PSYCHIC PHENOMENA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 33, 8 February 1930, Page 1 (Supplement)

PSYCHIC PHENOMENA.

*•' VOICES FROM SPACE : CEXEBRATED AMERICAN < MEDIUM. •n ' NSW ZEALAND INVESTIGATOR. J3j MARGUERITE W. CROOKES, MA., Ecu- Corresponding Member Nat. Lab, of Psychic Research, London.) (No. in.)

' Tie news that the celebrated medium is again in London, has naturally aroused interest in this most discussed of ail modern psychics.. '•Margery" has been the subject of so much controversy, the phenomena alleged to occur in her presence are so remarkable, and the tests to which she has been submitted in many cases so extremely complicated, that it is not possible to deal fully with the subject in a small space. I shall therefore confine myself to discussing a few main features gnd outstanding phenomena of the case. "Margery," whose real name is Mrs. Crandon, is the wife of Dr. Crandon, a distinguished Boston surgeon, who taught Vurgery in the Harvard Medical School for sixteen years, and is the author of a standard text book on surgical aftertreatment. Mrs. Crandon's mediumship was discovered by accident in 1923, and since then has developed steadily. An account of the progress of the mediumship up to the end of 1924 is to be found in Mr. Malcolm Birds Dook ''Margery," a volume of some five hundred odd pages, in which details _ of all important sittings and outstanding controversies up to that date are detailed. The book is scientific_ in spirit, gjid judicial in tone, Mr. Bird being scrupulously fair in explaining any weak spots or inadequacies in any experiment or seance. As Mr. Bird is the leading authority on this mediumship, a ■word about him might he of interest. ; Taxied Phenomena. As with the Schneiders, the "Margery" j&enomena are mainly of a physical character, though there is an extremely important psychological side to this mediumship lacking in the other. The phenomena might be divided into four main groups, (1) The setting in motion and experimenting with apparatus specially designed by the sitters. (2) "Direct voice," or a voice heard in the seance room speaking independently of jjhe medium and the sitters. (3) The production of supernormal thumbprints. (4) Psychological phenomena.^ "" During the seances there is always present°a personality called "Walter" The burning question as to whether the Walter personality is really what it Claims to be, i.e., Margery's dead brother, or a complex product _ ox Margery's own personality, is one into which I do not propose to enter. Suffice it is to say that Walter always maintains his identity from seance to seance, and according to tlie Crandons and the dead boy's mother, reproduces the character of Walter when alive, up to and including that attractive personality ready wit, and capacity on occasion for" picturesque language of a lurid character. With this brief introduction, I will now deal with some happenings of the seance room, mentioning first the ■unexplained working of specially prepared apparatus. The Mysterious Scales. I will quote from the experiences of Dr. J. Tillyard, F.R.S. (British Journal of Psychic Research, September-October, 1926). Dr. Tillyard is- a distinguished New "zeaiander, formerly of the Cawthron Institute and now Entomologist to the Australian Government. Before visitjna- the medium, Dr. Tillyard had an interview with Dr. MacDougall, the celebrated author of "Social Psychology, who believes the mediumship to be ■fraudulent, although m answer to Dr. T-illyard's direct challenge, he could not bring any definite evidence ol iraud against Margery. Describing the seance, Dr. Tillyard states that Margery was confined in a special cabinet of glass and wood, an admirable construction." The medium was tied up very tighly with picture wire, hands and all, "'the picture wire tying "so tightly that to undo it at the end of the seance a very large,_ strong being covered with rubber tubing to prevent abrasion." Dr Tillyard did the scissors had to be used." He padlocked bar neck so that she was entirely immobilised." Dr. Tillyard then controlled the medium's right hand and Mr-. ■Tillyard her left. The circle consisted of Dr. and Mrs. Tillyard, Dr. Hardwicke from Buffalo, Mr. Dudley, an able and sceptical journalist, and Mr. and Mrs. Jjitzelmann, friends of Tha seance began and Walter's voice Was heard; he greeted Dr. TiHyard enthusiasm, and in reference to ha entomological studies promptly duboed Mm "the bugologist." The scales experiment took place m red light. The scales were specially designed by Dr. Comstock, late of the Technological Institute of Massachusetts "Walter said the weights could be plated cn whichever pan one liked and as many. Tillyard put them m one of the nans and Walter immediately brought the empty P an down and the weighted le -as told to put; U» nans up or down, level or oscillaLe tnem, Fe id so. Dr. MacDoagall :lad mggMted to Dr Tillyard that Dr. Crandon worked the scales experiment with a magnet Dr. Crandon suggested to Dr. Tillyard. that he should take the scaks to pieces He did «o. "It wa3 then found that the metallic parts of the balance were made"of copper, the pans were of wood and there was not'a single part ot it that had any attraction for a magnet The allegation concerning the ree of the magnet was therefore quite unjustified. The Animated Bell Box. The next item was the electric bell box. Tbi« consisted of a wooden box containtag'Stric batteries carrying above it a hinged flap, held up ande by a steel springIt takes a° pressure of about lour ounces to depress the flap, and ring the bell. The whole experiment took See in good red light. Walter, _ by t%LZ produced long rings, atort nags and continuous ringing. Then JDi. Tillyard the b * S rigff 8 ae t'able to a. book shelves, nine feet-or more.away, •. j -rrvrrnr? throUM degrees, ?etuSd an I the box to the next «i+tpr The performance was repeated by Sitter, Ihe I«■ c . rde . n turn . "Walter every sit whistled a n the time S«°bplWa3 ringing." But the discussion of Walter's voice must be left to a future article.