed mustaches, of the IMI are here and I cannot departed, it goes without saying is Charles Richet (1850-1935), help myself, each time I come, to that they also served as an outlet one of the first presidents of the contemplate the images. that enabled all kinds of impuls- institute. He recieved the Nobel The boxes are real machines es and perversions, care of the Prize in Physiology and Medicine to travel in time. We see images implemented devices. Submission for his study of anaphylaxis in of the mediums following each techniques as well as the ingenu- 1913, and he coined the terms other in front of Parisians in need ity of the scientists rivaled some “ectoplasm.” Richet also created of thrill: the trances of the Aus- whims of thinly veiled sexual dom- the word “metapsychics” because trian Rudi Schneider (1908-1957), ination. Mediums were stripped, he wanted a word to encompass a whose climaxes of crisis were subjected to extensive gynecolog- vast and diverse field of research: accompanied by uncontrollable ical examinations, and forced to telepathy, precognition, clairvoy- jolts and sometimes even ejacula- swallow emetics and laxatives to ance, telekinesis, miraculous heal- tions; ectoplasms emerging from avoid any risk of concealment of ings, and survival of the soul after the nose and vagina of Marthe objects. While some experimenters death and its various post mortem Béraud (1886-1969); or even those of the time thought it necessary manifestations. extraordinary animals that Polish to wrap the hands and feet of their So much for the laurels. A quick Jean Guzik (1876-1928) was show- subjects with ropes, others, more glance at his political writings is

84 Mindfield Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG Volume 11 The Library of Hauntings Issue 2 2019 enough to dispel the enthusiasm ism; the biologist Rémy Chauvin “A library is first and that this explorer of the margins (1913-2009) who, parallel to his can arouse. Behind the varnish courses at the Sorbonne, conduct- foremost a place of the painting, another face is ed research in the field of ufolo- revealed, thus delivering a less gy; the chemist René Warcollier populated by ghosts, brilliant image of the scientist. (1881-1962), whose telepathic almost faceless In the year of his appointment experiments carried out from the as honorary president of the IMI, 1950s inspired Americans and the inhabitants, eyes Richet took the lead of the French famous Stargate military program, Society of Eugenics, convinced that designed to study the possible ap- downcast,” notes his commitment to “improvement plications of remote viewing; and Arlette Farge in one of the race” could bear fruit. In The the doctor Gustave Geley (1868- Stupid Man, he did not hesitate to 1924), first director of the IMI. of her texts. assert that “Negroes” were apart from “white humanity” and “still, The Ectoplasm even in the midst of Whites, to live Factory in the place of academic science a vegetative existence, without has earned them removal from anything produce only carbonic Most representatives of French official memory. The case of Gus- acid and urea,” thus proving their metapsychics (the possible excep- tave Geley, one work of his I hold inferiority to “squirrels and mon- tion is Flammarion and his famous in my hands, is a striking example. keys in the hierarchy of intelli- Popular Astronomy, which sold Nearly a century after its publica- gence” (Richet, 1919a, p. 9). In over a hundred thousand copies tion, who still reads his treatise many respects, Richet’s eugenics when it was published in 1879) Ectoplasmy and Clairvoyance? bears the imprint of boundless belong to the story of the “van- Geley was undoubtedly, alongside abjection: “After the elimination quished.” Repressed, forgotten, de- Charles Richet, one of the greatest of the inferior races, the first step spised: the mistrust of these men specialists in “ectoplasmic materi- in the path of selection is the elimination of the abnormal,” he wrote. “I’m going to be called a monster because I prefer healthy kids to crazy kids, and I do not see any social need to keep kids up.” (Richet, 1919b, p. 163) The question of eugenics and Richet is obviously a topic sensitive to the IMI, but that’s not to say it’s taboo. The austere look of other grumpy people hanging on the walls of the library also reminds me of this. The other faces include the astronomer Camille Flammarion (1842-1925), keen on Spiritual-

