Full Article: Autonomy and Morphology of the Felix Experimental Groups Ectoplasm - 14 months of Observation by FEG-Circle Leader Dr.Jochen Soederling

My name is Dr. J. S. I am a physician and working as a clinician. I received a doctor´s degree in the field of experimental and molecular medicine.
Beside my clinical work I am organizing basic and clinical research. Due to mystical experiences of my patients as well as in my family, I had a growing interest in the occult.
After reading historical reports and getting taught by some professionals in the field of parapsychology, I became convinced of the reality of physical phenomena and of the high quality of research that was performed a century ago. I decided to learn more about it and looked for active groups in order for having personal experiences. For this reason I was introduced to the FEG and became its circle leader after a year.

Ectoplasm is a vaporous or solid mass, which is considered to be released from the medium´s body during a deep trance state, though it was witnessed under other circumstances. The mediums Stanislawa P., Marthe Beraud, Mary Marshal, Einer Nielsen a.o. who were tested by many famous researchers nearly a century ago were able to emanate this white mass from their bodies, usually from their mouths. Two phases as a kind of Genesis were mostly reported, a “rough draft” followed by a “cloudy” phase.

I have also seen these two phases during my work with the Felix Experimental Group, which were first described by Charles Richet. Although it was not possible for me to film this process until now, I tried to document some parts of these stages by taking photographs with a high resolution digital camera.

Obviously with a camera I could hardly document dynamic processes, however I think the pictures I have taken over a time of 18 months have a high value for documentation and are supporting the evidence for the reality of this outstanding psychic process, because no one was allowed to do this since the decline of the major investigations in the field of occultism 70 years ago.

In the following I am reporting about the ectoplasmic transformation, which I have witnessed in my circle. Readers, who are familiar with the major reports and investigations from A. v. Schrenck-Notzing, C. Richet, G. Geley, W.J. Crawford or T. G. Hamilton will immediately see that I have witnessed similar phenomena, so that my findings are strengthening those of the historical reports.

A lot of historical photographs look suspicious and some researchers have duplicated, with non-supernatural materials these pictures by using fabricated tissue. For this reason ectoplasm is controversial discussed and often regarded as a hoax. But the transformational process is always dismissed or neglected in skeptical reports and hence of high evidential value.
I will try to underline the dynamic process of ectoplasmic evolution and transformation in my description, which I have seen several times at close range.

At the first stage I have often seen the appearance of a mobile substance, which was attached in some way with the body of the medium. In most instances a white stream of ectoplasm was released from the medium´s mouth, which was grasped by the medium self in order to descend it to the floor. The medium pulled in most occasions such a large mass of ectoplasm out of his mouth that it could often be seen on his whole body as well as around his feet on the floor.
This stage looked like a phase of emanation. The substance appeared in a heterogenic morphology, its consistency was always different.

Picture: Medium pulls large masses of ectoplasm from his body, seemingly from his mouth/nose-area

Although the morphology of structures I have seen was never identical with those of a fabricated tissue, the released white mass assumed to be comparable with towels, draperies, cotton wool or spider fibers. Although these structures looked on first sight similar to those of draperies, the ectoplasmic veils never have shown the characteristic square thread-work of real veils.

In all ectoplasmic formations there was always something inconstant and irregular and sometimes the morphological structure was different in the centre than at the rims.

On other occasions I could see a more perforated, membranous mass with local thickenings and vacant spaces. In the next step the structure often underwent a process of transformation and evolution.

In most cases perfectly white modeled hands became visible - normally I was able to witness the evolution and movement of a single hand. These hands had always a different size and were not comparable with those of the medium, sometimes even bigger, but often smaller.
In most instances the medium´s limbs were totally visible at some time mean while I could see the movement of an additional materialized hand.

The hands were normally seen from their palmary side and gave an impression of a normal living agent, who liked to interact with the group. I could often see waving gestures or just moving fingers.

For example on one occasion I witnessed a dense band of white substance with a breadth of approximately four fingers, which was normally released from the medium´s mouth. This creation moved approx. 1,5 meters out of the cabinet. At its end was a hand was positioned and all sitters including me could see this formed hand performing scrambling gestures.

Picture: Recreation based on witness reports

In another séance I have seen a stream of white semitransparent ribbon (different to the one I have described before), which was vertically ascending with waving motion in front of the cabinet. At its end a human hand was slowly moving with the fingers.

Pictures: Photographed less than a second one after the other, the upwards movement is visible

On other occasions I could see different other aspects of transformation and evolution. In two instances nearly the whole body of the medium including the head was bagged into veil-like ectoplasmic forms, comparable with a cocoon of a caterpillar.
In one case two moving materialized hands were visible within this cocoon, while both medium´s hand as well both feet could clearly been seen. Here follow two pics showing this condition:

Pictures: CLICK TO ENLARGE

PICTURES: CLICK TO ENLARGE

Once I could observe a white mass emerge from medium´s body, which was wreathed itself around the feet. Then a vertical column directly in front of the medium was formed. This column was semitransparent so that the medium was perfectly visible during the whole time, and a kind of umbilical cord connected him with the nebulous form.

Pictures: Shot within approx. a second from one another. Above a mass on the floor another hand erects itself

On further condensation a finger-like moving structure came out of this column at the upper end, which dissolved within a time of two minutes. This process could be documented quite well and can be found - with all photographic material - here!

On one occasion I further have had the chance to touch this white substance with my hands in red light. I totally agree with the sensational descriptions of historical reports.
The ectoplasm felt cold, clammy, and as endowed with a motion of its own.
The sensation may be compared with that produced on the skin by a living reptile.

Dr. J.S.