giuditta bottazzi ag dvd paper

7/27/2019 Giuditta Bottazzi AG DVD Paper

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THE 1907 PK EXPERIMENTS BY PROF. FILIPPO BOTTAZZI

Antonio Giuditta

Department of Biological Sciences, University Federico II, Naples, Italy

[email protected]

AbstractIf we define Thomas prejudice the habit of only trusting your own sensory channels, prof.

Filippo Bottazzi (FB) was surely conditioned by such prejudice when rumors of the wondrous PK

capacities of Eusapia Palladino (EP) reached his ear at the turn of last century. FB was the director

of the Institute of Physiology of the Royal University of Naples, and an internationally well known

physiologist. Aiming to find out by himself, and not lacking courage and determination, he

convinced several distinguished University professors to join him in a series of PK sessions to be

held with EP at his Institute. The outstanding data obtained in eight such sessions was masterfully

described by FB in a book published in Italian one century ago [1].

The main interest of these observations stems from the recording of most PK events (an

uncommon occurrence at the time) which required EP to learn the special movements needed to

activate the related instruments. Most notably, she was also able to simultaneously press twoelectric keys, one with her natural arm, the other one thanks to her PK capacities. These and related

observations convinced Bottazzi that PK events were to be attributed to EP capacity to extend

anomalous limb(s) which were endowed with sensory and motor features comparable to those of

her natural arms, and were governed by the same brain/mind that controlled her natural limbs.

Introduction

As an old friend of prof. Massimo Libonati (Bottazzi grandson), I had the chance to read the

original edition of FB Fenomeni medianici [1], a book that was recently reprinted [2], and to be

impressed by the content and fluency of the text and its many illustrations describing experimental

set ups and recorded data.

While the relevance of Thomas prejudice in furthering or disproving current scientific

knowledge cannot be denied, it has long been my belief that attention should also be paid to unusual

experiences of other people, provided one is using an open mind and the benefit of doubt. Of

course, not all of us are worth reliance, and some may actually be outright liars. Under such

circumstances, a rule of thumb learned from an American colleague suggests most humans may

tell lies, but nobody is bound to pay them attention.

Men who took part in FB experimental sessions are worth considerable attention. They were

outstanding professors of the Royal University of Naples, still honored to-day by their naming a

department (Dipartimento di Fisiologia Umana Filippo Bottazzi), the largest hospital of southern

Italy (Ospedale Antonio Cardarelli in Naples), and a street (via Sergio Pansini in Naples). Hence,

their belief in the reality of PK phenomena cannot be marginalized or neglected. Nonetheless it isinstructive that when I presented a summary of FB anomalous experiments to the Academy of

Physical and Mathematical Sciences in Naples, an influential member of the Academy could not

avoid uttering If a student of mine had reported comparable observations, I would have kicked him

in the ass! As faithful ambassador of forgotten data, I merely pointed out that his remark was

merely challenging the honor of last century University professors who were just as reliable, and

perhaps even more reliable than present day colleagues. He later offered apologies, and I believe we

are still friends.

As nicely mentioned in the introduction to his book, FB was initially skeptic or indifferent to

reports of EP outstanding performances. His conversion started when he read on national

newspapers of EP feats at the Institute of Physiology in Turin. As he decided to look at these eventswith his own eyes, he alerted several university professors, contacted EP through a common friend,


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and convinced her to participate in sessions held at his Institute thanks to a recommendation made

by Prof. Richet, his French colleague who was EP good and honored friend.

Outline of the experimental set up

The sessions were scheduled in the spring 1907, the first seven at intervals of 3-4 days (from

April 17 to May 11), while last session took place on July 5. Sessions usually took place at a timethe Institute was empty, between 9 pm and 11-12 pm. Only a trustworthy machinist or a FB

assistant were occasionally present, but far away from the experimental room which was in a

remote section of the Institute serving as FB lab. Of the three doors and one window in the room,

the door opposite the entrance door and the window on the right opening into an inside garden were

locked. The door on the left wall of the entrance door was also locked, and became the far partition

of the medianic cabinet (MC) whose ceiling and sides were delimited by a thick wall. Several

cables went through this door, connecting MC instruments to recording cylinders blackened by

smoke which were in the adjacent room. One or more pens apposed to cylinders relied signals

leaving vertical traces on slowly rotating cylinders. Two black curtains hanged on a high pole

represented the front MC partition. It is worth noting that EP was never informed of what objects

were in MC, and remained uninterested in knowing.A table (the medianic table or MT) and several chairs were placed in the experimental room

in front of the curtains. A couch and a small table rested on the left of the entrance door, and some

shelves were on the left wall. Decreasing intensities of light were provided by four lamps which

could be switched on and off independently. During the sessions light was often dimmed but never

turned off.

