Phenomena of Materialization

Phenomena of Materialisation was published in London and New York in 1920.  The book is the English translation of Baron Albert Von Schrenck Notzing’s Materialisations-Phaenomene (1914) case study of personally witnessed and documented mediumistic phenomena.  The original German edition was expanded for the English translation to include supplementary work and subsidiary material accumulated since Schrenck Notzing's research was first made public.  This review article presents some of the details from the in-depth notes and records of sittings presented in the book.  Addressing "On Method in Mediumistic Investigations," Shrenck Notzing wrote:

The author of this work, who has occupied himself more than twenty-five years with this subject, has had opportunities of observing mediums of all shades, both professional and private.  In conjunction with other savants he has had [formerly] occasion to reduce a whole spiritistic epidemic to its fraudulent causes (superstition and fanaticism) by means of careful and detailed investigations.

The medium was known as ‘Eva C.’  Schrenck Notzing’s recorded observations spanned four years with the medium being hypnotized during the sittings, all which "took place in a red light, so that during the four years there was not a single entirely dark séance.  We began with a single lamp and ended with a six-lamp chandelier of more than one hundred candle-power . . . We began with a single camera, but at the end of the fourth year we sometimes had nine cameras, including several stereoscopic cameras, in action at the same time."  From one to three cameras were mounted in close proximity to the medium, who sat in a portion of the room known as the "cabinet" behind heavy curtains that would be opened and closed.  The book has more than two hundred photos including enlargements.

Both for the materials for the furnishing of the cabinet, as well as for the dress of the medium (for which knitted fabrics are preferable), a black colour is to be recommended.  For with a black background even the finest, hardly visible materialised fabrics can be seen.

The informal guardian of Eva during this period was Mme. Bisson, the wife of a prominent French playwright. 

Eva C. is not a professional medium, i.e., she is not obliged to engage herself for sittings for money, but can return at any moment to her parents and sisters.  But she prefers her independence and lends her remarkable power freely to Mme. Bisson and her collaborators for scientific purposes, from gratitude for the years of hospitality enjoyed in the house of the Bisson family.

The records of the author’s observations of with Eva C. were written down after each sitting and in the last six moths even during the sittings themselves.  Alexandre Bisson had been "induced by the phenomena observed in the case of Eusapia Paladino to collect further experiences on the subject of mediumship."  The desire of the Bissons was "to serve truth without any preconceived opinion" among a circle of friends of "sober-minded observers . . . the arrangement of the experiments was directed towards the elimination of fraudulent manipulations and self-deception.  Hence, at each sitting: complete undressing of the medium, strict examination of the cabinet, use of photography."

In the book's Introduction, Schrenck Notzing divided the "most objective performances of mediumship" into two main groups: 1. 'Telekinetic Phenomena' comprising of "every sort of action upon inanimate objects without [visible] contact"; and 2. 'Teleplastic Phenomena' including "materialisation phenomena . . . the production of forms and materials  of organic or even inorganic matter . . ." 

After citing some of the recent technological advances of the epoch, he wrote:

Another important advance is the abandonment of the materialistic conception of the universe which, even thirty years ago, was in sole possession.  Modern physics regards matter as a form of motion, and is dominated by the idea of energy.  Psychology also is gradually emancipating itself from the purely physiological conception of mental life; and under the leadership of the philosopher Bergson, it tends to acknowledge the superiority of the psychical over the physical.

 
Schrenck Notzing—a practising physician from Munich—was introduced into the Bissons’ Paris circle by one of the participants.  Eva had come to Paris in 1908 after leaving school at the age of seventeen and a half.  In a lengthy report about her health and psychology there was nothing explicitly unusual.  "Her mediumistic gifts were discovered by accident when a relative operated in her presence with another test person.  In her family circle spiritualistic sittings were held with Eva C. four or five years before the beginning of the Paris experiments."  She was identified as Marthe Béraud by Charles Richet in a 1922 book translated from the French as Thirty Years of Psychical Research (1923).  Schrenck Notzing commented: "Since the author is not justified in publishing details concerning her personal and family affairs, he need only mention here that although Eva C. has an unfavourable heredity, she has not passed through any serious illness.  The relatives of the girl are all in respectable situations in industry, or the Civil Service."

