Kathleen Goligher (born 1898) was an Irish spiritualistmedium. Goligher was endorsed by engineer William Jackson Crawford who wrote three books about her mediumship, but was exposed as a fraud by physicist Edmund Edward Fournier d'Albe in 1921.
Goligher was born in Belfast. She held séances in her own home with seven of her family members. The psychical researcher and engineer William Jackson Crawford (1881–1920) investigated the mediumship of Goligher and claimed she had levitated the table and produced ectoplasm.[1]
Crawford in his books developed the "Cantilever Theory of Levitation" due to his experiments with Goligher. According to his theory the table was levitated by "psychic rods" of ectoplasm which came out of the body of the medium to operate as an invisible cantilever. Crawford took flashlight photographs of the ectoplasm, and described the substance as "plasma". Crawford investigated Goligher's mediumship at her house for six years.[2] He committed suicide on 30 July 1920 for unknown reasons. Crawford's photographs of Goligher showed that the ectoplasm, frequently issued from her vagina.[3]
There were no scientific controls in the Crawford's séances with Goligher as she and her family members had their hands and legs free at all times.[4] After Crawford's death the physicist Edmund Edward Fournier d'Albe investigated the medium Goligher at twenty sittings and arrived at the opposite conclusion to Crawford. According to d'Albe no ectoplasm or levitation had occurred with Goligher and stated he had found evidence of fraud. On 22 July 1921 he observed Goligher holding the table with her foot.[5] He also discovered that the "ectoplasm" substance in the photographs of Crawford was muslin. During a séance d'Albe had observed white muslin between Goligher's feet.[6]
In a letter to Harry Houdini, d'Albe wrote "I must say I was greatly surprised at Crawford's blindness."[7] The conclusion from d'Albe was that the Goligher family were involved in the mediumship trickery and had duped Crawford. D'Albe published The Goligher Circle in 1922 which exposed the fraudulent mediumship of Goligher and because of the exposure she retired from mediumship in the same year.[8]
Crawford's experiments were criticized by scientists for their inadequate controls and lack of precaution against fraud.[9][10]
Physician Morton Prince in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology noted that Crawford's psychic rod hypothesis "fails to account for much and cannot be reconciled with what is scientifically known as matter, or force, or electricity, or energy."[9]
A review in the Journal of Applied Psychology suggested that Crawford does "not seem to have been able to avoid self-deception, and his experiments are not convincing."[11]
Psychical researcher Hereward Carrington noted that the photographs taken by Crawford look "dubious in appearance" and that "with rare exceptions, no other investigators had an opportunity to check-up his results, since outsiders were rarely admitted to the sittings."[12]
The surgeon Charles Marsh Beadnell published a booklet in 1920 that debunked the experiments. He also offered a cash prize to any medium who could produce a single levitation under controlled conditions.[7]
Bryan Donkin, M.D., studied the Crawford experiments called attention to "the superabundant exposure of the massive credulity and total defect of logical power displayed by Dr. Crawford," who gives "the most pathetic picture of a willing victim of pernicious deception".[13]
Psychologist Joseph Jastrow criticized the Crawford experiments as unscientific and wrote that "the minute detail of apparatus and all the paraphernalia of an engineering experiment which fills the Crawford books must ever remain an amazing document in the story of the metapsychic. As proof of what prepossession can do to a trained mind the case is invaluable."[14]
Joseph McCabe suggested that Goligher had used her feet and toes to levitate the table and move objects in the séance room and compared her fraudulent mediumship to Eusapia Palladino who performed similar tricks.[15]Edward Clodd also dismissed the experiments as fraudulent and noted that Goligher refused invitation to be examined by a group of magicians and scientists.[16]
Researchers such as Ruth Brandon and Mary Roach have heavily criticized Crawford's investigation, describing him as credulous and having a sexual interest in Goligher, such as an obsession with her underwear.[8][17] Crawford held a deep fixation on underwear, for example psychical researcher Theodore Besterman noted that before his suicide he "spent all his money (consequently leaving nothing) on a stack of woollen underwear for his family, sufficient to last for several years."[8]
In 1988, Susan Blackmore claimed that she had communicated with Dingwall about the case. Blackmore stated that Crawford had confessed to Dingwall that all the Goligher phenomena was fraudulent. Blackmore quotes Crawford as saying "Ding, I have to tell you something. It was all faked, all of it."[18]
^Buckland, Raymond. (2005). The Spirit Book: The Encyclopedia of Clairvoyance, Channeling, and Spirit Communication. Visible Ink Press. p. 164. ISBN978-1578592135
^Crawford, William Jackson. The Reality of Psychic Phenomena. (1918), Experiments in Psychical Science. (1919) and The Psychic Structures of the Goligher Circle (1921).