Several university professors (usually 6 to 8) participated in the sessions. Two or more of

them firmly held and felt with their own hands EP hands, arms and legs throughout the first seven

sessions. In the eighth session, EP wrists were strictly secured to two inextensible strips fixed to the

floor. FB wife attended some sessions, and a married couple interested in spiritism (Mr and Ms

H.B.) attended the last session.

FB observations will be described under separate headings of recorded and non recorded

events, the latter one being further subdivided into additional categories. This arrangement will

hopefully allow a more exhaustive account, but will remain far from rendering the flavor of FB

writing, his mixing facts with logical considerations, and his quiet humor.

FB reports of the eight sessions were prepared after each session or the following morning,

often after a sleepless night when PK events had been extraordinary. Differences of opinion with

other participants occurred seldom and only on specific issues. They were properly discussed before

reaching an agreement. The wealth of interactions among participants, EP and the spirit of her

putative father (John King or JK) raised a wide spectrum of emotions, depending on the attitude of

single individuals, and on EP reactions. Friendly exchanges were progressively increasing in latersessions.

As FB main objective was to record PK activation of MC instruments, EP was requested to

learn unusually fine movements rather than follow her instinctive tendency to move large heavy

objects. The request led to inconveniences in the first two sessions, as instruments had not been

secured to their support, and the support itself was moved by EP. In later sessions, support and

instruments were immobilized, EP was better trained, and PK records could be obtained. This

general pattern was roughly reflected in the number of pages FB devoted to reports of each session,

which jumped from 8-10 pages for the first two sessions to an average of 29 pages for the following

five sessions.

Recorded PK eventsThird session


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The first PK events that were recorded took place in the third session, also attended by Ms

Bottazzi. She had recently met EP and soon became her most accepted participant. Signals came

from a metronome and a telegraph key, both secured to their support (Fig. 1). However, full

oscillations of the metronome arm did not last long as strong blows to the instrument, support and

cables prevented further recording. The telegraph key was likewise pressed several times, even at

high frequency (13/s), as calculated for groups of signals from the speed of the rotating cylinder.Additional signals were obtained from a Marey kettledrum activated by pressure exerted on its

membrane (Fig. 2). For the occasion, a wooden disk had been firmly glued to its membrane to

facilitate identification by EP anomalous limb. Vertical lines shown in the figure correspond to

pressures exerted on the wooden disk, their different sizes reflecting different amounts of pressure.

As shown by later controls, the highest lines testified the considerable pressure that had been

exerted.

It is essential to note that during all recorded PK events, EP hands, arms and legs were

constantly monitored by custodians (often FB), who consistently witnessed and reported that EP

muscular contractions were highly synchronous with recorded PK events. This association was

consistently observed and duly underlined by FB.

Fourth session

An electric spring key was repeatedly, vehemently pressed, as illustrated by pictures taken

before and after the session (Fig. 3). The gross deformation of the key was attributed either to its

lateral dislocation and consequent bending of the spring, or to the hard pressing of the key inducing

an initial minor displacement eventually enhanced by additional blows. Since a lateral dislocation

would have implied coordinate holding of the instrument base by an additional hand, the second

alternative appeared more likely. Deformation had presumably occurred earlier as recorded signals

(Fig. 4, upper trace) were fewer than the high number of perceived blows. Clearly, lateral

displacement of the key prevented its contact with the bottom part and closure of the electric circuit.

Deformation of the key also explained why some recorded traces indicated prolonged closure of the

circuit rather than expected beats. Under these conditions, circuit opening and closing was due to

lateral movement of the key rather than to its vertical motion. At variance with signals emitted by

the unobstructed key, signals were not recorded from a telegraph key that had been enclosed in a

cardboard box secured to its support (Fig. 4, lower trace). Apparently, EP anomalous limb was

unable to penetrate the box.

Signals were also derived from a metronome with metal connections and from a small drum

connected with a Marey kettledrum by air-tight rubber tubing. The small drum had been placed in

MC in the hope that it would allow recording of a small sonata. Rhythmic beats were actually

heard, but the connected recording cylinder did not rotate, and only single vertical lines were

obtained from either instrument (Fig. 5). Corresponding lines on the right were control lines

artificially produced to approximately determine the amount of applied pressures.Upon repeated requests, the metronome was activated again for several seconds (Fig. 6), and

EP was then asked to stop it. The request was not met, although trace irregularities (arrow) may

attest EP attempts.