Schrenck Notzing wrote about Eva:

She has a great faculty of adaptation to persons, and one might compare her relation to Mme. Bisson with that of a faithful dog to its master.  But, in these circumstances, one can understand that Mme. Bisson cannot surrender her medium into other hands for the sake of experiments, since Eva would be equally accessible to the new influences as soon as she was accustomed to them.

After Eva C. had, during the first period of her mediumistic activity in the Bissons’ house (from February 1909), lived outside, she was received into the family in the autumn of 1910, and lived at first in the studio flat of Mme. Bisson, who was occupied with sculpture.  When the latter moved to a new place, after the death of her husband in the spring of 1912, Eva was given a room in the new flat.  From the moment of her reception into the family she was always treated as one of the family, though she was constantly controlled.

Schrenck Notzing reported that during the four years of researching Eva's mediumship fifty-four percent of the sittings overall were without result.  In Eva’s presence there were observed "no raps, no table-tiltings, no ‘apports,’ no telekinetic phenomena" but there was continuously seen "the production of materially formed bodies, beginning in barely visible and optically cloud-like or amorphous structures, and ending in the formation of solid materials, or organic shapes."

Schrenck Notzing reported, "As a rule, the medium had no subsequent recollection of her trance condition."  When Eva’s hands became hot, this was found to be an indication that there would be no further phenomena seen.  Before sittings, if Eva was restless and complained of palpitation, this was "a sign that we could expect a favourable sitting."  Schrenck Notzing noted occasions when Eva vomited blood and in consideration of the malady she was examined at the Antoine Hospital.  Sittings described in the book span from May 21, 1909 through July 23, 1913.

The photographing of the medium with a flashing light during seances began with a mishap.  Fig. 1 was what was recorded when —

The flash-light was ignited, but, at the same moment, the paper cylinder caught fire, and it appeared as if the flames would spread.  A panic took place among the audience, some of the ladies screamed with fright, and fled. But we succeeded in extinguishing the fire.

Shrenck-Notzing reported: "With a cry of pain the medium sank back into the chair gasping convulsively . . . The medium had fainted, and lay in the chair bleeding from the nose, and the sitting had to be closed.  I slowly wakened Eva by suggestion."

Fig. 1. Photograph by Mons. André Bisson (son) on November 25, 1909.

In his description for the sittings of October and November 1910, Schrenck Notzing provided more details about the lighting.  Ceiling lamps were contained in ruby glass globes.

The red light permitted us to leave the camera open as long as necessary during the sittings.

The slides with the plates (manufactured by Hauff & Lumière) I put into the camera myself before each sitting, and I removed them myself afterwards.


The electric ignition . . . turned out to be the most reliable when it was connected with the lighting supply by means of a plug adapter.  A pressure switch held in the hand, with flexible cord attached, allowed of a quicker action of the apparatus than the previous arrangements.  Afterwards the optical impression could be compared with the photographic result.  As soon as a photograph was to be taken, those present withdrew from the opening of the curtain, in order not to obstruct the picture.

 
Schrenck Notzing mentioned in his commentary about a May 1911 sitting that "As soon as a partial awakening from the deep sleep occurs, and a stage of active somnambulism sets in, in which the second personality dominates Eva’s reduced consciousness, mediumistic performances may be expected."  He noted this to be an individual peculiarity and not common to all mediums. 

During the phenomena there is always a spiritual connection of the medium with those present, even when the medium appears sunk in a passive lethargy and quite taken up with the act of production.  But, as a rule, she takes part in the conversation of those present, puts in remarks or instructions, and sometimes asks questions, e.g., whether the developing creation is already visible to us.

The predicament that soon confronted Schrenck Notzing upon consideration of the photos was addressed in his commentary from March and April 1911.  The photograph presented as Fig. 27 was realized as likely to result with a person having no knowledge of the circumstances making an erroneous judgment about the teleplastic projection that formed into what appeared like 'a white paper glove' on the medium's shoulder.

Fig. 27. Flashlight photograph by the author, March 13, 1911.

(Below) Fig. 29. Flashlight photograph by Mon. De Fontenay at sitting of April 18, 1911.

Fig. 29 is described as being remarkable for showing the anomalous material "being thick, soft and yielding at the top, like a woolen material, while the two extremities, hanging down, give the appearance of a thin, sharply bordered, flat structure, resembling paper."

