Ectoplasm (mysticism)

The term ectoplasm (from the Greek Greek ἐκτός “outside” and πλάσμα “something formed”) was popularized by the French scientist, Nobel laureate Charles Richet ^[5] , who studied the phenomenon of Eva K. (or Eva Carrière, also known as Martha Berot) . The term has synonyms: psychoplasma, teleplasma (ectoplasm, acting on objects far from the medium’s body) and ideoplasma (the substance by which the medium recreates its own similarity in space) ^[6] .

According to the definition of Nandor Fodor ("Encyclopedia of Psychic Science"), ectoplasm is "... a form of matter, in its original state, intangible and invisible, but then able to take on a gaseous, liquid, and solid state. It exudes a smell reminiscent of ozone , and has very strange properties ” ^[6] . Researchers of the spiritualistic phenomenon also claimed that they had taken and examined samples of ectoplasm, as well as captured the process of its appearance by the camera ^[5] .

Descriptions of the “luminous, barely visible in the dark dense foggy layer that oozes out of the mouth of a medium” began to appear shortly after systematic observations of the phenomenon of the so-called “ physical mediumship ” began ^[7] . Prior to this, Swedenborg described ectoplasm as "... a kind of vapor", coming from the pores of his body and falling in the form of tiny droplets onto the carpet of the room. Colonel Roche, who observed Madame d'Esperance , spoke of a luminous vaporous substance emanating from the chest of a medium. Professor P. Lekur compared the process of ectoplasm formation with cumulus cloud condensation. Venzano also described the “cloud” that occurred in the presence of the medium of Eusapia Palladino . In the cases of Kluska and Eva K., the ectoplasm, according to observers, took the form of liquid spots that appeared on the clothes of mediums.

Jelly talked about how behind him "... a luminous matte column was formed, from which a luminous arm came out - perfectly shaped, life-size", and quite amiably stroked his forehead several times. At the slightest concussion, a drop of liquid fell on his sleeve and remained luminous for another 20-30 minutes after the disappearance of the hand ^[6] .

Judge Peterson claimed that in 1877 he saw with his own eyes how the “cumulus cloud” separated from the medium of the medium W. Lawrence and gradually turned into a solid ^[8] . James Curtis, observing the medium of Slade in Australia in 1878, claimed to have seen "evaporation in the form of a gray cloud that thickened and changed shape, preparing to form a complex materialized figure." Alfred Russell Wallace described a session with Dr. Monk, in which "the white ribbon gradually turned into a cloud-pillar." Alfred Smedley used the same expression when describing the materialization of the medium of Williams. Sir William Crookes , exploring the D. D. Hume phenomenon, observed "a luminous cloud that gradually thickened and turned into a clearly distinguishable hand."

Here is how what happened in 1905 was described at a session with the participation of medium Eva K.:

“A white, small-cloud-like formation stretched 4-5 feet in height ... then unexpectedly a round, graceful figure of Berta emerged from this cloud column,” - so in 1885, E. A. Brackett described what was happening at a session with Helen Berry ^{[10 ]} . According to other descriptions, ectoplasm is “a pulsating substance of an off-white color” (Edmund Dawson-Rogers) or “a reddish, sticky substance” (Vincent Tervy).

Madame d'Esperance described her feelings this way:

The same threads are mentioned by Dr. Crawford, who investigated the phenomenon, as well as by William Crookes, who regularly monitored Florence Cook's sessions ^[12] .

Ectoplasma Photos

Baron Schrenk-Notzing, who worked in Munich with Polish medium Stanislava P., claimed that he managed to get photographs of the ectoplasm flowing out of the medium’s mouth. In the book “The Phenomena of Materialization ”, summing up the impressions of hundreds of experiments with Eva K., he argued: “We were able to establish that as a result of an unknown process, a medium, initially semi-liquid, which has some properties, emits from the medium’s body living matter, in particular, the ability to modify, move and take certain forms ” ^[6] .

As noted by Nandor Fodor, photographs depicting the appearance of ectoplasm make a repulsive impression. They show a gelatin-like, viscous substance exuded by all the natural openings of the body of the medium, as well as from the crown of the nose, nipples and emanating from the tips of the fingers. Most often, ectoplasm comes from the mouth of the medium - in the form of threads, strings, hard beam formations, membranes and tissues of indefinite patterns and shapes.

