Kess
30th November 2003, 12:22 PM
This is quite a long rant, but I've finally read Montague Keen's remarkable seance account (http://www.survivalafterdeath.org/articles/keen/thompson.htm - has anyone else bothered? - it's turgid reading) and can't restrain myself...
Like Randi, the impression I got was that Keen is pretty naive. He went through the motions of taking precautions and checking for foul play, and was convinced that the effects were genuine, but surely the following aspects must have seemed suspicious: Everyone was searched on entry (in case of hidden cameras?)
All the action took place in pitch darkness, but IR videoing or photography was forbidden because it emits "rays" that damage the spirit ectoplasm (an explanation accepted without question!)
Everyone was warned to keep their arms still and "not to grasp at anything unless permission was sought and granted" because of "the dangers to which the medium was exposed should anyone make an unauthorised grab at any ectoplasmic extension" (I guess they can't have any unexpected movements that might accidentally bump into someone moving around in the darkness and give the game away)
The medium was tied to the chair and gagged by his wife (no scope for foul play there, then)I'd love to attend a seance like that, if only to try to spot how it's all done (smuggling in a miniature IR camera would be a bonus ;)), but surely there is more that Keen could have done to prevent/detect foul play in the darkness before publically declaring "I give in considerable detail the precautions taken before and during the séance and conclude, despite reasonable familiarity with the past history of comparable demonstrations, that the effects were genuine".
For example, if IR cameras aren't allowed then why not make better use of luminous paint? We know this is safe for the spirits because some of the toys provided for the them to play with had luminous marks, so why not put luminous stripes on the medium's clothing. And his wife's. In fact, let all the sitters wear a luminous badge. After all, no-one should be moving around in the dark - the medium is tied to his chair and all the other sitters are supposed to stay in their seats and hold hands, so why not..?
(I suspect a reason would be found why such steps are unacceptable to Keen and co. - perhaps the extra glow would scare the spirits away?).
Anyway, that's the end of my rant. Any comments welcome.
Like Randi, the impression I got was that Keen is pretty naive. He went through the motions of taking precautions and checking for foul play, and was convinced that the effects were genuine, but surely the following aspects must have seemed suspicious: Everyone was searched on entry (in case of hidden cameras?)
All the action took place in pitch darkness, but IR videoing or photography was forbidden because it emits "rays" that damage the spirit ectoplasm (an explanation accepted without question!)
Everyone was warned to keep their arms still and "not to grasp at anything unless permission was sought and granted" because of "the dangers to which the medium was exposed should anyone make an unauthorised grab at any ectoplasmic extension" (I guess they can't have any unexpected movements that might accidentally bump into someone moving around in the darkness and give the game away)
The medium was tied to the chair and gagged by his wife (no scope for foul play there, then)I'd love to attend a seance like that, if only to try to spot how it's all done (smuggling in a miniature IR camera would be a bonus ;)), but surely there is more that Keen could have done to prevent/detect foul play in the darkness before publically declaring "I give in considerable detail the precautions taken before and during the séance and conclude, despite reasonable familiarity with the past history of comparable demonstrations, that the effects were genuine".
For example, if IR cameras aren't allowed then why not make better use of luminous paint? We know this is safe for the spirits because some of the toys provided for the them to play with had luminous marks, so why not put luminous stripes on the medium's clothing. And his wife's. In fact, let all the sitters wear a luminous badge. After all, no-one should be moving around in the dark - the medium is tied to his chair and all the other sitters are supposed to stay in their seats and hold hands, so why not..?
(I suspect a reason would be found why such steps are unacceptable to Keen and co. - perhaps the extra glow would scare the spirits away?).
Anyway, that's the end of my rant. Any comments welcome.