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alizations.” The whitish ectoplasms specialists in the field. The strict- electrically heated water; then he presented themselves in a light est controls were put in place ordered the “entities” to plunge and consistent appearance, stringy, for the occasion: access to the their hands into the burning wax: like a piece of cloth that could have room had been locked, a red light “They were illuminated by lumi- been shredded. was on to detect any suspicious nous points placed at the digital According to the observations of movement and the hands of the extremities. They walked slowly the German physician Albert von medium were held permanently by before our eyes, plunged into the Schrenck-Notzing (1862-1929), ec- a controller on each side to avoid tub, dabbled for a moment, always toplasm’s sticky and milky texture any fraudulent manipulation. It is came out bright, then finally came could give rise to various figures in these strict and rigorous obser- to deposit the mold, still hot, ranging from a simple vaporous vation conditions that luminous against one of my hands” (Ge- cloud to a human face. Fascinated forms with a human appearance ley, 1924, p. 243), he notes in his by these strange materializations, were observed. During one of the report. By pouring plaster into the Geley organized at IMI a series sessions, Geley had the idea to thin pockets of paraffin, Geley says of experiments with Polish me- place in the center of the room that he obtained curious molds. dium Franek Kluski (1873-1943), a tub containing a thick layer of The molds have since been stored reputed to be one of the greatest paraffin floating on the surface of in a safe and are today the pride

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of the IMI. Small in size, similar to those of a child, these “hands,” which I have had the chance to contemplate several times, surprisingly present features of wear similat to adult hands. As Geley recalls in his book, these objects were entrusted to Edmond Bayle, then director of the forensic identification service at the Paris police headquarters, for an anthro- pometric examination. The impressions found on the plasters were compared to those of Kluski and Geley without any identification being established. The way these molds formed remains unexplained to this day.

Vertigo of the Archive

Is it the anguishing atmosphere of the place or the evocative power of the books that make me feel like something else is being played out at the IMI? It’s as if the library of the institute exercises a secret influence over me, directing the slightest of my actions, the least of my thoughts, and then condemning my mind to wander like a specter in a haunted house. “A library is first and foremost a place populated by ghosts, almost faceless inhabitants, eyes downcast,” notes Arlette Farge in one of her texts. Without being aware of it, the silence and the reverence which reigns in a reading room impose on the bodies of its visitors a formidable discipline: “Body

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Among the outsid- of the dead. I believe that there otherwise obscure. A soul-filled is no better way than this one to back-world to which our usual ers that the IMI has describe the experience that the senses would have hitherto denied visitor experiences in contact with us access. “There are a lot of peo- in publications is the books of the institute. Georges ple in the [library] room, but we do the case of Yvonne Didi-Huberman is right to say that not feel them,” said Rilke. “They there is a “vertigo of the archive” are in the books. Sometimes they Duplessis which (Didi-Huberman, 1998, p. 14). move between the leaves, like Since I regularly attend the IMI men who sleep, and turn between occupies, like that library, the vertigo is a familiar two dreams” (Rilke, 1966, p. 40). of Léon Couette, a feeling. Often, I like to think that Reading can therefore be under- all the manuscripts are living be- stood as a personal experience of place of first order. ings. That their manipulation can fantasy. When I sit at a desk, I be- then resuscitate the forms of life come, so to speak, my own specter. they contain, the same ones that, To seize the spirit of words, to lend seemingly appeased, body without frozen in their little paper coffins, appearance to the characters are monstration, body bent, every- implore the visitor to awaken so many operations that can take thing indicates that the game of them from too long a sleep. The place only after having abandoned, science can be organized only books of the IMI are literally a little bit, any personal concern by having dominated the body, magnetic. When I make physical to live. Perhaps it would be more having removed the expression contact with them, I often have judicious to speak of hallucinatory and the gestures” (Farge, 2003). the feeling of reconnecting with experience in this respect, the very This almost prison-like vision of a a back-world that silence would one spoken of by Jules Michelet body devoted to reading, wholly subject to the authority of a space that requires it to be sedated and immobilized, must not be made forgotten, as if the reader were in another equally confusing dimension. Every reading room is in itself a border post. The point of passage to the unknown which it authorizes crossing. “And when he passed the bridge, the ghosts came to meet him,” reads one of the headings of Murnau’s film, Nosferatu. We cross the meta- phorical threshold of the library of metapsychists like we cross the Styx of the Ancients, the river that separates, in Greek mythology, the world of the living from that

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when he mentioned his first visit rise. They were shooting from the and most of the time, non-pub- to the National Archives: “in the sepulcher that’s holding their hand, lishable works. Literary fools, apparent silence of these galleries, as in Michelangelo’s Last Judg- bizarre books, whimsical treatis- [...] there was a movement, a mur- ment, or in the Dance of the Dead” es: these are as many accidents mur that was not death. These pa- (Michelet, 1974, p. 613-614). of literature as aborted books, or pers, these parchments, left there disowned by the world of publish- since a long time, did not ask for Twisted Spirits ing, who rub shoulders there. anything better than to come back The name of the place was cho- to the day. These papers are not In many ways, the IMI’s archives sen in tribute to the writer Richard papers, but lives of men, provinces, are reminiscent of The Brautigan Brautigan and his book enti- peoples [...]. All lived and spoke, Library, an institution founded in tled The Abortion, in which was they surrounded the author of an 1990 by Todd Lockwood in the described a similar museum of army with a hundred languages small town of Burlington,Ver- errors. Like The Brautigan Library, [...]. Gently, gentlemen the dead, mont (USA), where the collection the IMI library offers its visitors an let’s go by order, please [...]. And comprises manuscripts rejected astonishing collection of literary as I blew on their dust, I saw them by publishers, unpublished works, incongruities and pseudoscientific

