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Eurípedes Kühl |
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Ectoplasm
Part 1
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The word
ectoplasm (a
noun) comes from
the Greek:
ektós
= out of,
outside +
plasm =
production,
occult. It
stands for a
visible form
with certain
physical
properties and
which is
sometimes
delivered by the
medium in a
trance state.(1)
Regarding its
use, it comes
from Metaphysics
and
Parapsychology,
and relates to
physical effects
phenomena,
commonly called
"materialization".
However, for
this to occur,
it needs the
assistance of a
medium or
psychic.
Researchers
Ernesto Bozzano
(1862-1943), an
Italian
researcher,
reports that
ectoplasm was
well known by
the alchemists
of the
seventeenth
century.(3)
He mentions that
the polymath
(the one who has
studied a lot or
is acquainted
with many
sciences)
Emanuel
Swedenborg
(1688-1772), a
famous
spiritualist of
the eighteenth
century, made
experiments with
the substance,
however, without
employing the
term
ectoplasm
and registered
it as "a kind
of steam coming
out of all his
pores, a quite
visible water,
reaching down to
touch the
carpet.”
The ectoplasm, a
substance still
almost unknown
in our days, has
been very little
studied.
However, it was
greatly
mentioned at the
end of the
nineteenth
century. At the
end of that
century, men of
Science were
astonished by
the physical
effects produced
by powerful
mediums in
outstanding
materializations.
- In England
Perhaps the most
famous of these
cases was the
one that was
accompanied by
Sir William
Crookes
(1832-1919), an
English chemist
and physicist,
member of the
Royal Society of
London Science,
and who studied
the Spiritist
phenomena, as
well as the
ectoplasm
phenomenon in
several
materializations
of the Spirit
“Katie King”
with the
assistance of
the English
psychic Florence
Cook
(1856-1904).
Crookes
performed
sessions of
materialization
in which the
Spirit became
tangible and
said its name
was Katie
King, an
Indian woman,
who said she had
lived a few
centuries
before. Crookes’
letters and
articles were
published in
England in
spiritualist
newspapers, such
as the
“Quarterly
Journal of
Science", dated
January 1874).
Crookes mentions
that Katie was
materialized for
two hours
talking to those
present and
being touched by
them. Crookes
respectfully
asked her
permission to
touch her, and
listened to her
heart beating at
a slower pace
than the
psychic’s
Florence Cook,
who was
furnishing the
ectoplasm.
There is no need
to say that the
famous scientist
took the
strictest
measures to
prevent any
fraud or
mystification.
One of these
preventive
measures was to
lock the psychic
in a next room
while the Spirit
Katie
materialized in
another room.
Another reliable
proof too was
that Katie
materialized
beside the
psychic and was
then
photographed.
One more proof:
Crookes cut,
with Katie's
permission, a
lock of her
hair. Katie
herself took the
scissors and cut
a great quantity
of her hair, as
well as parts of
her dress and
veil and
distributed them
to those
present. Soon
after, she
showed the holes
in the dress in
the light and
then she stroke
the parts that
had been cut off
and the cloth
immediately
reset and became
as it was before
it was cut.
Still in
England, the
physicist
William Jackson
CRAWFORD
(1870-1920), who
studied
ectoplasm
properties,
achieved through
these studies
remarkable
experiences. He
became aware of
the strong
proofs showing
that ectoplasm
originates in
the tissues, as
he studied the
medium (Miss
Goligher) using
a scale to weigh
her before and
after she
delivered
ectoplasm. He
saw that her
weight came down
after she
delivered the
ectoplasm, and
it went back to
the original
weight after the
ectoplasm was
reabsorbed. In
one of the
experiments
regarding the
emission of
ectoplasm, the
scale showed
that the psychic
delivered 23.7
kg of ectoplasm!
In another
experience,
parts of Miss.
Goligher’s body
became kind of
flaccid after
she delivered
ectoplasm, and
returned to its
normal as soon
as it was
reabsorbed.
Using a
dynamometer
suspended from
the ceiling,
attached to the
medium's legs,
he found again
and again and
always with the
same results
that tension on
the device
decreased from
1.8 kg to 0.45
kg.
- In France
Charles Robert
RICHET
(1850-1935),
scientist,
physiologist and
physician, Nobel
Prize in
Physiology 1913,
discovered and
suggested the
name of
ectoplasm to
address
materialization
processes.
Still in France,
another doctor,
biologist,
researcher and
physiologist -
Gustave Geley
(1865-1924),
together with
RICHET, studied
the ectoplasm,
and both proved
that it is an
emanation from
the psychic’s
body, and it
looks like a
milky plasm.
- In Germany
Albert von
SCHRENK-NOTZING
(1862-1929),
physician and
researcher,
dedicated to the
Spiritist cause,
achieved the
amazing feat of,
in experimental
psychic
sessions,
collecting
portions of
ectoplasm, which
he called "teleplasm".
By submitting
such material to
examination at a
histological
laboratory
(study of the
formation and
composition of
living beings
tissues) in
Berlin and
Vienna, he
proved its
organic nature,
i.e., it did
come from
incarnated
beings.