Fifth session

Following several requests and EP attempts, the small drum connected with a Marey

kettledrum was finally played, albeit not with a drumstick but by EP anomalous limb. The resulting

groups of 3 beats each are reproduced in Figure 7, upper trace. Signals produced by pressing of a

bellows are also shown in the same figure (trace 2).

Interestingly, PK events were also recorded from instruments placed outside MC. A letter-

weighing scale connected with a recording cylinder was placed on MT, and FB asked EP to lowerthe scale plate with her anomalous limb, while her natural hands were duly guarded. Following

activation of the rotating cylinder, the pen wrote a horizontal line for several turns before fingers


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protruding from the left curtain resolutely advanced towards MT, took hold of the plate and

markedly depressed it before quickly retracting and disappearing. Control determinations made the

following day demonstrated that the scale plate had been pressed by an equivalent weight of

approximately 370 g. Figure 8 shows the trace left when the scale plate was pressed by an

anomalous limb (vertical line on left panel) and by FB hand as control (vertical line on right panel).

Signals were also obtained from an electric key placed in a wooden box firmly secured to itssupport (Figure 9, line 4). What actually happened was that following several unsuccessful attempts

to reach the key, the wooden box was vigorously pulled out from its support and the key was

furiously pressed. Other traces were entirely devoid of signals, including the trace corresponding to

an unobstructed key.

In this as in other sessions, dishes with clay or mastic were placed in MC for EP to cast a

face or a hand. In the course of the session, EP grabbed FB three middle fingers and started rubbing

their tips on MT. She whispered that something hard was on the chair supporting the dish with clay,

and asked that it be taken away. When somebody did it, three fingertips were found rubbed in the

clay (Fig. 10).

Sixth sessionAs soon as an MC key started to be pressed, FB placed a similar key on MT and asked EP to

try and synchronously press either key, respectively using her natural arm for the MT key and her

anomalous limb for the MC key. It should be mentioned that in the previous session EP had proudly

demonstrated her PK capacity to knock on pairs of different objects (on small drum or electric key

in MC and on MT in the experimental room, and on either pair in alternate succession).

Figure 11 presents traces obtained in the sixth session from activation of the MT key (trace

1) and the MC key (trace 2). Isolated signals are present on either trace, but synchronous signals

were also recorded from both traces. The latter signals are clearly identified as pens connected to

either key were placed one above the other on the rotating cylinder. Line 3 in Figure 11 also shows

isolated and grouped signals from an activated metronome. While groups of signals could be

attributed to the metronome activation by blows to the supporting table that had not been

immobilized, isolated signals cannot be explained by this mechanism, as they occurred when the

table was still. Hence, they were presumably due to left and right displacements of the metronome

stick that only a hand could produce.

Seventh session

Two main events were recorded in this session. The first one regarded the confirmation of

the experiment of the previous session regarding the synchronously pressing of two keys, the MT

key with EP natural hand, and the MC key with her anomalous limb (see Figure 11). Comparable

data were obtained in the seventh session demonstrating several episodes of the simultaneous

activation of two keys (Figure 12: compare trace 1 with signals from the MC key with trace 2 withsignals derived from the MT key). Isolated signals derived from either key were due to the frequent

initial activation of one key before the other key started to be pressed. Signals from the two keys

differed from each other. The MC signal was consistently briefer and markedly stronger than the

MT signal. The difference was also acoustically evident. The MC key appeared to receive strong

knocks while the MT key received normal beats.

The second main event regarded signals produced by a small Giaffes magneto-electric

instrument. As it was adjusted to behave as a rotatory switch, its activation required turning a

circular handle. Groups of signals from this instrument are shown in Figure 11 (bottom panel, line

4). As the circular handle could not be turned using one hand, but required holding the instrument

steady by a second hand, these signals demonstrate the coordinate action of two hands.


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Eighth session

The eighth session was scheduled on July 5, almost two months after the seventh session of

May 11. FB wife was present, and EP wrists were fastened to two inextensible strips secured to the

floor. The main recorded event concerned two episodes of MT lifting, one of which is shown in

Figure 13.