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These archives, marked by a sometimes disconcerting dramatic intensity, display the features of an authentic machine to travel in time that replaces the reader in the position of the witness of a different era

curiosities. had published The Invisible World members his “telepathic” services. The self-edited books and other Speaks to You, a sort of roman- This curious character claimed to small magazines in the library of ticized account of the sittings in be able to penetrate through mere the IMI are probably the best sur- which an alleged entity named force of thought the mind of an prises. Human Auras and Computer Albien had manifested and then individual, criminal or victim, and is precisely one of these nuggets. delivered prophecies to its guests. then draw exploitable clues. During Published in 1976, it is one of Colette Tiret continued her work 1978, he thus communicated in the strange works that we owe after the death of ther husband; writing the “visions” obtained in to Colette Tiret. In the aftermath she researched (during the 1970s) connection with several criminal of World War II, this passionate the links between machines and cases, including the “killer of the parapsychologist created, with the the afterlife, convinced that some Oise” (a case that became famous). help of her husband magistrate, radiation unknown to humans (the As can be seen in the numerous the Society of Psychical Studies of auras) could, under certain condi- letters still preserved by the IMI, Marseille. Fervent defenders of the tions, appear on computer screens. the proximity between the descrip- Spiritist doctrine, the Tiret couple It was during the same period that tions Couette made of the killer were convinced that the human the private investigator Léon Cou- and the reality is most disturbing. soul survived death. In 1947, they ette contacted the IMI to offer his Systematically filing the result of

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Whether it’s Geley’s ectoplasmic molds, Couette’s telepathic investigations or even Duplessis’ psychokinetic experiments, these extraordinary archives recall how much science is inseparable from failure. subjected the young teenagers sions on the film in the absence to a series of tests in which they of any light. He was then asked were simply asked to reproduce to reproduce the target image his “investigations” with a bai- the famous bendings. Amazing he had previously viewed. There liff, Couette was convinced of his results were then obtained: the are thirty photographs currently quasi-divine mission, which only kitchen utensils planned for the held at IMI, and we can distin- future generations would be able needs of the experiment gradu- guish curious evanescent forms to recognize one day the interest ally bent, sometimes revealing that let us glimpse a Calvary, a and relevance. complex shapes as can still bicycle, animals, and a sun. These Among the outsiders that the be seen on the forks and other many traces are, according to IMI has in publications is the case cutlery that the IMI possesses. parapsychologists, testament to of Yvonne Duplessis which occu- Whether it was copper, stainless the action of the mind exerting pies, like that of Léon Couette, a steel, or steel, nothing seemed effects on matter. place of first order. In 1976, she to resist to the “psychic force” of The books and documents that led experiments on the phenom- the young prodigies. Duplessis make up the library of the IMI enon of psychokinesis that was pursued the research until the are far more, I believe, than mere claimed to be produced by three late 1970s because one teenager objects of extravagance and fan- teenagers. The medium Uri Geller was reputed to be a particularly tastical beliefs. The books and had managed to bend different successful subject. Duplessis documents are the vestiges of objects by the mere force of designed new research proto- aberrant phenomena, the fossils the will, and these children had cols, then used photography. of an unknown civilization, buried surprised their entourage by The young subject was equipped in the depths of the unconscious, producing similar phenomena. with a Polaroid camera without and reading them brings them Duplessis secured agreement of flash and placed in a dark room to back to life in a certain way. the teenagers’ families, and then test his ability to make impres- Whether it’s Geley’s ectoplas-

WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 Mindfield 91 The Bulletin of the The Library of Hauntings Parapsychological Association mic molds, Couette’s telepathic ent era, plunged into the penum- not even the most enigmatic, will investigations or even Duplessis’ bra of scientific thought that lives live the relationship with some- psychokinetic experiments, these in IMI’s rooms of experimentation. one else as a living thing, and extraordinary archives recall Bizarre for some, frightening for will exhaust his own existence” how much science is inseparable others, they retain, more than (Rilke, 1996, p. 70-72). from failure. Benjamin Franklin ever, their power of suggestion said that “the history of human- and never stop, for that, to chal- References ity’s errors” was “more precious lenge us. The frightful, said Rilke, than that of his discoveries,” is “what, deprived of help, wants Baudouin, P. (2016). Les Forces de l’or- dre invisible. Émile Tizané (1901-1982), situations of failure giving the us to help him.” On reflection, un gendarme sur les territoires de la soul “the space to expand, to these books and other objects hantise. Paris, France: Le Murmure. make proof of his boundless that make this place an authentic Bois, J. (1894). Les Petites Religions de faculties and all his beautiful “library of hauntings” seem, be- Paris. Paris: Léon Chailley. extravagances and absurdities” hind their monstrous ornaments, Didi-Huberman, D. (1998). Savoir-mou- (Franklin, 1784, p. 17-18). There they are asking of us such a vement (l’homme qui parlait aux papil- are many examples of this in the rescue. Moreover, they renew the lons), préface à Philippe-Alain Michaud, Aby Warburg et l’image en mouvement. innumerable documents housed vow formerly formulated by the Paris: Macula. in the library of metapsychists. author of the Letters to a Young Edison, T. A. (2015). Le royaume de The contents are on the margins Poet when he spoke about the l’au-delà. Précédé de “Machines nécro- of scientific knowledge, and they imperative duty of man to face phoniques.” Grenoble, France: Jérôme frame official science in their the unknown and not to isolate Millon. own way, revealing through their himself in “some safe place from Farge, A. (2003). La bibliothèque et le corps. Revue de la Bibliothèque natio- aberrations the anxieties sur- the shore.” You have to learn to nale de France, 15, 61-63. rounding scientific theories. Far make yourself available to the Franklin, B. (1784). Report of Dr. Benja- from wanting to denounce the “river of infinite possibilities,” min Franklin, and other commissioners, supposed hermetism of scientific said Rilke. “It is basically the only charged by the King of France, with the knowledge, they express a wish courage we demand of us : to be examination of the animal magnetism, as now practised at Paris. London: J. to perfect it, and thus perhaps brave towards what, coming to Johnson, 1785. leave a glimpse of a form of us, is the most bizarre, the most Geley, G. (1924). L’Ectoplasmie et la hidden wisdom in them. For these surprising, the most inexplicable. Clairvoyance. Paris: Félix Alcan. same reasons, they can also be That men have been cowardly Michelet, J. (1974). Histoire de France. seen as “works,” in the full sense has caused infinite harm to life; In: OEuvres complètes, t. IX [1876]. of the term, and in their own way the lived experiences that we Paris: Flammarion. compose a veritable “cabinet of call ‘apparitions,’ all that we call Richet, C. (1919a). L’Homme stupide. supernatural curiosities” wor- ‘the spirit world,’ death, all this, Paris: Flammarion. thy of aesthetic interest. These which is so closely related to Richet, C. (1919b). La Sélection hu- archives, marked by a sometimes us, has found itself, by the daily maine. Paris: Félix Alcan. disconcerting dramatic intensity, resistance, so well pushed out of Rilke, R.M. (1966). Les Cahiers de Malte Laurids Brigge. Paris: Seuil. display the features of an au- life that the senses that allowed thentic machine to travel in time its seizure have withered. Only Rilke, R.M. (1996). Lettres à un jeune poète. Paris: Le Livre de Poche. that replaces the reader in the the one who is ready for anything, position of the witness of a differ- and does not exclude anything,

