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ECTOPLASM

The name ectoplasm is a rather quaint ‘throwback’ to the Victorian area when the idea of 'Spiritualism' first became popular. Mediums (often a elderly woman, assisted by a younger man) would sit at a table, usually in a darkened parlor, and accompanied by a number of willing participants. They would all link hands and sit in awe as the medium would suddenly fall into a trance and begin to talk in a strange voice. And then, sometimes, but not always, a strange grey, or white mist would begin to exude from the medium. Sometimes this mist would actually start to form into a person. And, more often than not the person would be a dead relative of one of the people sitting at the table. All sounds very impressive! Unfortunately the vast majority of these séances were fraudulent. The 'mist' often turned out to be materials such as cotton wool, linen, cheesecloth, or even double cream! Consequently, the notion that a medium could produce ectoplasm during a séance was considered with great suspicion. 

In parapsychology, ectoplasm is a hypothetical form of dense bio-energy which is claimed to make possible the materialization of ghosts and psycho kinesis. Ectoplasm seems to be as a result of localized electro-magnetic disturbance, which is in turn caused by the presence of a paranormal entity.

As with the Orb phenomena, strange anomalies are being captured in digital photographs. What is usually captured in these photos is a mist like formation, grey/white in color, and sometimes containing faces, or even taking on the shape of a person. It is thus easy to see why it is being referred to as ectoplasm, as it has similar characteristics to the 'Victorian séance' ectoplasm. But, rather than being linked to, or produced by, a medium, this version is simply photographed at a haunted location as if ‘hanging’ in the air.

From that pale mist
Ghost swore to priest:
'There sits no higher court
Than man's red heart.'


Sylvia Plath, Dialog Between Ghost and Priest


 

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