Alleged physical characteristics and contact with ectoplasm according to spiritualists

Nandor Fodor, in the Encyclopedia of Psychic Science, states that the amount of ectoplasm secreted by a medium is predetermined by various, often unrelated factors: in particular, it depends on the state of the will of the medium and those around it. Ectoplasm sometimes completely envelops the medium like a cocoon or spreads like a mantle. The primary colors of ectoplasm are white, gray and black. White is the most common, or perhaps easiest to observe. Sometimes all three colors appear simultaneously.

All researchers positively related to the existence of ectoplasm agree that ectoplasm is a plastic material substance. Dr. Schwob during the experiments with Frau Folhardt photographed the telekinetic movements of objects and found traces of ectoplasm in the pictures. The substance usually came from the mouth of Frau Folhardt. The imprints of her teeth were found on her, which, according to the researcher, proved her plasticity.

Dr. Croydon said that Walter, the “mediator spirit” of Margery, placed the ectoplasmic process in his palm and allowed it to be squeezed slightly. According to the researcher, it was "the cold mass of a rough surface." Later, communicating with Dr. Croydon through another medium, Walter asked him to hold his ectoplasm, then scrape his palm, after which he exfoliated from the skin and put on the table something resembling a thin egg shell.

A. Conan Doyle was present at the sessions of Eva K. and claimed that with the permission of the phantom he took the ectoplasmic ending in his hand. The writer said that a sensation arose between him, as if between his fingers “living matter passed, reacting and contracting from his touch” ^[7] . According to N. Fodor, “To the touch, this substance is sometimes wet and cold, sometimes viscous and sticky, but sometimes dry and harsh. It is mobile, moves - sometimes slowly, like a reptile, sometimes swiftly, like lightning ” ^[6] .

Gustave Jelly in Unconscious to the Conscious wrote:

Many observers agree that ectoplasm has the ability to quickly organize itself, which can not be prevented. Often it takes the form of the medium itself. Fodor suggests that perhaps this explains the phenomenon of "duplication" during sessions with materialization, when the medium appears either a second person or a third hand ^[6] .

Charles Richet's experiments

The French physiologist, subsequently the Nobel laureate Charles Richet ^[13] , was one of the first representatives of official science to take up the study of ectoplasm. Already in the first reports published in the Annals of Psychic Science, Richet gives a description of the materialized form - a man who called himself Bien Boa and appeared at the Eva K. session. According to Richet, the form was quite capable; she “walked, talked, moved and breathed like a human being. Her body was elastic and had a certain muscular strength. It was not a mannequin or a doll, not a vision reflected in a mirror - but a living being, a living man; there was every reason to reject two hypotheses at once: either a ghost with all the signs of life, or a living person playing the role of a ghost ” ^[14] .

Here is how Richet describes the disappearance of a materialized figure: “Bien Boa tried, as it seemed to me, to pass between us, but a lame indecisive gait prevented him. I can’t say with accuracy whether he walked or slid. At some point, he nearly fell, tripping over one leg, which seemed to be completely not his support (this is my personal impression). Then he went to the window to open the curtains, but did not have time to do so. He suddenly fell down and seeped through the floor. At that moment, I heard a chomping sound, which is produced by a swamp quagmire, which has absorbed the human body ” ^[7] .

Richet also described a breathing experiment when Bien Boa (with great difficulty) did everything he was asked for and the fluid showed a positive reaction. When this happened, the audience shouted “Bravo!”, And the materialized form came out in front of her three times, bowing, as if after a successful performance. The pictures taken by Richet, Sir Oliver Lodge called the best of all that he had ever seen. He drew attention to the fact that the medium’s hand, clearly visible in the photograph, had an unnaturally lifeless appearance, and sometimes an empty sleeve was visible at all. According to Richet, the latter “... testified to the process of decay of the matter of the lady medium herself, which she was not able to prevent and comprehend” ^[15] . Similar phenomena of “partial dematerialization” were also observed at Madame d'Esperance's sessions ^[7] .

