Alpha - No 09 - 1980 10

Magazine Overview

Title: ALPHA
Issue: 9
Date: October 1980
Publisher: Pendulum Publishing Co Ltd
Country: UK
Language: English

This issue of ALPHA, subtitled 'Mysteries of Mind & Matter', announces with regret that it is likely to be the final publication due to severe financial difficulties. The co-editors, David Harvey and Roy Stemman, express their disappointment that the magazine has not attracted enough subscribers to cover production costs and that they have accumulated debts.

Contents Overview

The issue features a prominent cover story on D.D. Home – a flight of fantasy? by Archie Jarman, which delves into the life and claims of the famous Victorian medium, questioning his alleged levitation feats and exploring the context of Spiritualism in his era.

Other articles include:

• Earth Mysteries by Paul Devereux, inviting readers to participate in a new research project.
• UFO Report by Lionel Beer, reflecting on recent enigmas and a "flat period" for sightings.
• Healing by David Harvey, detailing how the town of Newbury became informed about spiritual healing, focusing on the work of Rose Dawson and the remarkable recovery of young Tracy Stone.
• Phenomena by the Fortean Times team, presenting a collection of oddities and strange occurrences.
• New light on poltergeists featuring Maurice Grosse discussing the Enfield Poltergeist case.
• The four-square world of Prof Taylor, a review of his new book by Hilary Evans.
• The unwilling healer by Roy Stemman, examining Tom Johanson's career.
• Books, a bumper section reviewing titles on Gurdjieff, astrology, UFOs, mediums, and plants.
• Letters, offering new ideas, comments, and questions.

Editorial Stance and Financial Woes

The editorial, "Our last Issue...", details the dire financial situation leading to the probable closure of ALPHA. The editors state that the cost of producing the magazine has consistently exceeded income, and they lack the capital for further promotion. They express hope for understanding from subscribers regarding the inability to refund subscription balances, but offer back issues free of charge (with a 10p stamp for postage). Despite the closure, the editors maintain their belief in the need for a magazine that offers an honest, common-sense approach to the paranormal, free from prejudice. They remain open to substantial proposals that could keep ALPHA in existence.

Key Articles and Features

D.D. Home – a flight of fantasy?

Archie Jarman explores the phenomenon of Daniel Dunglas Home, a Scots-American medium active in the mid-19th century. Home was renowned for performing in good light, never being detected in fraud, and working outside of traditional seance rooms. His clientele included royalty and aristocracy. The article contrasts Home with other mediums, highlighting his unique approach and the astonishing feats he claimed, such as levitation and the movement of heavy furniture. It also touches upon the controversy surrounding his abilities, with detractors like the poet Browning and the expulsion from Rome on charges of sorcery.

The Enfield Poltergeist

Maurice Grosse, the chief investigator, discusses the Enfield Poltergeist case, asserting its genuineness and the impossibility of prolonged fraud. He emphasizes that poltergeist activity encompasses more than just psychokinetic events, including apparitions, telepathic communication, and other phenomena. Grosse notes the reluctance of many scientists to accept paranormal events, often preferring to ignore them rather than expand their understanding of the universe. He recounts the hostility faced by the investigation team but stresses their commitment to the quality of evidence.

UFO Report

Lionel Beer notes a "remarkably flat period" for UFO sightings in 1980, despite high sun-spot activity. He recounts the case of Mr and Mrs Hughes of Llandaff, Cardiff, who reported seeing a large silver cigar-shaped object. Other reports include a dome-shaped object found by Robert Taylor near the M8 motorway, a dustbin-lid shaped object seen in Cornwall, and a brief mention of an incident involving Iranian Air Force jets and a UFO in 1976. The report also touches on the possibility of UFOs being used as American provocations in Iran.

The gentle revolution: Healing

This section focuses on spiritual healing in Newbury, highlighting the work of Rose Dawson and her group. The article details how Rose became involved in healing after helping her daughter and subsequently gained a platform through local radio. The success of the Newbury Healing Group is illustrated by the case of Tracy Stone, a 14-year-old who experienced paralysis after measles but made a full recovery through spiritual healing and physiotherapy, contradicting the doctors' grim prognosis.

Phenomena

This section presents a collection of unusual occurrences. Reports include a talking elephant in Soviet Kazakhstan, a white elephant born in Thailand, a 'talking' baby in Zimbabwe, an 'ice bomb' incident in Hampshire, a similar ice-shattering event in California, and a mysterious hole in a frozen lake in Maine. It also covers phantom tremors in Staffordshire and an eerie encounter related to the death of Lawrence of Arabia. Additionally, it mentions a man regaining sight after being struck by lightning and cases of baldness being cured by burns or hot tar.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of ALPHA are the exploration of unexplained phenomena, including UFOs, poltergeists, and psychic events, alongside a critical examination of scientific and societal attitudes towards these subjects. The magazine consistently advocates for an open-minded yet rational approach, distinguishing between genuine mysteries and simple explanations or outright fraud. The editorial stance, as articulated in the final piece, is one of defending the need for honest inquiry into the paranormal, challenging prejudice and bigotry, and seeking to lift the veil on mysteries excluded by orthodox science. The financial crisis leading to the potential closure underscores the challenges faced by independent publications dedicated to such niche subjects.

ALPHA is a magazine focused on the paranormal, spiritualism, and related phenomena. This issue, dated Spring 1981, features a prominent article on Professor John Taylor, a physicist whose views on the paranormal are critically examined. The magazine also delves into the life of the medium Daniel Home, explores 'Earth Mysteries' such as ley lines, and discusses the healing abilities of Tom Johanson. Several book reviews cover a range of topics within the paranormal field.

The four-square world of Prof Taylor

Hilary Evans critically assesses Professor John Taylor's book 'Science and the Supernatural'. Taylor's approach is characterized as rigidly adhering to scientific principles, leading him to conclude that paranormal events cannot occur because they would contradict established science. Evans highlights Taylor's dismissive attitude towards phenomena like clairvoyance ('miracle or lies') and telepathy ('most probably coincidence' or shaky statistical analysis). The article points out Taylor's unscientific use of the word 'cannot' when discussing Uri Geller's powers and his hasty conclusions about UFOs based on limited evidence. Evans criticizes Taylor's 'shabby disrespect for the scientific method' and his 'pontificating and misleading' espousal of theories like W.G. Lambert's regarding poltergeist activity. The review concludes that Taylor's premises are based on a priori assumptions and his methodology is flawed, leading to unscientific conduct.

The life of Daniel Home

The issue recounts the life of the famous medium Daniel Home, detailing his association with Mrs Jane Lyon, a wealthy widow who offered him a fortune. This led to a notorious legal case in April 1868, 'Lyon v. Home', which significantly damaged Home's reputation. The article also focuses on Home's intimate association with Lord Adare, a younger nobleman, and explores the implications of their close relationship, including allegations of homosexual tendencies. A key event discussed is the alleged levitation of Home from one window to another at Ashley Place, London, in December 1868. The author, investigating this claim, details the architectural features of the building and proposes a mundane explanation involving a rope and a string-course, questioning the veracity of the 'levitation' itself.

Tom Johanson: The Unwilling Healer

Roy Stemman profiles Tom Johanson, described as a foremost healer who initially resisted his gift. Johanson runs the Spiritualist Association of Great Britain and finds time to see sick people and conduct healing clinics. His biography, written by Hunter Mackintosh, explores his journey into Spiritualism after a family message via a Ouija board. Johanson's healing abilities were recognized by the medium Harold Sharp's spirit guide, Brother Peter. Despite witnessing remarkable recoveries, Johanson remained unconvinced of his own powers for many years. The article highlights his philosophy that healers act as channels for a natural healing process and that human purpose is fulfilled through experiences, with the earth being a plane of experience where individuals learn from the law of opposites.

Earth Mysteries: State of the Art and Patterns

Paul Devereux, editor of 'The Ley Hunter', discusses current developments in Earth Mysteries. He notes growing possibilities for acceptance of the 'ley theory' (alignments of prehistoric sites) by archaeologists. New research in Ireland is expected to provide indisputable evidence for ley patterns. Devereux highlights two recurring patterns: alignments onto 'holy hills' (hills with prehistoric earthworks) and short alignments of standing stones to stone circles. Examples are given from Winchester, Uffington, Cerne Abbas, Hereford, Cambridge, and Cleveland. The article also calls for readers to help identify further stone lines and alignments, inviting contributions to a ground-level survey.

Book Reviews

The magazine includes several book reviews:

