Silver Belle Testimonial

I SAW SPIRIT FORM AND MEDIUM AT SAME TIME

by MAURICE BARBANELL

When I was lecturing at Camp Silver Belle in 1937 I was invited to attend one of Ethel Post-Parrish’s materialisation séances.

I saw a materialisation of her guide, Silver Belle, and the medium at the same time. I proved I was not hallucinating by touching them.

The medium invited me beforehand to search the room and the cabinet, a curtained-off enclosure. To please Ethel I made my scrutiny, though I knew the evidence of genuineness would be in the results.

The séance was held in a room about 4Oft. long, illumined by a good red light. Several forms materialised.
Silver Belle was the outstanding figure to appear. She proudly displayed a gleaming star on her forehead and drew my attention to her two long dark plaits. Her hair was entirely different in colour and texture to that of the medium.

Silver Belle came to me though I was seated at the end of the room, at the greatest distance from the cabinet.

Taking my arm, she asked me to leave my seat and to accompany her across the room until we reached the cabinet.

Then she invited me to go inside and make sure that the medium was there. Not only did I see Ethel, I was told to touch her hair and b feel all down one side.

All the time Silver Belle remained outside the cabinet. I was thus in the position to say that I stood between the medium and the materialised form, seeing them both and touching them both at the same time.

When I announced this fact, Silver Belle took my arm again and walked back with me to my original seat.

Note:
The seven ‘Silver Belle’ pictures showing the remarkable growth of a materialisation were taken by a commercial photographer, Jack Edwards, with infra-red equipment.

There were 81 witnesses to this séance. A committee examined cabinet, walls, curtain and platform before the séance.

Edwards allowed fifty to sixty seconds between each exposure.

The committee accompanied Edwards into the dark room and watched as the startling results developed.

The whole sequence of photographs can be seen in "This is Spiritualism" by Maurice Barbanell or viewed on http://survivalebooks.org/

Yes but where is the evidence?

obiwan wrote:Yes but where is the evidence?

Here it is:

Materialization Extraordinary

by Jay Strong

Ethel Post-Parrish Carried From The Cabinet While In Trance

Five persons touch medium whilst materialized forms are on the floor.

Before a mixed audience of twenty-five people seated in the materialization room Sunday evening, August 8, 1943, at Camp Silver Belle, Ephrata, Pennsylvania, Ethel Post Parrish gave an "involuntary test" séance never to be forgotten by those who witnessed it. It is a great temptation to go "overboard" and adopt Hollywood superlatives in describing the phenomena presented; however this would be most distasteful to Mrs. Post Parrish. Therefore, expect only simple, factual reporting.

She Kept Her Promise

The preliminary addresses by the Rev. Lena Barnes Jefts concluded, the large light in the center of the room was extinguished and we found ourselves peering at those opposite us; the outline of each individual being plainly discernible by the illumination of the ruby-colored light hanging in the corner of the room. After a verse and a chorus of one hymn, Silver Belle came from out of the cabinet. In her best terpsichorian manner, she greeted old friends by their first names, introducing herself to newcomers as the medium's Guide and cabinet worker.

"I am going to work hard tonight and try to get as many of your loved ones through as possible. Just be patient, won't you?" And with her infectious tinkling laugh, Silver Belle returned to the cabinet.
Silver Belle kept her promise—she did work hard. Singularly five spirits came in, greeted their relatives and disappeared. Among them was my own mother who addressed herself to my wife and me. She referred to my wife's health and assured her of a complete recovery from a recent illness and then discussed at length a new venture that I am undertaking.

TWO Figures Emerge!

Silver Belle then called out from within the cabinet, "Mi'lena" which is a pet name she has for Mrs. Jefts. Acknowledging the call, Mrs. Jefts said, "Yes, dear, what is it?" "Mi'lena, I said I was going to work hard tonight", Silver Belle continued, "And I am going to do something with my medium I have never done before." "What do you mean, dear?" There was a dubious tone in Mrs. Jefts' voice. "My grandfather is here tonight and he is going to materialize for you and I am going to have him take the medium out of the cabinet so you all can see her in trance, and then I want some people to come into the cabinet to prove it is really empty.

It has been my privilege to know Mrs. Jefts for several years and I have, always regarded her as a cool and poised person, but upon hearing this she did not attempt to conceal the agitation in her voice knowing that one false move might mean harm to her dearest friend. Everyone present was warned not to touch either Chief Baconrind, the Spirit Grandfather of Silver Belle or her medium. Silver Belle preceded her grandfather and held the curtain on the left open while the two figures emerged!

Julian Ortez—A Witness

Chief Baconrind, standing at least six feet three, supported the entranced body of Ethel Post-Parrish. Slowly very slowly—the Chief took the first step outside of the cabinet. The medium's right arm hung out rigidly from her body and as the two figures proceeded toward the center of the room, it reminded one of a puppeteer carrying a life-sized marionette whose strings had been broken. The locomotion of the medium as she was led to the center of the room appeared to be that of an automaton. A faint glow from the ruby lamp cast a strange pallor on Mrs. Parrish's face. The phenomenon was magnificent.

Silver Belle waited for the figures to stop and then called some of the spectators into the cabinet—Five responded, including Mr. and Mrs. Max Klauser, Scarsdale, New York; Dr. Julian Ortez, Wilmington, Delaware; Emily Fritch, Reading, Pennsylvania; and Wynn Ellis of New York City. After these people returned to their chairs, Chief Baconrind guided the inert medium back to her cabinet. As the curtains closed on these three principals of the scene, there was an audible sigh of relief from the sitters.