During one of the sessions at Carmen’s villa, Charles Richet risked to cut a lock of hair from a ghostly beauty who was nicknamed the “Egyptian Queen” and had long hair with a gilt ribbon woven. “I keep this curl; he is very beautiful - silky, with a lively shine. Microscopic examination showed that it is natural hair; I was told that a wig made of such hair costs a thousand francs. The medium’s hair was very dark, and she wore a haircut ” ^[16] ,” wrote Richet. Summing up his work, he wrote: “The materializations of Martha Bero are of the greatest importance. They provided many facts illustrating the complete process of materialization, and serve as the most beautiful and hitherto unprecedented material for study for metaphysical science ” ^[7] .

Madame Bisson and Baron Schrenk-Notzing

After Charles Richet, Madame Bisson, the widow of the famous public figure Adolf Bisson, began to observe Eva K. It was she who took Eva K. under her protection, after newspaper persecution began against her. Soon, Madame Bisson in her experiments was joined by Baron Albert von Schrenk-Notzing (1862-1929), a physician from Munich ^[17] . Their joint work took place between 1908 and 1913 and was described in the book The Phenomenon of Materialization, published by Madame Bisson in French ^[18] . Schrenk-Notzing's book of the same name was translated into English ^[19] .

According to the description of Schrenk-Notzing, when Eva K. fell into a trance, an extraneous entity seemed to infuse into it, and she communicated with the medium in an imperative-allegorical manner, explaining to the observers that discipline was necessary, that it was necessary to report on the work done, etc. . From time to time, the essence showed clairvoyant abilities. At the same time, Eve herself made groans that “more like an animal protest than a manifestation of a rational start.”

Schrenk-Notzing was one of the first to notice that ectoplasm seemed to be “afraid” of light, being drawn into the medium’s body like tentacles. If you manage to grab and pinch these "tentacles", the medium screams loudly. Outgrowths of ectoplasm penetrate clothing, leaving no traces. With the consent of the medium, the researchers “amputated” pieces of ectoplasm and placed them in a vessel: here they disappeared as if melting, leaving a wet trace. Under a microscope, scientists were able to discern mucosal epithelial cells.

At the same time, observers noted numerous oddities displayed in photographs taken during observations of Eva K. Some figures first appeared two-dimensional, resembling newspaper clippings, then gained volume. Others - reached a reduced size. Some of the images resembled “materialized thoughts”. Once the substance formed the word “mirror” above the medium’s head (it was suggested that Eve had in mind the same-named journal Mirror ). Eva herself claimed that in her opinion, “the leading force of an unknown nature materialized this inscription in some way incomprehensible to her to show that the faces and figures arising from the ectoplasm represent their mirror image of reality” ^[7] .

Institute of Metapsychics

Upon returning to Munich, Schrenk-Notzing continued to work - now with the Polish Stanislava Tomczyk. The new photographs published by him in 1912 resembled those taken during experiments with Eve (which, as Conan Doyle noted, dismissed all suspicions that a carefully prepared fraud had taken place in Algeria). Schrenk-Notzing, following the example of Richet, got the hair of a materialized entity and compared it with Eva's hair under a microscope, conducted a chemical analysis of ectoplasm samples, finding that it contains sodium chloride (sodium chloride) and calcium phosphate.

The experiments with ectoplasm were continued by Dr. Gustave Jelly , a doctor from Annecy, who soon headed the Institute of Metapsychics organized in France, and later created the fundamental work “From the subconscious to the conscious” ^[20] . The Metapsychic Institute committee, created with the good will of the French government, included Professor Charles Richet, Italian Minister of Health Santoliquido, Count de Grammon of the French Institute, astronomer Dr. Camille Flammarion , former Minister Jules Roche, Dr. Tressier from the Lyon Hospital and Gustave Jelly himself Director Institute of Metapsychics. They were later joined by Sir Oliver Lodge , Professor Bozzano and Professor Leklansch. The Institute of Metapsychics had well-equipped laboratories for mental research, a library, a reading room, lecture rooms, and relaxation rooms. The results of the committee’s work were published in the journal of the institute La Revue Metapsychique. The research conducted here was conducted with the participation of numerous guests from around the world. In 1923, thirty physicians (nineteen of them with a worldwide reputation among them) signed and published testimonies confirming their full conviction of the truth of mental manifestations, which they had the opportunity not only to observe, but also to control.