• 'Living On' by Paul Beard: Reviewed by Guy Lyon Playfair, Eric Farge, and Archie E. Roy. The book explores the concept of survival after death, presenting information from sensitives. Playfair finds it a practical guide, while Farge remains unpersuaded but acknowledges its challenging nature. Roy praises Beard's masterful analysis of post-mortem accounts, describing the book as a sensible and reassuring picture of a psychic universe.
• 'This House is Haunted' by Guy Lyon Playfair: Reviewed by H.E. The book chronicles the 'Enfield Case', a meticulously documented poltergeist case, emphasizing the investigators' passionate concern for truth and practical help.
• 'Discovering Dowsing and Divining' by Peter Naylor: Reviewed by H.E. A practical beginner's guide with helpful diagrams.
• 'Psychic Archaeology' by Jeffery Goodman: Reviewed by John J. Steele. This book explores the integration of intuitive and analytical functions in archaeological research, using psychic readings to locate ancient artefacts.
• 'Signs of the Gods?' by Erich von Däniken: Reviewed by H.E. The reviewer criticizes von Däniken's methodology and unsupported claims, finding his work unscientific despite his flair for spotting connections.
• 'Guardians of the Universe?' by Ronald Story: Reviewed by H.E. This book challenges von Däniken's theories, suggesting that readers should give Story's work equal time.
• 'Our Ancestors Came From Outer Space' by Maurice Chatelain: Reviewed by H.E. The book posits that ancient civilizations were aided by astronauts, with the author's background as a former NASA scientist noted.
• 'The Constant of Nineveh' by John Beard: Reviewed by Kevin McClure. This book examines the universal calendar and ancient astronaut theories.
• 'This House is Haunted' by Guy Lyon Playfair: Reviewed by H.E. (Duplicate entry, likely referring to the same book as above).
• 'The flight from Reality' by current work in progress: Reviewed by H.E. This refers to a brief account of the work of the Survival Joint Research Committee Trust.
• 'The Art of Astrology' by Sheila Geddes: Reviewed by Pamela Thomas. A comprehensive manual for aspiring astrologers.
• 'Voices in My Ear - The Autobiography of a Medium' by Doris Stokes and Linda Dearsley: Reviewed by Kevin McClure. An enjoyable and honest account of a medium's life and experiences.
• 'Other Worlds' by Paul Davies: Reviewed by Archie E. Roy. Davies attempts to describe the quantum theory of the universe, with Roy noting its difficulty for the human brain to fully comprehend.
• 'The Harmonious Circle' by James Webb: Reviewed by H.E. Explores Gurdjieff and his Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man.
• 'Gurdjieff and Mansfield' by James Moore: Reviewed by H.E. Another book on Gurdjieff, sharing the stage with Mansfield.
• 'The Vampire in Europe' by Montague Summers: Reviewed by Chris Coupland. A reissue of research on the origins of the vampire legend, criticized for its unscientific method.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently explores the boundaries of scientific understanding, investigating phenomena that challenge conventional paradigms. There is a strong interest in spiritualism, mediumship, and personal accounts of paranormal experiences. The editorial stance appears to be one of open-minded inquiry, encouraging readers to form their own conclusions while presenting evidence and critical analysis. The 'Earth Mysteries' section suggests a focus on ancient sites, alignments, and historical mysteries. The book reviews indicate a broad scope, covering everything from scientific critiques of paranormal claims to explorations of esoteric beliefs and historical accounts of the unexplained. The magazine seems to advocate for a more holistic view of reality that can encompass both scientific findings and subjective experiences of the paranormal.

This issue of Alpha magazine, dated May/June, features a prominent article on "Future Tense," a prophetic consensus for the 1980s, and includes a robust "Letters" section addressing various topics related to psychical research, skepticism, and historical accounts.

Future Tense

The lead article, "Future Tense," by Francis Kinsman, details a unique experiment where 15 sensitive respondents (astrologers, numerologists, mediums) were interviewed to forecast Britain's role in the world context over the 1980s. Kinsman explains his methodology, which involved drafting a consensus statement from the interviews and sending it back to the participants for their intuitive feedback. He addresses a reviewer's concern that participants might be unable to exclude their mental and emotional processes, acknowledging this as a potential limitation but expressing hope that sensitivity and experience in intuitive arts would allow for such separation. Kinsman also defends his view that people are only able to make rational forecasts in their own areas of expertise and are unwilling or unable to generalize about the future unless they are intuitive. He describes a personal method of identifying intuitive statements through a 'spark' and an asterisk notation.

Letters Section

The "Letters" section is extensive and covers several key debates:

"Proper discretion"

This letter, from Manfred Cassirer, critiques Dr. E. J. Dingwall's stance on parapsychology and his engagement with skeptics like James Randi. Cassirer suggests that Dingwall, despite his expertise, falls for "bogus challenges" and that Randi's offers might be a ploy for publicity, allowing him to withdraw if conditions are unfavorable. The writer questions Dingwall's "somewhat poor opinion" of parapsychologists' competence, arguing that Randi's dismissal of evidence based on minor errors (like spelling mistakes) is unwarranted. Cassirer calls for proper references from correspondents and provides his own for the Rudi Schneider controversy.

"Mother Shipton"

J. Drever's remarks on Mother Shipton prophecies are clarified by Leslie Shepard. Shepard states that the spurious prophecies were created by Charles Hindley, who in 1862 forged additional prophecies to a popular chapbook, including one predicting the end of the world in 1881. Hindley confessed to the hoax in 1873, but his fabricated lines had entered folk tradition. His son, Charles Hindley junior, reprinted these spurious prophecies in 1877, further entrenching them as folklore. Shepard notes that these prophecies falsely included predictions of modern developments like motorcars and aircraft.