If the teleplasm can undergo such changes, the picture may be regarded as an instructive preparation for the flat, sharply bordered materials, resembling paper, occuring so often at later sittings, as, for instance, in the portraits of heads.

Schrenck Notzing wrote that Fig. 33 shows "the material radiating from the top of the medium's head . . . Eva sits with head bent forward in the cabinet."'

Fig. 33.  Flashlight photograph by M. De Fontenay, June 10, 1911.

 

 

In the section of his book "Psychical Phenomena" following the description of the last sitting at the residence on Avenue Victor Hugo, Schrenck Notzing described some of the different aspects to consider about the case.

. . . the psychical personality of the somnambulist differs from that of the medium in the waking condition.  The latter is rather indifferent to the results of the sittings, but gladly occupies herself with feminine problems—the cut of a new dress, a new hat, some amusement, a harmless flirtation, a compliment on her looks, can engage her whole interest, change her emotional state, and influence her course of action.  To these were added, at irregular intervals, fitful lapses of temper, not warranted by external conditions, spells of anger, under the influence of which she sometimes lost her self-control and plied those about her with unfounded accusations.

. . . while Eva, with closed eyes, and without any apparent participation, leant her head against Mme. Bisson’s shoulder, and appeared quite unable to control the composition of letters [on the 'table of letters'] by her right hand, or to read what she had automatically written.  Mme. Bisson, even, could hardly keep pace in noting down the letters, and, in any case, during this operation she did not appreciate the sense of what was being written.  The subsequent study showed messages giving a connected sense, usually referring to a sitting, and giving explanations and instructions as to how to treat the medium.

"Berthe" presents a self-contained psychological existence elaborated in detail.  Whether she manifests through Eva psychically or physically, in both cases her action is relatively less trying for the medium than the manifestations of her other personifications, especially male ones.  She also expresses herself, though more rarely, directly through the mouth of the somnambulist, and addresses her as a third person, so that Eva repeats verbatim what "Berthe" communicates to her.

On several occasions, during the observation of Eva’s somnambulic inspiration, Mme. Bisson observed a "lucid" moment, in which apposite remarks were made concerning occurrences beyond the range of knowledge of the medium.  In some cases these also referred to future events.  I ought to remark that the whole material of observation was entered, after every sitting, by Mme. Bisson in a note-book, which allowed of an accurate verification afterwards.

Shortly after the death of M. Bisson a new psychical entity manifested itself through Eva in the trance state.  It came into play in a very sudden manner, and in apparent conflict with the medium, with violent defensive motions and convulsive muscular contractions.  This personification called itself "Alexandre Bisson."  It spoke through the mouth of the medium, with a deep voice.  It only remained for a short time, and caused profound bodily exhaustion to the medium.  I myself have never seen this "incarnation," and only know of it through the reports of my collaborator, who, after thirty years of happy marriage, would know her husband better and more exactly than any other person.  Indeed, according to her report, the personification "Bisson" commanded the memory, the language, the mode of expression, and the character of her dead husband.  Mme. Bisson was convinced that she was in the presence of the psychic existence of her husband.  She repeatedly asked him questions which he alone could answer, and his answers were always correct.  M. Bisson, when alive, stammered, especially when in a state of excitement, and this stammering occurred in the conversation.

The communications of the type "Bisson" referred to his family life, to the completion of a drama left unfinished, and to our sittings. "Bisson" said we were on the right way, and should not allow ourselves to be discouraged by anything from continuing with the investigations.

 

Schrenck Notzing’s case record did not include many statements made by the manifesting ‘personifications.’  One male personification was known by the name ‘Dorsmica.’  A repeating female visage was called ‘Estelle.’  In a letter dated December 18, 1911, Mme. Bisson wrote, "After the entity ‘la petite Estelle’ had shown itself several times, a male face appeared, and three times I clearly recognised my deceased nephew.  The apparition disappeared slowly, being wafted upwards.  Then the medium said, 'I see nothing more, nothing at all.'"

This is one of the seance room diagrams shown in the book.

Here are some excerpts from Schrenck Notzing’s accounts of sittings to provide examples of the proceedings.
 

From "Sitting of the 22nd October 1910."

