1921
About once a month, starting in February 1921, the two ladies met and sat quietly in a darkened room on the second floor of the Hamilton home. Again, the table behaved in that same strange manner, tilting away from Mrs. Poole, striking the floor in a regular rhythm, up-down, tilt-bang. Again words were given by the alphabet-signaling method: "John, chapter 3, verse 14 ... Plato, Book 10 ..."
The John reference is to the verse 'And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.' How the Hamiltons interpreted this verse is not disclosed in their notes.
Lillian wrote to Oliver Lodge about the message from Myers and he responded with a letter.
March 18, 1921 "Thank you for letting me know about the curious message which you got by table-tilting, and which certainly seems of an evidential character. It is curious that the name Myers, however, is spelt wrong, especially as it must have been spelt out by the table. The message is hardly of the character of a book-test, - you will be able to see what book-tests are like if you can get Lady Glenconner's recent book, called "The Earthen Vessel"; it is published by John Lane, I think both in England and America, and it will interest you.
"This is not like a book-test but like a Bible or a Shakespeare reference, or something of that kind. And the kind of message given is rather characteristic of Myers as I knew him, - I mean its brevity and pointedness. "I think your communication quite important, and propose to send it to those who are specially studying this kind of communication, namely Mrs. Sidgwick and Mr. Gerald Balfour; or else I will send it to the Research Officer of the S. P. R. (Society for Psychical Research)
"You have been good enough to give the addresses of the sitters, so that enquiry can be made if they want to publish it in the Journal of the Society, - I rather hope they will.
"A question which occurs to me is whether Mr. Court, who appears to have been the only person with any knowledge of Plato, had his hand on the table at the time when the message was received? Perhaps you remember whether this was the case or not?" Signed: Yours sincerely, Oliver Lodge
In the third sitting, in March, 1921, the sitters were Mrs. Poole, Dr. and Lillian Hamilton, and Mr. and Mrs. Mullineaux.
With all hands on the table, the table tilted. The power was weak. The letters indicated spelled the words: "Poole. Mother. John. Maggie. Mary. Tom - all here."
Mrs. Poole informed those present that these were the names of members of her family who were at that time deceased. She was very much surprised to get the names.
The fourth sitting was held in April, 1921. The sitters were Mrs. Poole and Lillian Hamilton. The table spelled "All here. Mother. Lisbeth."
Mrs. Poole told Lillian that her mother always called her "Lisbeth" - her name being Elizabeth. This fact had not been known previously to Lillian.
At this time, in spite of the demands of a large private practice, and much Committee work, Dr. Hamilton's interest in psychic phenomena was again growing.
Fully aware of the general public's attitude of scorn and derision directed towards anyone showing interest in such matters, and rightly fearful lest his professional reputation be tarnished if his own interest were to become known, Dr. Hamilton's kept his interest a closely guarded confidence between very close friends.
In May of 1921 the Hamiltons accidentally discovered that it was Mrs. Poole - who had been an acquaintance of the family for many years - who possessed the marked incipient powers for the production of psychical phenomena.
She was at this time forty-nine years of age and previously unaware that she possessed mediumistic faculties of any kind.
The Hamiltons welcomed the opportunity for first hand investigation, and prevailed upon her to allow these faculties to be developed. She consented, and in August of 1921 they commenced their first series of experiments in telekinetic phenomena.
A few months' further experimentation revealed the fact that she also possessed mental mediumistic faculties, and from that time on these two phases developed collaterally, eventually giving brilliant manifestations in both fields.
In the physical phase they obtained conversational rappings, very powerful contact phenomena, telekinesis (various forms), and wax impressions of small materialized forms.
The mental phase gave many arresting phenomena; veridical clairvoyance, prevision, and trance automatisms, both motor and sensory, the latter also being of a highly veridical nature.
For all these experiments Elizabeth neither asked nor received any payment whatever. Her time and talents were given simply as the good friend of the Hamiltons, and she was willing to co-operate in any manner they desired.
In the eventual disclosure of these experiments she was known as Elizabeth M.
As already stated, she attended the seances held for her development more to please the Hamiltons, her friends, than because of any particular desire to do so on her own part.
Apart from that obtained through some elementary schooling, received when a young child, Elizabeth was entirely without education in the academic sense. This, added to the fact that there had been no attempts at self-education, gave rise to a mentality singularly limited and child-like.
These facts are important in that they have a marked bearing on the various mental aspects which many of her phenomena, both in these and subsequent investigations, disclosed.
In Elizabeth they recognized from the first that they had stumbled upon a potential medium of an extremely rare type. One entirely free from all preconceived notions as to the nature of psychic phenomena, or the manner in which they should be developed and observed; and it seemed desirable that this state of vacuity, so to speak, should remain unchanged.
To this end a general policy of action was gradually determined: that she refrain from reading psychic literature, from attending meetings of a psychic nature, whether public or private, apart from the sittings held for her own development under the Hamilton direction; and that she refrain from discussing these things with outsiders. Elizabeth, her personality and life-habits being what they were, added to the fact that she regarded the Hamiltons with feelings of sincere friendship, cheerfully complied.
