Eusapia Palladino and her phenomena

Front matter

L1BRARV OF CONGRESS

0000^31510

HEREWARD CARRINGTON

Preface

While much has been written in France and Italy concerning the remarkable woman who forms the subject of this book, but little has appeared either in England or America — with the exception of M. Flammarion's work, Mysterious Psychic Forces, and a series of articles that have appeared from time to time in the English edition of the Annals of Psychical Science. Yet the case is one of the most remarkable that has come to the attention of the scientific world for many years — since we are concerned, apparently, with movements of physical objects without contact, and even far more startling phenomena — contrary to the known laws of physics and physiology.

In the following book I propose to lay before the reader a summary of all the historic evidence available, together with a detailed record of our own experiments with this medium, conducted in Naples, in November and December, 1908; a complete resume of every theory that has been advanced to date — with a provisional hypothesis of my own; and then to discuss at some length the biological and psychological peculiarities of the case — from the point of view of one who assumes, on the strength of the existing testimony, that the facts are established.

One forms a very different opinion of Eusapia's seances before and after he has obtained personal sittings. Before, although I was vastly impressed with the cumulative eviviii Preface

dence, I was far from being irrevocably convinced — an attitude which I occupy to-day. I had given a rapid survey of the Palladino case in one of my previous books, The Physical Phenomena of Spiritualism, saying in part:

"And thus the matter stands: One half the world is convinced that Eusapia is a fraud, and the other half is convinced that the phenomena witnessed in her presence are genuine! What the ultimate verdict will be it is hard to foresee; but it is certain that the case, as it stands, is not convincing to the scientific world, and fresh evidence must be forthcoming if the case is ever to be decided in her favor. If Eusapia possesses genuine mediumistic gifts, it ought only to be a matter of time and sufficiently careful experimenting in order to establish that fact."

Professor Morselli took occasion to make this the text of a lengthy reply to my book (appearing in the Annals of Psychical Science, August-September, 1908), based on his seances with Eusapia, in which he said:

"I hope and believe that my voluminous work on Palladino's spiritism will give a satisfactory answer to the distinguished American psychist, who is so severe on physical mediumship, and only accepts as valid, in general, the bygone categories of the historical phenomena of spiritism. He is guided by the preconceived idea that in the earlier times, from the Fox Sisters to Home, the physical phenomena were more authentic, because then the mediums did not copy one another and mediumship was confined to the spontaneous revelation of new biopsychical forces, without the intervention of mimicry. . . .

"Now it is hazardous to express judgments on a powerful but variable medium like Eusapia on such slight documentary evidence; but Mr. Carrington, like all the English and American psychists, is still under the impression received from the check at Cambridge, caused by an excess of rigidity

Preface ix

in the interpretation of the movements of the medium's hands and feet. We have the obsession of trickery by the substitution of one hand for the other, according to the formal accusation made by E. Torelli-Viollier against Palladino in 1892, at the time of the celebrated experiments in Milan, at the house of M. E. Finzi. And in reality, in America also, where the conjuring ability of mediums has reached the highest degree, the trick of the freeing of one hand from the chain of controllers is practised every day by charlatan mediums, who are very numerous there. I append two very significant illustrations which Mr. Carrington has inserted in his book, . . . which show very plainly the method of deception used by mediums for evading the surveillance of the controllers to right and left; with the freed hand they are able to produce touchings, raps, noises, slight movements of objects, apports, etc. . . .

"Mr. Carrington, whom I still quote for precaution, for he is not only a firm believer in immortality, but also a psychist of authority, assumes an attitude of extreme distrust when he says:

" 'It is not only probable, but certain, that the vast majority of modern occult phenomena are fraudulent. I am disposed to believe that fully ninety-eight per cent, of the phenomena, both mental and physical, are fraudulently produced. . . .'

"No critic or skeptic, were it Dr. Hodgson returned to earth, could ever convince me that, in a long series of seances with Eusapia, and especially in the last ones of 1906—7, I had only seen, in all, two genuine phenomena in every hundred! This is my opinion, and I live in this confidence toward myself and my fellow-investigators, notwithstanding all that Carrington writes about Eusapia Palladino. ..."

This will, I trust, serve to show the reader that I did not go to Eusapia's seances any too ready to be convinced; and the fact that I was so convinced (this being the first case of genuine physical mediumship I had ever seen during ten x Preface

years continuous investigation) proves, it seems to me, that the severest skeptics are likely to become converted if they would but deign to stop criticising the reports and sittings of others, and go and have sittings themselves. Only in that manner can one's mental attitude be changed, and the genuine nature of the facts be forced upon one — as they were forced upon me.