Once I saw a greyish white cloudy column proceeding from her left upper arm, and, later, from her right upper arm.  It was about 20 inches long and 2 or 3 inches thick, and at the upper end there was the form of a small female hand, endowed with a motion of its own, and with its broad side towards us.  This hand executed graceful and beckoning motions, while the vapour column moved to and from, as if keeping time with it.

 

Both the medium's hands lay quietly before us on her knees, fully illumined by the red light.  Her head reclined on the back of the chair.  The same phenomenon was repeated on the right-hand side.  We could not see whether the palm or the back of the hand-shaped body was turned towards us, neither could we see any details in the design of the hand.

 

The same shape also appeared to execute beating and waving motions with something resembling a strip of muslin.  The strip in the course of its movement, became visible in front of the medium, and on one occasion touched my face.

 

I also perceived a white patch in her lap resembling a strip of muslin bunched up.  This disappeared rapidly without any perceptible aid from her hand.  For the first time the author could, during this sitting, witness attempts at the formation of heads.  But the optical impressions described in what follows were so swift, lasting barely a second, that the recognition of details appeared hardly possible, in spite of the closest attention.  In this and the following sittings the forms resembling heads were shown mostly near the curtain on the medium's left, i.e., in front of the medium, about 30 inches away from her head, and at the level of the head of a man of medium height standing upright.  At first they were only fragments of heads, and partial formations, in which certain lines and forms, resembling faces, could be clearly recognized, while the rest appeared to be a dark undeveloped mass.  Thus, I saw in this sitting a face looking upwards, in which I could recognize the bridge of the nose, the forehead, the hair and a rough outline of the head.  A broad band surrounded the forehead.  Owing to the fugitiveness of the impression, eyes and other details could not be recognized.  The medium, of course, remained visibly seated on her chair during these phenomena.

 

Since the curtain seemed to be inflated on Eva's left side, I again inserted my head in the cabinet.  To my greatest astonishment I then saw, on my right, behind the curtain, and as far as I could see suspended in mid-air, a completely developed female bust, with its head, neck and breast completely swathed in veils.  This was at the height of a person standing upright, while on my left, tangible and fully illuminated, the medium's whole body lay stretched in the chair.  The features of the apparition could not be recognized on account of the veiling.  This appearance lasted about four seconds, and was clear, beyond all doubt, and most convincing.

 

From "Sitting of the 28th October 1910."

Eva had, in the hypnotic trance, given Mme. Bisson on the previous day detailed instructions how to treat her after the flash-light photographs, which always produced a severe nervous shock.  She demanded an instant closing of the curtain, the silence of the spectators and a period of rest.  On carrying out these instructions the present sitting was continued with success.

 

In the semi-somnolent or somnambulic state, there is a close mental rapport with all those present, and particularly with Mme. Bisson, for whom Eva feels a close friendship.  During the sitting she carries on a conversation with her protectress, tries to read her innermost soul, asks again and again whether her protectress is not tried, and whether she can see her creations, whether any ideas are preoccupying her; in short, she gauges with a correct instinct the psychological state of the sitters, often intervenes in their conversation, and corrects erroneous interpretations, but shows great delicacy in avoiding saying anything which might be disagreeable to those present.

From "Sitting of the 30th December 1911."  (conducted at the villa at St. Jean de Luz near Biarritz)

Immediately after the extinction of the white light and the setting-in of the somnambulic state, Eva made the well-known noises of long-drawn expirations and stertorous groaning and gasping.  Hardly had I taken my place to the medium’s right, when a white mass, double the size of a hand, became visible in her lap.  During the following twenty minutes the psychophysical efforts continued.  The substance changed its place, and at the next exposure we saw it on Eva’s head.  I requested her to show the female face previously photographed, which, according to the medium, belongs to an entity "Estelle," and this was promised.  Also, the head was to be visible in a larger size than before.

After another ten minutes the curtain opened again, and I saw attached to Eva’s head, on the right side, a female face in profile, swathed like a nun.  The bandage went over the forehead and covered the ears, but the image was only visible a moment in the light.  When next the curtains were open the head stood a little lower, about the level of her chest, 20 inches above her right hand.  I then saw the same pretty female face quite distinctly . . .

Fig. 60. Flashlight photograph by the author, December 30, 1911.

 

 

Beginning in May 1912, sittings were conducted at a new residence at Rue George Sand 33 in Paris.
 

