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Materialized Apparitions
_If Not Beings from Another Life
What Are They_
BY
EDWARD A. BRACKETT
AUTHOR OF "THE WORLD WE LIVE IN",
"MY HOUSE," ETC.
[Illustration: ARTI et VERITATI]
BOSTON
RICHARD G. BADGER
The Gorham Press
1908
_Copyright_ 1885, _by E. A. Brackett_
_All Rights Reserved_
_The Gorham Press, Boston, U. S. A._
To abandon these spiritual phenomena to credulity, is to commit a
treason against human reason. Nevertheless, we see them always
rejected and always reappearing. They date not their advent from
yesterday.
VICTOR HUGO.
PREFACE.
Written at intervals from the pressure of business, and at times that
should have been devoted to recreation, these pages make no claim to
artistic arrangement or literary merit. If they enable any one to arrive
at a clearer and better appreciation of the wonderful phenomena of which
they treat, they will have accomplished all that was intended.
WINCHESTER, MASS.
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION, PAGE 9
Part I.
MATERIALIZATION AND DEMATERIALIZATION OF FORMS AND OBJECTS.
CHAPTER. PAGE.
I. MY FIRST SEANCE, AND WHAT CAME OF IT 17
II. PERSONIFICATION BY THE MEDIUM, OR MATERIALIZED
FORMS 30
III. MATERIALIZATION AND DEMATERIALIZATION OF
OBJECTS 36
IV. MATERIALIZATION AND DEMATERIALIZATION UNDER
TEST CONDITIONS 51
V. AN UNEXPECTED SEANCE 60
VI. SEANCE WITH MRS. CARRIE M. SAWYER 68
VII. SEANCES WITH MRS. FAIRCHILD 79
VIII. SEANCE WITH MISS HELEN BERRY AT ONSET 88
IX. SEANCE AT THE BERRY SISTERS' IN BOSTON 99
X. MATERIALIZED FORMS--HOW SHALL WE MEET THEM? 109
Part II.
OPINIONS AND THEORIES.
I. A GLANCE BEHIND THE CURTAIN 123
II. EXPOSURES OF MEDIUMS 131
III. PUBLIC SEANCES 140
IV. THE ATTITUDE OF SCIENTISTS 146
V. PUBLIC OPINION 153
VI. CONCLUSION 164
ILLUSTRATIONS.
DIAGRAM OF MRS. FAY'S SEANCE-ROOM 29
DIAGRAM OF THE MISSES BERRY'S SEANCE-ROOM 100
INTRODUCTION.
In 1840 I became acquainted with Dr. Colyer, then lecturing on
Mesmerism, at Peel's Museum, New York, and fully believed, at that time,
that he was a humbug, and Mesmerism a fraud. Soon after this, while
visiting some friends, with Mr. Pendleton, formerly from Boston, this
subject was pretty thoroughly discussed,--Mr. Pendleton insisting that
there was truth in it, and that I was not treating it fairly; and he
proposed, as a matter of amusement, that I should try the experiment on
some one of the party present. Willing to turn the discussion into a
less serious form, I consented to take the part assigned me; and soon
found, to my astonishment, that I had before me a most excellent
clairvoyant subject. What had been started as amusement became a very
interesting entertainment, resulting in the meeting of the parties once
a week for the purpose of studying Mesmerism.
In the following spring I removed to Boston, where in my leisure hours I
continued my investigations, part of the time with Dr. William F.
Channing, the inventor of the Fire Alarm, and at the time a student with
Dr. Jackson. I was indebted to him for many interesting suggestions, and
especially for the use of a very delicate galvanometer, for the purpose
of detecting, if possible, any magnetic or electric currents passing
between the magnetizer and his subject. No such currents were
discovered, and when we found that our subject could be controlled and
thrown into a trance when more than a mile away, by the action of the
will alone, the idea of testing currents was abandoned. All that has
since been made public under the names of Mind-Reading and Telepathy,
and much more, was familiar to us.
When trance-mediumship became known, believing that it was only a form
of Mesmerism, I gave considerable attention to it. There were few
mediums of note that I did not have more or less sittings with, but the
most satisfactory communications I received came through a member of my
own family. While the evidence was such as would have convinced most
persons that these messages came from the other side of life, I was by
no means sure of it.
In this state of mind, in consequence of some statements made to me by
Mr. Thomas Appleton, of what he had seen in Europe, I decided to
investigate what is known as "Materialization," that is, the alleged
production of visible and tangible apparitions out of seeming
nothingness. I felt, whether right or wrong, that my experience in
Mesmerism, and the long training of my perceptive faculties as a
sculptor, which enabled me to detect the slightest differences between
objects, was as good a preparation as one could have for studying this
class of phenomena. I had no sectarian prejudices to overcome, and no
lack of courage in stating my convictions, no matter which way the
evidence might lead. That I prejudged the case in the beginning, I
freely admit, and, like thousands of others, formed an opinion without
giving to it that attention which is necessary in dealing fairly with
any subject.