Non recordedbona fide PK eventsPK events were numerous in all sessions, and concerned objects placed inside and ouside

MC. The first PK event occurred in thefirst session, when a heavy table (21.9 kg) was pulled out

from the MC and bent about 10 degrees. In thesecond session, MT rolled in concomitance with EP

feet shuffling on the floor, and on several occasions MT was lifted to different extents and different

durations (from few seconds up to 25 seconds). MT lifting usually started on EP side. At times, MT

was raised without any contact with EP or the participants hands. This happened in the third

session when EP was standing up. On this occasion, MT remained lifted for a while before

abruptedly falling to the floor with an uproar. To FB, such behavior appeared to reflect the pattern

of development of a strong muscle contraction (tetanus) elicited by high frequency nerve impulses.

In the same session, a lifted MT approached FB wife to express EP warm feelings of friendship. Inthe fourth session MT reached a height of about 60 cm when participants stood up and moved

around the room upon EP request (as in the third session, MT was not touched by EP hands). In the

fifth session, MT welcomed the late arrival of a participant by lifting up, beating its feet on the floor

and throwing itself over him. In addition, one participant who was seated on MT (total weight,

about 80 kg) was lifted a few cm. In the seventh session, the chair holding FB (total of 93 kg) was

moved 40 cm.

In thesecond session, the small table inside MC was moved out by about 1.6 m. In thethird

session, the mandolin inside MC was moved and strumed on, and it was later brought over MT

while being also strumed on in full light. In the fourth session, a chair holding a dish with mastic

was moved out from MC and brought up to MT, while the dish fell upside down on the foor. A

small bottle containing a dangerous chemical was also brought on MT. In addition, keys of a typing

machine were pressed. In the fifth session, a mandolin was touched, moved, strumed on, and

pushed to the floor outside MC, where it was partially lifted and moved for several minutes in full

light. An MC chair was brought to MT, and then pushed to the floor. Several small objects in MC

(small trumpet, toothbrush, ebonite stick) were pushed to the floor and moved. A cable and its

switch were hurled to MT, and the switch kept moving over it at a distance of a few mm. The stick

of the small drum was hurled to MT. The same fate regarded a beaker whose content of a

dangerous chemical had previously been poured on people, including FB. On the other hand, the

content of a second beaker was poured on the floor presumably intentionally, as its content had

been mentioned to be dangerous, before the beaker was placed on MT.

In the sixth session, an MC chair supporting a mastic dish was pulled out, the dish wasoverturned, and the chair lifted. When it appeared above EP head, it was seized by FB and placed

on the floor. A marked elastic resistance was felt by FB when he tried to move the chair away from

the wall. The small table inside MC was moved and started oscillating on two feet (dancing) while

objects over it fell on the floor or were moved. Liquid was heard to be poured over another liquid

inside MC and later on the floor. Soon thereafter the empty small bottle was brought over MT. As

participants complained that the chemical had not been mixed with the related chemical (a task EP

was supposed to do), the other small bottle was hurled on the room floor. Mixing of the two

chemicals was nonetheless demonstrated the following day. The MC wired cage that covered a

telegraph key was pulled out from its support and appeared between curtains with electric cables

entangled. FB took it back to MC. At the end of the session, one of the room chairs started creeping

on the floor. Grabbed by a participant, it displayed elastic resistance and kept moving as if actuallytrying to wriggle out. In theseventh session, the chair holding the dish with mastic was pulled out

from MC and touched FB. A small bottle appeared between curtains and fell on the floor breaking


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up, as nobody grabbed it. In the eighth session an MC chair and a small bottle with water were

brought over MT, handbells were rung, pushed and moved on the floor, and a heavy stool was

pulled out from MC, lifted and banged forcefully and rhythmically on the floor.

Non recorded events

They included creakings, beatings and blows, curtain movements and air puffs, objectsbrought to the room or on MT, and even apparitions and touchings, and appearance of flames. Some

of them may be considered PK or PK-like events.

Creakings, beatings and blows describe different intensities of what appears to be the same

phenomenon, that is sudden hits of mechanical or other energy forms on a solid substrate, usually

wood. These events occurred to a different extent in all sessions. They were often precursors of

bona fide PK phenomena and always occurred in synchrony with EP contractions of fingers or

limbs which were held by participants, often FB.

Curtain movements. Curtains were moved up to EP and MT in all sessions. At times they

appeared pushed by wind, but more often by bodily protrusions like fingers, hands, fists and rarely

heads. Air puffswere occasionally felt by participants.

