George Valiantine (1874–1947) was an American direct voice medium. Disembodied voices, floating trumpets and striking claims of xenoglossy attracted eminent investigators, yet repeated hints of trickery prevented consensus, leaving one of psychical research’s most controversial mediums suspended between admiration and suspicion. George Valiantine became especially noted for voices said to…
…by a personality that identified himself as Mina’s deceased brother Walter. He communicated vocally, either through her when she was entranced, or independently through a trumpet-shaped cone, a phenomenon referred to as ‘direct voice’. Crandon said the direct voice was initially heard as faint whispers and developed over four months…
…footsteps, buzzing sounds, the clatter of hoof beats, the rustling noise of clothes as if someone was moving. Direct writing. Writing appeared on paper without human touch. Disembodied voices that spoke and sang (see below). Responsive xenoglossy. There were conversations between sitters and the disembodied voices in languages unknown to…
…said spirit communicators directed them over many years to caches of crosses and other artefacts buried in remote California locations. Hamlin Garland treated the case seriously enough to investigate it, and later arguments drew on both the reported trance voices and the objects themselves. Sceptical theories have centred on fraud,…
…less well-remarked aspect of Leonard’s mediumship, the phenomenon of ‘direct voice’.47Thomas (1946); Gaunt (2016), 51-55.This was a major characteristic of certain mediums, notably Leslie Flint and Etta Wriedt, where voices off different timbres and characteristics were heard that appeared to be independent of them. In Leonard’s case, the voices were…
…of the phenomena. In my opinion this faking could only be done by an expert.12Reproduced in The Report of the Enfield Poltergeist Committee (SPR archives). The Voice In December 1977, three months after the start of the disturbances, an anomalous voice began to emanate from Janet. It started as a…
Direct-voice mediumship promised speech from the dead without the medium entering trance, and few practitioners drew stronger testimony than Etta Wriedt (c 1859–1942). Working in Detroit, Michigan, in the early twentieth century, she became known for trumpet séances, multiple simultaneous voices and support from psychical researchers on both sides of…
…recording messages independent of any visible hand holding it) apports (objects floating into the locked room through the walls from other rooms) trance voice (inspirational addresses from the spirits expressed through the entranced Moses) direct voice (spirit voices coming from the air above them and independent of the medium’s vocal…
…scientists. Over the next three decades, Garland witnessed a variety of phenomena with different mediums, including materializations, slate writing, trance voice, direct voice, and clairvoyance. However, while ruling out fraud and recognizing that something supernormal was taking place, he remained sceptical as to whether spirits were responsible for the phenomena….