92 Mindfield Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG Articles Relevant to Parapsychology Relevant in Journals of Various Fields (XXVIII) n a relatively short period of time we were again able to find quite a few recent publications historical studies of the para- that are relevant to the field. normal and seven on near-death I experiences. The growing number of scientific articles that are published on Bibliographic input from our paranormal subjects increasingly colleagues Alejandro Parra and reflect the large popular interest Thomas Rabeyron are appreciated in the parapsychological domain. and gratefully acknowledged. As In this installment of Mindfield’s always we request members to bibliographic column we present 72 forward relevant recent articles to new titles that appeared in 61 dif- mauricevanluijtelaar4@outlook. | by MAURICE VAN LUIJTELAAR and ferent mainstream journals. Some com or [email protected] RENAUD EVRARD journals provided several articles. Acharya, S. (2019). Spiritual possession Most titles were obtained from Re- and the role of traditional healers in 41-65. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/ ligions (5), and Psychology of Con- Nepal. Journal of Nepal Health Research full/10.1177/0952695119834848 sciousness: Theory, Research, and Council, 17(1), 131-132. http://www.jnhrc. com.np/index.php/jnhrc/article/view/1785 Bainbridge, T. F., Quinlan, J. A., Mar, R. A., Practice (3). Two relevant studies & Smillie, L. D. (2019). Openness/intellect appeared in each of the following Arias, M. (2019). Neurology of ecstatic and susceptibility to pseudo-profound journals: Anthropology of Con- religious and similar experiences: Ecstat- bullshit: A replication and extension. ic, orgasmic, and musicogenic seizures. sciousness, Journal of Religion and European Journal of Personality, 33(1), Stendhal syndrome and autoscopic phe- 72-88. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/ Health, Social Compass, Spirituali- nomena. Neurología, 34, 55-61. https:// epdf/10.1002/per.2176 ty in Clinical Practice and Studies in www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/ pii/S2173580818300634 Card, J. J. (2019). Witches and aliens. Religion/ Sciences Religieuses. The How an archaeologist inspired two new grand total of articles in this series Atmanspacher, H., & Fach, W. (2019). religious movements. Nova Religio: The of bibliographies hereby reaches Exceptional experiences of stable and Journal of Alternative and Emergent Reli- unstable mental states, understood from 1985. gions, 22(4), 44-59. https://nr.ucpress.edu/ a dual-aspect point of view. Philosophies, content/22/4/44 A few themes showed up more 4(1), 7. https://www.mdpi.com/2409- often than others in the select- 9287/4/1/7/htm Cassol, H., D’Argembeau, A., Charland- Verville, V., Laureysm, S., & Martial, C. ed references: We found twelve Bacopoulos-Viau, A. (2019). From the (2019). Memories of near-death experi- studies about dissociation, trance writing cure to the talking cure: Revisiting ences: Are they self-defining? Neuro- the French ‘discovery of the unconscious.’ mediumship or possession; eight science of Consciousness, 5(1). https:// History of the Human Sciences, 32(1),

WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 Mindfield 93 Articles Relevant to Parapsychology The Bulletin of the Parapsychological in Journals of Various Fields (XXVIII) Association