From "Sitting of the 1st June 1912."

 

On this day Mme. Bisson hypnotised the medium at 5 p.m. in preparation for the evening’s sitting.  The personification calling herself "Berthe"—the controlling spirit in the spiritistic sense—announced through the somnambulist’s mouth extraordinary phenomena for to-day’s sitting.  "Berthe" would endeavour to show us the head of a person closely related to us, and would, if possible, appear simultaneously.  She would see if we would recognise her.

Before the sitting Eva had a dreamy and dazed expression, and already showed a quickened pulse two hours beforehand. 


Illumination with red light, aggregating about one hundred candle-power.

Eva had hardly been hypnotised on her chair by Mme. Bisson when she breathed loudly and stertorously, with every sign of deep trance.  The teleplastic creative process commenced at once.  At the place in the curtain which had been made familiar by practice, and in which the phenomena had shown themselves at the last sittings, i.e., on the inside of the left curtain, at about the level of the medium’s head, a white luminosity, as of a strip of muslin 20 inches long, became visible.  Eva then tried gradually to expose the image to the light by rolling up the left curtain flap with her left hand, and thus gradually allowing the red light to fall upon the object, obviously fixed inside.

To my greatest astonishment I seemed to recognise in the masculine face, shown with the well-known drapery of veiling, but sketched as with black chalk on a flat surface, the features of Alexandre Bisson, the husband of my collaborator, who had died in January 1912.


The pictures (Figs. 90, 91, 92 and 93) recall face-masks artistically exposed with clever veil drapery, but without any signs of real life, in spite of the greatest portrait resemblance.  Besides, no plastic development of the features could be established with any certainty either in the sittings or from the photographs, while the base of the pictures appears to me to resemble paper.  The transition towards the pictorial representation of the face proceeded in stages, since in the beginning, as in previous sittings, the only thing to be seen was material in rather large veils and fragments, with which Eva would sometimes cover her own face.

Fig 90 and 91. Author’s flashlight photograph of June 1, 1912 (second series), On the right: enlargement.

 

In spite of the three flash-light exposures, the phenomena continued.  The structure now appeared on the left shoulder.  Eva illuminated it first with the red and then with the white electric torch, but the image, in which I distinctly perceived a male bearded face, with a high forehead, would not suffer the light, and disappeared behind the back of Eva's chair towards the back of the cabinet, without Eva having changed the position of her hands.  Since I had closely followed the image from the shoulder, I did not let it go out of sight, but rose and put my head deep into the cabinet, bending over Eva as she sat quietly, and keeping the curtain closed under my chin.  In this way a ray of light passed over my head, through the top of the curtain, on to the back of the cabinet, without disturbing the medium.  The male face then stood facing me like a male portrait in life-size, fixed on the back wall, remained for about six seconds, and then revolved about its own axis flat on the wall, the upper part of the face falling down, and finally disappeared towards the floor behind the medium's back.  During this whole observation Eva's body was motionless, and under my observation.  The image was entirely separated from her.  Its motion and disappearance appeared to be under the control of an unseen power.

  

Thus ended this extremely remarkable sitting, during which Mme. Bisson had not entered the cabinet at all.

Schrenck Notzing reported that while Eva knew M. Bisson when he was about sixty, the portrait corresponds to his appearance at the age of thirty-eight.

There were more sittings with Eva C. in late 1913/early1914 (Paris) as Schrenck Notzing explained in one of the supplementary chapters of the book: "The criticisms and attacks following upon the publication of the German and French editions of our records induced us to make new experiments with Eva C. as a further test of the objections raised."  The following is the description for one of these sittings.
 

From "Sitting of the 8th December 1913." 

 

Present.—Dr Bourbon, Mme. Bisson, and the author.

All conditions as in previous sittings.

6.5 p.m.  Hypnotisation.  The curtain remained open from the beginning of the sitting.  The hands were constantly visible and under control, and were not withdrawn for an instant.


6:55 p.m.  We see a life-sized male head on her breast, covering it entirely.  It gives the impression of a strong pictorial representation on a skin-like basis.  The full beard is especially clear.  The head resembles that of the whole phantom [as photographed upon materializing at four previous sittings].  It disappears before our eyes while the curtain is open, without being absorbed by the mouth, and again as if its luminosity had ceased.  The hands did not move during the occurrence, and Eva's head also remained motionless.  The drawing of the face was black on a white ground.

