The Spirit of Dr. Bindelof: The Enigma of Seance Phenomena [Paperback]

Rosemarie Pilkington (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 2006

"The Spirit of Dr. Bindelof" focuses on one little known episode of physical mediumship, which is characterized by the movement and levitation of tables and other objects, ectoplasmic apparitions, direct voices and knocking sounds or raps, among other phenomena. This episode is Gilbert Roller's utterly charming and disarming autobiographical account of a group of teenage boys who experimented with séance phenomena and contacted an alleged spirit named Dr. Bindelof in the 1930s. Author Rosemarie Pilkington follows up with the history of these extraordinary physical mediums and the remarkable feats they perform, placing the Bindelof case within this wider framework and bringing it up to date with a review of contemporary "secular" mediums. Physical mediumship has been maligned to the point that most people think all physical mediums are fakes because of the frauds who sought to capitalize on the success of real mediums and because of arch skeptics who refuse to accept what they don't understand. This book demonstrates that these mind-boggling feats are indeed real. Their existence illustrates just how little science knows, and shows us that we need to revise our under- standing of reality in order to explain these phenomena.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a very readable portrait of testosterone-filled youngsters...who chose to spend their Saturday evenings ... conjuring up the peevish Dr. Bindelof." -- Tom Ruffles, Fortean Times

"...an ideal guide to the history of home sitter groups ... [and] how to get positive results." -- Guy Lyon Playfair, Journal of the Society for Psychical Research

"Dr. Pilkington provides an historic setting to this gem of a story ... a singular and unique adventure." -- Stanley Krippner, co-editor of Varieties of Anomalous Experience

"This fascinating book recounts a series of seances held in the early to mid 1930s by teenage boys...well worth reading." -- Michael Prescott, author of Final Sins

"[Rosemary Pilkington] has done us all an important service by bringing this material to our notice." -- William Roll, Journal of Scientific Exploration

From the Publisher

Stanley Krippner, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Saybrook Graduate School, and co-editor of Varieties of Anomalous Experience provides some background to the story: "For years insiders in the sciences dealing with anomalies and psychic events have heard accounts of the legendary Bindelof Society, a group of teenagers who reported a series of remarkable experiences in the 1930s. Rosemarie Pilkington and two of the original Bindelof group bring these experiences to life providing us with a compelling glimpse into the world of séance phenomena. Dr. Pilkington provides an historic setting to this gem of a story and we are treated to a singular and unique adventure that even the most skeptical reader will appreciate."

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Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Anomalist Books (April 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933665130
• ISBN-13: 978-1933665139
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,490,520 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing, yet disappointing, July 5, 2006

By 

Michael E. Tymn (Kailua, Hawaii) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Spirit of Dr. Bindelof: The Enigma of Seance Phenomena (Paperback)

This is a very interesting, informative, and intriguing read. In addition to the Bindeloff case, the author summarizes some of the most credible cases of psychic phenomena, including D. D. Home, Francis Cook, Franek Kluski, and Eusapia Palladino. They are all bundled together under the classification of "physical mediumship," although some of the people discussed were more psychics than they were mediums. The author doesn't clearly explain the difference and this is bound to confuse some readers.

The Bindeloff case took place in 1933-34 and involved several very intelligent high school boys conducting séances and communicating with the "spirit" of a Dr. Bindeloff.
As the boys had read up on mediumship, they conducted some interesting experiments and documented their séances. The author draws from the documented records as well as from two of the participants still living. As intelligent as these boys seem to have been (taking college courses at age 16), it apparently did not occur to them to inquire as to when and where Dr. Bindeloff had lived and practiced. If it did occur to them, it is not documented. Thus, there does not appear to have been any investigation as to the actual existence of a Dr. Bindeloff. The author, while clearly accepting the genuineness of psychic phenomena, does not appear to have made any attempt of her own to see if a Dr. Bindeloff ever existed as she assumes he was nothing more than a manifestation of the collective subconscious minds of the young boys - a collective energy so powerful that they were able to form a photograph of Dr. Bindeloff, which appears on the cover of the book. Unfortunately, the author offers her subconscious and secondary personality theories as fact, something which will likely confuse readers with limited exposure to such phenomena.

In effect, the author rejects the "spirit" hypothesis. This is typical of psychologists and some parapsychologists who are unable to shake the reductionist mindset. Interestingly, the author sneers at the pseudo-skeptics, who assume all such phenomena are just so much bunk, and yet she seems as locked into her views as much as those pseudo-skeptics are locked into theirs. While citing some research which gives credence to her views, she avoids, with slight exceptions, mentioning an abundance of research which is contrary to it. Nor does she attempt to tie in the subconscious theory with the "oversoul" or "higher self" aspects, theories which link the subconscious to soul and spirit.

Historically, this is a great book. Metaphysically and philosophically, however, it was a disappointment to me - not so much because I believe there is a preponderance evidence for the spirit hypothesis, if not evidence beyond a reasonable doubt - but because the author slants the conclusions to her own biases. The uninformed reader will likely finish the book even more confused than he or she was before starting the book. The informed reader should, however, be able to recognize the author's biases and see beyond them. For them, it is definitely a five-star book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Way Out There!, May 9, 2006

By 

Charles T. Tart (Berkeley, CA United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Spirit of Dr. Bindelof: The Enigma of Seance Phenomena (Paperback)

Contemporary parapsychology has tended to become rather anemic in its search for scientific respectability, studying tiny statistical effects in an oh so very rigorous fashion. That has its place, but we tend to forget that the laboratory study only exists because dramatic and important and inexplicable events happen in real life that remind us there's something important to try to understand - like the question of whether the mind survives death!

Pilkington's book gives the full story of Dr. Bindelof, an apparent spirit who changed the lives of several teenage boys through seance manifestations. One of those boys was Montague Ullman, a psychiatrist who spearheaded research into telepathic dreams decades later. It's a fascinating story, and a frustrating one - frustrating because we devote almost no energy and resources to thoroughly investigating paranormal phenomena. A good read!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Saved from oblivion, May 8, 2006

By 

Gerd Hoevelmann (Marburg, Germany) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Spirit of Dr. Bindelof: The Enigma of Seance Phenomena (Paperback)

By preserving the once-elusive Bindelof case, a unique episode in the history of physical mediumship, Rosemarie Pilkington, the author/compiler of this book, has done a great service to all those who are professionally involved with the sciences that deal with anomalies and psychic events. The book will be of considerable value especially to those with systematical science-historical interests in this area. By placing the Bindelof case into a wider framework, she has produced an eminently readable book also for those who are less familiar with the peculiar history of seance rooms and their irritating phenomena.