In spite of my conviction, however, I wish to say that I am just as skeptical as ever of all other professional mediums; and still think that as large a percentage of fraud exists as when I wrote the above passage. Eusapia is genuine; but she is, so far as I know, almost unique; and I shall believe in the genuineness of none other, until they have submitted their mediumship and their phenomena to tests similar to those imposed upon Eusapia. It is very true that, granting that her seances are genuine, it is highly probable that many others are genuine also — only the evidence does not prove it. However, until phenomena are produced under conditions which preclude the possibility of fraud, it is useless to speculate as to whether they are genuine or not. Of course it is possible that phenomena only occur under conditions which render fraud possible; but if that be the case, it is useless to continue the investigation, since nothing will ever be proved. We should always have to assume that fraud was the real explanation of the facts so long as it was possibly operative.

In our own seances, we (my fellow-investigators and myself) felt that we had obtained phenomena under conditions that absolutely precluded fraud; we were forced to the conclusion, in consequence, that genuine phenomena occurred; and, that being the case, they should be studied by scientists i — not with the object of detecting trickery, but in the hope

Preface xi

of discovering the hidden causes and laws of certain unknown and as yet unrecognized biological phenomena. Of course each investigator must, unfortunately, be convinced in turn before he can approach the case from that point of view. The consequence is that years of valuable time have been consumed in attempts to establish the facts; and, by the time they are accepted by the skeptical world, it is probable that Eusapia will have died, and that we shall have to await the advent of another equally gifted medium before we can study the significance of the phenomena in the spirit in which they should be approached!

I think I ought to say in conclusion that, although this book represents my own opinions concerning these phenomena — for which I alone am responsible — the task of establishing the facts was equally shared by my colleagues, the Hon. Everard Feilding, and Mr. W. W. Baggally, to whom I wish to express my sincerest thanks and appreciation for their cooperation and support, and to whom credit is equally due, for whatever certitude has been reached regarding the existence of these preternormal events. Only by their exhaustive and painstaking investigations and by their sympathetic cooperation has the issuance of this book been rendered possible.

I wish to acknowledge my thanks, also, to the English Society for Psychical Research, for their permission to quote extended passages from our official Report upon Eusapia — which originally appeared in the S. P. R. Proceedings: also to the editor of The Annals of Psychical Science, for permission to quote from the valuable collection of material upon Eusapia's mediumship that has appeared in that journal.

I also wish to acknowledge, in this place, my indebtedness to all those investigators of Eusapia whose records have been xii Preface

utilized in the compilation of this book; and particularly to those eminent men of science whose courageous championing of an unpopular cause has paved the way for this investigation.

H. C.

Contents

PAGE

Preface vii

CHAPTER

Chapter I The Place Of Eusapia Palladino In The History Of Modern Spiritualism

Eusapia Palladino, 1 the Italian medium who forms the subject of this book, occupies a unique place in the history of Spiritualism. No other medium, producing "physical phenomena," has been studied with so much care, for so long a period, and by so many scientific men, as she. The case most nearly resembling it is that of Mrs. Piper — and she is not a medium for the production of physical phenomena, but is a trance medium, solely, and nothing has ever occurred in her presence resembling the phenomena asserted to have taken place in the presence of Eusapia Palladino. Mrs. Piper has been studied continuously, by men of scientific repute, for some twenty-five years (since 1885) — including some of the leading scientists of England, France and America; but the investigation was left for the most part in the hands of Dr. Hodgson, and the men and women who investigated her scientifically might be counted on the two hands. Further, as I have said before, there is no resemblance whatever between the types of phenomena wit-

1 Mme. Palladino told me personally that she spells her name with two, *r«," contrary to the all but universal custom. — H. C.

X nessed through the mediumship of the two mediums. Mrs. Piper merely sits at a table, and, while conversing, passes into a trance, in which state she remains for some two hours. During that period, her hand writes out certain messages automatically — which are read at the time by the sitter. It is all done openly, and in the light. In her case, there is no mystery; no dark seances; no physical phenomena; everything is perfectly clear and open, so far as the actual production of the phenomena is concerned. The whole point of interest, in her case, is the content of the written message. Does it or does it not contain any facts unknown to the medium, that are apparently gained supernormally ? That is the problem, in her case. It is a mental problem; not a physical one. The phenomena are mental or psychological, and not physical. The problems to be solved are, it will be seen, of a very different order from any that occur in the physical world.

In the case of Eusapia Palladino, on the other hand, everything is as different as possible. Here, the phenomena are almost entirely physical in their character, and very rarely are mental or psychological phenomena obtained.