Mrs. Poole was often with the Hamiltons, keeping a watchful eye on her "bairns", and giving Lillian a hand with the many tasks of family care.
Years later, in the mid 1980's, Margaret remembered the medium and friend in the words: "... always under the watchful eye of Mrs. Poole, a little Scotch lady who lived near us, who ably nursed the many young mothers and new babies for my father, at the home confinements in our neighborhood, and who adopted the entire Hamilton family as her own ..."
"Indeed, she truly was a second mother to us, always willing to 'come and stay' if and when my parents journeyed to other large Canadian cities as part of my father's obligations as a Member of the Dominion Council for the C. M. A. they could go away confident in the knowledge that Poole would feed and bathe us, boss us if we indulged in a bit of "cheekiness", but always with a steadfast and true heart of love ..."
At the fifth sitting on May 8, 1921,
Mrs. Hamilton and Mrs. Poole were present. The table movements were very strong.
On May 9, 1921
Mrs. Poole phoned Mrs. Hamilton, and told her that the night previously she had had a very vivid dream in which she, Mrs. Poole, had seemed to be singing old psalms. She could not recall the words.
At the sixth sitting on May 15, 1921,
Mrs. J. M. Forrester, Ms. Jessie Forrester, Mrs. Hamilton and Mrs. Poole were present. The table tilted the following message: "... paraphrase - mother sings old paraphrase. Lisbeth".
This seemed to be a reference to the dream that Mrs. Poole had called Lillian about earlier. The table movements were so strong that the two ladies looking on, Mrs. Forrester and her daughter, Jessie, had to use a great deal of force to press the table back to the floor as it tilted on two legs.
On May 22, 1921,
They met again, with Mrs. Forrester and Jessie as witnesses. The table tilts were very powerful, and a further message was transmitted by the tilt-method: "Poole ... Mother sings old paraphrases ... Lizbeth ...". The table remained in the tilted position, and Mrs. Forrester and Jessie had to push, and it took the combined strength of the two ladies to push the elevated legs back to floor level.
Lillian continued to hold table sittings now and again during the next months, but came on nothing of importance until July 9, 1921. On this day, under Elizabeth Poole's contact, the table, which rested on two legs, refused to be pushed back to the floor.
What was holding it in place?
Having recently read Dr. Crawford's account of the telekinetic phenomena which he had obtained with Miss Goligher in Belfast, Lillian concluded provisionally that in Elizabeth, possibly, they had perhaps discovered a medium who potentially was of the same type.
A week later Dr. Hamilton himself investigated the strength which the table seemingly produced and found it so powerful that his curiosity was aroused as to the origin of this power and the nature of the mind utilizing it in each case. He was beginning to doubt his first assumption that the apparent force was nothing more than involuntary muscle contractions experienced as forces.
But he was busy with many tasks besides his patients and their health concerns.
In July, 1921 he brought out the first number of the Manitoba Medical Association Bulletin. It could be carried in a vest pocket but it gave Association news and reports of meetings.
The word 'Bulletin' was later dropped and the word 'Review' substituted and in 1940 the word 'Association' was dropped and for nineteen years the title remained "The Manitoba Medical Review."
Creating firsts seemed easy for Dr. T. Glen Hamilton. His practical mind found a way to put into practice what his keen intelligence had foreseen.
In 1921 he was President of the Manitoba Medical Association and also President of the University of Manitoba Alumni Association, to which office he was elected by acclamation soon after its creation.
He was a member of the surgical staff of the Winnipeg General Hospital and Lecturer in Surgery in the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Manitoba.
Quoting from the Manitoba Medical Association Review - formerly the Bulletin of the Manitoba Medical Association - established 1921,
"... as Secretary of the Manitoba Medical Association, he was the prime mover in the establishment of the Manitoba Medical Association Bulletin, now the Review, which first appeared in July, 1921 ..."
He was also made a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons - degree bestowed in 1921.
And now, during July and August of 1921, Elizabeth M.'s (Elizabeth Poole's) great telekinetic powers became more pronounced.
And in addition to the tilting table, contact raps began to sound. Myers and Stead communicated once again, this time the raps spelling out: "h-e-l-p-i-n-g i-n e-f-f-o-r-t-s o-f h-u-m-a-n-i-t-y."
The speed with which the various Elizabeth M. phenomena appeared was remarkable. Equally remarkable was the rapid progression each of these divisions made in the matter of passing from the more simple type of manifestation to the more complex.
At the sitting on July 24, 1921,
spontaneous manifestations of psychic force were so strong that they again aroused Dr. Hamilton's scientific curiosity. For about 3 - 4 minutes the table could not be pushed back to its normal position. At this sitting Mrs. Poole and Lillian Hamilton were present. They placed their hands on the table. In a few moments the "power" was exceedingly strong. The table tilted on two legs away from Mrs. Poole - that is, the depressed side was in front of Lillian, who tried to depress the elevated side back to the floor, but found the table seemed to be resting on a sort of "air cushion" -- or something that would give, but not all the way.
Lillian was so much interested in this strange phenomenon - as she believed it to be - that she called to her sister and mother to come into the room. Her sister, Miss Jessie Forrester came and stood over the table, pressing downward with both hands, and after putting forth considerable pressure, finally placed the table again at rest on the floor.
