Personal Experiences in Spiritualism

PERSONAL EXPERIENCES IN SPIRITUALISM (INCLUDING THE OFFICIAL ACCOUNT AND RECORD OF THE AMERICAN PALLADINO SEANCES) BY HEREWARD CARRINGTON AUTHOR OF "the PHYSICAL PHENOMENA OF SPIRITUALISM," " EUSAPIA PALLADINO AND HER PHENOMENA," "THE COMING SCIENCE," "DEATH: ITS CAUSES AND PHENOMENA" (JOINTLY), ETC. ILLUSTRATED LONDON T. WERNER LAURIE LTD. CLIFFORDS INN PRINTED AT THE NORTHUMBERLAND PRESS WATERLOO HOUSE, THORNTON STREET, NKWCASTLE-UrON-TYNE EusAi'iA Palladino. DEDICATED TO THE HON. EVERARD FEILDING, WHOSE ACUMEN, CRITICAL JUDGMENT, AND IMPARTIALITY MAKE HIM, IN MY ESTIMATION, AN IDEAL " PSYCHICAL RESEARCHER." —; PREFACE The present volume contains a summary of my experiences and experiments in the " physical phenomena of Spiritualism "—in that branch of psychic research which deals with the subject and the reader will notice a curious contrast between Parts I and II of the book. While Part I is almost entirely negative, Part II is equally positive ; while the one destroys, the other builds up ! This is due to the fact that physical mediums, who present genuine phenomena, are rare indeed and though, at the present day, I am quite convinced of the reality of such phenomena—and even that materialisation is a certain and positive fact in nature—yet I still believe as firmly as when I wrote " The Physical Phenomena of Spirit- ualism," that "ninety-eight per cent of the phenomena are fraudulent." Very rarely can one find a medium presenting genuine manifestations—at least that has been my experience. Yet they are to be found ! Eusapia Palladino is one of these ; and I have devoted Part II to a detailed account of her American seances, hitherto unpublished. ix : X PREFACE This cannot fail, I think, to be of very great interest to every serious student of psychic research, and particularly to the student of the " physical phenomena." While I do not pretend to speak upon these questions from the point of view of the scientific expert in any other field of research, nevertheless I have endeavoured to render some useful service, merely by reason of long-continued interest, and a close study of the evidence so far adduced. In speaking of M. Aksakof, Mr Myers said of him {^Proceedings, vi., p. 674): " I wish to point out how few men there are . who, without pretending to exceptional scientific attainments, have expended on these problems the persevering sagacity, the Hfelong devotion by which, in common life, as in exact inquiries, all great results must needs be won." And again, in speaking of the work of Mr Frank Podmore, Mrs Sidgwick said {Proceedings, vol. xxv., p. 9) " What it is not easy to find is a man of unflagging energy in keeping his knowledge up to date, unflagging belief in the importance of the investigation, who can yet put himself outside it and view it from an impartial, impersonal, and mainly critical standpoint. All real scientific investiga- : ; PREFACE xi tors, of course—however sanguine and enthusi- astic—endeavour to maintain a critical attitude but there is a distinct advantage, at least in investigations so difficult and elusive as ours, in having, so to speak, a professional critic." One's value, therefore, may not perhaps be negligible, even if he be not a specialist in physics, or chemistry, or psychology. I say this merely by way of personal apology. One word more. The value of these researches is constantly being called into question—their utility ; the cui bono? objection. More and more one hears this, I think, in certain quarters; and many of us who devote the greater part of our lives to this work are constantly reproached for wasting time and energy upon a dubious inquiry, which, if applied in other directions, might in some measure benefit self and humanity. In reply to this objection, I cannot do better, perhaps, than to quote—and conclude In —the words of Count Aksakof, when he said (" Animism and Spiritism," vol. i., pp. 40-1) " In the decHne of life I ask myself sometimes, ' Have I in truth done well to have devoted so much time and toil and money to the study and the publication of facts in this domain? Have I not struck into a blind road ?—followed an illusive hope.'^ Have I not wasted my experience, with xii PREFACE no result to justify all my pains? ' Yet always I ' seem to hear the same reply : A Hfe on earth can have no higher aspiration than to demonstrate the transcendental nature of man's being—to prove him called to a destiny loftier than the phenomenal existence he knows.' I cannot, then, regret that I have devoted my whole life to the pursuance of this aim ; although it be by methods which science shuns and spurns—methods which I hold far trustier than any other which science has to show. And if it be in the end my lot to have laid one stone to that temple of the Spirit, upbuilt from century to century by men true of heart, this will be the highest and the only recompense which ever I strove to gain." H. C. CONTENTS PART I EARLIER INVESTIGATIONS INTO " PHYSICAL PHENOMENA " PAGE I. A "poltergeist" in nova SCOTIA . 