In order that the reader may understand the case which we are to discuss, it will be necessary, first of all, to give a brief outline of what happens at these seances, so that the phenomena which take place at these sittings may be familiar to him.

Eusapia Palladino is a "physical medium" — that is to say, physical phenomena occur in her presence, and mental or intellectual manifestations — such as are usually seen in the presence of trance mediums — are missing. Tables and chairs move about the room of their own accord, untouched by visible hands; the table around which the sitters are seated, rocks violently, and finally goes completely into the air, contrary to the law of gravitation. Lights are seen in various parts of the room ; musical instruments are played, no hand touching them; hands and faces appear — not belonging to any member of the circle, or to the medium; and various other phenomena of a kindred nature occur, quite inexplicable by any of the known laws of physical science. The above list will at least serve to show the general character of the phenomena observed in the presence of this medium.

Of course the most obvious explanation of the facts is that the medium succeeds in some manner in producing the phenomena by fraudulent means; that she succeeds, e.g., in freeing one hand, and producing the touchings, playing upon the various musical instruments, lifting the table, etc., unseen by the sitters. That is the most natural explanation, and its possibility we should certainly have to eliminate before we could accept the facts as genuine. So much fraud has existed in the past, in connection with the physical phenomena of spiritualism, that we should have to take the greatest precautions that the mediums could not by any artifice produce the results seen by any normal means, or by any process of trickery. That is the obvious problem which all investigators of this medium's powers have been called upon to face, and which they have endeavored to overcome by imposing test after test, and obtaining phenomena under more and more stringent conditions, which precluded all possibility of fraud.

It must not be thought that the investigators of Eusapia have been blind to the possibility of fraud in her case. On the contrary, they have been on the incessant watch for it; and have frequently detected it in operation. If fraud had never been detected, the problem would be a comparatively simple one; but, unfortunately, it is well known that this medium will resort to trickery whenever she can — sometimes in a normal state, sometimes in a state of semi-trance.

I have said before that Eusapia Palladino holds almost a unique place in the history of spiritualism, and for several reasons. The chief reason is this : That in her may now be said to culminate and focus the whole evidential case for the physical phenomena of spiritualism. If it could be shown that — in spite of all these years of work, in spite of the elaborate precautions taken, in spite of the testimony of the numerous scientific men who have carefully investigated her, and brought in favorable reports — her performances were fraudulent throughout, and that nothing but fraud entered into the production of these phenomena — then the whole case for the physical phenomena would be ruined — utterly, irretrievably ruined. 1 If, on the other hand, it becomes evident that fraud will not cover all the facts, and that genuine phenomena do occur in her presence — phenomena as yet inexplicable by science — then it will be proportionately more probable that many of the historic cases were genuine also; that the same phenomena occurred in other cases, but not so frequently, or under such good test conditions as those reported to occur in this case. The theoretical possibility of the facts having once been established, it does not neces-

1 This statement may be questioned, but it is, I think, valid for this reason: The phenomena occurring in the presence of this medium have been studied by more scientific men, for a greater period of time, in a more careful manner, and with greater precautions against fraud, than any other medium in the history of the subject. If, then, in spite of all this, it were proved that fraud covered and explained all the facts, such doubt would be thrown upon the value of human testimony — so impossible would it obviously be to guard against fraud — that no amount of testimony for any other phenomena of the sort would be tolerated or considered for a moment. This may be both wrong and arrogant, but the case would be hopelessly lost, I am assured. So far as the scientific world is concerned, it could never again be reconverted after such a crushing blow.

sitate much credulity to imagine that the same phenomena took place many times in the past, in the presence of lesser and "weaker" mediums. Thus, Eusapia Palladino forms a "wedge," as it were, that might be driven home, perhaps — opening the way for the acceptance of the theoretical possibility of the older facts, and for the actual occurrence of many historic phenomena. She is, in fact, the crux, the pivot upon which the whole case for the physical phenomena turns. Upon her, upon the proof or disproof of her claims, rests one of the most stupendous crises in the history of science.

Thus, in this medium may be said to rest the case for physical phenomena — as the case for the mental phenomena rests with Mrs. Piper. These two mediums are both representatives, in a way, of their particular class of phenomena — the physical and the mental; and a very similar problem confronts us in the two cases. In the Piper case, if it could be shown, now or in after years, that subliminal faculty and telepathy, or other supernormal powers are sufficient to explain the facts (or even some more normal and as yet unsuspected cause), then the case for spiritism would go to the wall; for no other case is so strong as this. In the same way, no medium of our day has succeeded in producing such remarkable phenomena, under such good conditions, as Eusapia; and the case for the physical phenomena, as before said, may be said to rest with her.