Dr. Jelly continued to work with Eva K. True, now materializations took the form of exclusively female faces, unknown to him. According to the description of Dr. Jelly, the connection between the body of the medium and the materialized figure, "was carried out in the form of an ectoplasmic tourniquet, resembling the one that connects the embryo with the body of the mother." After experimenting with Eva, Dr. Jelly conducted a series of experiments with the Polish medium Franke Kluski, who materialized ectoplasmic figures of such a density that the obtained paraffin impressions from their hands were then demonstrated in London. The medium met Jan Guzik also visited the Institute of Metapsychics: members of the French Academy, Academy of Sciences, Academy of Medicine attended his sessions, and all of them confirmed the truth of what was happening. All this was enough for Jelly, a formerly convinced materialist, to write: “What we saw killed materialism. There is no suitable space for these phenomena in our world ” ^[7] .

Crawford's experiences

At a new level, U. J. Crawford, a freelance lecturer in mechanics and engineering at Queen's University Belfast, began to study ectoplasm. The results of experiments with the medium Kathleen Golayer in 1914-1920 he described in three books: "The reality of psychic phenomena", "Experiments in the field of psychic science", "Mental structures in the Golayer circle" ^[21] .

In Crawford's experiments, the mechanism of knocks produced by the "spirit" with the help of a table was first studied. The author argued that the movement in the rooms occurred under the influence of “mental flows” (or “structures”) emitted by the medium’s body. If the table was not massive, the “structure” did not touch the floor, but formed a “bracket” neatly attached at one end to the medium’s body and the other to the legs or to the surface of the table. In the case when the table was massive, the reaction of the reaction was directed not to the medium, but to the floor of the room, forming something like a backup between the surface of the levitating table and the floor.

Crawford claimed to have established a direct relationship between the mass of ectoplasm secreted and the weight loss of the medium. Typical for the medium was a weight loss of 10 to 15 pounds in one session. This weight was restored immediately after the ectoplasm disappeared. Crawford recorded an unusual case when a medium lost 52 pounds of weight. Alcott , who conducted experiments with the Eddie brothers, came to similar conclusions.

In one of the experiments, Crawford noted that ectoplasm comes from the chest of a female medium. He dipped her blouse with liquid carmine and asked the “spirit” to knock on the wall. The wall was covered with red spots, from which the strands of ectoplasm extended. Crawford suggested that outgrowths of ectoplasm should have suction cups or claws at the end in order to cling to objects and grow in all directions. Later, A. Conan Doyle noted that a kind of sucker is visible in many photographs of ectoplasm taken at spiritualistic sessions with materialization. Crawford, in addition, found an abrasive effect: the ectoplasm, according to his statement, wiped the cloth of medium’s clothes where it came into contact with it. He wrote that every time the “spirit”, at his request, left handprints in soft clay, small fragments of the medium’s stockings were also found there. It has been suggested that ectoplasm acts as a solvent on parts of clothing, changing the state of the tissue. According to Nandor Fodor, these observations suggest that the medium is far from always guilty of deception in cases where the paint that covers musical instruments is found on his body and clothes ^[6] .

The Nature of Ectoplasm According to Spiritualists

After that, there were reports that the reality of the existence of ectoplasm was proved, discussions began regarding its nature and origin. The experimenters were divided into two schools: the materialist (which claimed that it was about the hidden abilities of the human body) and the metaphysical, which suggested that humanity was on the verge of discovering new laws of life (A. Conan Doyle was its representative). Foster Damon from Harvard University drew public attention to the work of Henry Vaughan (1622–1695), a mystic poet who described “pre-matter” that stands out from the body and has the characteristics of an ectoplasm. It has been suggested that encrypted descriptions of ectoplasm are contained in many works of medieval alchemists. A. Conan Doyle (who claimed to have witnessed the formation of ectoplasmic figures more than once) was inclined to believe that materialization is not a visit “from the next world”, but a kind of realized memory or image that has come into our reality from the consciousness of a medium residing in trance. He, in addition, believed that luminous poles are more energy storage than transmitters, “like a thin copper wire passing through itself an electrical signal carrying an order to attack a battleship” ^[7] .

