The controversial medium Eusapia Palladino and her capabilities (8 photos)

Spiritualism was hugely popular at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, with millions of people believing they could communicate with the dead. One of the most famous mediums was the Italian Eusapia Palladino.





During a session with her, one could observe many amazing effects, allegedly caused by spirits from the other world: levitation of a table, the appearance of ghostly hands and faces, flashes of light and incoherent speech in foreign languages. All these miracles occurred while a simple illiterate peasant woman, demonstrating the talents of a medium, was supposedly in a trance, tied to a chair, with her arms and legs held by those present.



Eusapia Palladino

Palladino's impressive achievements have attracted the attention of many scientists and psychic researchers. Among the latter was Hyward Carrington, who studied Palladino for many years and was convinced of the authenticity of her abilities. In his 1909 book Eusapia Palladino and Her Phenomena, he gave an account of several seances attended by Professor Enrico Morzelli in 1906-1907.





Eusapia Palladino

“The sessions he conducted are among the most remarkable and convincing that have ever been conducted,” Carrington wrote. "They have completely converted Professor Morzelli."

At these spiritualistic sessions, Professor Morzelli noted oddities of character - hysteria, which at times bordered on madness, was strangely combined with amazing cordiality and the desire to help everyone who needed this help - people and animals.



During his study of the Palladino phenomenon, the professor identified many strange phenomena, many of which could not be explained. Among them were levitation of the table, movement of various objects, vibration of curtains, movement and inflation of the medium's clothing.

During the sessions, spontaneous movements and displacements of various objects occurred at various distances from the medium, movement of various objects on the table, spontaneous changes in weight on the scales, changes in the weight of the medium’s body and lifting of her body into the air.



The wind could blow from the closet or strong cold could emanate, and radiation would come from the woman’s body and head. Sounds and grinding noises were heard in the room, including the sounds of voices and musical instruments. Fingerprints appeared on objects, and participants felt the touch of invisible hands. Glowing points, fog and clouds appeared in the air, as well as unclear and poorly distinguishable and clear forms of an uncertain nature.



Throughout the entire period of Palladino’s activity, there were also confirmations of fraud. But there was even more evidence of real power.

In 1918, Eusapia Palladino died. Being illiterate, the woman never learned about the heated discussions that had been going on in the press and scientific community around her for 40 years.



“The phenomenon of Palladino is undoubtedly very peculiar, but it can be said with certainty that before her in the history of spiritualism there was no more powerful medium,” wrote A. Conan Doyle, who believed in otherworldly forces. “And although it was she who was sometimes caught in an obvious scam, nevertheless, we cannot neglect the positive results that were actually achieved.”