^Jones, Kelvin I. (1989). Conan Doyle and the Spirits: The Spiritualist Career of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Aquarian Press. p. 151. ISBN978-0850308372
^Franklyn, Julian. (1935). A Survey of the Occult. Kessinger Publishing. p. 233. ISBN978-0766130074
^Jastrow, Joseph. (1935). Wish and Wisdom: Episodes in the Vagaries of Belief. D. Appleton-Century Company. p. 377
^Murchison, Cark. (1927). The Case For And Against Psychical Belief. Clark University p. 307
^McCabe, Joseph. (1920). Is Spiritualism Based on Fraud? The Evidence Given By Sir A. C. Doyle and Others Drastically Examined. London Watts & Co. pp. 58–61
^Clodd, Edward. (1922). Occultism: Two Lectures Delivered in the Royal Institution on May 17 and 24, 1921. London: Watts & Co. pp. 28–34
^Ruth Brandon. (1983). The Spiritualists: The Passion for the Occult in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. Weidenfeld and Nicolson. pp. 150-151. ISBN0-297-78249-5
Charles Marsh Beadnell. (1920). The Reality or Unreality of Spiritualistic Phenomena: Being a Criticism of Dr. W.J. Crawford's Investigation into Levitations and Raps. Watts & Co.
William Jackson Crawford. (1921). The Psychic Structures at the Goligher Circle. New York: E. P. Dutton & Company.
Joseph Jastrow. (1920). A Psychic Tragedy: The Case of Professor Crawford. The Weekly Review 3: 412–415.
Martyn Jolly. (2006). Faces of the Living Dead: The Belief in Spirit Photography. Miegunyah Press. ISBN978-0977282739
Joseph McCabe. (1920). Is Spiritualism Based On Fraud? The Evidence Given By Sir A. C. Doyle and Others Drastically Examined. London Watts & Co.
Eleanor Mildred Sidgwick. (1917). Review: The Reality of Psychic Phenomena: Raps, Levitation etc. By W. J. Crawford. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 18: 29–31.
June 30, 2023
kathleen, goligher, born, 1898, irish, spiritualist, medium, goligher, endorsed, engineer, william, jackson, crawford, wrote, three, books, about, mediumship, exposed, fraud, physicist, edmund, edward, fournier, albe, 1921, william, jackson, crawford, contents. Kathleen Goligher born 1898 was an Irish spiritualist medium Goligher was endorsed by engineer William Jackson Crawford who wrote three books about her mediumship but was exposed as a fraud by physicist Edmund Edward Fournier d Albe in 1921 Kathleen Goligher William Jackson Crawford Contents 1 Investigations 2 Critical evaluation 3 See also 4 References 5 Further readingInvestigations EditGoligher was born in Belfast She held seances in her own home with seven of her family members The psychical researcher and engineer William Jackson Crawford 1881 1920 investigated the mediumship of Goligher and claimed she had levitated the table and produced ectoplasm 1 Crawford in his books developed the Cantilever Theory of Levitation due to his experiments with Goligher According to his theory the table was levitated by psychic rods of ectoplasm which came out of the body of the medium to operate as an invisible cantilever Crawford took flashlight photographs of the ectoplasm and described the substance as plasma Crawford investigated Goligher s mediumship at her house for six years 2 He committed suicide on 30 July 1920 for unknown reasons Crawford s photographs of Goligher showed that the ectoplasm frequently issued from her vagina 3 There were no scientific controls in the Crawford s seances with Goligher as she and her family members had their hands and legs free at all times 4 After Crawford s death the physicist Edmund Edward Fournier d Albe investigated the medium Goligher at twenty sittings and arrived at the opposite conclusion to Crawford According to d Albe no ectoplasm or levitation had occurred with Goligher and stated he had found evidence of fraud On 22 July 1921 he observed Goligher holding the table with her foot 5 He also discovered that the ectoplasm substance in the photographs of Crawford was muslin During a seance d Albe had observed white muslin between Goligher s feet 6 In a letter to Harry Houdini d Albe wrote I must say I was greatly surprised at Crawford s blindness 7 The conclusion from d Albe was that the Goligher family were involved in the mediumship trickery and had duped Crawford D Albe published The Goligher Circle in 1922 which exposed the fraudulent mediumship of Goligher and because of the exposure she retired from mediumship in the same year 8 Critical evaluation Edit Goligher with muslin Crawford s experiments were criticized by scientists for their inadequate controls and lack of precaution against fraud 9 10 Physician Morton Prince in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology noted that Crawford s psychic rod hypothesis fails to account for much and cannot be reconciled with what is scientifically known as matter or force or electricity or energy 9 A review in the Journal of Applied Psychology suggested that Crawford does not seem to have been able to avoid self deception and his experiments are not convincing 11 Psychical researcher Hereward Carrington noted that the photographs taken by Crawford look dubious in appearance and that with rare exceptions no other investigators had an opportunity to check up his results since outsiders were rarely