Dr. Hamilton was told of this incident (he was not in the house during the time of the sitting) and he said that probably the "force" was due to unconscious muscular activity.
At the sitting of July 31, 1921
the sitters were Mrs. Poole, Mrs. Hamilton; Jessie Forrester and Dr. T. G. Hamilton.
With all hands on the table, the power was very strong in a few moments. Dr. Hamilton was convinced, for the first time, of the reality of psychic force as a separate entity and not just as some unconscious muscle activity.
Around this time there was a crucial sitting.
On a Sunday evening early in August of 1921, Jessie and Mrs. Poole and Lillian held a "sitting" in the little room off T. G. H.'s bedroom - the old and funny 'junk' room.
To their utter amazement the table tilted as usual, but would not give up the tilt no matter how firmly repressed from above downward. It - the table - appeared to be resting on an invisible mattress of some rubbery substance and push as they would this "mattress" would not give way.
They soon saw that this occurred only when Mrs. Poole's hands were on the table. They placed their hands over hers, their feet up on hers, and still the phenomenon continued.
Was this telekinetic force, such as produced in the Crawford experiments in Belfast?
Lillian believed that it was and so reported to T. G. H. when he returned rather late that evening from the Winnipeg General Hospital where he had been operating.
The following Sunday evening Mrs. Poole came again, and again this phenomenon appeared. Dr. Hamilton, finding that he had to put forth all the strength he could command and that it was several minutes before he could force the table back to its normal position, was amazed and deeply interested.
He judged that he exerted 50 to 60 pounds pressure on the top of the table before he succeeded in pushing the table down - that is, bringing the two legs which were tilted off the floor back to rest again.
The recorder - Lillian Hamilton, admitted to being very much amused to hear T. G. H. "grunting" and breathing heavily in the dark, as he struggled with the table to push it down.
Almost one year after the strange and compelling "Plato" message, Dr. Hamilton was forced to admit that he considered psychic force to be a reality to be reckoned with.
Here at last was something he could investigate, free from the manifestations of seeming spiritual presences.
From where did this strange energy come? What was its ultimate nature? Did it come from Mrs. Poole's body as it had from Ms. Goligher's? Were "pseudo-pods" taking part in the operation?
He discussed the whole question with Lillian later that night and decided to go ahead and do some real work along lines of test and observation.
He said, " You, know, Lillian, there is something here that needs to be investigated. This is a force not known to science. It may be of great benefit to mankind."
Mrs. Poole, he knew, if her powers continued to develop, would make a marvelous subject for experimentation; her lack of education and her nearly completely unlearned state leaving her subconscious free from inhibitions and all preconceived notions regarding psychical phenomena.
He had known her a for long time; she had nursed for him; he had taken care of her and her family medically since their arrival from Scotland some 15 years previously, and he knew her to be just what she appeared to be - a kind, motherly, lovable woman, but intellectually one standing little above illiteracy.
It was the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophecy; and little by little the "door" was to swing wider open until the Hamiltons saw, as it were, within, clear-cut shadows representing the greater 'realities'.
The way was open, the tool was at hand, and work was to start immediately. He little dreamed that this task was now to be one of his major interests, and to lead him forward through the years allotted to him - some fourteen in all.
Dr. Hamilton now prepared to do something about studying the telekinetic phenomena.
What was this force? Where did it originate? More than ever, these were questions needing an answer.
And what was the truth about the communicators who purported to communicate through the messages? Were they who they claimed they were?
This question would have to wait.
At the moment there was something concrete, this force, real and strong, that required an explanation. It could be investigated with measuring devices in the real world, and its method of operation detected, Dr. Hamilton felt sure of that. He decided to investigate.
It was soon discovered that the force - whatever it was - issued from Mrs. Poole's abdomen in the form of invisible "arms" which gripped the table from beneath, and held it steady for an appreciable length of time against pressure. This was in line with Crawford's findings, who had named these invisible streams of energy "pseudopods". Mrs. Poole often felt pain in the abdominal area when the forces were struggling with each other; often this pain became so great that the experiment had to be terminated, leaving the table the victor. This manifestation of discomfort was much later thought to be the first indication of the presence of teleplasm, also known as ectoplasm in some circles.
This phenomenon was tested scores of times by several observers, such as Reverend D. N. McLachlan, Minister of King Memorial Church; Reverend T. B. MacMillan, and Sir Henry Gauvain, noted TB specialist from England, and many others.
Each reported the same thing; judging by the sense of touch, the table's return seemed to be impeded by an area - an invisible but appreciable something - which felt like a cushion made of rubber. The table seemed to be supported by a something that would give a little, and then spring back into place stronger than before.
At the sitting on August 7, 1921 the sitters were Mrs. Poole, Lillian Jessie, and Mr. E. Court.
With all hands on table, the force was very powerful under contact. Mrs. Hamilton felt depleted of strength - she felt as if she were going to faint - so the members of the circle took their hands off the table and formed a chain by holding hands.
To the surprise of the sitters, non-contact phenomena commenced - the table lifting, twisting and creaking with the stress applied.