Objects brought over. Several objects were thrown in the room from MC or they wereplaced on MT. Insession 2, a glass was hurled 2 m away from curtains in concomitance with a EP

kick. In session 3, a small trumpet was thrown on the floor where it kept moving for a while. A

small drum was pulled out from MC, and a small brush and a small scale were brought on MT. In

addition, a dish with mastic appearing high on the left curtain was grabbed by a participant and

placed on MT, eventually ending up on FB fist. The most striking event regarded the flight of a

bunch of flowers from the shelves on the left wall to the lap of FB wife, while water fell on

participants. In session 7, several objects appeared between curtains, including a glass with roses

which was grabbed by FB and placed on MT, a candle followed by a match box, and a small bottle

with a chemical. A plate with clay appeared over MT, and drumsticks hurled over it fell on the

floor. A small drum appeared twice between curtains but quickly retreated. Soon thereafter, when a

glass with roses was placed on MT, a hand enveloped by the left curtain grabbed the flowers and

threw them in the face of a participant who was not welcomed by EP in view of his offensive

inquisitory attitude. Flowers from the floor were then offered to to FB and to Ms B. who attended

the session together with her husband. Mimicking JK voice, EP said to the friend of my daughter

(FB wife), and soon a rose was inserted in Ms B. hairs. Flowers were also offered to other

participants, but not to the unwelcomed person. When the small drum appeared between curtains,

and was grabbed by a participant, something or someone (JK?) opposed it, and the object was

alternatively pulled back and forth for a while. Finally, the participant got hold of the drum and

asked it to be played. A hand behind the curtains complied, and clear beats were rhythmically

produced. Conversely, when the unwelcomed participant tried to grab the small drum, the drum

retreated and tried to reject the participants hand. An MC stool knocked on the floor with a strongcrash which was heard four rooms away. When EP pushed his foot against a participant knee, the

stool was lifted, fell and was lifted again.

Apparitions and touchings. Anomalous figures were seen by participants in essentially all

sessions. In the first session, white, childish, diaphanous fingers were noted by a participant who

felt touched by them. Tactile contacts were more frequent when participants were close to EP. One

of them often reacted by screaming as he was ticklish. In the second session, a black head leaned

out high on the left curtain, and then quickly retreated, making FB quiver. FB and another

participant felt touched by invisible hands. Upon request, fingers pushing the curtains grabbed the

hand of participants 1 m above EP head. When EP hit FB head three times with her own head,

extremely strong knocks were heard. In the third session, pale, diaphanous fingers or hands

appeared, at times above EP, often as if they were coming from between curtains. They were oftenabove the arms or shoulders of participants close to EP, and they felt touched, beaten, pulled out, or

caressed. When FB wife was close to EP, she saw a black hand and forearm close to her face,


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something that made her leave that position precipitously. An arm of a participant was forcefully

pulled several times, and participants were kissed by a mouth protruding from the curtains while EP

was making a similar mouth gesture. Hands of participants were shaken by an invisible bony hand.

Several apparitions were seen in the fourth session, including hands and fists that appeared

between curtains and sometimes were 3-fold larger than EP fist. In addition, a black forearm and a

white hand were seen moving from EP to a participant, and a black shape (head or fist) appearedbehind curtains above EP head. All apparitions lasted few seconds. As in the previous session, FB

wife was the main target of touchings, something that also happened to other people near EP. FB

got his hands fiercely scratched, and received a painful finger poke between nose and eye. Strong

pulls, kisses, and ear pulls were also felt. A stethoscope surreptitiously taken from the pocket of a

participant was assembled and disassembled. Furthermore, pince-nez glasses fallen on the

participants knees were graciously placed back to his nose. In the fifth session, the outline of a

limb appeared to bud out of EP body to quickly disappear. Touchings were numerous, mainly kisses

and strong pulls. A pulling hand was occasionally seen. Three fingers strongly squeezed FB knee.

Upon EP request, one participant climbed on MT and felt his beard to be caressed by a hand behind

the curtains. Another participant felt EP hair touching his hair. In the sixth session, one participant

was touched several times and kissed. FB was touched while he was outside the medianic chain. Aparticipant claimed that FB prevented him from being touched by screening him out.

Many relevant apparitions occurred during the seventh session. An enormous black fist

came out from the left curtain four times, moving toward Ms B. who felt touched on her head. On

the fourth occasion, the black fist remained outside curtains for a long time, and was seen by all

participants. Two apparitions of a human face displaying natural, but pale, almost diaphanous color

were announced by EP. She attributed the first face to someone called Peppino. The second face

appeared when EP forehead rested on FB forehead. Mr B. claimed that it resembled JK wearing a

turban. Ms B. was touched several times, once on her cheek by curtain-enveloped fingers seen by

FB. When an open hand gently grabbed FB neck from behind, his hand felt the hand touching him.

