ASCS ACADEMY FOR SPIRITUAL AND CONSCIOUSNESS STUDIES, INC.

Biography of William J. Crawford (1881-1920)

emembered primarily for his study of Irish two or three times. The movement, which was so medium Kathleen Goligher, William Jack- obviously not produced by any of us present and R son Crawford was a lecturer in mechanical which we did not expect – this simple little turning engineering at Queen’s University of Belfast and movement – caused the first glimmer of doubt in the Municipal Technical Institute of Belfast. Begin- my mind that all table tiltings, etc., were due to ning in 1914, he had 87 sittings with the Goligher subconscious actions of the sitters, as I had Circle over a period of some two-and-a-half years, strongly held up to that time. From that moment – resulting in four books – The Reality of Psychic Phe- now years ago – I decided to investigate the matter nomena (1918), Hints and Observations on the Phe- thoroughly.”1 nomena of Spiritualism (1918), Experiments in Psychi- The modus operandi of a Goligher sitting, cal Science (1919), and The Psychic Structure of the Crawford explained, involved the members sitting Goligher Circle (1921) Three of the four books are in a circle about five feet in diameter with a table devoted exclusively to the Goligher Circle. His placed in the center. A red light was used and was “Hints” book mentions sittings with other medi- ample enough to see all activity and movement in ums, but it is very general and no names are given. the room. The sitters would then join hands in The Goligher Circle consisted of seven chain order as one member of the circle would members of the Goligher family – Kathleen, four open with a prayer, after which a hymn would be sisters, their father, and the husband of one sister. sung to establish the proper harmony. “In a few Crawford observed that all of Kathleen’s sisters minutes, sounds – tap, tap, tap, – are heard on the had mediumistic ability to some degree, but Kath- floor close to the medium,” Crawford recorded. leen, just 16 when he began studying her, was “These are the first ‘spirit’ raps of the evening. clearly the most powerful medium of the group. They soon become louder and stronger and occur The phenomena included communicating raps, right out in the circle space, on the table, and on the automatic writing, trance voice, floating objects, chairs of the sitters. Their magnitude varies in in- and table levitations. tensity from the slightest audible ticks to blows Born in New Zealand, Crawford received which might well be produced by a sledge-ham- his D.Sc. from the University of Glasgow and au- mer, the latter really being awe-inspiring and eas- thored several books in his primary field, includ- ily heard two stories below and even outside the ing Elementary Graphic Statics and Calculations on house. The loud blows perceptibly shake the floor the Entropy-Temperature Chart, before undertaking and chairs.”2 his research of psychic phenomena. The raps would sometimes keep time with “A number of us had been sitting round a the hymns sung by members of the circle and at small table in the usual way and had obtained the other times they would tap out complicated tunes usual tiltings and usual mixed-up messages, when on top of the table or on the floor. Besides the ordi- suddenly the table twisted round under our hands nary raps there were peculiar sounds, one sound- and did not stop until it had turned through nearly ing like a bouncing ball, another like the wood be- a complete revolution,” Crawford recalled his in- ing sawed, another like the trotting of a horse. troduction to mediumistic phenomena. “It did this www.ascsi.org Page 1 of 4