A code was arranged: one knock of the table leg for "no"; two knocks, "doubtful"; three knocks for "yes". This was a code that had been used by investigators in Europe. Under these arrangements the following dialogue took place:
"Are the sitters arranged properly?" "Yes."
"Have we any guides?" "Yes"
"How many? Knock for the number. Seven knocks given.
"Do you know where Dr. Hamilton is?" "Yes"
Someone in the group remarked that laughter was a good thing in a sitting. The table, without being questioned, gave three knocks for "Yes."
The remarkable strength of the Elizabeth mediumship in its initial stage is seen in the fact that non-contact movements of the table occurred at the first sitting of the series, that held on August 7, and thereafter at frequent intervals throughout the eight and one-half months of this investigation period.
On August 14, 1921,
a sitting was held with sitters Mrs. Poole, Lillian Hamilton, Mr. Court, Mrs. Saddington; Jessie (part-time) and Dr. Hamilton.
They began with contact and removed their hands as soon as the power became strong and formed a chain by holding hands.
Reverend T. B. McMillan, who was present as an onlooker, had great difficulty in depressing the table to the floor. Lillian Hamilton felt "done-out" immediately following Mr. McMillan's resistance to the force. She said later "I remember feeling so faint that I had to leave the séance room to recover."
A message was given by table tipping without contact.
"Live your lives pure"
Dr. Hamilton asked: "Anything else?"
The table gave two more letters: "ly:
(these to go with pure(ly)
Faint non-contact raps were heard for the first time.
Clearly there was some form of intelligence involved with these phenomena. This fact was strikingly brought home to the Hamiltons at the first and second sittings, those of August 7 and August 14. On these dates not only did the table, without contact, tilt and turn completely about, but as well show intelligence by answering questions through the use of the usual code in these cases - one rap for 'no' and three for 'yes': a simple phenomenon, yet one carrying far-reaching implications.
At the third sitting on August 15, 1921,
and on thirteen different later sittings, the procedure that brought forth raps was the same: Mrs. Poole's hands were in contact with a table, then removed, always under Dr. Hamilton's control.
Repeatedly, both her hands and her feet were controlled, thus satisfying the genuineness of the manifestation. In the majority of cases, the raps were heard striking the legs, or the underside of the tabletop; sometimes they struck on top of the table, or on the floor, well beyond the reach of the seated medium.
The sounds varied from ticks which seemed to come from within the wood of the table, to loud knocks audible to all. Apart from the customary sensation of tightness in the coeliac plexus regions, Mrs. Poole showed little reaction to this phenomenon. One reaction of which she seemed aware took place while the raps were manifesting: this was a spasmodic twitching of her hands and forearms, which we took to be an indication that there probably was a link between the medium's nervous mechanism, and a force producing the raps.
Non-contact movements of the table itself often preceded the appearance of raps, and were always spontaneously brought about by the invisible operators themselves, and always in the one direction - toward the medium.
The experimenters could not account for this unless they supposed that these operators desired to work with a shorter "rod" extension, than that used in the other events, and thus secure a more precise control over their rapping instrument.
Dr. Hamilton remembered that the French experimenter, Dr. Richet, had written regarding the "raps" that he had observed:
"The singular and marvelous thing is that the table, untouched by any person, emits vibrations that are not due to chance, but mean something. If the alphabet is repeated, a rap will be given at certain letters, and the sequence of such letters will be found to build up a word having a definite meaning. A phrase is thus built up. No matter for the moment what is said; it is enough to verify (1) that the raps are not due to any movements of the medium; and (2) that the raps precede from an intelligence that has something to say."
Dr. Hamilton realized that with Elizabeth Poole these rappings were exactly of this type: the table was untouched; it emitted sounds that meant something; they repeated the alphabet; the raps indicated letters; these letters made words; and the communications thus built up were not only intelligent, but in their choice of subject matter, of words, aptness of phrasing, correctness of spelling, they disclosed an intelligence considerably greater than that shown by the medium in her normal condition.
While there was definite evidence that the raps depended on the medium for their energy source, there was no evidence that they depended on her for their mental aspect. This fact T. G. H. regarded as being of vast importance.
Yet he was not ready to assign the intelligence evidenced in the raps to entities living in a post physical death world. They appeared to claim to be former humans now living in a dis-embodied state. There was no "proof" that they were who they claimed to be.
But the "rappers" were ingenious. Quite "on their own" they devised a new signal: four or five small sharp raps in quick succession meant "repeat the alphabet, we have indicated a wrong letter."
In the original records of the rappings, a careful study showed that invariably the mistakes seemed to arise because the operators seemed to have some difficulty in synchronizing their rap with the desired letter. e.g. the rap might indicate "m" when "n" was wanted; or "b" when a "c" was desired.
In other words, it was a mechanical difficulty that communicators experienced, not a scholastic one. This indicates a similarity with the Crawford experiments, and indicated the use of a psychic structure of some kind, invisible, as with him, but nonetheless, real.
As to the identity of the communicators, Dr. Hamilton could only report what came by way of these rappings.
On August 20, 1921,
during the third sitting of this series, came the message.
"Myers helping efforts in interest of humanity. Wonderful land here. Never fear. Circle in circle. Radiant ..."
