Nowadays, many people will regard the ectoplasm as a viscous mucus, thanks to the image in ‘Ghostbusters’, but historically, Ectoplasm often took a more solid or defined form and is much deeper rooted in history, specifically in the séances of the Victorian era.
This mysterious substance was said to take a cornerstone of spiritism, many different forms. Gustav Geley and Arthur Conan Doyle, prominent figures in psychological research, described ectoplasma as very variable, sometimes vaporous, pasta-like, such as fine threads, or even a dust-like fabric. Despite these descriptions, scientific analysis of supposed ectoplasma samples has revealed that they are non-paranormal substances.
The concept of Ectoplasma was brought forward by Charles Richet, a Nobel Prize -winning French physiologist, in 1894. The term itself is derived from the Greek words ‘Ektos’ (outside or exterior) and ‘plasma’ (slightly formed or formed), which is an external, physical manifestation of something and unreputation.
How spirits can take on a tangible form or create a physical material is under discussion, but there are some theories that we can consider, such as claims that Ectoplasma is a physical manifestation of psychological energy. In this context, media or individuals with increased psychological sensitivity can unconsciously convert their psychological energy into a physical substance. This process can be comparable to how emotions can cause physical reactions in the body, but at a more extraordinary level. The body of the medium, which acts as a guidance between the spiritual and physical worlds, can cause ectoplasm as a by -product of intense spiritual or emotional situations, especially during trances.
Another hypothesis is about the idea of interdimensional physics. Here, Ectoplasm can be a substance that exists in a different dimension, which only becomes visible in our dimension under specific circumstances, such as during a séance. This theory suggests that the presence of spirits or certain environmental conditions could warp the boundaries between dimensions, so that ectoplasma can seep through.
A third theory connects Ectoplasm with the concept of materialization, in which spirits draw on environmental energy or the energy of the people present to create a physical representation of themselves. Ectoplasm can be the raw material used by spirits to form a tangible presence.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, during the peak of spiritism, mediums claimed that Ectoplasma was a physical substance produced by their bodies, often during trance states. This appearance of Ectoplasma suggests that it can be a substance produced by a false gland or organ in the human body. This organ can only be activated under certain psychological or spiritual circumstances, just like how adrenaline is produced in response to stress.
But the appearance of Ectoplasm in Victorian Seans was often questioned by the lagging practices of many fraudulent media of that time. This is emphasized by the supposed necessity of darkness for Ectoplasm to manifest itself. It was not only that Charlatans check the lighting during seances, making deception easier, but also offered a handy excuse for the lack of tangible proof of the existence of Ectoplasm. The claim that physical contact would lead to Ectoplasma disappearing, the further investigation prevented the mysticism and uncomfortability of the phenomenon conveniently maintaining.
Many mediums were found to use tricks with swallowing and regurgitation of materials such as cheese cloth and textile, sometimes smoothed with potato starch. Other cases revealed ectoplasm made from paper, cloth, protein or butter mousseline.
Ectoplasma is largely faded from the modern paranormal landscape, its relevance in modern ghost hunting is considerably less prominent and is not a general reported phenomenon. That said, ectoplasm still has a place in paranormal tradition and is occasionally mentioned in the context of spooky locations or during investigations. Some ghost hunters can refer to it when discussing historical cases or when they speculate about possible physical manifestations of spirits. However, it is generally viewed with a healthy dose of skepticism, given the association with invalided spiritual practices.
Skeptics, in investigating alleged samples of Ectoplasm, they often found everyday materials. Rucht examples of fraud in the use of Ectoplasm were discovered, as the Danish psychic Einer Nielsen was caught with fake ectoplasm hidden in a rather personal location and Mina Crandon’s notorious ‘ectoplasmic hand’ is revealed if nothing more than a cut piece of animal liver.
The existence of ectoplasm as a paranormal phenomenon gives various logical imitations, in particular the lack of empirical evidence. Despite countless claims and demonstrations with regard to ectoplasm over the years, especially during the peak of spiritism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there has been no scientifically verifiable evidence to support their existence. In cases where Ectoplasm has been investigated, it is often identified as fraudulent, composed of materials such as cheese cloth, paper, proteins and other non-paranormal substances. The lack of physically verifiable samples of ectoplasm under controlled circumstances is an important logical challenge for its acceptance as a real paranormal phenomenon.
Another logical impasse stems from the historical context in which Ectoplasma mainly appears. Its prevalence at a time when spiritual media later turned out to be in widespread fraudulent activities, makes doubts about its authenticity. Many cases of the production of ectoplasm were associated with media that were later discredited. This association with deception and deception makes it difficult to separate real paranormal events from mere Stagecraft.
From a scientific perspective, the production of Ectoplasm defies well -known biological and physical laws. The idea that a human body could generate a previously unknown substance that is able to adopt various forms and textures, apparently out of nowhere, is in contradiction with our understanding of human physiology and physics. The lack of any well -known biological mechanism or process that could explain the production of ectoplasm is a substantial challenge for plausibility.
Moreover, the circumstances under which Ectoplasm was manifested, often with little light or complete darkness, along with limitations against physical examination. These circumstances are useful for hiding deception, but are not conducive to objective, verifiable observation. The requirement for specific environmental conditions that easily impede thorough research contributes to the skepto -plasma.
The concept of Ectoplasma is also linked to the idea of an ‘Egnic power’, a proposed explanation for psychokinetic phenomena observed in Seans. Count Agenor de Gasparin and M. Thury conducted experiments on this power, which suggests that some success, but their findings were not independently verified. This concept evolved into theories about a liquid in the human body, which may affect physical matter, a vision of researchers such as Camille Flammarion and William Crookes. However, such a liquid is never scientifically validated.
The research into Ectoplasm has seen conflicting views, such as those between WJ Crawford and Edmund Edward Fournier D’Albe with regard to Medium Kathleen Goligher. Crawford claimed to have photographed a substance that he called ‘Plasma’ during her Seans, which suggests that it was responsible for levitation but was not visible to the naked eye. On the other hand, d’Albe found no evidence of paranormal activity in his research into Goligher, so that the phenomena are attributed to fraud, in particular the use of ordinary mousseline.
The research by Albert von Schrenck-noting to Medium Eva Career suggested that her ectoplasma “Materializations” products were of “ideoplastic”, where images of the medium on the Ectoplasm were projected. However, this was disputed because its ectoplasma contained obvious elements of magazine cut out, including identifiable images and text. Danish Medium Einer Nielsen was discredited in the same way after it was discovered that his Ectoplasma was fake during an investigation.
The role of ectoplasm in modern paranormal research is minimal and largely historical. The ghost hunting community, while he recognizes the place of ectoplasm in the history of paranormal research, generally regards it as a curiosity of the past rather than a credible phenomenon in contemporary research. Like many trends in the realm of paranormal, Ectoplasm had its peak of popularity, and its existence remains a matter of belief instead of a demonstrable fact.