academic.oup.com/nc/article/2019/1/ 184-199. https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLandi Griffiths, R. R., Hurwitz, E. S., Davis, A. niz002/5368150 ng?doi=10.1037%2Fcns0000166 K., Johnson, M. W., & Jesse, R. (2019). Survey of subjective “God encounter Čavojová, V., Secară, E., Jurkovič, M., & Facco, E., Casiglia, E., Al Khafaji, B. E., experiences”: Comparisons among natu- Šrol, J. (2019). Reception and willing- Finatti, F., Duma, G. M., Mento, G., … Tres- rally occurring experiences and those ness to share pseudo-profound bullshit soldi, P. (2019). The neurophenomenology occasioned by the classic psychedelics and their relation to other epistemically of out-of-body experiences induced by psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, or DMT. PLoS suspect beliefs and cognitive ability in hypnotic suggestions. International Jour- ONE, 14(4), e0214377. https://journals. Slovakia and Romania. Applied Cogni- nal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/ tive Psychology, 33(2), 299-311. https:// 67(1), 39-68. https://www.tandfonline. journal.pone.0214377&type=printable onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ com/doi/abs/10.1080/00207144.2019.15 acp.3486 53762 Gutierrez, C. (2019). Unnatural selection: Eugenics and the spirit world. Studies in Collu, S. (2019). Refracting affects: Affect, Facco, E., Lucangeli, D., & Tressoldi, P. Religion/Sciences Religieuses, 47(2), 263- psychotherapy, and spirit dis-possession. (2019). Dr. A. M.—A case of a modern 279. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/ Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry, 43(2), mystic? Implications for psychology and abs/10.1177/0008429818758981 290-314. https://link.springer.com/arti- medicine. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, cle/10.1007/s11013-018-9616-5 6(1), 44-65. http://www.patriziotressoldi.it/ Hanks, M. (2019). Haunted objects. Eng- cmssimpled/uploads/images/drAM_18.pdf lish paranormal investigation and the Craffert, P. F. (2019). Making sense of near- material mediation of doubt. Nova Religio: death experience research: Circumstance Fasce, A. & Picó, A. (2019). Science as The Journal of Alternative and Emergent specific alterations of consciousness. An- a vaccine. Science & Education, 28(1- Religions, 22(4), 60-74. http://nr.ucpress. thropology of Consciousness, 30(1), 64-89. 2),109-125. https://link.springer.com/arti- edu/content/22/4/60 https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley. cle/10.1007/s11191-018-00022-0 com/doi/epdf/10.1111/anoc.12111 Holden, J. M., Lankford, C., & Holmes, L. Fong, C. Y., Takahashi, C., & Braithwaite, (2019). After-death communication and Delaplace, G. (2019). More than corpses, J. J. (2019). Evidence for distinct clusters the biblical fruits of the spirit: An online less than ghosts: A visual theory of cul- of diverse anomalous experiences and survey. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, ture in early ethnographic photography. their selective association with signs 6(1), 15-26. https://psycnet.apa.org/re- Visual Anthropology Review, 35(1), 37-49. of elevated cortical hyperexcitability. cord/2018-27197-001 https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley. Consciousness and Cognition, 71, 1-17. com/doi/abs/10.1111/var.12177 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ Hüwelmeier, G. (2018). Trance medium- article/pii/S1053810018304215 ship takes the stage. Asian Ethnology, Doostdar, A. (2019). Impossible occult- 77(1&2), 57-78. https://asianethnology. ists: Practice and participation in an Fung, H. W. (2018). The phenomenon of org/downloads/ae/pdf/AsianEthnol- Islamic tradition. American Ethnologist, pathological dissociation in the ancient ogy-2107.pdf 46(2), 176-189. https://anthrosource. chinese medicine literature. Journal of onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ Trauma & Dissociation, 19(1), 75-87. Huwelmeier, G. (2019). Spirit writing in Vi- amet.12760 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1 etnam: Political lessons from the beyond. 080/15299732.2017.1304491 The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology, Dumsday, T. (2019). Thought experiments 20(3), 278-293. https://www.tandfonline. as a tool for undermining methodological Geisshuesler, F. A. (2019). A parapsycholo- com/doi/abs/10.1080/14442213.2019.1603 naturalism. Religions, 10(2), 127. https:// gist, an anthropologist, and a vitalist walk 250?journalCode=rtap20 www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/10/2/127/pdf into a laboratory: Ernesto de Martino, Mir- cea Eliade, and a forgotten chapter in the Innamorati, M., Taradel, R., & Foschi, Eisenbruch, M. (2019). Putting the spirit disciplinary history of religious studies. R. (2019). Between sacred and profane: into culturally responsive public health: Religions, 10(5), 304. https://www.mdpi. Possession, psychopathology, and the Explaining mass fainting in Cambodia. com/2077-1444/10/5/304 Catholic church. History of Psychology, Journal of Religion and Health, 58(1), 317- 22(1), 1-16. https://psycnet.apa.org/re- 332. https://tinyurl.com/yymqlex5 Gordeeva, O. V. (2018). Psychological cord/2018-61197-001 assistance to patients with near-death Evrard, R., Toutain, C., Glazier, J. W., & Le experience (based on foreign research). Jammes, J. (2019). Printing cosmopoli- Maléfan, P. (2019). The energy of despair: National Psychological Journal, 11(2), tanism, challenging orthodoxies: Cao Đài Do near-death experiences have an evolu- 75-91. http://npsyj.ru/en/articles/detail. journals in twentieth century Vietnam. tionary value? Psychology of Conscious- php?article=7602 ness: Theory, Research, and Practice, 6(2),

94 Mindfield Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG Articles Relevant to Parapsychology Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 in Journals of Various Fields (XXVIII)

