Daniel Dunglas Home - Who? - Phenomena Articles

Posted by: **THoTH** on Monday, October 08, 2007 @ 16:56:57 CDT

By THoTH

If you've not heard his name before, so much the better. Perhaps you've heard a little about him, or seen his name in a book. The reality is that Daniel Dunglas Home (pronounced Hume) brought remarkable phenomena to this world. He is a name that no serious study of the paranormal should omit.

Home was Born in Currie, near Edinburgh in Scotland on March 20th 1833, and was taken to Connecticut in the United States when he was 9. His first paranormal experiences were visions of events that hadn't yet took place. Then, when his mother died in 1850, he experienced poltergeist like phenomena on objects near him.

Some conclude that poltergeists are in reality, examples of objects moving under the control of someone present, rather than the acts of disembodied ghostly pranksters. Certainly in Homes case that was true. Raps on furniture, as well as it moving around, but only when he was near. It is also theorised that Poltergeists are the result of troubled minds, that move objects randomly. Certainly with Homes mother dying this also could have had an effect.

When Homes was 17, his Aunt decided that there was an evil spirit in their home, and decided to have it exorcised. When this failed, she asked Homes to leave, assuming that it was the work of the devil, and Homes was behind it.

It was only a year or so later that he became well known as a psychical medium. It also wasn't long before the attention he drew included that of two early critical investigators of spiritualism. William Cullen Bryant, a prominent critic and journalist and Professor David Wells of Harvard. They, along with two of Wells colleagues from Harvard attempted to expose Homes as a trickster. They visited him and were given ample opportunity by Homes examine the room for any hidden devices, including the chairs and table at which they would be sat. The room was well lit too, all of which became Homes custom.

It wasn't long before the table at which they were sat, began to move in random directions, even with Professor Wells sat down on it. At one point it mimicked a horse and raised up on two legs, with no-one touching or near it. The following is what was reported.

“Three gentlemen, Wells, Bryant and Edwards, seated themselves simultaneously on the top of the table, and while these men were so seated, the table started to move in various directions. After some time the table was seen to rise completely from the floor and floated about in the air during several seconds, as if something more solid than air was upholding it”

They concluded;

“this one emphatic declaration – we have the certainty that we were not imposed upon, and neither were we the victims of optical illusions”

Before long Homes became the study of many scholars, both literary and scientific. Perhaps the most widely known being William Crooke, a notable British physicist, inventor, chemist and fellow of the Royal Society. He was a highly respected figure of the scientific establishment. The list of phenomena studied were many and diverse, including ;

* Musical instruments playing on their own
* Moving lights
* Levitation of objects, and of himself
* Rapping,and movement of furniture

The best known example of Homes phenomena, was when he floated out of an open window, approximately forty feet from the ground, and then re-appearing through the window of an adjoining room several feet away. Those who witnessed this and testified to its validity were Lord Adare, Master Lindsay and a Captain Wynne.

Perhaps the most spectacular of Homes abilities, was that of incombustibility, or handling fire without damaging himself. One one occasion Homes poked at a fire, stirring it into flames then “kneeling down and placing his face among the coals and moving it about as though bathing in water”.

Crookes also saw Homes pick up a piece of red hot coal from a fire. He then cupped his hands round it and began blowing on it, making it white hot. Crookes saw flames around Homes fingers, yet found afterward that his hands were “soft and delicate”.

The testimony of numerous scientists of the time as well as those who initially tried to prove trickery, and failed,surely stands as testament to Homes genuinely unexplained events.

William Crookes wrote long reports, including diagrams and data measured. His scientific peers still derided Crookes conclusions. So much so that Crookes developed more sophisticated methods of checking for trickery. One of the accusations was that Homes was hypnotising observers. He developed an automated recording system, to prove this wasn't the case.

After a number of years Homes health began to deteriorate and he moved further south to the Mediterranean. Crookes continued psychical research, his critics never ceasing in their attempts to discredit him. He eventually tired of this and became involved in more orthodox areas of study. Those who claim that Crookes scientific skills were poor, would do well to remember that he was the inventor of the “Crookes Tube” which led to the discovery of X-Rays.

Homes eventually died on June 21st 1886 at the age of fifty three, leaving behind a legacy of genuine paranormal phenomena, which despite best efforts, remain unexplained. Many debunkers or pseudo sceptics, claim that some of his demonstrations, could be faked. Which in itself and without proof of such, amounts to nothing. Just because wigs exist, doesn't mean there's no such thing as real hair.

Homes was a fascinating person, and is well worth reading more about. Even after so many years, he is one of the most enigmatic when it comes to paranormal abilities.

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© 2008 The Book of THoTH Paranormal Research and Discussion Website.
You can syndicate our news or take your pick of our other feeds from our Feed List area