I have a thorough abhorrence of fraud, whether in the seance-room or in
the pulpit, regarding any one who would trifle with the most sacred
feelings of our nature as deserving the severest punishment.
In briefly detailing some of the facts that have come under my own
observation, it is a matter of no consequence to me what may be said
about them, since it is impossible for any one to give the subject the
same careful study without arriving at similar results.
PART I.
MATERIALIZATION AND DEMATERIALIZATION OF FORMS AND OBJECTS.
Man is what he feels. He may dazzle the world for a while with the
splendor of his acquirements, but, like an iceberg that glistens in the
frosty air and disappears in a more genial clime, the pride of his
intellect is lost in the warmth of his affections.
What Swedenborg aptly terms his "loves," alone indicate man's true
character. They determine his relation to superior as well as to
inferior beings. There is no other way through which he can advance to a
higher life, or commune with those exalted spirits who are ever ready to
welcome him, than by the elevation of his affections. Through every
phase of his spiritual progress, whether in this or the other life,
forever arches over him in letters of gold the divine commandment, "That
ye love one another."
MATERIALIZED APPARITIONS.
CHAPTER I.
MY FIRST SEANCE, AND WHAT CAME OF IT.
Not being acquainted with any "materializing medium," so termed, I
obtained from Mr. Luther Colby, of Boston, a letter of introduction to
Mrs. H. B. Fay, of that city, stating that I was desirous of visiting
her seances. I called upon the lady and presented the letter, but found
that she was out of health, and, for the present, had discontinued her
sittings. I, however, left my address, with the request that she would
inform me when she resumed her seances.
More than a year passed without hearing from her, and, finding that she
was giving sittings, I made free to call at the house and ask
admittance, which was granted. As she did not recognize me, I felt
confident that she had forgotten the circumstance of the letter, and, as
I preferred to remain as far as possible _incog._, I made no allusion to
it.
Curiosity led me to scan the audience. There were about thirty persons
present, and, as far as I could judge, they were of more than ordinary
intelligence. At the beginning of the seance, the light was lowered, but
not so low that we could not discern clearly the features of those
around us.
I do not propose now to deal with the experience of others, although I
have from the beginning made that a part of my study, but shall confine
myself to what came to me.
Near the close of the seance, the lady who sat next the cabinet said
there was a form present who gave the name of "Maggie Brackett." She
would not be certain about the first name, as the form was very weak and
spoke in a whisper. Here was a chance to come in contact with one of
these beings, supposed to belong to another life. Although I knew of no
one, in or out of my family, by that name, I assumed that it was for me,
and stepped up to the cabinet. As I did so, the curtain parted, and a
very beautiful female, apparently about sixteen years old, stood before
me. I looked at her very closely, but could trace no resemblance to the
medium, nor to any one I had known. I said, "I do not remember you; did
I ever see you before?" She shook her head, and tried to speak, but I
could not make out what she intended to say.
Finding that I did not understand, she held out her hand, about three
feet from the floor; but I did not know what that meant, and, seeing
that she was greatly disappointed, shook hands with her, saying, "Never
mind; we will find out about this some other time;" then bade her
Good-bye, and she stepped behind the curtain.
As I turned to my seat, a hoarse voice inside the cabinet somewhat
startled me by saying, "Your wife is here!" I answered, "Very well, I
shall be glad to see her."
If I was disappointed in the first form, I was doubly so in this. It was
a much smaller person than my deceased wife, and had a tired, careworn
expression, while the features strongly resembled the medium. She
greeted me warmly. Holding her at arms' length, in order to better study
her form, I said, "You are not tall or stout enough for my wife."
"Wait," she said; and, stepping behind the curtain, returned in a few
moments, fuller, and near a head taller. The height and general build of
the form were now very good, but the face was a medley. I saw, or
fancied, some resemblance to my wife, but still more to the medium.
She appeared overjoyed at meeting me; so much so that I felt it would be
heartless on my part to repel it. Laying her head upon my shoulder, she
talked freely with me, saying things that it seemed impossible that any
one but my wife could know. I knew what Mesmerism and clairvoyance
meant. Was this another phase of them? Was it mind-reading? If so, it
was a very clever performance. I could not realize that I had my wife
before me, and yet here was a being who had penetrated the inmost
secrets of my domestic life; had dragged from the past the well-worn
pages of memory and read them anew.