There was one medium in the £ast who occupied very much the same position, in the interested and the scientific world, as does Eusapia to-day — D. D. Home. The phenomena occurring in the presence of this medium were very much on the same order as those occurring in the presence of Eusapia. In many respects, the phenomena were identical; but, whereas Eusapia, or the forces operating through her, produce certain phenomena that were never reported to have occurred in the presence of Home (impressions of hands in wet putty, e.g.). Home, on the other hand, obtained certain phenomena that Eusapia never duplicated or equaled — the handling of red-hot coals, etc. But the phenomena are very similar in many respects; and there is this further similarity — that both these mediums have been studied by scientific men, who published reports upon them and their phenomena. But while Sir William Crookes was almost the only man of great eminence who defended Home, numbers have come forward and published positive testimony in favor of Eusapia ; and in that respect her case is far stronger than that of Home, simply by reason of this cumulative testimony — though it can hardly be said that many of the incidents are stronger or better evidenced than some of those occurring in the presence of Home and witnessed by Sir William Crookes. In many of those incidents, no loophole for fraud or other natural explanation has ever been found ; and critics have had to fall back upon the ground that more evidence of the same character must be forthcoming in order to compel belief. This was perfectly rational and justifiable, but Home's death prevented this additional evidence from being accumulated. In the case of Eusapia Palladino, it seems to have been accumulated, as we shall presently see.

The relative value and significance of the Palladino phenomena can best be estimated, perhaps, by a brief glance at the historic phenomena — similar cases of the same general character occurring in the past. If we review these cases, we shall find many points of interest; and it will be profitable to devote at least a brief space to this side of the controversy, before enumerating the actual facts themselves. In this way we can get a better look at her phenomena in perspective, as it were, and judge them as they will ultimately be judged — from the standpoint of history.

Modern Spiritualism is, Mr. Podmore contends, "the direct outgrowth of Animal Magnetism." This gave rise, first of all, to the idea of "questioning spirits" through the mouths of entranced persons, and the mental phenomena are the product of this idea. These phenomena and these beliefs Podmore traced back, through Andrew Jackson Davis and others in America; through the English Clairvoyants and the early English Mesmerists; through the German Somnambules; through the old French Mesmerists, to the Possession and Witchcraft cases of the Middle Ages. The physical phenomena, on the other hand, were traced back through the early physical mediums and poltergeist cases to the physical phenomena associated with the same mediaeval Witchcraft. It is a natural outgrowth, and doubtless the correct one, in the main. Modern spiritualistic phenomena — originating the present movement in 1848 — really date back a very long way — through all history, in fact, and accounts of those phenomena occur in the traditions of every nation. So far as we have any history at all, we find these phenomena occurring — just such phenomena, apparently, as we observe to-day, and construed in very much the same way then as they are construed now! Phenomena, supposedly remarkable, took place in all times — in all countries; it has always been merely a question of their interpretation.

Now, when we come to consider this question of evidence and interpretation, we find this interesting fact. One class of individuals invariably explained the phenomena in one way — spirits; the other class endeavored to explain the facts in a "naturalistic" manner, and attempted to show that fraud, and disease, and other natural states and conditions were sufficient to explain the facts. The same warfare is existing to-day ! No certain solution of these problems has even yet been arrived at — in spite of the centuries of squabbling, and the division is as great and the dispute as keen now as ever. Further, the stronger the arguments that are advanced on one side, the stronger the arguments on the other — they seem to balance each other exactly, so that the matter now stands just where it did at first! Why is this?

I think that an explanation of this fact may perhaps be found — in a number of cases at least. In the first place, one side was contending for the reality of the facts (only), while the other side was fighting the facts-and-the-popularconstruction-of-the-facts as well. They could not seem to get it into their heads (and they don't now) that the opinions and explanations of a man need not be accepted, merely because his facts are. This cannot be too strongly insisted upon, as it is a large cause of the trouble — past and present. In the next place, the two sides were not always arguing about the same facts at all ! Thus, one man may be attacking "spiritualism" — meaning by that, slate writing, materialization, and similar phenomena; while another man may be defending "spiritualism" — while he means by the term mental and psychological phenomena merely! It is exceedingly important that the terms used should be very clearly understood by both sides, in any dispute of this character; and further, they should be sure that they are arguing about the same phenomena, viewed from the same standpoint. If this were done, half the trouble would doubtless disappear at once.

