Chapter 11

MATERIALISATIONS

By "materialisation," in this chapter, is not meant the production of more or less complete portions of the human body--generally hands--a phenomenon alleged to be frequent in spiritualistic circles. A "materialisation" of the whole figure is meant, the production of a figure which to the spectator appears as a new human being, so to speak, occasionally exhibiting signs of independent organic life. Such a phenomenon would be the most astounding that can well be imagined. I am not in a position to offer any scientific evidence in its support. By far the majority of the accounts which have been published of full form "materialisations" are destitute of any evidential value, and in many cases the circumstantial evidence for fraud is strong. Were it not for a small number of cases which present _primâ facie_ evidence of a different character, the question of the reality of this phase of "mediumship" would be scarcely worth raising. But the existence of even a small amount of evidence of such a kind raises the question into a different position, to one which reasonably demands the searching investigation of scientific men. I propose to give one illustration only of this better class of evidence, but it is one in which common-sense precautions against deception seem to have been carefully taken.

The following extracts are from a report made by Mr. J. Slater, and published in _The Two Worlds_ of 15th February 1895:--

"IS MATERIALISATION A FACT? YES. SCIENTIFIC PROOF.

"After the recent suspicions and exposures of materialising mediums, I determined to take the first opportunity of applying further and more stringent tests, which should absolutely preclude the possibility of deception. For this purpose I wrote to the Middlesbro' materialising medium, asking for a test sitting, and stating the conditions--which he readily accepted....

"The conditions were that he should strip to the skin 'naked as he was born,' and in the presence of witnesses dress in clothes to be supplied by me....

"I made him understand that after he had dressed in the clothes supplied by me, he must consider himself in my charge, and must not attempt to do or touch anything, or go anywhere except to the chair provided for him. He readily agreed to this, and imposed upon himself a still further test, viz. that as soon as the phenomena had ceased, he would instantly place himself in our charge, to be held fast until the light was turned up, and the company had retired to the next room, the same process of undressing being gone through."

This was all carried out preliminary to a seance, and a final examination of the room was made.

"The light was then lowered so that we could just see each other--the company sang a hymn, a prayer was offered, and then came the crisis--to be or not to be? In less than a minute a form of exceeding whiteness appeared at the opening of the curtain; I should judge the height to be three feet six inches or a little more. We could not distinguish the face. The form appeared twice. Then a child form appeared, its raiment white, luminous and very distinct. Then came the well-known and lively black child, opening the curtain with her small arms and bowing repeatedly to us. This child would be about two and a half feet in height. The folds of shining drapery hung from her head in gipsy fashion, which she opened for us to see her round black face. I was quite close to her, but did not pat her face and woolly head as I have done before. She climbed upon the medium's knee, and then came close to us again, and then disappeared....

"The meeting then concluded with prayer and doxology. We then seized hold of the medium's hands, and held him until the company retired, and then went through the undressing and dressing process as before, every article of clothing being rigidly examined as removed. We then searched the corner as before, and found all intact, and not a sign anywhere of the abundance of drapery we had seen."

Sixteen ladies and gentlemen present at the meeting allowed their names to be published as a testimony to what they saw. The evidential value of the seance depends entirely on the honesty and truthfulness of Mr. Slater and of the two friends who assisted him in the carrying out of the precautions taken.

Mr. Slater had been in the York Post Office for over thirty years, and for nearly seven years before his death in 1902 had occupied the position of superintendent. Mr. Slater was a frequent contributor to the newspaper press of his own district, and also occasionally to other periodicals. He appears to have been a man of considerable intelligence and force of character, and to have been widely respected. I am informed by Mr. J. P. Slater, a son of Mr. J. Slater, and who is in the Post Office at York, that the name of the "Middlesbro' medium" was Kenwin, and that he was an "ordinary working man" in some steel works. He died six or seven years ago.