Smith, Helene

Smith, Helene
(19th century)
   Swiss medium who underwent a spirit POSSESSION and was overtaken by the discarnate Count Cagliostro. Smith, whose real name was Catherine Elise Muller, never worked as a paid medium but gave séances to friends and admirers for entertainment. She earned a living holding a high position in a large store in Geneva, Switzerland. Smith’s séances were characterized by trances, automatic writing in Arabic, and glossolalia, or speaking in tongues. She hypnotized herself into a trance and allowed her control, Leopold, to speak and write through her. Smith claimed she had been a Hindu princess and Marie Antoinette in previous lives. Her present humble life was repayment of a karmic debt for her transgressions as Antoinette. One of the spirits she channeled in trances was Cagliostro. When he appeared, Smith exhibited signs of temporary spirit possession. Her appearance changed markedly to drooping eyelids and a double chin. The spirit used her vocal cords, speaking in a deep bass voice. She also underwent marked physical changes when Leopold spoke through her.
   Leopold, who controlled a bevy of spirits around Smith, said he had been transported to Mars. The spirits were able to take Smith to Mars while she was in a trance. The results of these journeys were crude pictures of Martian landscapes, including plants, houses, and city streets, and automatic writing of a Martian language. Many spiritualists believed her.
   In the late 1890s, Smith was studied by a number of leading investigators, most notably Theodore Flournoy, a Swiss professor of psychology. Flournoy, using psychoanalytic techniques, spent five years sitting in on séances, researching Smith’s personal history, and corroborating historical information she provided at her séances. Flournoy described the takeover of Cagliostro as a gradual process. First, Smith felt as though an invisible force seized her arms and she could not move them. Then, pain arose in her neck at the base of her skull. Her eyelids drooped, and her chin dropped and formed what appeared to be a double chin, giving her a resemblance to portraits of Cagliostro. She took on a pompous bearing, made Masonic signs with her hands, and spoke in a slow, deep, masculine bass voice with an Italian accent. Cagliostro addressed everyone as “thou” and acted as though he was “the grand master of secret societies,” according to Flournoy.
   Flournoy concluded that Smith had a fantastic imagination, perhaps complemented with telepathy and psychokinesis. The Martian language that she produced was a childish imitation of French; a Sanskrit expert declared that 98 percent of the words could be traced to earthly languages. “Leopold,” who was pompous, dignified, and sensible, was probably her most highly developed secondary personality.
   Flournoy published his findings in 1900 in From India to the Planet Mars. Smith’s supporters stood by her, and Flournoy was banished from her life. The exposé served to increase her popularity, and Smith enjoyed comfortable wealth and fame.
   FURTHER READING:
   - Flournoy, Theodore. From India to the Planet Mars: A Study of a Case of Somnambulism with Glossolalia. New York: Harper & Bros., 1900.
   - Gauld, Alan. Mediumship and Survival. London: William Heinneman, 1982.
   - Myers, F. W. H. Human Personality and Its Survival of Bodily Death. Abridged ed. Edited by Susy Smith. New Hyde Park, N.Y.: University Books, 1961.
   - Oesterreich, Traugott K. Possession and Exorcism. Secaucus, N.J.: University Books, 1966.

Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology. . 2009.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Helene Smith — Hélène Smith Hélène Smith est le nom d emprunt sous lequel la médium suisse Catherine Élise Müller (née le 9 décembre 1861 à Martigny et morte le 10 juin 1929 à Genève) a été rendue célèbre, sous la plume du psychologue… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Hélène Smith — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Smith. Hélène Smith est le nom d emprunt sous lequel la médium suisse Catherine Élise Müller (née le 9 décembre 1861 à Martigny et morte le 10 juin 1929 à Genève) a été rendue célèbre, sous la …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Hélène Smith — (real name Catherine Elise Muller, December 9 1861, Martigny ― June 10 1929 Geneva) was a famous late 19th century French psychic who claimed to be a reincarnation of a Hindu princess and Marie Antoinette. She also claimed to communicate with… …   Wikipedia

  • Hélène Smith — (nombre real Catherine Elise Muller, 9 de diciembre de 1861, en Martigny, Suiza – 10 de junio de 1929, en Ginebra, Suiza) fue una famosa psíquica francesa de finales del siglo XIX que decía ser la reencarnación de una princesa hindú y María… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Helene Martin — Hélène Martin Hélène Martin (née à Paris en 1928) est un auteur compositeur interprète français qui a consacré sa carrière à la mise en musique et à l interprétation de la poésie. Sommaire 1 Biographie 2 Discographie récente 3 Récompenses …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Hélène Martin — (née à Paris en 1928) est un auteur compositeur interprète français qui a consacré sa carrière à la mise en musique et à l interprétation de la poésie. Sommaire 1 Biographie 2 Discographie récente 3 Récompenses …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Helene Pelletier — Hélène Pelletier  Ne pas confondre avec Marie Ève Pelletier, également joueuse de tennis. Hélène Pelletier …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Smith–Magenis syndrome — Classification and external resources ICD 9 758.33 OMIM 182290 DiseasesDB …   Wikipedia

  • Helene Schjerfbeck — (10 July 1862 – 28 January 1946) was a Finnish painter. She is most widely known for her realist works and self portraits, and less well known for her landscapes and still lifes. Throughout her long life, her work changed dramatically. Her work… …   Wikipedia

  • Hélène LeBlanc — Mandats Député de LaSalle Émard à la Chambre des Communes du Canada Actuellement en fonction Depuis le 2 mai 2011 Élection …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”