Crawford put forward his own hypothesis regarding the formation of this mysterious substance, suggesting that the "operators" (he avoided calling invisible guests "spirits"), acting on the mind and nervous system of those present, remove psychic energy from material bodies, which, when combined into something whole, becomes a powerful source of energy for the medium, which in turn feeds others. В конечном итоге энергия концентрируется в нервной системе медиума, который с этих пор играет роль энергетического «резервуара», выделяя эктоплазму, которую, в свою очередь, начинают использовать по своему усмотрению «операторы».

Кроуфорд писал:

Эктоплазмический удар

Особое место в истории явления занимает опасность так называемого «эктоплазмического удара». Утверждалось, что эктоплазма болезненно реагирует на свет и на эффект неожиданной вспышки. Некоторое время считалось, что сама эктоплазма светочувствительна, но доктор Кроуфорд доказал, что это относится скорее к медиуму, а не к источаемому им веществу. Главное, чтобы вспышка света не была яркой: в этом случае эктоплазма почти мгновенно, подобно отпущенной резиновой ленте, втягивается в тело и наносит серьёзные травмы. Заявлялось, что были случаи, когда медиумы серьёзно заболевали от любых, казалось бы, незначительных действий присутствующих, так или иначе невольно воздействовавших на поток эктоплазмы.

В частности утверждали, что Эван Пауэлл серьёзно пострадал во время сеанса, организованного Британским колледжем психической науки (British College of Psychic Science), когда один из присутствующих сделал непроизвольное резкое движение после того, как к нему прикоснулась эктоплазмическая рука. Исследователь Деннис Брэдли утверждал, что видел большой кровоподтёк на животе медиума Джорджа Вэлиантайна, вызванный быстрым возвращением эктоплазмы после того, как неожиданно включили свет в гараже, к которому выходило окно комнаты, где проводился сеанс. ^[6]

Необходимые условия

Многие исследователи заявляли, что успех сеансов с материализацией напрямую зависит от настроя, доброжелательности и открытости наблюдателей.

Ключ, который открывает путь к величию иной жизни, — это истинная любовь и полное доверие, подобное тем чувствам, что испытывает ребёнок, обвивая ручонками шею матери. Для тех, кто кичится своими интеллектуальными достижениями, осознание этого может обернуться полным крахом их возможностей… Дух кротости, любви и благодушия, который более чем что-либо другое осенял своей внутренней красотой и гармонией учение Христа, должен найти своё выражение в нашем единении с этими созданиями.

— Медиум Брекетт (в изложении А. Конан Дойля) ^[7]

Несмотря на то, что в конце XIX — начале XX века многие представители официальной науки, изучавшие феномен, свидетельствовали в пользу реальности эктоплазмы, впоследствии в отношении к этому предмету воспреобладала скептическая точка зрения. По мере того, как ужесточались условия контроля со стороны проверяющих на спиритических сеансах, стали нормой и случаи массовой мистификации со стороны лже-медиумов. В ходе одного из самых известных разоблачений, проведённых Гарри Прайсом , выяснилось, например, что в состав «эктоплазмы», продемонстрированной на одном из сеансов Хелен Дункан , входят самые обычные марля и яичный белок ^[4] . В книге «Regurgitation and the Duncan Mediumship» он высказал предположение, что многие из медиумов эпохи раннего спиритуализма использовали своеобразную технику заглатывания и затем постепенного отрыгивания заранее заготовленного материала.

Постепенно интерес к феномену эктоплазмы и физического медиумизма вообще сошёл на нет, медиумы, демонстрирующие полные материализации, исчезли. Утверждается, что одним из немногих остается Дэвид Томпсон, который не только производит эктоплазму и с её помощью — материализованные фигуры, — но и подтверждает это фотографическими свидетельствами.

Последователи спиритуализма объясняют кризис «физического медиумизма» общим «падением духовности» человечества и «отсутствием веры» у наблюдателей, повторяя тем самым известный постулат о том, что материализация всегда удавалась лишь в том случае, если аудитория состояла из доброжелательно настроенных людей, внутренне поддерживавших усилия медиума.

• Роберт Т. Кэррол . Эктоплазма // Энциклопедия заблуждений: собрание невероятных фактов, удивительных открытий и опасных поверий = The Skeptic's Dictionary: A Collection of Strange Beliefs, Amusing Deceptions, and Dangerous Delusions. — Вильямс, 2006. — С. 672. — ISBN 5-8459-0830-2 .
• Леон Дени. Спиритуализм — религия будущего