Ectoplasm
Real or Hoax
Definitions:
1. Ec-to-plasm
N: The outer relatively rigid granule-free layer of the cytoplasm usu. Held to be a gel reversibly convertible to a solution.
2. A substance drawn out of a physical mediums body through any orifice. The “Ectoplasm” can form into hands, faces, talking shapes and many other things.
3. A unknown mist in “ghost photographs”
4. Uncondensed Spirit energy that has not yet formed into an Orb.
5. A substance used by “Physical Mediums” at the turn of the century made from substances such as muslin, egg whites, gelatin, soap and many other things to create a “residue” of the Spirit.
History:
In 1848 Kate and Magarette Fox started what the spiritualist movement. They were world famous for having séances in which they would communicate with the dead.
In their later years Kate and Margarette confessed to faking the séances and stated that all of the sounds and movement of objects had been done by themselves or that assistants had helped them.
In the early 1900s the Spiritualist movement had taken over, and people throughout the world were having Séance parties. But more important the title of “Physical medium” was born. The Physical medium would communicate with the dead. The communication from the deceased would usually consist of strange tapping, disembodied voices and sounds, phantom music. Sometimes even the appearance of objects such as floating trumpets.
This was also the time that Ectoplasm made its appearance.
The term was derived from the Greek words ektos (Interiorization) and plasm (substance)
Professor Charles Ricket a former president of the Society for Psychical Research was the first to use the term. He stated that it was “a substance that comes from the body of a psychic medium during a séance”.
The Ectoplasm that occurred during these séances was not to be touched by people partaking in the session because of two concerns. The first was because if it was touched it would cause the Physical medium great pain. The second was because “People touching the Spirit residue would come to grave harm”
It was also said that Ectoplasm was very sensitive to light, and if exposed would hurt or possibly kill the Physical medium or it would turn to a fine powder.
One person went as far as to define the composition of Ectoplasm as being “ Sodium, Potassium, Water, Chlorine, Albumen, Epithelial Cells and fresh Red Blood Corpuscles.”
The only modern reference to Ectoplasm was in the movie Ghost Busters when Bill Murray was “Slimed”.
The concern today is not that people are intentionally faking Ectoplasm, but rather that they have taken the name and applied it to something that they do not understand.
In the past few years Ectoplasm has reemerged and is now something that is in photographs ranging from mist to smoke. Because most of the people that are taking these photographs have no background or knowledge in the photographic field, they are mistaking normal photographic errors (Smoke, Breath, Steam, objects between the camera and the actual subject) for paranormal phenomena.
Just like the “Orb” phenomenon, Ectoplasm has become a way for the new “Ghost Hunters” to have instant gratification in their results, and because of inaccuracies like this we are just moving farther away from actually finding the truth.
1. Ec-to-plasm
N: The outer relatively rigid granule-free layer of the cytoplasm usu. Held to be a gel reversibly convertible to a solution.
2. A substance drawn out of a physical mediums body through any orifice. The “Ectoplasm” can form into hands, faces, talking shapes and many other things.
3. A unknown mist in “ghost photographs”
4. Uncondensed Spirit energy that has not yet formed into an Orb.
5. A substance used by “Physical Mediums” at the turn of the century made from substances such as muslin, egg whites, gelatin, soap and many other things to create a “residue” of the Spirit.
History:
In 1848 Kate and Magarette Fox started what the spiritualist movement. They were world famous for having séances in which they would communicate with the dead.
In their later years Kate and Margarette confessed to faking the séances and stated that all of the sounds and movement of objects had been done by themselves or that assistants had helped them.
In the early 1900s the Spiritualist movement had taken over, and people throughout the world were having Séance parties. But more important the title of “Physical medium” was born. The Physical medium would communicate with the dead. The communication from the deceased would usually consist of strange tapping, disembodied voices and sounds, phantom music. Sometimes even the appearance of objects such as floating trumpets.
This was also the time that Ectoplasm made its appearance.
The term was derived from the Greek words ektos (Interiorization) and plasm (substance)
Professor Charles Ricket a former president of the Society for Psychical Research was the first to use the term. He stated that it was “a substance that comes from the body of a psychic medium during a séance”.
The Ectoplasm that occurred during these séances was not to be touched by people partaking in the session because of two concerns. The first was because if it was touched it would cause the Physical medium great pain. The second was because “People touching the Spirit residue would come to grave harm”
It was also said that Ectoplasm was very sensitive to light, and if exposed would hurt or possibly kill the Physical medium or it would turn to a fine powder.
One person went as far as to define the composition of Ectoplasm as being “ Sodium, Potassium, Water, Chlorine, Albumen, Epithelial Cells and fresh Red Blood Corpuscles.”
The only modern reference to Ectoplasm was in the movie Ghost Busters when Bill Murray was “Slimed”.
The concern today is not that people are intentionally faking Ectoplasm, but rather that they have taken the name and applied it to something that they do not understand.
In the past few years Ectoplasm has reemerged and is now something that is in photographs ranging from mist to smoke. Because most of the people that are taking these photographs have no background or knowledge in the photographic field, they are mistaking normal photographic errors (Smoke, Breath, Steam, objects between the camera and the actual subject) for paranormal phenomena.
Just like the “Orb” phenomenon, Ectoplasm has become a way for the new “Ghost Hunters” to have instant gratification in their results, and because of inaccuracies like this we are just moving farther away from actually finding the truth.