When asked to give the communicators initials, the raps gave "F. W., and "B", but the sounds were fainter, and the power obviously diminishing.
The next day, on August 21, 1921,
the sitters were Mrs. Poole, Mr. Court, Mr. E. Metcalf, and Dr. and Mrs. Hamilton.
The power was built up by contact of hands. The building was slow. Hands were removed and formed into a chain of holding hands.
Non-contact phenomena took the form of clear hard raps which seemed to come from the table legs and the under side of the table. Using the same code as that used by tilts, but with the addition of a new signal -- a series of running raps indicating that a mistake had been made and to start over again (given first by the unseen intelligences) - the following was spelt out.
The raps spelled "e-s-t l-i-g-h-t Myers."
This at first appeared meaningless. Later, it was seen to complete the earlier message, making the final phrase now read "circle in circle of radiantest light. Myers."
Here was a message purporting to be from the erudite Myers, with claims as to the wonders and radiance of that "other land" which, he implied, lay beyond death!
This was a direct rebuke to Dr. Hamilton's unwillingness to believe in the reality of the communicator's claims.
"Nobody home earlier" (True; sitting half an hour later than usual)
The implication was that the communicators must have come around before the sitting commenced. They appeared to have an existence of their own even when no sitting was going on.
On August 28, 1921,
the sitters were Mrs. Poole, Dr. and Lillian Hamilton, Mrs. Saddington, Mr. Court, Jessie, and Mr. Metcalfe.
The visitors outside the circle were Robert Hamilton and Mr. T. B. McMillan.
Contact phenomena were fairly strong. The power seemed to leave the table for a time and was applied to two heavy books which had been placed under Mrs. Poole's feet. These were presently pushed violently to one side; evidently the books were not wanted there.
The medium's chair was moved about while she was sitting on it - her arms appeared to be pushed up into the air.
Then these phenomena ceased and were followed by raps, weaker than the raps of August 21, but quite clear.
Mrs. Hamilton said that she was touched on the left foot. It was a very hot, close night with storm clouds in the West.
Then came the message: "Emotion too strong ... Tests hard to manifest ..."
On August 30, 1921,
the sitters were Mrs. Poole, Lillian, and Dr. Hamilton.
Dr. Hamilton stood up and verified the control of sitters' hands. No light. The table tilted first off three legs and then with special effort off all four. T. G. H. estimated that the table was several inches above the floor. The pressure under the table was tremendously strong.
When work started in earnest in T. G. H.'s group in 1921, Stead claimed to speak, along with Myers, for a "group" on the "Other Side", who wished to work with the Hamiltons.
By non-contact raps: "Stead W. interested in circle."
He appeared at intervals to give directions, and make comments in regard to the progress of the Hamilton investigations.
Anyone studying the phenomena which T. G. H. observed, should give due credit to this Master Mind, Stead, who appeared to know, well ahead of time, the manner in which the strange formations would develop. To all who took part in the many years of the Hamilton researches, W. T. Stead became known as a living man, hearty, steadfast, eminently practical - a fearless crusader.
Like everything Dr. Hamilton did, this work was done thoroughly from the start. The table carried a large wooden plaque painted with phosphorescent paint so that it glowed brightly for all to see throughout the course of the séance.
Mrs. Poole's hands were held continuously by T. G. H. and Lillian, or now and again by close friends invited to take part as additional observers and verifiers. Her feet were also controlled by the adjacent sitters and she submitted to every test and control willingly, giving of her time as our friend and disliking very much to be called a medium.
What she did she did for "her doctor", and if she had powers that she had not known of they were his for development and use - without money and without price.
The phenomenon of this period were varied, powerful, and abundant, and included, in spite of T. G. H.'s attitude, manifestations that could only be classified as spiritistic.
It was soon found that whatever the nature of the dominating intelligence was supposed to be, that the intelligence had to be co-operated with if worthwhile events were to come to light for examination and test. T. G. H. finally began to speak to this intelligence as if it were a living unseen personality and results piled up.
He invited Mr. H. A. Reed to join him, and together they made many arresting discoveries.
Dr. Hamilton placed a hook in the ceiling of the experiment room and rigged up a simple block and tackle system from which he suspended the 12.5 pound table. Then Mr. Reed took up a position near the apparatus and with a dim red light he observed the effect on the weight of the table as the experimenters asked the table to become heavier and lighter.
Mr. Reed called out the numbers that were indicated on the weighing apparatus and records were kept of the results.
They found that the weight of the table always increased around 4 pounds just before a rap was struck on the table or on the floor about 2 feet beyond the table. And this increase took place both when Mrs. Poole's hands were held a few inches above the table or were touching the table lightly under manual control.
Mr. Reed, who usually took charge of the scale readings, found also that the weight of the table increased when he himself stood near it, but not touching it. He seemed to be, like Mrs. Poole, a reservoir for the mysterious energy.
Others were asked to stand by the table but no such increase was apparent. From this we adduced the theory that Mr. Reed, like Mrs. Poole, was potentially a medium; that is, one from whose organism flowed the psycho-physical energy-substance causing the phenomena - the flow being spontaneous and non-volitional.
T. G. H. charted a graph, which - while it did not show the more minute developments within each class, did reveal clearly the general trend, the diversity of output, and the speed with which the mediumship moved to its peak.
The order in which the phenomena appeared were outlined by Dr. Hamilton in 1921. First, under Elizabeth M.'s hand contact, the table moved with great power.
Soon the table tipped and moved with no hand contact.
Then, non-contact rappings gave intelligent messages. Myers, Stead, and other deceased personalities claimed to be communicating.
By undertaking regular observations to learn more about this mysterious energy, Dr. Hamilton took his first real step toward becoming a researcher. Each new manifestation seemed more fascinating than its predecessor; thus, step-by-step, he followed after.
And so the physical manifestations, - contact phenomena, telekinesis, intelligent rappings, and others - which formed the subject of his research - were observed during the course of forty-five sittings held over a period of eight and one half months, beginning August 7, 1921, and closing April 30, 1922.
This was the first of several series of sittings held as experiments for the development of the medium Elizabeth M. while at the same time also they were investigations into the nature and possible sources of the physical phenomena.
"It was interesting too, to find that the 'operators' (Crawford's name for the invisible beings purporting to be back of the phenomena) could hear the experimenter's requests for variations of the phenomena. Ask them to increase the weight of the table and this was done instantly, the weight often increasing (while attached to the scale) 10, 20 and even up to 30 pounds: that is, so long as Mrs. Poole was near the table and held her hands (controlled) either on the table or a few inches above the surface of the table.
"Sometimes the table seemed bound to the floor with bands of what can only be called a "rubbery iron", bound so strongly that a man standing over the table and lifting upward could raise it only about two inches for several minutes.
"If we asked 'them' to bind the table to the medium this was also done - again with these rubbery bands that one could feel when pulling the table away from the medium.
"Again there were times when we all heard strange rustling noises, or noises like the crinkling of paper or the discharge from some electric battery - and always in the region of her feet, and always just before an exhibition of this binding or weighting. These phenomena had also been observed in work with the medium D. D. Home as observed by William Crookes."
Close observation showed them, too, that the bulk of the energy came from Mrs. Poole's abdominal area; for when the power was very great, or when the downward pressure on the table was too long sustained, she cried out with the pain that always, she said, came first around her waist and then descended downward into the central abdominal areas. This combined with the fact that frequently one could hear soft thuds being struck beneath the table top just before it moved (either with or without contact) led T. G. H. and Mr. Reed to believe that ectoplasm in an invisible form was being extended from the subject's body, in the form of invisible "arms" that materialized only at the terminal end and grasped the table and thus moved it about the floor or levitated it up into the air.
In the sitting of September 2, 1921,
the sitters were Mrs. Poole, Mr. Court and Dr. and Mrs. Hamilton.
The table turned completely around, and moved several feet without contact. Non-contact raps were very faint.
The message was given by rappings with much difficulty: "Pity M. not here."
T. G. H. asked if they meant Mr. Metcalfe. One loud knock in reply ("No"). He then asked if "they" referred to Myers. Three raps came in reply. ("Yes") The sitting took place in darkness.
On September 11, 1921,
the sitters were Mrs. Poole, Mr. Court, Mr. Metcalfe, Dr. and Mrs. Hamilton and a visitor, Mrs. W. Axtell.
Victrola music was playing. The lights were turned out.
Power was built up by hand contact, then hands were removed and a hand-holding chain formed.
The following conversation took place which Dr. Hamilton recorded letter by letter as they came.
"M. not here."
T. G. H.: "Do you mean Myers?"
"Yes".
T. G. H.: "Was he Sir Oliver Lodge's friend?"
"Yes" (Three knocks)
T. G. H.: "Author of 'Human Personality'?"
"Yes"
T. G. H.: "We must be sure of this; can you give me his initials?"
No reference was made to those letters given on August 21, 1921.
T. G. H. again called the alphabet and the raps indicated clearly and firmly the letters F.W.H.
Following the giving of the initials the power waned somewhat; the group placed their hands on the table and power rapidly built up, levitating the table completely off the floor and returning it with considerable force.
Hands were again removed and held in chain.
By raps again the conversation resumed, the letters being indicated rapidly and clearly.
The letters indicated were recorded by Dr. Hamilton who put the paper in his pocket - the message came so rapidly that none of the sitters were able to follow it.
The red light was turned on, all sat with hands in chain waiting to break the séance. Mr. Metcalfe suddenly appeared to be in partial trance. Mrs. S. and Mrs. Poole said that they saw faces about him. Mrs. Poole described an elderly man with a beard and a mustache that formed on Mr. Metcalfe's breast...
This was Mrs. Poole's first clairvoyance.
After the sitting, when they gathered about the fireplace in their living room on the ground floor, Mr. Court suddenly remembered the message which Dr. Hamilton had still in his pocket, and asked if the letters spelled anything. Dr. Hamilton opened the paper and saw that the letters given by raps gave the following message:
"Stead W. interested in circle."
A telegram from the other side of the world could not have been more unexpected.
The notes were taken by Lillian Hamilton.
Stead was the first of the major Elizabeth M. intelligences to appear. His first manifestation took place on September 11, 1921, by means of conversational raps.
