Cross-Correspondences facts for kids
The cross-correspondences were a series of special messages. These messages came from a group of people called mediums and automatic writers. They were members of the Society for Psychical Research (SPR), a group that studied strange and unexplained things.
Psychical researchers believed that when these messages were put together, they seemed to form clear messages. These messages appeared to come from spirits of people who had passed away. Others thought it might be a form of telepathy, which is like mind-reading.
However, some people, called skeptics, had a different idea. They believed the messages were just a coincidence or a trick of the mind. They thought researchers were simply looking for connections in random words, a bit like seeing shapes in clouds.
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How the Mystery Started
The story of the cross-correspondences began with a sad event. In 1874, a young woman named Mary Catherine Lyttleton, also known as May, fell in love. She was in love with Arthur Balfour, who later became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Sadly, May became very ill and passed away in 1875. She died before Arthur Balfour could tell her how he felt.
After her death, something unusual started happening. Over the next 30 years, many short messages appeared. These messages came from different mediums. When members of the SPR, like Edmund Gurney, Henry Sidgwick, and Frederic W. H. Myers, looked at all the messages together, they thought May Lyttleton was trying to communicate with Arthur Balfour from beyond.
The Myers Experiment
In 1891, one of the SPR members, Frederic W. H. Myers, decided to try an experiment. He wrote a secret message on a piece of paper. Then, he sealed it inside an envelope. Myers gave the envelope to another member, Oliver Lodge. He told Lodge to open it after his death, but only if the secret message came through a medium.
Myers passed away in 1901. After his death, several mediums held special sessions at the same time. These sessions took place in different locations, far apart from each other. During these sessions, the mediums would write automatically, without thinking. They also spoke words and phrases.
Individually, the messages from each medium didn't make much sense. But over a long time, and after many sessions, the SPR claimed something amazing. They said the messages, when combined, showed a clear purpose. They believed an intelligent spirit was behind them.
Some of the main people who received these messages were Mrs. Margaret Verrall and her daughter Helen. Also involved were Mrs. Winifred Coombe Tennant, who used the name "Mrs Willett," and Mrs. Alice Fleming, who was the sister of the famous writer Rudyard Kipling. She used the name "Mrs Holland."
What Happened with the Secret Message?
On July 13, 1904, it was claimed that Myers' spirit communicated. This happened through Mrs. Verrall, who produced a written message. This message seemed to refer to Myers' secret message.
However, when the message was checked, it was not correct. It also mentioned the wrong place where the secret envelope was kept.
Later, on December 13, 1904, Oliver Lodge held a meeting for SPR members. At this meeting, the contents of Myers' secret envelope were finally revealed. A report was published in the Society's journal in 1905. It stated that this particular experiment had "completely failed." It also said that the failure was "disappointing."
Other Mediums Involved
Other mediums who were part of the cross-correspondences included Mina Crandon, Leonora Piper, and George Valiantine. However, it was later found that both Mina Crandon and George Valiantine were not genuine. They were shown to be tricking people.
