Kenneth Batcheldor was a pioneer in table tipping research where he was able to discover a set of “rules” that helped induce psychokinetic activity from the sitters involved. Of these rules he discovered that a “designated cheater” acted as a catalyst to help others believe in what was happening. This decreased the time in which activity happened and increased the intensity of the activity as well. This was based on many mediums and psychics that used the similar “fraud” techniques that also created “genuine” activity, but who’s to say if any of this actually worked, right? His work set the stage for the TSPR “Philip” experiment and has also helped in the design of my “E4” Method of client-based investigations. Fooling people and being fooled is actually part of the dynamic of paranormal activity. Yet as complete fraud is another topic…

Kenneth Batcheldor was a pioneer in table tipping research where he was able to discover a set of “rules” that helped induce psychokinetic activity from the sitters involved. Of these rules he discovered that a “designated cheater” acted as a catalyst to help others believe in what was happening. This decreased the time in which activity happened and increased the intensity of the activity as well. This was based on many mediums and psychics that used the similar “fraud” techniques that also created “genuine” activity, but who’s to say if any of this actually worked, right? His work set the stage for the TSPR “Philip” experiment and has also helped in the design of my “E4” Method of client-based investigations. Fooling people and being fooled is actually part of the dynamic of paranormal activity. Yet as complete fraud is another topic…

Richet was a very successful scientist and, unfortunately, a true believer in the paranormal. He was like many at this time who seemed to ignore common sense in order to further their beliefs in Spiritualism. These were different times and it is so easy to look back and assume fraud and place blame on ignorance, but this was more than just a weekend hobby it was an entire belief system and a way of life for many. These feelings toward the field are very similar to the current amateur movement in ghost investigations where people deny that orb photos are merely dust among dozens of other misunderstandings about science and common sense. History has been bad to Spiritualism (or should I say the Catholic Church who, among other things, successfully turned a child’s game into a demonic conduit of evil) and many of the mediums and psychics that defied logic have been lost in time.

Richet may have coined the term ectoplasm, but he did not hold a patent on being a true believer.

Richet was a very successful scientist and, unfortunately, a true believer in the paranormal. He was like many at this time who seemed to ignore common sense in order to further their beliefs in Spiritualism. These were different times and it is so easy to look back and assume fraud and place blame on ignorance, but this was more than just a weekend hobby it was an entire belief system and a way of life for many. These feelings toward the field are very similar to the current amateur movement in ghost investigations where people deny that orb photos are merely dust among dozens of other misunderstandings about science and common sense. History has been bad to Spiritualism (or should I say the Catholic Church who, among other things, successfully turned a child’s game into a demonic conduit of evil) and many of the mediums and psychics that defied logic have been lost in time.

Richet may have coined the term ectoplasm, but he did not hold a patent on being a true believer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eva_Carri%C3%A8re

He covered up a case of fraud regarding the medium Eva C. The photographs depicted fraudulent ectoplasm made from wires but Richet and other investigators hid the photographs, they were uncovered many years later.

Water and moisture phenomenon is certainly fascinating, but considering that ectoplasm has indeed been tested by scientists and other psychical researchers, it was concluded that ectoplasm was made by non-paranormal substances and not accepted by science, and has been questioned periodically whether it actually exists. Water would definitely fit in the category. Since Brian already defined the Greek roots of ectoplasm, I won’t repeat it. But also, because it hasn’t been accepted by science and there are conflicting definitions of ectoplasm, we would need to first DEFINE ectoplasm and what it is before attempting to find examples. A few would argue that the ectoplasm discussed in Flo’s blog is the same defined by Arthur Conan Doyle and Charles Richet that the substance was produced by psychic mediums and considered to be a *biological response of the human body* to spirit communication. With the water phenomenon we would hesitate to call it ectoplasm, mainly due to the fact it hasn’t been tested for biological components and chemical makeup to see what was in it. And we would need to decide on whether we agreed that ectoplasm was a human biological response or a product of paranormal activity. If ectoplasm was just a product of paranormal activity, then wouldn’t we see more of this water on investigations on a regular basis?

Great points, Dan. You had me scratching my head for a moment. 🙂

Water and moisture phenomenon is certainly fascinating, but considering that ectoplasm has indeed been tested by scientists and other psychical researchers, it was concluded that ectoplasm was made by non-paranormal substances and not accepted by science, and has been questioned periodically whether it actually exists. Water would definitely fit in the category. Since Brian already defined the Greek roots of ectoplasm, I won’t repeat it. But also, because it hasn’t been accepted by science and there are conflicting definitions of ectoplasm, we would need to first DEFINE ectoplasm and what it is before attempting to find examples. A few would argue that the ectoplasm discussed in Flo’s blog is the same defined by Arthur Conan Doyle and Charles Richet that the substance was produced by psychic mediums and considered to be a *biological response of the human body* to spirit communication. With the water phenomenon we would hesitate to call it ectoplasm, mainly due to the fact it hasn’t been tested for biological components and chemical makeup to see what was in it. And we would need to decide on whether we agreed that ectoplasm was a human biological response or a product of paranormal activity. If ectoplasm was just a product of paranormal activity, then wouldn’t we see more of this water on investigations on a regular basis?

Great points, Dan. You had me scratching my head for a moment. 🙂

Ectoplasm isn’t real, or is it? I would argue for taking a second look. I 100% agree that the myriad of famous ectoplasm photos from the past were all fakes [Fact or Faked Season 2 Episode 203]. I would however point out http://paranormal.about.com/od/earthmysteries/a/aa070306.htm , the phenomena of water like substances appearing without cause or reason has been witnessed as a result of possession, and poltergeists activity. In many cases the water like substance lacked, “a wet feeling,” Such a substance would? or would not by definition be considered ectoplasm?