I have digressed to make these remarks primarily for this reason. If the history of "the supernatural" be studied carefully, it will be found to duplicate, on a large scale, the history of modern spiritualism. The latter movement condenses and epitomizes, as it were, the whole past phenomena in just this way. Throughout the course of its history, fraudulent phenomena have been observed (of that there can be no doubt whatever), and apparently genuine phenomena have been taking place at the same time also. Some investigators came in contact with the fraudulent phenomena, and others with the apparently genuine; and they have both been arguing from their own "experiences." Of course the result was, that no lasting agreement was arrived at. In order to arrive at an agreement, it would be necessary, first of all, to discuss the same phenomena; then agree as to the means that must be adopted in order to solve the problem; finally, agree to attempt to solve it in that manner. Only in that way can any lasting peace be found.

Now, throughout all the mysticism of the Middle Ages, and all earlier periods, and throughout modern spiritualism, there has been an admixture of the fraudulent and the genuine. The preponderance has been on one side, according to some minds, and on the other, according to others; but very few have questioned the central fact that the two have always existed side by side. Especially is this the case with the physical phenomena — where much fraud has always been known to exist. Indeed, so much fraud existed in the past, and so many and so ingenious are the means of deceiving the investigator, that some critics are disposed to think that no genuine physical phenomena at all have ever occurred! Mr. Podmore and other critics are inclined to take this view — and this, after a careful search through both the historical evidence and the newer cases. For them, the physical phenomena have been "analyzed away" ; they have been resolved into very natural phenomena! Whether this position can be mainio Eusapia Palladino

tained indefinitely or not will have to be decided by the later and more conclusive evidence.

So we come, as the result of this long preamble, to this point: Taking the past history of modern spiritualism, we find many cases of apparently supernormal phenomena recorded, but most of them so badly recorded that they do not of themselves carry conviction. They are to be doubted, therefore. On the contrary, there are a few notable exceptions to this rule — e.g., D. D. Home, and William Stainton Moses — in whose presence many remarkable phenomena are reported to have occurred, and these cases are strong enough to withstand criticism, and have at all events never been satisfactorily explained. We thus have two or three cases standing out against all past history and human experience. Are they strong enough or numerous enough to warrant our belief in their reality? Most men and women of a scientific turn of mind would probably think that they were not, and would demand further proof and more facts. That is only fair. This is one way of looking at the facts.

The other view of the historic evidence is this. Here are one or two cases that have never been explained, and are strong enough to found a belief upon. The facts being accepted upon the strength of these few cases, may we not justly assert that the other, more numerous, but weaker cases, evidentially, are genuine also — and may we not conceive that the same laws and forces that certainly governed the phenomena in the best-attested cases, governed and produced the phenomena in the less well-attested cases also? It was simply not proved to be the case, in those instances. Certainly this would be a rational assumption — if the original cases were strong enough, or well enough attested. The whole past history of the phenomena may be read in the light

Eusapia Palladino n

of the evidence of the newer facts. If no new facts be forthcoming, then the older facts will be cast into greater and greater doubt; if, on the other hand, newer facts are brought forward, tending to establish the reality of the phenomena, then it is certainly probable that many of the older and less well-attested phenomena were genuine also — only the evidence did not prove it.

Now we can see the tremendous importance of the Palladino phenomena. Their disproof would, on the one hand, cast all the historic phenomena into the gravest doubt ; while their proof would, on the contrary, tend to credit many of the older phenomena; and would tend to render it probable that they were, in reality, genuine also.

Now, in this case — the crux of spiritualism, as before said — the medium is, fortunately, still living, and can still be experimented upon, by the skeptical. Experiments are now being conducted which, it is hoped, will settle this question once and forever; while much of the evidence that has been presented in the past is of such a character that it has already done so, to many minds. That, however, is a question that cannot be discussed here; as it would be to anticipate. This will at all events show the great significance of the facts, historically, and how much depends upon their solution and establishment — one way or the other.

We have come, therefore, to the point where we must investigate the facts, and see whither they lead us: What their nature ; how strong their evidential character, and what conclusions we must draw from them, if genuine. And this brings us to another important aspect of the case that must not be ignored, and which I might perhaps allude to in this place.

We have seen the relative importance and significance of the facts historically ; now let us briefly consider them from the orthodox scientific standpoint. In what way would they affect science and scientific thought, as at present held, if true? Would they, if proved to be genuine, enforce any recasting and remolding of science or scientific ideas? Would they run counter to the law of the indestructibility of matter? of the conservation of energy? of the possibility of actio ad distansf or other well-grounded scientific dogmas? These are questions that must be settled, or at least discussed.