He represented himself then, and later, as being interested in the group, and that he along with others was helping their efforts "in amity."
For the next five years this personality purported to communicate from time to time and always through the same channel of raps.
On September 18, 1921,
the sitters were Mrs. Poole, (E.M.), Mr. Court, Mr. Metcalfe, Mrs. Saddington; Dr. and Mrs. Hamilton.
Visitors were W. O. Hamilton and Mrs. W. Axtell.
There was Victrola music playing in the darkness of the seance.
Very few raps were heard as first. All hands were removed from the table except one hand of Mrs. Poole and one of Mrs. Hamilton.
After waiting about 15 minutes the table was suddenly levitated about a foot. Knocks were heard from time to time, but the controls either could not or did not wish to give any special message.
"Hold hands lightly" was rapped out. The request was obeyed.
Dr. Hamilton then asked if they were going to try to produce other types of phenomena, and in reply, three raps were given ("Yes") and the word "See".
This was later verified by the clairvoyant descriptions given by Mrs. Poole, and Mrs. S.
Mrs. Poole claimed to have seen forms moving about the room. She described them.
Light but clear and emphatic knocks often accompanied their description as if in verification of the accuracy of the descriptions of the clairvoyance.
Following a period devoted to clairvoyance the red light was turned on and sitters placed their hands on the table. The table was finally levitated straight up, about a foot, three different times - the last being held for several seconds.
An elderly man with a beard was again seen.
Also two children were seen.
The progressive steps which this phenomenon showed were most interesting.
By September 18, 1921,
the distance had increased to about 1 foot from just a few inches.
The next variation which may be noted was the ability of the force to hold a levitation momentarily before the table crashed to the floor. This first occurred on September 18.
More Levitations
On September 22, 1921,
the sitters were Mrs. Poole and Lillian Hamilton.
Visitors were Mrs. J. F. Campbell and Mrs. Leggatt.
The table - under contact - lifted five times off the floor. Each time between about 2 to 6 inches. The third time it was held for a second or two.
On September 28, 1921,
with all six sitters present. Mrs. Poole, Mr. Metcalfe, Mrs. Saddington, Mr. Court, and Dr. and Mrs. Hamilton.
No visitors.
The table levitated many times under non-contact conditions. Raps gave the following:
Raps: "M.N.H. my ... (they could see no sense in the message but decided to continue calling the alphabet)
Raps: "My message fail..."
Dr. Hamilton: "Message failed? Why, we have not received any yet."
Someone suggests that MNH stands for "Myers not here." Raps: "Yes" (three loud knocks). The sitters were amused.
Raps: "You missed it."
Dr. Hamilton: "We were slow all right, but we 'got there' just the same. Will you give your name?"
Raps: "Ray Lodge. a-m-e-n-
Mr. Court recorded the letters as they came.
Strong levitations followed.
On October 2, 1921,
the regular six sitters were present, Mrs. Poole, Mr. Metcalfe, Mrs. Saddington, Mr. Court, and Dr. and Mrs. Hamilton.
There were the usual phenomena of moving and tilting the table. The table levitated under contact eight or ten times.
Dr. Hamilton tried the experiment of placing a cardboard on the table top on which were printed in a circle all the letters of the alphabet. The board underneath the table had an attached luminous arm which extended up and over the top of the table - the idea being that the "forces" should indicate letters by moving and pointing to the desired letters. The pointer was moved several times under non-contact conditions, but no letters were indicated. A new type of rap was heard - very soft and tiny on top of the table. These answered many questions. The "forces" were plainly felt by the sitters, working between the cardboard and the tabletop, as if trying to loosen the cardboard.
Lillian said that she felt a thread-like substance creep down her arm from elbow to fingertip.
On October 9, 1921,
the usual sitters were present.
The table levitated many times by contact of two fingers - one of Lillian's and one of Mrs. Poole's. The table when levitated dipped up and down several times, without coming to the floor. An attempt was made to move Mrs. Poole's chair. There was much creaking and groaning of the chair under psychic stress but the chair was not moved. The operators did not succeed in moving the illumined arm over the alphabet.
There were no raps.
After the second attempt left Mrs. Poole on her chair, Lillian said that she felt a snake-like something move slowly past the end of the toes on one foot. She felt this distinctly as she was wearing soft bedroom slippers at the time.
Four sittings later, on October 9, 1921,
the table dipped up and down several times before coming to the floor, indicating that the force was rapidly coming under excellent control.
This control was even better exemplified toward the end of the series when it was not an uncommon experience to witness the levitated table float gently from side to side five or six times.
In most cases, however, the power appeared to be of an explosive nature, the table usually shooting up with a bound, suddenly, and then, as if the sustaining energy had been spent, crashing back to the floor. At times the returning table was literally hurled back, and in this way frequently damaged and eventually so badly broken that it had to be replaced by one of even sturdier build. Toward the close of the sittings several liftings occurred in red light.
The medium's subjective reactions to this manifestation were much the same as those which accompanied the resisting force: a sense of tightness about the waist immediately prior to and during the course of the phenomenon.