As the “operators” (Crawford’s name for who apparently furnished small amounts of what the “entities”) effecting the phenomena, explained Crawford calls “psychic force.” to him, a semi-flexible “psychic rod” (or arm) is- Fraud was definitely not involved, Craw- sues from the body of the medium and is moved ford concluded, pointing out that the subdued up or down to strike the floor or the table, thereby light provided adequate visibility to detect move- causing the raps, much like one might use a stick ment in the room. Moreover, the medium was not to beat a carpet. “I have no doubt whatever that the paid and he knew the Goligher family to be up- operators, i.e., the entities producing the phenom- right and religious-minded people. “Her medi- ena, whether the reader looks upon such entities as umship is absolutely beyond dispute, as many spirits, our subconscious selves, or extra-terrestrial people, some of them well known, are able with intelligences – have to do a good deal of experi- certainty to say,” Crawford further wrote. “How- menting in order to obtain satisfactory results,” he ever, she knows it is my duty to set at rest the offered. “I have many times watched them experi- minds of those who are afraid of unconscious me- menting in order to bring about some particular diumistic action and the like; of those who, not phenomenon they desired; they would keep trying having been able to attend her séances and see for even after repeated failures, and would not give in themselves what actually happens, wish to know until they realized that what they wished was im- what precautions have been taken, and what inde- possible of accomplishment.”3 He further sur- pendent witnesses have to say.”5 mised that it requires the cooperation of many un- Crawford reported witnessing hundreds of seen entities to produce physical phenomena and levitations under all conditions, but apparently the that the medium and sitters are only the instru- medium herself was never levitated as reported by ments through whom the work is done. Sir William Crookes with D. D. Home. In one sit- After 15 minutes or so, the rappings would ting Crawford observed a stool rise four feet into stop and another type of phenomenon would the air and move gently up and down for several begin. “The levitation of a table is the most spec- minutes while he examined it closely and while the tacular and common,” Crawford wrote, “but there medium was seated on a weighing machine. He are also all kinds of motions of the table, upon the also witnessed a table turn around completely in floor—transitional, rotational, and combinations the air, turn upside down, and settle to ground in of these tow. The table is sometimes gently low- the upside-down position. ered about two legs to the floor and replaced in po- Sir William Barrett, a respected professor of sition. A metal trumpet is waved about in the air. physics and one of the founders of the Society for A small handbell is taken up and rung. The sitters Psychical Research, attended one of the Goligher are sometimes psychically ‘touched.’”4 . sittings at Crawford’s request and reported climb- Crawford brought in a scale large enough ing on a table being levitated some 18 inches off the to hold the medium while she was sitting in her floor, after which the table began to sway and he chair. He discovered that when a table was being was tipped off. The table then turned upside levitated, the weight of the table, usually around down and settled back on the floor. When Barrett 16 pounds, was transferred to the medium through tried to right it, he could not budge it, but it later the psychic (ectoplasmic) rods extending from her. righted itself on its own accord. Barrett claimed to Most of the time, the transfer of weight would be a have heard an “amused intelligence.”6 few ounces short of the weight of the table. Further As for the difference between the contact experimentation revealed that the extra weight phenomenon, where the sitters have their hands was being transferred to the sitters in the room, on the table, and the non-contact type, Crawford understood that the psychic force was coming www.ascsi.org Page 2 of 4

through the finger tips of the sitters and was not a myself, ‘Can this very determined work of seem- result of any muscular action on their part, while ingly intelligent beings be but a simulation after in the non-contact type, the medium supplied the all? Can it be all a fraud? Is it possible that nature psychic arm (ectoplasmic rods). “These invisible holds intelligences belonging to ourselves or oth- psychic arms probably grip the table by adhesion erwise, which could so persistently deceive? Why to its under surfaces or legs and thus bring about should our subliminal consciousness (supposing the movements which appear so mysterious,” he we possess such a thing) carry out for us phenom- wrote.7 enal demonstrations on the lines of reason and in- During his experiments with Goligher, telligence, requiring effort and system, for the ob- Crawford began communicating with the “opera- ject of deceiving us?’ No! It seems most unlikely tors,” one of whom said he was a medical man and repellant to our sense of the fitness of things. when on earth and that his primary function was Nobody who has not delved deeply into psychic to look after the health of the young medium. This phenomena can have any conception of its tremen- “spirit” explained to Crawford that two types of dous variety and range. It includes telekinetic phe- substances were used in the production of the phe- nomena, apports, materialization, the direct voice, nomena. One was taken in large quantities from clairvoyance, clairaudience, trance, etc., etc. There both the medium and the sitters, then returned to are, in fact, dozens of phases of psychic action, all them at the close of the séance. The other sub- consistent in the inference to which they lead, stance was taken exclusively from the medium in namely, that man survives death, and inconsistent minute quantities and could not be returned to her on any other hypothesis.”8 as its structure was broken up. It was pointed out Crawford further concluded that much of that it came from the interior of the medium’s what was being looked at as fraud by other re- nerve cells and if too much were taken she could searchers and superficial observers were spas- suffer serious injury. modic kinds of movements by the medium. “These On one occasion, a clairvoyant joined in the are simply the reactions due to the raps and are circle and told Crawford that she could see “a what we might expect,” he stated. “The seeker af- whitish vapory substance, somewhat like smoke,” ter fraud (who by the way is usually a person with forming under the surface of the table and increas- no knowledge of science) immediately puts them ing in density as it was levitated. She could see it down to imposture. My experiments, conducted flowing from the medium in sort of a rotary mo- over a long period of time and more thoroughly tion. From other sitters, she could see thin bands than any ever carried out hitherto, have proved to joining into the much larger amount coming from me beyond all question that the medium’s body is the medium. She also saw various spirit forms and either directly or indirectly the focus of all the me- spirit hands manipulating the “psychic stuff.” chanical actions which result in phenomena. And While initially subscribing to the “second- not only is it the focus but it also seems to supply a ary personality” theory, Crawford gradually kind of duplicate of portions of her body, which changed his mind and concluded that these “oper- can be temporarily detached and projected into the ators” were in fact spirits of the dead. “[The sub- space in front of her. Thus, things happen in the conscious] is the alternative I had in mind all séance room which, from the nature of the case, through my investigations,” he explained his sometimes bears a superficial appearance of fraud, change of attitude. “As months succeeded month, though, in a properly conducted circle it is only su- as each new phase of phenomena was presented, perficial, and the true and genuine nature of the as each new experiment was done, I always said to phenomena can always be discovered by a little in- vestigation.”9 www.ascsi.org Page 3 of 4