The hand was described as big, bony, rough, neither cold nor warm. The hand later touching FB

head had similar features. Notably, he noted that the hand touching his forearm disappeared within

EP body following a circle arc. FB left hand was also shaken by a luke-warm hand similar in

dimensions to EP hand. FB was also touched in the head by the flower vase, whose water was

poured behind his shoulders. EP claimed that the water was meant to be spilt over FB, but the

intention was changed at the last moment. All participants experienced touchings except the person

unwelcomed by EP. In the eight session, black hands and a huge black forearm appeared on MT for

several seconds. EP asked FB to place his arm around his wife, and soon a small trumpet reached

FB who placed it on MT. Later on, something similar occurred with the flower vase. Most notably,

one participant saw with the utmost clarity that EP left arm was doubling. He clearly noticed her

natural arm and an anomalous arm that detached from EP shoulder to approach and touch FB wife

before disappearing into EP body. FB wife felt touched.Appearance of flames. Lights were seen within MC during the first session, but were not

considered to be sufficiently genuine. In the fourth session, little flames resembling in size and

appearance candle flames but violet-like in color, were seen stemming from EP body and raising in

the air before disappearing while EP remained immobile. In the seventh session, three large light-

blue flames appeared to be born out of EP head. They moved upwards while waving, and finally

disappeared.

EP behavior

As EP was a left-handed lady, this explains why most muscle contractions occurred in her

left limb. Strangely enough, PK events occurred more often on her right side, as FB and other

observers remarked. At the time of the 1907 sessions, EP was aged and in bad health, as shown byher highly acid urine that contained albumin, uric acid crystals, and a copious sediment. According

to FB, EP was emotional, sensitive to weather changes, and of mediocre intelligence. She was very


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proud of her extraordinary capacities and did not appreciate people doubting them. Indeed, she

could forcefully react to unpleasant comments, and intuitively sensed friendly or inquisitive

attitudes. At the end of the second session, she was delirious and uttered incoherent sentences. A

hysterical fit cought her at the sudden turning on of the light. In thethird session, she was in trance

during most PK events, uttered incoherent words and gave sighs while her musles were relaxed and

her face transfigured. In the fourth session when the weather was humid and heavy, she wasirritable and in a bad mood, at variance with previous session in which her mood was good, due to

better weather and the friendly presence of FB wife. While in trance, she asked to be touched by an

additional person. In the fifth session, she was again in a good mood. Interestingly, she showed

vivid pain when somebody touched or attempted to remove an object that had just been brought out

from MC. It seemed as if the object had remained connected for a while to a very sensitive region or

feature of her body. During PK sessions, EP engaged in conversation with participants, specially

FB. She spoke most often with her natural voice, but at times her voice resembled that of JK. While

in trance, she could reply to unfavorable comments with disdain or scornful laughing. Following

sessions, her hands remained overpainful, notably at their back. They were indeed red and hot, and

showed engrossed veins.

EP failures

In thesecond session, EP was unable to discharge a gold-leaf electroscope, and also failed

to activate a metronome, to lower a scale plate, and to press a rubber pear-shaped container.

Nonetheless, FB gladly mentioned these initial failures as comparable operations were later

performed by EP, in demonstration that she had learned them. In the third session, EP was unable

to move a stool presumably because it was less easy to grab than the table she had moved in the

previous session. She also failed to rotate a recording cylinder, to impress photographic plates and

to discharge an electroscope. In the fourth session, no PK events took place during the first 45

minutes, as a new participant attended the session. She was also unable to stop a metronome she

had just activated. In the fifth session, EP did not impress photographic plates, did not operate a

switch hurled on MT, and did not maintain her promise to materialize a woman figure. In thesixth

session, a plate overlaid with platinum-cyanide placed on MT did not become luminescent when

her hands or her head were laid over it in the dark. Furthermore, her anomalous limb was unable to

activate a telegraph key placed inside a cage made with wire leaving openings. Feeling quite tired,

she was unable to operate on a number of objects placed on MT (a metronome, a balance plate, and

a small bottle). In the seventh session, she was unable to impress a face on a layer of clay, and to

activate a key inside a cage secured to its support on one side only.

Bottazzi general considerations and conclusions

Three main hypotheses were considered by FB: the fraudolent, the spiritist, and the

biological hypothesis. According to the former alternative, PK phenomena were not real but theywere the result of a fraud operated by the medium and/or the outcome of collective allucinations.

