Guy Lambert (1889–1983) was a British senior civil servant who contributed articles on mediumship, poltergeists and other topics to the publications of the Society for Psychical Research
Life and Career
Guy William Lambert was born in London on 1 December 1889. He attended Cheltenham College public school and St John’s College, Oxford. He joined the civil service in 1913 and retired in 1951 having received the Chevalier, Legion of Honour (1920), the Silver Jubilee Medal (1935), the Coronation Medal (1937), and the Companion of the Bath (1942).
Psychical Research
Lambert became interested psychical research after reading Frederic WH Myers’s Human Personality and Its Survival of Bodily Death in the school library. He joined the Society for Psychical Research and was co-opted to its governing council in 1925, serving as honorary secretary and as president from 1955 to 1958.
Lambert published articles exploring different aspects of psychical research, notably automatic writing, the experiences of Moberly and Jourdain at Versailles and the geophysical nature of poltergeist outbreaks.1
Verrall Automatic Writing
In a 1971 paper, Lambert scrutinized automatic writing produced in the early twentieth century by Margaret Verrall, a Cambridge classics teacher and SPR researcher. The scripts came in response to an impulse to write, initially in Latin in which she was fluent; she did not afterwards recall what she had written.2 Some of the material appeared to be veridical communications from deceased SPR researchers, notably Edmund Gurney, who died in 1888, Henry Sidgwick (1900) and FWH Myers (1901). Lambert adopts the view that such communications are not necessarily evidence of personal survival, but that at a minimum they indicate that a person’s memories continues to exist for an indeterminate period following their death and might be reactivated by sensitives.3
Versailles Time Slip
Examining the 1901 ‘time-slip’ experience at Versailles reported by Moberly and Jourdain,4 Lambert was persuaded that the two women did perceive historical scenes paranormally, but that the scenes date to a somewhat earlier period than they believed.5 See details here.
Geophysical Theory of Poltergeists
Lambert’s most original contribution was to argue that poltergeist phenomena are initiated by the movement of underground streams, pointing to a geographical distribution of such cases to coastal regions, especially tidal areas and claiming a significant correlation with local weather, tides and geological conditions.6
Alan Gauld and Tony Cornell objected that Lambert’s proposal lacked evidence and was marred by factual errors.7 Lambert conceded that it could not apply to cases where other factors were in play, notably a source that demonstrated intelligence.8 Gauld and Cornell later tested it by mechanically creating vibrations in the walls of a house, finding that small objects were dislodged only with significant shaking.9
Lambert was praised for producing a theory that was testable even if contested.10 A recent critical overview of haunting theories includes arguments for and against the theory.11
Selected Works
Articles
Co-operative automatism (1919). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 19, 66-70.
Concerning ‘A case of psychometry’ (1920). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 19, 279.
The psychology of Plotinus and its interest to the student of psychical research (1928). Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research 36, 393-413.
The Dieppe Raid case. A collective auditory hallucination investigated by G.W. Lambert and K. Gay (1952). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 36, 607-18.
Antoine Richard’s garden. A postscript to An Adventure (1953-62). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 37, 117-54, 266-79; 38, 12-18, 365-69; 41, 279-92.
Poltergeists: A physical theory (1955). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 38, 49-71.
Presidential address: The use of evidence in psychical research (1956). Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research 50, 275-93.
Poltergeists: Some simple experiments and tests (1956). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 38, 201-11.
The Cheltenham ghost: A reinterpretation of the evidence (1958). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 39, 267-77.
Our pioneers IV. Frank Podmore (1959). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 40, 1-4.
Scottish haunts and poltergeists: A regional study (1959). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 40, 108-20.
The geography of London ghosts (1960). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 40, 397-409.
Three articles and correspondence in The Sunday Observer by Mr A. Koestler (1961). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 41, 162-64.
Two synchronous dreams about a shipwreck (1961). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 41, 193-98.
Phantom scenery (1963). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 42, 1-6.
Three precognitive dreams (1963). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 42, 20-22.
A dog saved by a dream (1963). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 42, 128-29.
Family death warnings (1963). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 42, 180-87.
Scottish haunts and poltergeists II (1964). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 42, 223-27.
Further notes on a precognitive dream (1964). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 42, 265-67.
Beavor Lodge: An old ghost story retold (1964). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 42, 273-82.
Phantom scenery II (1964). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 42, 346-48.
