Ep 254: Conjuring Philip Part 1
“What the group was hoping for, was the possibility of the production of thought-forms, even the rarer possibility of the production of a tangible .. ghost which could be seen by people other than the group, who would be witnesses.”
Description:
In 1972, the Toronto Society for Psychical Research, led by mathematical geneticist Dr. A.R. George Owen, assembled a group of volunteers from various backgrounds to try something never before attempted. For their experiment, they aimed to manifest a fictional ghost they named “Philip Aylesford” and would try to communicate with this fabricated entity through seance-like sessions conducted under laboratory conditions and bright lighting. A fictional biography was created for Philip that the group could focus on. He was to be born in England in 1624 and connected to real places and events but with intentional historical errors inserted as control markers. For over a year, the “Group of 8” met weekly, and for over a year… nothing happened. But then, upon the advice of two pioneering paranormal researchers, the group changed their tactics to make their attempts more in the style of seances from the turn of the 20th century. This made the meetings more like festive social gatherings, with singing and laughter, under dimmer lighting. Soon, they would experience tangible responses to their questions in the form of knocking for “yes” and “no.” But the psychokinetic activity didn’t stop there. The group also felt a presence in the room with palpable energy, unexplainable breezes, and vibrations of the card table they used, which would tilt and scoot across the room seemingly under its own power. This might seem like fanciful exaggerations from overly enthusiastic true believers or downright kooks, but this phenomenon was continually repeatable under various conditions and even captured by TV cameras. If it were a parlor trick, this result would be mindblowing. Even more astounding, however, is considering the implications to our reality if an invisible, conscious force exists and is demonstratable. What is the source and nature of this ethereal influence? In other words, if Philip was wholly made up, who or what was this group communicating with?
Location:
Location of Diddington Hall in Hampton in Arden, Solihull, England, although described as in Warwickshire in Iris M. Owen’s book, Conjuring Up Philip. A real place that was the family home of the fictional “Philip Aylesford.” Now a school for autism called The Island Project School
Reference Links:
The Survival Research Institute of Canada (SRIC) survivalresearch.ca
Footage of the Philip Experiment from the History vs. Hollywood YouTube channel
The Philip Experiment performed in a TV studio from the Spirit Seekers YouTube channel
“Philip Psychokinesis Experiments” from the Psi Encyclopedia
Diddington Hall is now a school for autism called The Island Project School
Toronto & Ontario Ghosts and Hauntings Research Society – www.torontoghosts.org
Table-Turning and Colin Brookes-Smith entry in the Psi Encyclopedia
Sleight-of-hand magician & storyteller HELDER GUIMARÃES – thisishelder.com
Episode 215: The Watseka Wonder Part 1 on astonishinglegends.com
Related Books:
Related Merch:
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CREDITS:
Episode 254: Conjuring Philip Part 1. Produced by Scott Philbrook & Forrest Burgess; Audio Editing by Sarah Vorhees Wendel of VW Sound. Music and Sound Design by Allen Carrescia. Tess Pfeifle, Producer, and Lead Researcher. Ed Voccola, Technical Producer. Research Support from The Astonishing Research Corps, or "A.R.C." for short. Copyright 2023 Astonishing Legends Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved.