Metapsychical Phenomena: Methods and ObservationsMaxwell, J. (Joseph)
Philosophy
Metapsychical Phenomena: Methods and Observations
Maxwell, J. (Joseph)
Parapsychology -- Investigation
“[From an experiment made on the following day, we have all three
reason to believe, that Professor Richet did not see the luminosities
at this seance because of his position. Let it be borne in mind that
_X_ was in direct line of vision with the door of the cabinet, and that
_M_ was also favourably placed for observation. These facts did not
strike us until the seance was over, and _R_’s inability to see what
_M_ and _X_ affirmed were objective lights was incomprehensible at the
time being.]
“When the medium took Professor Richet’s place in the cabinet, he said
the latter appeared to him to be all lighted up; when Dr. Maxwell and I
saw the light outside the cabinet, the medium declared he was in utter
darkness. During the production of this phenomenon, M. Meurice was
heard to breathe heavily; he said he did not know why he felt obliged
to do this; he complained of feeling suddenly very cold; at the same
time, a cold perspiration broke out on his forehead. He also said that
he felt the need of stretching himself and yawning.
“An interval of ten minutes now passed. Then _M_ and _X_ saw an
amorphous luminosity gradually form in front of the cabinet, and
make slight movements in the direction of the table at which the
experimenters were sitting. _M_, by the light of this luminosity, sees
the curtain slowly open, and close again as the light disappears.
“_R_ sees nothing definite. He thinks he sees a cloud-like substance,
but is not sure of its objectivity (because of his position?).
“As in the case of the first luminosity, so for this second one, M.
Meurice declares that the cabinet is lighted up within, becoming dark
when _M_ and _X_ see the light. He has the same sensations of cold. In
addition, he says he feels tired, and asks to be allowed to discontinue
the seance.
“No odour of phosphorus was perceptible, although the lights we
observed had something of a phosphorescent appearance; but I think it
would be more correct were I to compare what I saw on this occasion
with the Milky Way; in fact, these luminosities presented an appearance
almost exactly similar to that presented by the Orion nebulæ, when seen
through the telescope.
“The medium looked pale and tired, when we closed the seance, but he
quickly recovered his vitality, and during dinner—scarcely an hour
later—some fine telekinetic movements of a heavy walnut dining-table
were forthcoming in, of course, full light. Seeing the table move,
apparently of its own accord, we joined hands two feet above the table,
and succeeded in making it follow the direction our hands took: now an
inch to the right, now three inches to the left, etc.; we had, finally,
a strong, rotatory movement of six inches. The medium’s knees and feet
were under Professor Richet’s observation, while these movements were
being produced.”
_Third Seance_
“_Thursday, 3rd November 1904._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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