admitted to the sittings 12 The surgeon Charles Marsh Beadnell published a booklet in 1920 that debunked the experiments He also offered a cash prize to any medium who could produce a single levitation under controlled conditions 7 Bryan Donkin M D studied the Crawford experiments called attention to the superabundant exposure of the massive credulity and total defect of logical power displayed by Dr Crawford who gives the most pathetic picture of a willing victim of pernicious deception 13 Psychologist Joseph Jastrow criticized the Crawford experiments as unscientific and wrote that the minute detail of apparatus and all the paraphernalia of an engineering experiment which fills the Crawford books must ever remain an amazing document in the story of the metapsychic As proof of what prepossession can do to a trained mind the case is invaluable 14 Joseph McCabe suggested that Goligher had used her feet and toes to levitate the table and move objects in the seance room and compared her fraudulent mediumship to Eusapia Palladino who performed similar tricks 15 Edward Clodd also dismissed the experiments as fraudulent and noted that Goligher refused invitation to be examined by a group of magicians and scientists 16 Researchers such as Ruth Brandon and Mary Roach have heavily criticized Crawford s investigation describing him as credulous and having a sexual interest in Goligher such as an obsession with her underwear 8 17 Crawford held a deep fixation on underwear for example psychical researcher Theodore Besterman noted that before his suicide he spent all his money consequently leaving nothing on a stack of woollen underwear for his family sufficient to last for several years 8 In 1988 Susan Blackmore claimed that she had communicated with Dingwall about the case Blackmore stated that Crawford had confessed to Dingwall that all the Goligher phenomena was fraudulent Blackmore quotes Crawford as saying Ding I have to tell you something It was all faked all of it 18 See also EditEva Carriere Mina CrandonReferences Edit Buckland Raymond 2005 The Spirit Book The Encyclopedia of Clairvoyance Channeling and Spirit Communication Visible Ink Press p 164 ISBN 978 1578592135 Crawford William Jackson The Reality of Psychic Phenomena 1918 Experiments in Psychical Science 1919 and The Psychic Structures of the Goligher Circle 1921 Jones Kelvin I 1989 Conan Doyle and the Spirits The Spiritualist Career of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Aquarian Press p 151 ISBN 978 0850308372 Franklyn Julian 1935 A Survey of the Occult Kessinger Publishing p 233 ISBN 978 0766130074 C E Bechhofer Roberts 1932 The Truth About Spiritualism Kessinger Publishing p 128 ISBN 978 1417981281 Edmund Edward Fournier d Albe 1922 The Goligher Circle J M Watkins p 37 a b Houdini Harry 2011 edition originally published 1924 A Magician Among the Spirits Cambridge University Press p 176 ISBN 978 1108027489 a b c Roach Mary 2010 Six Feet Over Adventures in the Afterlife Canongate Books Ltd pp 110 116 ISBN 978 1847670809 a b Prince Morton 1919 Review of Experiments in Psychical Science by W J Crawford Journal of Abnormal Psychology 14 355 361 Jastrow Joseph 1920 A Psychic Tragedy The Case of Professor Crawford The Weekly Review 3 412 415 Anonymous 1920 Experiments in Psychical Science Journal of Applied Psychology 4 2 3 280 Carrington Hereward 2003 The Story of Psychic Science Kessinger Publishing p 197 200 ISBN 978 1161351118 Jastrow Joseph 1935 Wish and Wisdom Episodes in the Vagaries of Belief D Appleton Century Company p 377 Murchison Cark 1927 The Case For And Against Psychical Belief Clark University p 307 McCabe Joseph 1920 Is Spiritualism Based on Fraud The Evidence Given By Sir A C Doyle and Others Drastically Examined London Watts amp Co pp 58 61 Clodd Edward 1922 Occultism Two Lectures Delivered in the Royal Institution on May 17 and 24 1921 London Watts amp Co pp 28 34 Ruth Brandon 1983 The Spiritualists The Passion for the Occult in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries Weidenfeld and Nicolson pp 150 151 ISBN 0 297 78249 5 Blackmore Susan 1988 The Adventures of a Parapsychologist Prometheus Books p 211 ISBN 1 57392 061 4Further reading EditCharles Marsh Beadnell 1920 The Reality or Unreality of Spiritualistic Phenomena Being a Criticism of Dr W J Crawford s Investigation into Levitations and Raps Watts amp Co William Jackson Crawford 1921 The Psychic Structures at the Goligher Circle New York E P Dutton amp Company Edmund Edward Fournier d Albe 1922 The Goligher Circle J M Watkins Joseph Jastrow 1920 A Psychic Tragedy The Case of Professor Crawford The Weekly Review 3 412 415 Martyn Jolly 2006 Faces of the Living Dead The Belief in Spirit Photography Miegunyah Press ISBN 978 0977282739 Joseph McCabe 1920 Is Spiritualism Based On Fraud The Evidence Given By Sir A C Doyle and Others Drastically Examined London Watts amp Co Eleanor Mildred Sidgwick 1917 Review The Reality of Psychic Phenomena Raps Levitation etc By W J Crawford Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 18 29 31 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kathleen Goligher amp oldid 1159441147, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