3 II. THE LILY DALE INVESTIGATION . 20 III. MY EXPERIENCE AS A SLATE - WRITING MEDIUM ! 46 \ . PHENOMENA WITNESSED IN PRIVATE CIRCLES 5 V. A SEANCE WITH DE WITT HOUGH . 70 VI. THE BANGS SISTERS' "SPIRIT PICTURES" . 76 VII. "THE GREAT AMHERST MYSTERY" . 95 VIII. REPORT OF A PERSONAL INVESTIGATION INTO "the great AMHERST MYSTERY" . 112 PART II EUSAPIA PALLADINO'S AMERICAN SEANCES IX. INTRODUCTION 127 X. THE AMERICAN SEANCES .... 136 XI. NOTE ON THE SITTINGS HELD AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 216 XII. THEORETICAL DISCUSSION .... 223 APPENDIX — THE NEED OF A PSYCHICAL LABORATORY 257 xiii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS "Eusapia Palladino" Frontispiece "The ' Auditorium,' Lily Dale" .... Facing page 20 " ' The Rostrum,' Lily Dale'' .... „ 20 ' " Spirit photograph ' taken by A. Norman, show- " ing the faces of various so-called ' guides ' „ 24 "A 'spirit bride' — showing the method of 'faking' a negative" „ 24 '" "A 'spirit bull-dog „ 42 " ' Photo of a spirit ' a Ih Bien Boa "... „ 64 " Photo of a large, transparent hand " . „ 64 "The ' haunted house,' in 'The Great Amherst Mystery'" „ 69 " " ' Forest Temple Woods Meeting,' Lily Dale' „ 96 " Eusapia seated at the s&ance table " . „ 128 " General view of the seance room, and position of sitters " „ 136 " ' ' " The stocks apparatus „ 136 " Interior of the cabinet '' „ 144 " A square, black object at the end of a long neck" „ 154 " Spring balance used to test Eusapia, and two possible methods of trickery by employing a hair" „ 160 '' Impression of fingers in the box of clay " . „ 160 XV — xvi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS " A queer object which appeared in good light at one of Eusapia's seances " .... Facing page " Black ' heads ' which emerged froir. the cabinet close to the floor " "Radiograph of fingers on X-ray plate; and photograph of the photographer's fingers " who wrapped it up "Wire screen made to cover cabinet and side of seance table nearest medium " ... " Apparatus intended to duplicate Sir William Crookes' experiments with D. D. Home the ' spring-balance '".... „ 216 PART I EARLIER INVESTIGATIONS INTO "PHYSICAL PHENOMENA" A "POLTERGEIST" IN NOVA SCOTIA Perhaps the most baffling as well as the most interesting phenomena in the whole history of spiritualism and psychic investigation are the so- called " poltergeist " cases—in which bells are rung, furniture upset, crockery broken, etc., without any apparent cause. Many of them have been explained, and shown to be due to simple trickery—generally on the part of a young boy or girl ; but, on the other hand, many cases remain inexplicable, and these can only be regarded as historical enigmas about which nothing definite can be said one way or the other. New cases of this character are rare. Usually, when a member of the S.P.R. visits the haunted spot, in person, it is long after the occurrences have ceased ; or they cease immediately on his arrival! Very rarely can we find phenomena which continue to manifest after an investigator has arrived upon the scene ; and because of the fact that such was the case in the present narrative it possesses some originality and charm. 3 : — 4 PERSONAL EXPERIENCES During the last three months of the year 1906 and the first two months of 1907 reports of these phenomena had steadily been sent to the American S.P.R. by a Judge of the Probate Court, living in Windsor, Nova Scotia. These reports were carefully written, and, as will be seen, extended over a considerable period of time. The witness seemed an intelligent man, and the reports, though they indicated great credulity, were carefully drawn up. What could more strongly invite a thorough, first-hand investigation? The nature of the phenomena, too, was most striking physical manifestations of all sorts, " apports," independent voices, apparitions seen in various localities, telekinetic phenomena, etc. ; and this not in one house merely, but in nearly every house and shop in the entire village! The whole town seemed to be haunted! An idea of the character of the phenomena may be seen from the following descriptive extracts from Judge X.'s reports "... I think the phenomena occurring here should be investigated without delay. Various strange things have been happening for months. Light, and even very heavy, articles have been moved quite a distance without contact, in various stores in this town, in daylight. The last of March I saw the headless figure of a man in the cellar of one of these stores. The groans of the figure were verv distressing. I am convinced there was no trickery.

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