Vienna Journal of East Asian Studies, https://www.utdl.edu/ojs/index.php/prs/ tourism: A case study in Cordoba (Spain). 10(1), 175-209. https://www.researchgate. article/view/248 Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, net/publication/331434442_Printing_Cos- 10(1), 161-176. https://www.researchgate. Li-Shin, H., & Hsuan-Yi, C. (2019). A mopolitanism_Challenging_Orthodox- net/publication/330879889_Analysis_of_ name classification method using the I ies_Cao_Dai_Journals_in_Twentieth_Cen- the_Demand_of_Dark_Tourism_A_Case_ Ching name configurations for Taiwan tury_Vietnam Study_in_Cordoba_Spain local elections. Quality & Quantity: Juntaramano, S., Swangareeruk, J., & International Journal of Methodology, Mohr, C., Lesaffre, L., & Kuhn, G. (2019). Khunboonchan, T. (2019). The wisdom of 53(2), 641-651. https://ideas.repec.org/a/ Magical potential: Why magic perfor- Thai indigenous healers for the spiritual spr/qualqt/v53y2019i2d10.1007_s11135- mances should be used to explore the healing of fractures. Journal of Holistic 018-0779-5.html psychological factors contributing to Nursing, 37(1),18-29. https://www.ncbi. human belief formation. Integrative Loch, A. A., Freitas, E. L., Hortêncio, L., nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29648496 Psychological and Behavioral Science, Chianca, C., Alves, T. M., Serpa, M. H.,... 53(7),1-12. https://www.researchgate.net/ Kaldahl, J. (2019). On life after death: A Rössler, W. (2019). Hearing spirits? Re- publication/327842002_Magical_Poten- Chaplain’s view on the process of dying. ligiosity in individuals at risk for psycho- tial_Why_Magic_Performances_Should_ Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling, sis—Results from the Brazilian SSAPP be_Used_to_Explore_the_Psychologi- 73(1), 49-51. https://journals.sagepub. cohort. Schizophrenia Research, 204, cal_Factors_Contributing_to_Human_Be- com/doi/abs/10.1177/1542305019836385 353-359. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ lief_Formation pubmed/30266512 Kopel, J. (2019). Near-death experiences Morris, L. (2018). To the ancestral plane: in medicine. Baylor University Medical Louw, M. (2019). Burdening visions: African spiritism in Ryan Coogler’s Black Center Proceedings, 32(1), 163-164. htt- the haunting of the unseen in Bishkek, Panther (Marvel Studios, 2018) and the ps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.108 Kyrgyzstan. Contemporary Islam, 13(1), desensitization to spiritualism in Hol- 0/08998280.2018.1542478 33-47. https://link.springer.com/arti- lywood. Africology: The Journal of Pan cle/10.1007/s11562-017-0403-9 Kowalewski, D. (2019). The shamanic African Studies, 11(9), 73-76. http://www. renaissance: What is going on? Journal Matricciani, E., & De Caro, L. (2018). jpanafrican.org/docs/vol11no9/11.9-spe- of Humanistic Psychology, 59(2), 170- A mathematical analysis of Maria Val- cial-14-Morris.pdf 184. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/ torta’s mystical writings. Religions, 9(11), Mueller, G., Palli, C. & Schumacher, P. abs/10.1177/0022167816634522 373. https://www.researchgate.net/ (2019). The effect of therapeutic touch on publication/329114194_A_Mathematical_ Lange, R., Houran, J., Evans, J., & Lynn, back pain in adults on a neurological unit: Analysis_of_Maria_Valtorta%27s_Mysti- S. J. (2019). A review and reevaluation An experimental pilot study. Pain Man- cal_Writings of the Revised Transliminality Scale. agement Nursing, 20(1), 75-81. https:// Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Re- Mauzay, D., & Cuttler, C. (2018). Dysfunc- www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/ search, and Practice, 6(1), 67-89. https:// tional cognitions mediate the relation- pii/S1524904217305106 psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-19573-001 ships between religiosity, paranormal Nigst, L. (2019). ‘Entering a gigantic beliefs, and symptoms of obsessive-com- Lake, J. (2019).The near-death experi- maze:’ The ambivalent presence of pulsive disorder. Mental Health, Religion ence (NDE) as an inherited predisposi- previous-life memories in Druze dis- & Culture, 21(8), 838-850. https://www. tion: Possible genetic, epigenetic, neural course. Social Compass, 66(2), 273- tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1367467 and symbolic mechanisms. Medical 288. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/ 6.2019.1583176 Hypotheses, 126, 135-148. https://www. abs/10.1177/0037768619833317 sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ Maij, D. L. R., Elk, M. van, & Schjoedt, Okoro, K. (2019). A Socio-hermeneutical S0306987719300714 U. (2019). The role of alcohol in expec- discourse on the African Igbo concept of tancy-driven mystical experiences: a Lazarus, S. (2019). Where is the money? reincarnation. International Journal of pre-registered field study using placebo The intersectionality of the spirit world Management Reviews, 15(1),1-23. https:// brain stimulation. Religion, Brain & and the acquisition of wealth. Religions, tinyurl.com/y4kcv46c Behavior, 9(2),108-125. https://www. 10(3), 146. https://www.mdpi.com/2077- tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/215359 Oliveira-Souza, R. de (2018). Phobia of 1444/10/3/146/htm 9X.2017.1403952 the supernatural: A distinct but poorly Leonard, K. (2018). Performing spiritual- recognized specific phobia with an adverse Millan, G. D., Rojas, R. D. H., & García, J. ism in the silent cinema. Performance, impact on daily living. Frontiers in Psychi- S. (2019). Analysis of the demand of dark Religion, and Spirituality, 1(2), 155-188.

WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 Mindfield 95 Articles Relevant to Parapsychology The Bulletin of the Parapsychological in Journals of Various Fields (XXVIII) Association

atry, 9: 590. https://www.frontiersin.org/ dimensions of filming states of trance and 9?fbclid=IwAR2FMlKpqan_oro4xjxi8N- articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00590/full spirit possession in postwar southern Italy. svhS5_oj4Sc4VCg93VL50rzpXzWvLAG- Visual Anthropology, 32(1), 33-55. https:// bqAS5A Parra, A. (2019). Negative experiences in www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0894 childhood, parental style, and resilience Usarski, F. (2019). Spiritism as a target 9468.2019.1568112 among people reporting paranormal ex- of ‘annihilation’ – conceptual clarifica- periences. Journal of Nervous and Mental Schmidt, T. T., & Prein, J. C. (2019). The tion and exemplification of a rhetorical Disease, 207(4), 264-270. https://journals. Ganzfeld experience — A stably inducible strategy. Social Compass, 66(2), 211- lww.com/jonmd/Abstract/2019/04000/ altered state of consciousness: Effects of 223.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/ Negative_Experiences_in_Childhood,_Pa- different auditory homogenizations. 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96 Mindfield Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG ψ ψ Institut für Grenzgebiete der Psychologie und Psychohygiene e.V. (IGPP) Freiburg im Breisgau Fanny Moser Award

Description: Dr. Fanny Moser (1872–1953) was one of the rst women to study medicine and natural sciences in Freiburg, Zurich and Munich. She received her doctorate in 1902 with a zoological thesis. In 1914, she took part in a mediumistic séance and witnessed a spectacular table levitation that shattered her scienti c world view. In the following decades, supported by a unique source collection and research library, Fanny Moser undertook a critical examination and reappraisal of the entire eld of Mesme- rism, Hypnotism, Spiritism, Occultism and early parapsychological research up to the 1930s, which led to the publication of her opus magnum Okkultismus – Täuschungen und Tatsachen (München, 1935, Reprint 1977). Together with her second major volume Spuk – Irrglaube oder Wahrglaube? Eine Frage der Menschheit (Zürich, 1950; Reprint 1977), published in 1950, Fanny Moser bequeathed – from a historical point of view – two groundbreaking works on German-langua- ge parapsychological research. In her will, Fanny Moser decided to create a foundation to establish and secure research in the tradition of her two works. She assigned this task to the pioneer of academic parapsychological research after the Second World War, the Freiburg professor of psychology Hans Bender (1907–1991), and to the Institut für Grenzgebiete der Psychologie und Psychohygiene e.V (IGPP) founded by him in 1950. Fanny Moser thus became the IGPP's rst patron, and her legacy enabled a part of the Institute's research and counseling work to be carried out in a modest way for decades. The testamentary decree also stipulated that a prize should be awarded regularly for the "best work" on the research topics she herself had studied. This prize was awarded for the rst time in 1982; Eberhard Bauer (IGPP Freiburg) is the only winner to date. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the IGPP in 2020, the testamentary decree is to be fully enacted. The Fanny Moser Award is endowed with 3,000 euros and is to be awarded regularly every three years.

Requirement: The prize is to be awarded to a scienti cally published work (including outstanding quali cation work). The publication must be explicitly related to Fanny Moser's research on paranormal and anomalistic experiences and phenomena. The subject can be empirical-experimental, theoretical-conceptual, clinical-therapeutic, natural scienti c, art historical, cultural scienti- c, social scienti c or historical. The publication of the work should not have taken place more than three years ago and should document an outstanding academic achievement.

Modalities: Proposals and applications must be sent to the jury by email by 15 January 2020. They should contain the following documents: a copy of the scienti c work to be considered, a letter of application and a curriculum vitae. The award cerem- ony is expected to take place in Freiburg in May 2020.

Email: [email protected] Internet: http://www.igpp.de Institut für Grenzgebiete der Psychologie und Psychohygiene e.V. (IGPP) . Wilhelmstr. 3a . D-79098 Freiburg i. Br. WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 Mindfield 97 Mindfield The Bulletin of the Parapsychological Association

Parapsychological Association, Inc. Phone: (614) 600-2195 PO Box 14884 Email: [email protected] Columbus, OH 43214 Website: www.parapsych.org USA

98 Mindfield Volume 11 Issue 2 2019 WWW.PARAPSYCH.ORG