Studies in the automatic writing of Mrs Verrall I. Who was Ralph Neville? (1964). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 42, 389-400.
The Blue Vase. A re-examination of some Mac scripts of 1908 (1965). Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research 54, 233-48.
A precognitive dream about a waterspout (1965). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 43, 5-10.
Studies in the automatic writing of Mrs Verrall II. On the banks of the Derwent (1965). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 43, 62-77.
Studies in the automatic writing of Mrs Verrall III. Some dwellers on the Derwent (1965). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 43, 169-81.
Correspondence: The Blue Vase (1966). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 43, 276-77.
The quest at Glastonbury (1966). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 43, 301-9.
An apparition of a child: The case of Johnnie M. (1966). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 43, 428-31.
A study in the automatic writing of Mrs Holland: Who was John Collins? (1967). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 44, 19-24.
Two synchronous experiences connected with a death (1968). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 44, 232-27.
Johannes, the monk: A study in the script of J. A. in The gate of Remembrance (1968). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 44, 271-80.
Studies in the automatic writing of Mrs Verrall IV. From the Derwent to the Cam (1968). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 44, 373-89.
Stranger things: Some reflections on reading Strange Things by J.L. Campbell and T.H. Hall (1969). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 45, 43-55.
Comments on Mr Hastings’ examination of the Dieppe Raid case (1969). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 45, 63-66.
Studies in the automatic writing of Mrs Verrall V. Some place names and surnames relating to Cheshire and Wales (1970). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 45, 220-29.
Studies in the automatic writing of Mrs Verrall VI. Some Essex place names (1970). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 45, 286-94.
Studies in the automatic writing of Mrs Verrall VII. Some persons and places associated with Henry Sidgwick (1970). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 45, 371-81.
Studies in the automatic writing of Mrs Verrall VIII. Some more associates of Henry Sidgwick and Edmund Gurney (1971). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 46, 113-24, 173-83, 217-22.
Note in the early history of the SPR (1972). Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research 55, 368-69.
A fifth study of the Mac scripts (1972). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 46, 59-69.
D.D. Home and the physical world (1976). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 48, 298-313.
Book Reviews
La Parapsychologie by R. Amadou (1955). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 38, 31-32.
The Ghosts of Versailles by L. Iremonger (1957). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 39, 83-86.
On the trail of the poltergeist by N. Fodor (1959). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 40, 27-31.
The Table Rappers by R. Pearsall (1972). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 46, 212-13.
The Ghosts of Borley by P. Tabori and P. Underwood (1974). Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 47, 331-34.
Melvyn Willin
Literature
Eysenck, H.J. and Sargent, C. (1982). Explaining the Unexplained. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.
Gauld, A., and Cornell, A.D. (1961). The geophysical theory of poltergeists. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 41, 129-47.
Gauld, A. and Cornell, A.D. (1979). Poltergeists. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Haynes, R. (1982). The Society for Psychical Research 1882-1982. A History. London: MacDonald & Co.
Lambert, G.W. (1955). Poltergeists: A physical theory. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 38, 49-71.
Lambert, G.W. (1971). Studies in the automatic writing of Mrs Verrall X. Concluding reflections. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 46, 217-22.
Lambert, G.W. (1953). Antoine Richard’s garden: A postscript to An Adventure. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 37, 117-54.
Lambert, G.W. (1955). Antoine Richard’s garden: A postscript to An Adventure. Supplemental Note. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 38, 12-18.
Lambert, G.W. (1962). Richard’s garden revisited. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 41/712, 279-92.
MacKenzie, A. (1984). Obituary: G.W. Lambert. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 52, 343-44.
McCue, P. (2002). Theories of haunting: A critical overview. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 66, 343-44.
Morison, E., & Lamont, F. (1911). An Adventure. London: Faber and Faber.
Verrall, M. (1906). On a series of automatic writings. Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research 53, 1-432.
Endnotes
- 1. Haynes (1982), 219-20.
- 2. Verrall (1906), 6.
- 3. Lambert (1971), 219.
- 4. Morison & Lamont (1911).
- 5. Lambert (1953, 1955, 1962).
- 6. Lambert (1955), 49-71.
- 7. Gauld & Cornell (1961), 129-47,
- 8. Gauld & Cornell (1961), 148-53.
- 9. Gauld & Cornell (1979), 334-37.
- 10. Eysenck & Sargent (1982), 106-7.
- 11. McCue (2002), 1-21.