Crawford asked the operators if there were double arms, molding it into different shapes with many of them looking on during the séances. which I had been long familiar in a general way “Whenever asked the questions they would begin from previous investigation.”11 rapping and keep on rapping until we were tired Crawford died by suicide on July 30, 1920. of hearing them,” he wrote. “They wished to indi- Skeptics suggested that his suicide was the result cate by this that there were great crowds of spirit of realizing he had been duped. However, four people looking on. They told me this was the case days prior to his death, Crawford wrote to David at all our séances. They gave me the impression Gow, the editor of Light, the following: “My psy- that the séance room and the sitters were sur- chic work was all done before the (mental) col- rounded by a huge invisible audience arranged in lapse, and is the most perfect work I have done in an orderly and disciplinary manner, perhaps tier my life. Everything connected with it is absolutely upon tier as in a lecture theater. The séance to correct, and will bear every scrutiny. It was done many of them would appear to be as novel as it is when my brain was working perfectly, and it could to us.”10 not be responsible for what has occurred…. I wish It was only during the last six months or so to affirm my belief that the grave does not finish of his investigation that the operators allowed him all.”12 to photograph the “plasma.” He was told initially In 1922, Dr. E.E. Fournier d’Albe had 20 sit- that the medium would not be able to withstand tings with Kathleen Goligher and obtained limited the shock of the flashlight effect and that it was results, leading him to report that Crawford must necessary for the operators to gradually prepare have been tricked. However, defenders of Craw- her for it. “After innumerable attempts, very small ford suggested that d’Albe did not bring the patches of plasma were obtained in full view be- proper attitude or harmony to his investigation, tween the medium’s ankles,” he reported. “As thus discouraging phenomena, or Goligher had time went on these increased in size and variety lost much of her power as mediums are known to until great quantities of this psychic stuff could be do over time. exteriorized and photographed. Then the opera- ∞ tors began to manipulate it in various ways, build- Copyright 2013 Michael E. Tymn ing it up into columns, or forming into single or

1 Crawford, W. J., Hints and Observations on the Phenom- 6 Barrett, William F., On the Threshold of the Unseen, E. P. ena of Spiritualism, E. P. Dutton & Co., New York, 1918, p. Dutton & Co., New York, 1918, pp. 46-47 61 7 Hints, pp. 73-74 2 Crawford, W. J., Experiments in Psychical Science, E.P. Dut- 8 ______, pp. 101-102 ton & Co., New York, 1919, p. 3 9 Experiments, pp. 141-142 3 Hints, p. 97 10 Hints, p. 18 4 Crawford, W. J., The Reality of Psychic Phenomena, E. P. 11 Crawford, W. J., The Psychic Structure of the Goligher Cir- Dutton & Co, New York, 1918, p. 9 cle, E. P. Dutton & Co., New York, 1921, pp. 171-172 5 ______, p. 21 12 Psychic Structure, preface v

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