Conversely, PK events were accepted as real by the latter two hypotheses, but they were attributed

to the intervention of dead people or, respectively, to the anomalous medium capacities.

FB started his considerations by examining the factual and psychological basis of the

fraudulent hypothesis acutely and at length, notably with regard to EP previous performances, and

to the alleged claims of her tendency to operate fraud. As medianic events could be assumed to be

a special class of biological events, he observed that they display comparable variability. Hence,

they could not be expected to occur with comparable intensity at all times and under different

conditions. In addition, just as conclusions could not be drawn from a few physiological

experiments, single medianic performances could not be the basis of generalized interpretations.

Only repeated and well controlled observations made by reliable people could be trusted, such asthose made in Europe and Italy by many distinguished professors who had witnessed and accepted

the reality of EP performances.


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In the several sessions held in his institute, PK events had always occurred under conditions

that definitely excluded fraud. EP natural hands, arms, and legs were constantly secured and

monitored by himself and other watchful participants. Furthermore, the release of EP natural hands

or limbs from their guardians hold was never observed, and PK events had been consistently

synchronous with EP muscle contractions. Moved objects were also either too far from the reach of

EP natural limbs or they were too heavy for EP declining strength. In addition, i) several objectswere observed to move by themselves, at times for minutes. Such anomalous behavior was clearly

noticed by several participants, and excluded collective hallucination; ii) he himself, and another

participant in a separate occasion, had observed anomalous supernumerary limbs emerge from EP

arm or shoulder and quickly vanish.

FB also remarked that the famous EP hair she was supposed to have used to move objects

fraudulently was apparently seen, but never retrieved. If I may add a pertinent comment, in science

(notably in biological sciences) major novel observations are often doubted and led to

marginalization or neglect. Support and acceptance may only come later or much later. Interestingly

enough, at variance with novel observations, related doubts do not seem to require special support.

Their main impact rests on the degree novel observations depart from conventional belief and world

vision.I will now briefly mention a possible alternative interpretation of reports regarding EP

capacity to free her natural hands to perform PK. In one such report [3], Ms. Eleanor Mildred

Sidgwick was described as being in charge of her feat, and was consequently lying on the floor

holding them. She is reported to have remarked: As I looked up from that position, the ceiling

made a light background, against which I saw silhouetted what looked exactly like Eusapia's right

arm and hand lifting a chair and placing it on the table. After the chair was on the table, I similarly

saw against the ceiling Eusapia's arm and Lady Stanley's apparently holding each other by the hand

.

Could these (and comparable) observations be interpreted to concern EP anomalous limbs

rather than her natural limbs? If one believes FB report [1], two different participants in Bottazzis

sessions asserted that anomalous limbs were seen emerging from EP body. I believe this tentative

interpretation is likely to remain unanswered for quite a time. Nonetheless, at least for a moment, it

gives me pleasure to place an impertinent doubt on the flank of a much more serious, conventional

doubt.

In conclusion, data from FB experiments indicated the following:

1) PK events were synchronous with EP muscle contractions, and their intensity appeared to be

roughly proportional to the strength of her contractions;

2) fine movements required to activate simple instruments and induce PK events had to be

learned by EP;

3) anomalous limbs responsible for PK movements were capable of tactile perceptions;4) PK events did not occur beyond a certain distance from EP;

5) anomalous limbs appeared to stem out of EP body;

6) synchronous movements produced by EP natural arm and anomalous limb were recorded.

On the basis of these observations, FB concluded that EP was the main actor of PK events.

The latter were made possible by her capacity to temporarily express anomalous limbs endowed

with sensory and motor funtions comparable to those of her natural arms, and governed by the same

brain/mind that controlled natural arms. In Bottazzi own words (and capital letters) Medianic

phenomena which are not mere hallucinations by people partecipating in so called spiritic sessions,

are biological phenomena dependent on the MEDIUM organism. If they are such events, they take

place AS if they were operated by extensions of natural limbs or by additional limbs stemming out

of the MEDIUM body, returning and vanishing into it after varying time intervals, during whichthey reveal themselves by the sensations they elicit in us, as limbs in nothing essential differed from

natural limbs.


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This biological hypothesis significantly departed from the spiritist hypothesis, although

the concurrent partecipation of spiritual entities (e.g., JK, EP putative father) was not excluded by

Bottazzi. In his own words The spiritist hypothesis cannot be refused and declared absurd by any

means, until it will be directly and definitely demonstrated that medianic phenomena are produced

by a different well determined mechanism.