Researches
From the
mentioned
experiences
(most of them
occurred in the
nineteenth
century and
beginning of the
twentieth
century to our
days), in the
scientific
field, ectoplasm
was and is still
treated with
extreme reserve.
I have not heard
of new
researches
nowadays. This
is due probably
to the fact that
"materialization"
was never proved
officially by
science and,
instead, there
are books
recording it as
a fraud.
In any case, I
understand that
a spiritual
phenomenon is
not subject to
scientific
method, which is
proven in a
laboratory. The
spiritual
phenomenon is
subject to the
Spirits that are
present and this
proves that they
occur "in
spiritus" and
not "in vitro".
And a strong
obstacle to
prove it is the
fact that the
materializations
depend on the
ectoplasm, which
is known to be
sensitive to
light - except
red and infrared
light - which
prevents
reliable
photographic
records (with
flash).
However, medical
professionals or
scholars of
Spiritism, who
participated in
some recent
experiences with
this substance,
said that if it
were studied
with scientific
rigor, probably
it would open a
new era in the
treatment of
cases considered
of impossible
recovery.
It is the case,
for example, of
Spiritist
applications
made in the
restructuring of
living tissue
damaged or
destroyed by
cancer. The
always
remembered
teacher, J.
Herculano Pires
(1914-1979):
(...) said: "Pietro
Ubaldi, even if
not a medium or
a Spiritist,
admitted in his
works that the
ectoplasm could
be a new natural
way of
reproduction - a
biological
process
different from
the known one,
eventually a
substitute of
the current form
of sexual
reproduction.”
I quote the
opinion of
Ubaldi, showing
that not only
researchers and
Spiritists, but
other people,
serious and
reliable, in a
not too distant
time, studied
the same
subject, the
ectoplasm.
Features
The ectoplasm
has many
features and, as
already
mentioned, it is
refractory to
light with
exception of red
and infrared
light.
In most of the
cases, it is
released through
the natural
orifices of the
psychic’s body,
such as ears,
nose, mouth,
pores, and so
on.
Besides the
psychic, the
main supplier of
ectoplasm, other
psychics,
present at the
session, can
also deliver
ectoplasm for
the production
of
materializations,
but always in
smaller
quantity.
Special features
There are
several ones,
such as:
a. Colors:
they can vary
from gray,
white,
yellowish, to
spotted or
black;
b. States:
they are
tangible,
amorphous,
similar to
flakes, solid;
when the
phenomenon
begins it is
diffuse, foggy,
thin as white
smoke, going
sometimes to
semi-liquid
consistency or
pasty;
c. On touch:
it can be like a
spider’s web or
like a solid
form of an
object;
d. Command:
the key feature
of the ectoplasm
is that it
sweetly obeys
the mental
command of the
medium, as well
as of the
Spirits and
persons
attending the
meeting.
e. Production
and reversal:
everybody can
produce
ectoplasm.
However, there
are people who
do it in
abundance, and
they are called
"mediums of
physical
effects". It
reverts to its
origin (to the
medium's body
that produced
it), with the
same ease with
which it was
issued.
Ectoplasm and
Spiritism
Spiritism
studied the
ectoplasm:
- Allan Kardec,
referring in
particular to
tangible
appearances in
"The Book of
Mediums",
Chapter VI,
paragraph 104,
clarifies that:
The spirit that
wants or can be
made visible,
takes sometimes
a more precise
manner, with all
the appearances
of a solid body.
(...) In some
cases, finally,
under certain
circumstances,
the tangibility
can become real,
and it can be
touched, and
feels like a
normal living
body.
(…)Tangible
apparitions are
rare; however,
those that have
occurred
nowadays through
mediums of great
power are
authenticated by
irrefutable
evidence.
(The second and
final part of
this article
will be
published in the
next issue.)
Notes:
1. In the
Encyclopedia
Larousse, Volume
4, page 1114,
1990, Publisher:
Editora Universo
Ltda., SP/SP
2. The items
"The
Researchers" and
"The Researches"
used several
information from
the book
Spirit,
Perispirit and
Soul,
authored by
Hernani
Guimaraes
Andrade, Chapter
VIII (Ectoplasm
and Ectoplasmy),
1984 edition,
Publisher:
Editora do
Pensamento, 1984
SP/SP. I also
inserted notes
about
Ectoplasm
from Wikipedia
and other
existing free
publications on
internet. On
this matter, I
also quoted
Spiritist
literature
sources –
Author’s Note.
3. In Thought
and Will,
Ernesto Bozzano,
Chapter
Ideoplasty,
8th
edition, 1991
FEB, RJ/RJ.
4. This
experience is
narrated in
several works. I
quoted "The
History of
Spiritism" by
Arthur Conan
Doyle
(1859-1930),
edited by FEB,
RJ/RJ. In this
courageous work
Conan Doyle
mentions
Ectoplasm 69
times.
5. CRAWFORD, WJ
in Psychic
Mechanics, 2nd
edition, 1975
LAKE, Sao
Paulo/SP.
6. PIRES,
J.Herculano in
Agony of
Religions,
page 94, 1989.
Publisher:
Editora Paideia,
SP/SP
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