"Personal encounter"

Miss Dorothy M. Hoyles recounts her encounter with Mr. Bligh Bond, who discovered the site of the Lorotto Chapel in the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey. Bond explained that he had received measurements for the chapel through automatic writing from a monk of the period. He intended to write a book titled "The Gate of Remembrance." Hoyles later found the book and recognized Bond's story when it was revived in Alpha magazine.

"Outrageous distortion"

This letter, from a member of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), expresses distress over an article titled "Prejudice and the Paranormal" in Alpha. The writer agrees with the concern about the debunking tone of CSICOP but strongly objects to the article's implication of communist sympathies and motivations behind the committee's efforts, particularly concerning Professor Kurtz. The writer clarifies that the committee is now separate from the American Humanist Association and calls the suggestion of communist sympathies "outrageous distortion" and a "McCarthy-like attack."

"Small falsehoods and errors"

James Randi writes to correct what he perceives as damaging inaccuracies in Alpha's May/June issue concerning his opinions and work. He criticizes the "Prejudice & the Paranormal" piece for its "communist-influence innuendo" and refutes the assertion that he has allowed himself to be deceived into playing the "all-knowing guru." Randi clarifies the number of claimants he has tested and states his beliefs are based on 35 years of experience and his ability to detect deception, not solely on his tests. He also addresses claims made by Miss E.M. Wood and Miss Marjorie Butterworth, asserting his lack of fear regarding the truth and his role as a "meddlesome pest" to irrationalists.

"Honest research"

This letter, from Matthew Manning, criticizes Dr. Carl Sargent's review of his book "ESP and Parapsychology: A Critical Re-evaluation." Manning accuses Sargent of presenting misleading and inaccurate information, particularly regarding experiments with Stepanek and Schmidt. He disputes Sargent's claims about errors in his discussion of Stepanek's experiments and Randi's alleged misrepresentation of his automatic drawings. Manning suggests Randi is adept at "putting words into other people's mouths" and criticizes his research for not even getting the correct name of the person he is reviewing.

"Wickedly Misleading"

This letter, also from Matthew Manning, continues his critique of Carl Sargent's review. Manning distinguishes between experiments before and after 1966 involving Stepanek, and disputes Sargent's interpretation of Beloff's experiment. He also addresses Sargent's claims about Schmidt's experiments, particularly concerning subjects aiming for high or low scores and the recording systems used. Manning asserts that Sargent's statements are incorrect and misleading, and that Schmidt's subjects did not cheat.

"Fools?"

Stan Gooch expresses urgency in demanding a public apology and legal action from James Randi and Eric Dingwall, who have allegedly called McGill University, the University of Chile, and the Human Dimensions Institute incompetent or fraudulent. Gooch states that people involved in parapsychology must recognize that they are either fools or charlatans, as there is no third possibility and no paranormal outcome to any experiment. He acknowledges fraud in paranormal experiments but emphasizes the need to focus on research, citing Maxwell Cade's Mind Mirror as an example of bypassing critics.

"ESP v PK"

This letter, from Janet and Colin Bord, addresses Stan Gooch's criticisms of Zener card testing for ESP. While agreeing with Gooch's points, they suggest his alternative method introduces new problems. They raise the question of what researchers would be testing if they used a roulette wheel, given that recent experiments show people can influence dice and similar objects through psychokinesis (PK).

"Bouquets and brick bats"

This letter offers praise and criticism for articles in Alpha. Archie Jarman is congratulated for his review of John Fuller's "The Airmen Who Would Not Die," and the statement about SL airships is confirmed as absurd. Graham Lawrence receives criticism for inaccuracies in his article about Semmelweis and for using "bogus data" to support invalid conclusions regarding Einstein's theory of relativity and the Michelson-Morley experiment. Melvin Harris argues that the Michelson-Morley and Dayton Miller experiments produced diametrically opposed results, and that the latter are ignored because thousands of repetitions failed to produce his findings, fitting perfectly with Einstein's views.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The issue demonstrates a strong engagement with the ongoing debate between proponents of psychical research and skeptics. The "Letters" section highlights a tension between those who champion paranormal claims and those who demand rigorous scientific evidence and are critical of perceived flaws in research methodologies. There is a clear editorial stance that allows for critical responses and diverse viewpoints, as evidenced by the publication of letters from both proponents and critics, and the inclusion of debates on scientific interpretation and historical accounts. The magazine appears to foster a platform for open discussion within the field of parapsychology and related subjects.