Mediums Rare (14 page)

That the incident might illustrate, to any degree, the existence of communication from consciousness existing beyond the grave (life after death) not many of today’s psi investigators would even consider much less entertain any concession of likelihood.

At any rate, all of these events are little more than anecdotal.

It is only with the advent of Mesmer’s work that any degree of “scientific” application to psychic events is noted.

His consulting rooms might, in a general—admittedly crude—manner be considered as the first parapsychological testing laboratory.

The inducement, via “Mesmerism,” of various psychic manifestations such as telepathy, clairvoyance and self-diagnosis could certainly be considered an initial step in psychical research.

Especially in light of the fact that it led directly to the acceptance of the phenomena which we still refer to as
hypnosis
, a major tool in the study of man’s “inner” mind.

With the Fox sisters (a prime example of telekinesis?), the background of modern parapsychology becomes definite in outline.

By laying the ground work for the establishment of the Spiritualism movement, the main stepping stone to modern parapsychology was set in place.

As indicated, historians date the birth of Spiritualism at 1848, the year the Fox sisters first began to experience the odd events in Hydesville, New York.

The incident with D.D. Home is an example of one of the greatest—if not
the
greatest—physical mediums in the history of Spiritualism in action.

Although very few of the phenomena displayed by the Scotch medium are, as yet, grist for the mill of today’s parapsychologists, they represent—if literally true—an incredible display of inexplicable (to date) occurrences.

The apparent elongation of his body.

His ability to handle hot coals without injury.

His reported levitation through the window opening of Lord Adare’s sitting room.

Admittedly more colorful than scientifically verifiable, these phenomena were certainly of great dramatic impact.

The incident at the White House in which young Nettie Colburn gave so-called psychic advice to President Lincoln doubtless would be interpreted by today’s parapsychologists as a prime example of telepathy in that Lincoln was only told what he had been giving much thought to and wanted very much to hear in his anxiety to make a decision regarding both a necessary visit to the Union troops and the formal issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation.

That the voice with which Nettie Colburn spoke was apparently that of Daniel Webster could be interpreted as signifying that Lincoln needed some truly strong presence to voice his own inner convictions and Daniel Webster was a perfect choice for that presence.

The sitting with Eusapia Palladino, while more prosaic than that of D.D. Home, is indicative of a new, closer examination of physical mediums in that period, an attempt to apply more stringent testing methods to the study of psychic phenomena; a new step forward in the gradual progression toward modern parapsychological procedures.

The remaining dramatizations—Mrs. Piper—Mrs. Leonard, Margery (with Houdini) and Edgar Cayce complete the step-by-step progression from the pre-history period of parapsychology to its present day existence.

Despite the impressive advances made by parapsychologists all over the world, there still remains one unavoidable element of doubt in the scientific community.

How can psi contribute anything relevant to the mainstream of science since the tools of science cannot be utilized to study phenomena which are so elusive and unpredictable?

This criticism, of course, is not completely valid any longer.

Advances in instrumentation and experiment design have made the studies of parapsychology far more practical than it was in the earlier data-collection stage of research.

Nonetheless, science, particularly in the western world, retains the materialistic view that anything human which cannot be touched, tasted, seen, smelled or heard does not exist.

Even the development of advanced detection systems—which amplify the five senses—has not totally altered this point of view.

The complete acceptance of psychic phenomena can only take place if science makes a concentrated effort to extend the rules of materialism to a point where they encompass the inner experience of mankind as well.

This can be accomplished by various means.

For instance, lie detectors and electroencephalographs assign specific numbers to mental states.

The ultimate aim of such an approach would be to determine enough quantities with regard to the physical activities of the brain to allow a specification of the internal human experience.

In brief, science’s intransigent assumption of a one-to-one relationship between the brain and consciousness must be relaxed.

The actuality of psi phenomena can only be realized when science begins to question its conviction that all psychic function are tied to neural substance.

Jung himself claimed that the brain had nothing whatever to do with the psyche.

It is a matter of recorded fact that psi signals
run counter
to the principle of the decline of energy with the square of distance from its source.

Psi signals
are not impeded
—as customary energy signals are—by metal shielding—nor by hundreds of feet of water which are impenetrable to ordinary electromagnetic impulses.