7.5 p.m.  Close of the sitting.  Final examinations negative.

A few days before the author's return, on the 7th January, Mme. Bisson, in a sitting alone with Eva, again observed the phantom seen by the author on 8th December.  She turned on the red light and then ignited the magnesium apparatus.  In this experiment, also, the medium's hands were always visible and excluded from participation.  The photographic result (Fig. 198) completely corroborates the author's observation of the 8th December 1913.

Fig. 198.  Mme. Bisson's photograph of January 7, 1914.

The November 27, 1912 sitting resulted with a photo offering a side view of the medium’s head.  Just behind her on the left side, a word in small type "Le" and a word below this in large type "MIRO" can be recognized.  Schrenck Notzing commented, "That is evidently meant to be ‘Le Miroir.’  We can just recognise the top of an ‘I’ following the ‘O,’ but the next ‘R’ is covered.  I cannot form any opinion on this curious result."  This photographic message became significant as following photos of head images seen at sittings were eventually claimed by skeptics to have derived from similar images in the journal Le Miroir.  Some of the supplementary chapters of the book refute the simplistic and erroneous explanations offered by denialist accusations concerning the evidence.  Schrenck Notzing observed: "It seems, in the first instance, to be faulty logic to derive a proof of fraud from the constitution of the materialised object, since there is always the possibility that such apparently suspicious substances may be produced by the medium under conditions excluding all fraud."  Shrenck Notzing identified the discrepancies between the phenomenal images recorded in seance photographs and comparable images of mundane items such as the newspaper title logo. 

Fig. 119. Side view (enlarged) of Fig. 118 taken within the cabinet.

 

 

Schrenck Notzing wrote about what happened during the following sitting of November 29, 1972.  After being hypnotised by Mme. Bisson at 9:30 p.m., "Hardly had she gone into hypnosis when she said the word "Miroir."  Her following words translated to English are: "She (Berthe) wanted to write to you the other day.  She wanted to send you her written thought.  You are her mirror.  She sees herself here.  You have a photograph of the thought of Berthe.  She has the joy of creating another image for herself."

Fig. 120.  Author's Flashlight Photograph of November 30, 1912.
Fig. 121 (Inset).  Side view of Fig. 120.

Concerning Fig. 120 and Fig. 121, images are seen with different characteristics from the different angles.

Schrenck Notzing’s book also includes photographs of teleplasm photographed during sittings with other mediums, including ‘Stanislava P.’ 

Fig. 170. (Stanislava P.) Author’s Flashlight Photographs, January 25, 1913.

In "Result of the Observations," Schrenck Notzing quoted Editor of the Annales des Sciences Psychiques C. de Vesme, whose observations and impressions of his sittings with Eva C. fully corroborate those of the author: "The  impression produced on those who do not attend the sittings is mostly unfavourable.  Why? . . . Their attention concentrates itself chiefly upon those photographs, which create some suspicion . . ."
 
Schrenck Notzing referred to his arguments used in discussing the phenomena of Linda Gazerra to argue against rejecting any phenomenon on the basis of only the assumption of fraud —
 

"The unknown force, of a possibly psychic origin, as soon as it wishes to present or materialize things for our senses, uses a picture language known to us in order to be at all intelligible."


"The suspicious appearance of a mediumistic photograph is not sufficient proof of production by fraudulent manoeuvres, and, generally speaking, the whole use of the photographic art has no significance except in conjunction with an accurate record of the experimental conditions."

 

Schrenck Notzing reported that there were people whose response to the publication of his book and evidence was to denounce his investigations as fraud.  He in turn commented:

A careful examination of the objections and arguments brought forward by our opponents has shown their baselessness.

We must also protest against entirely baseless rumours, reports of detective bureaus, or low gossip (Richet case, Algiers) being presented to the reader as proved facts.  Such a procedure, as well as the introduction of personal bias into the discussion, is inconsistent with the duty of both parties in a purely scientific discussion, and diverts the attention to minor matters which only have a remote connection, or no connection at all, with the main question of the genuineness and the origin of the mediumistic phenomena.

Phenomena of Materialisation may be read online with Archive.Org and HathiTrust editions.