In such endeavor, as in his entire scientific carrer, Bottazzi was well aware of Leonardosconclusion: Nature is filled with an infinite number of reasons that were never experienced.

Abbreviations

EP, Eusapia Palladino; FB, Filippo Bottazzi; JK, John King; MC, medianic cabinet; MT,

medianic table; PK, psychokinesis.

Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to Gerd Hvelmann for calling my attention to Mrs. Mildred Sidgwick

silhouettes, and to IS whose absence significantly contributed to the preparation of the manuscript.

References1. Bottazzi F. (1909), Fenomeni medianici. Perrella ed., Napoli, pp. 254.

2. Bottazzi F. (1996) Fenomeni medianici. Reprinted by Schena ed., Fasano di Brindisi, pp.

254.

3. Proceedings Soc. Psychic Res. 21: 516-525, 1909.


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Figure 1

Reproduction of Figures 2 (left panel) and 3 (right panel) from [1]. The latterpresents follow up traces of the left panel. Signals were derived from a telegraph key (Tasto

da telegrafisti) and an electric metronome (Metronomo elettrico), both placed in MC. Time

was recorded as 5/s impulses (bottom trace: Tempo).


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Figura 2

Reproduction of Figures 4 (left panel) and 5 (right panel) from [1]. The latterpresents follow up traces of the left panel. Signals derived from a Marey kettledrum placed

in MC. Time trace is at the bottom of left panel, and at the top of right panel.


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Figure 3

Reproduction of Figures 7 and 9 from [1]. Left panel, the spring key before the

fourth session; right panel, the same key after the session.


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Figure 4

Reproduction of Figure 10 from [1]. Signals were derived from an open spring key

(upper trace: Tasto a molla (scoperto)), but none were obtained from the spring key kept

inside a closed cardboard box (Tasto da telegrafisti chiuso). Both keys were in MC.


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Figure 5

Reproduction of Figure 8 from [1]. On the left, signals recorded from a metronome(upper trace: vertical line labelled 1) and a small drum (Tamburello: barely evident vertical

line labelled 1a). Both objects were in MC. On the right, signals artificially produced to

determine their intensities (vertical lines labelled 2 and 2a). Time trace at bottom.


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Figure 6

Reproduction of Figure 11 from [1]. Signals were recorded from a metronome.Arrow, presumed attempt to stop the metronome. Time trace at bottom.


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Figure 7

Reproduction of Figures 13 (left panel) and 14 (right panel) from [1]. The latter

presents follow up traces of the left panel. Signals were obtained from a small drum (top

trace labelled 1 on the right panel: note series of 3 beats on the extreme left of the left panel)

and a bellows (trace labelled 2) kept in MC. Time traces are labelled 3.


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Figure 8

Reproduction of Figures 15 and 16 from [1]. Left panel, signal produced by the

lowering of a scale plate; right panel, artificial lowering of the scale plate to determine

required force.


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Figure 9

Reproduction of Figure 17 from [1]. Signals were obtained from a key enclosed in a

wooden box after the box was pulled out from its support (trace 4). No signals were derived

from a metronome (trace 1) or from open keys (traces 2 and 3). Time trace labelled 5.


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Figure 10

Reproduction of Figure 12 from [1]. Clay cast of FB fingertips rubbed by EP on MT.


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Figure 11

Reproduction of Figures 18 (upper left panel), 19 (upper right panel), and 20 (bottom

panel) from [1]. Traces in the latter two panels are continuations of those shown in the upper

left panel. Isolated and synchronous signals were obtained by EP using her natural arm to

act on the key placed on MT (trace 1: Tasto esterno) and using her anomalous limb to act on

the key kept inside MC (trace 2: Tasto interno). Isolated and grouped signals were likewise

obtained from a metronome (line 3, notably in bottom panel). No signals were recorded

from a key enclosed in a wire cage (trace 4 of bottom panel). Time trace labelled 5.


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Figure 12

Reproduction of Figures 21 (left panel) and 22 (right panel) from [1]. Traces in the

latter panel are the follow up of those shown in the left panel. Isolated and synchronous

signals were obtained by EP using her natural arm to act on the key placed on MT (trace 2)and by using her anomalous limb on the key kept inside MC (trace 1). Signals were also

obtained from a small Giaffes magneto-electric instrument behaving as a rotatory switch

(trace 4). On the other hand, no signals were recorded from a key enclosed in a wire cage

(trace 3). Time trace labelled 5.


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Figure 13

Reproduction of Figure 25 from [1] showing a

moderate MT lifting.

giuditta bottazzi ag dvd paper

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