Under TEST Conditions

To break the tension, Silver Belle laughed from within the cabinet and asked, "How am I doing?" In rapid succession, the following phenomena occurred: Ella Carter and a Dr. Baker, both in spirit, materialized for Joseph Graham, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. These two held the floor simultaneously and for several minutes talked to Mr. Graham. Ella Carter moved from the center of the room to her right and stopped a few feet away from me. I could see that she was a very beautiful spirit. Pointing in our direction, she asked, "Will you two gentlemen go and verify that the medium is in the cabinet?" Dr. Ortez and I did. Ella Carter reached the cabinet before us and pulled aside one of the curtains to let us enter. Dr. Ortez entered first and then myself. "Put your hand on the medium's head," the Spirit directed me. As I did, I could feel the moisture of perspiration on her hair caused by the heat in the tiny cabinet.

A Trifle Wobbly

I withdrew from the cabinet and starting back to my chair I was not surprised to find my knees a trifle wobbly. During the entire period of verification, Ella Carter remained at the curtain while Dr. Baker and Joseph Graham remained standing in full view of the rest of the sitters.
It was obvious we were all more than satisfied with the demonstration—that is all but Silver Belle she knew she had her audience on the edge of their chairs and she was determined to keep them there as long as her medium had the strength to remain in trance without injuring herself.

Mr. and Mrs. Max Klauser of Scarsdale, New York, were greeted by Mr. Klauser's sister, Martha, as she materialized and stepped through the curtains. A moment after the first greeting—and with Martha standing in the room talking to the Klausers, a verbal barrage emanated from the cabinet, much to everyone's amusement. The voice identified itself as "Senta", Mrs. Klauser's daughter. This was indeed an unusual and happy family reunion.

Three Spirits Materialize

The next episode was the youthful son of one of the sitters whistling a tune in the cabinet for his mother while Mr. and Mrs. Raphael Rice stood in the center of the room talking to the materialized Spirit of Mr. Rice's mother.
In conclusion, Silver Belle brought out three Spirit forms: the mother, father, and grandfather of Mrs. Emily Fritch of Reading, Pennsylvania. These three materialized Spirits walked from the cabinet to the front of the room passing Mrs. Fritch who remained by her chair near the other end of the room. Then they returned to her and the four conversed together for a few minutes. The three spirits returned to the cabinet; the two men preceding Mrs. Fritch's mother who turned just before entering the cabinet to say a final "Goodbye".
Silver Belle, a moment later called out wearily, "I'm tired—I just can't get another one out." It may be interesting to many to know that for nearly thirty minutes after the séance, Mrs. Post-Parrish felt that she was still partly in trance. I took her pulse almost immediately following the séance and while I did not tell her at the time, it was definitely slow and labored. This was the only physical reaction that registered.
None of us in that group who witnessed this astounding phenomena dare hope for an early repetition by Ethel Post-Parrish and her co-worker, Silver Belle. Such séances are rare, indeed.
[b]

Thanks Z and Jim. The photos are interesting but Silver Belle doesn't look like other people present. I am not suggesting these are fake but I don't think they would convince most people do you?

obiwan wrote:Thanks Z and Jim. The photos are interesting but Silver Belle doesn't look like other people present. I am not suggesting these are fake but I don't think they would convince most people do you?

Maybe not but to the people who were present at the seance they were very real.

Maybe that is why Alec Harris's guides would never allow photographs to be taken. The people I spoke to in his seance were very real .........until they simply melted away!

I hear you Z. I am not doubting the testimony, merely the evidential value of the photos. I am not convinced any photo or recording would be acceptable as evidence these days given the capabilities of technology.

It is one of the problems in many photo's (except the one's from Minnie Harrison look much more like real people) I can see what Obi means. I have heard the proposition made that these were a projection into mist from dry ice but I do not think that explains it in any way either. However, I do know that the disgraced Camp Chesterfield were capable of such chicanery from Lamar Keene's book Psychic Mafia. Sadly, my information from the USA suggests that Camp Silver Belle has, in modern times, been similarly tainted.

Like Z says though, the testimony from the eye witnesses about the other materialised loved ones who appeared, whilst the medium could be seen, is quite compelling.

Cheers

Jim

obiwan wrote:I hear you Z. I am not doubting the testimony, merely the evidential value of the photos. I am not convinced any photo or recording would be acceptable as evidence these days given the capabilities of technology.

We must bear in mind that these photos were taken with infra-red photography many years ago when infra-red as in its infancy. Jack Edwards was a commercial photographer who was interested in the Post-Parrish seances and wanted to capture them on film. I have also seen other spirit photographs taken by him showing spirits above the heads of the sitters. I agree that technologically today photographs can be produced to show similar results. The clincher for me was Barbanell's testimony to the reality of Silver Belle's materialisation.

Having sat in a physical seance with Barbanell, and having read his subsequent report of the seance, I can state unequivocally that he never exaggerated his reports in any way. They were completely factual and what he saw everybody saw.

Hi Z

I am not doubting the testimony. Just commenting on the likelihood that the photos will be accepted as evidence by those not present who do not know the people giving the testimony to support them.

Take a look at this Azur:

http://www.spiritualismlink.com/t495-silver-belle-testimonial

zerdini wrote:Take a look at this Azur:

http://www.spiritualismlink.com/t495-silver-belle-testimonial

Thanks for sharing z