While she rarely complained of feeling actual pain, she often exhibited signs of strain and exhaustion - cold hands, perspiration, and occasionally, where levitations had been frequent and violent, a more of less fainting condition. In short, as Crawford was able to establish so successfully, the energy required for the lifting appeared to be supplied mainly by the medium's organism.
Again we had to depend on our sense of touch and muscular resistance for any indications as to the nature of the levitating medium. Prior to levitation, the table seemed to be resting on a "rubbery" cushion-like field, similar to that experienced under the pressure test.
In addition, however, one could frequently feel a soft thudding going on beneath the top, a secondary phenomenon which we came to recognize as a warning that a levitation was probably imminent.
In view of the extraordinary lifting power described above, it is not surprising that other movements of the table were also powerful and that presently, in addition to sliding movements about the floor, they should take an upward direction: that is, that the table should levitate.
From the first it was noticed that to obtain one of these levitations a second hand-contact was required, that of one of the lady sitters - who apparently acted as a sort of auxiliary medium in augmenting the energy supplied through Elizabeth. As this sitter placed her hands over those of the medium, she acted both as assistant and controller.
At the sitting of October 16, 1921, the usual sitters were present.
Three visitors also were present: Mr. and Mrs. J. Young and Mrs. Maxwell Wallace of Emerson.
They began with the usual preparation period of holding hands and then placing their hands on the table.
Raps began in about five minutes. They were quite loud and firm most of the time.
The table was levitated up almost beyond reach of the sitters.
The number of liftings occurring at one sitting also showed a definite progression - two, three, five, and then a repetition of the phenomenon up to eight or ten times, this increase taking place exactly within the period of two months.
Dr. Hamilton: "Can you stand the red light?"
Answer: "No". (One loud rap).
The alphabet was called, with no hands making contact with the table.
Raps indicated the letters to make the message:
"Raymond Lodge, Stead, Myers can't attend. Tests hard to manifest: emotion too strong."
Manifestations now ceased for some time.
Lillian and Mrs. Poole placed one hand each on the table. The table shot up into the air almost beyond the reach of the sitters. Lillian caught hold of it to prevent an accident.
Previous to this point, Mr. Young had tested the tremendous solidity of some kind, which held the tilted table up from the floor. Dr. Hamilton began to attempt to record these phenomena by camera. These attempts failed for the time being, but were successful later on in 1923 and after that.
Frequently "knocks" on the table would be an indication to have dimmer light; and during the dimmer light, even though all the objects were still visible, violins and mandolins would be seen floating around the room, continually sounding, as if strummed by invisible fingers.
At the sitting of October 23, 1921,
the six usual sitters were present.
They began with hands on the table. There were no table phenomena.
Knocks built up at once. They were of many types - fairly loud - running in series as requested 2, 3, or 4.
The knocks sounded and "felt" as if made by a larger "end" than usual.
Conversation by raps followed; the sitters were told that they had seven in the circle "on the other side".
Dr. T. G. H.: "Myers?" ("Yes") (no hand contact with table)
Dr. T. G. H.: "Stead?" ("Yes")
Dr. T. G. H.: "R. Lodge?" ("Yes")
Dr. T. G. H.: "Will you spell the others?" ("Yes")
As the power was weaker Mrs. Poole and Lillian Hamilton placed their hands on the table. The raps continued and spelled out the following names: "Margaret McLachlan, Rajah S. Tagore, Crawford."
Dr. T. G. H.: "We must get the Crawford initials without contact."
Mrs. Poole and Lillian removed their hands. The raps commenced again and gave the words "doctor" and "Wm ... "
They were not sure of the last letter - the psychic power failed.
On October 30, 1921,
the sitting was held in a different room. One weak levitation occurred with Lillian and Mrs. Poole hand contact. Mrs. Poole was tired and Lillian was not well.
There were few phenomena
On November 6, 1921,
Mr. Court was absent.
The sitting had many interruptions. Lillian was late in joining the group.
There were two levitations by contact and some faint raps.
At the sitting of November 8, 1921,
raps gave "Powerful forces against me now."
These were non-contact raps.
On November 14, 1921,
there was levitation of the table about twenty minutes after the sitting commenced.
It was estimated by the sitters that it raised about twenty inches off the floor.
Mr. H. Shand, who was a visitor, and an engineer, was unable to depress the table to the floor.
While this was going on heavy knocks were heard on the floor.
There was also a scratching noise heard.
On November 20, 1921,
at the sitting there was a force under the table.
Levitation was by contact. The table made circular movements while levitated. A peculiar scratching noise was heard and also something like a whistle.
November 26, 1921.
Forces under the table. Levitation. Table makes circular movement while levitated. A peculiar scratching noise was heard, also a noise like a whistle.
It did appear as if the 'operators' had succeeded in exerting a downward force in excess of the experimenters' combined right-hand lifting force, a manifestation they considered to be one of very real magnitude. Therefore it seemed reasonable to assume that in a way unknown to them, they had helped, instead of hindering, the phenomenon. That is, their contact, as well as that of the medium, had supplied energy.
Please note: The above chart is the first known date on which Dr. Hamilton made a chart of trance states. W. D. F.
Dr. Hamilton made numerous charts from the years 1921 to 1927. The ones for which no dates are available are shown in the photos below. Those with dates are shown in the appropriate places.