She remained out much longer than most of the forms had done, when I
noticed that she appeared to be growing weaker, and, in spite of her
efforts to sustain herself, was sinking downward. Bidding her
Good-night, I let go her hand. As I did so, she went down directly in
front of me, within a foot of where I stood, her head and shoulders
being the last part visible. On the carpet, where she disappeared, there
was a glow of phosphorescent light, which gradually faded away.
For the first and only time during my investigations, I was unduly
excited. It came so suddenly and unexpectedly upon me that I was
confused. I brushed my hand across my forehead and eyes to make sure of
my bearings, and slowly returned to my seat, fully conscious of the
importance of what had passed before me. If real,--if the form had thus
dematerialized,--then the reality of materialization followed as a
matter of course.
While turning these thoughts over in my mind, the seance closed; and as
I stepped out into the full light of the autumnal moon, everything
seemed changed. The sound of feet on the brick pavement grated harshly
on my ears; before me rose the tall spire of the stone church, throwing
its ghostly shadow across the way; behind me was the seance-room, and a
dreamy consciousness of the strange phenomena I had witnessed surged
through my brain. Was it possible that I had stood face to face and been
in communication with one from another life?
As I pondered over this, a reaction came, and before I reached my home
the probability, or the possibility even, that I had been deceived,
vexed and annoyed me, and aroused a determination to know whether or not
there was truth in materialization. I was not over-pleased with what I
had seen, and, but for this last incident, my investigations might have
ended here. Materialization was either a great truth or a stupendous
humbug. Thousands of intelligent persons believed in it, on what
appeared to me uncertain evidence. Was it not a disgrace to science that
this had been allowed to go on so long without any honest attempt to
investigate it? If I could only get the inside track, how easy it would
be to expose it! The whole thing lay in a nutshell: either the forms
appearing were confederates, or personations by the medium; perhaps
both. I would if possible adopt a system of investigation so thorough
that nothing should escape me.
To go to seances as an ordinary visitor was, to me, to throw time away.
If the manifestations were genuine, and my personal relations with the
medium not objectionable, I saw no reason why I should not obtain
privileges without which, to my skeptical mind, it would be useless to
pursue the subject.
I therefore continued my visits, having this object constantly in view.
Otherwise I remained perfectly passive, neither demanding nor asking
anything.
Several times I was surprised by finding thoughts to which I had given
no outward expression anticipated by what claimed to be "the control,"
that is, the spirit alleged to hold possession of the entranced medium.
I had not asked, although greatly desirous, to be taken into the cabinet
during the seance. While thinking this, "Auntie," Mrs. Fay's "control,"
said, "You shall come in."
The forms were coming quite freely to me, and one said, "You may go in
with me." As I entered, the control greeted me in a friendly way, saying
that she liked me; that I was a skeptic, but an honest one.
While talking with her, I had my left arm around the waist of the form
that took me into the cabinet. With my right hand I reached out and
satisfied myself that the medium was sitting in her chair, entranced.
There could be no mistake; there were four of us in the cabinet,--the
two forms that appeared to be materialized, the medium, and myself!
I know how two got in, but where did the other two come from?
Taking advantage of the expressions of kindness on the part of the
control, I sought an early opportunity to express to the medium what I
desired. To my surprise, she made no objections, saying that she was
entranced, and did not know what the forms were, nor was she conscious
of taking any part in what came before the audience; that she was simply
the instrument, not the operator. I thanked her, saying I trusted that
I should do nothing which would be distasteful to her or the control;
that the first step would be a thorough investigation of the cabinet.
On my first visit to Mrs. Fay's, the cabinet consisted simply of a
curtain drawn across the corner of the room. It was soon after changed
to a light, portable structure, which could be easily moved to any part
of the room.
I had this cabinet moved out, the floor, wall, and everything connected
with it thoroughly examined. There was no chance for confederates to be
used here. I have since assisted in moving it out for the satisfaction
of others, and have seen it placed in the opposite corner of the room,
where it remained for weeks without in the least affecting the
manifestations. Whatever may be the cause of these phenomena, they are
certainly not due to confederates.
I herewith submit a carefully drawn plan of the cabinet and its
surroundings, made by a competent architect, who has never seen any of
the manifestations, and consequently is not a believer in them.
There could be no doubt; it was impossible for any one to enter the
cabinet except through the door of the seance-room, in the presence of
the whole audience. To be perfectly sure on this point, I sought and
obtained permission to sit next the cabinet, which place I occupied for
more than forty sittings. I know that it is impossible to use a
confederate in this cabinet without its being instantly detected.
Having settled this so thoroughly that it could not come up as an
element of doubt in any future investigations I might make, the next
step seemed to be a plain one.
[Illustration: Diagram of Mrs. Fay's Seance-Room.]