From India to the Planet Mars (Paperback)

by Theodore Flournoy (Author), Mireille Cifali (Author), Sonu Shamdasani (Author)
Key Phrases: spiritistic reunions, auditive hallucinations, spiritistic group, Planet Mars, Forgotten Books, Marie Antoinette (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Originally published in 1900, this classic psychological work depicted the multiple existence of the medium Helene Smith, who claimed to have been reincarnated many times. The author provided a psychological interpretation of her beliefs, which contributed to the understanding of the unconscious.

Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 392 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (November 14, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691001014
• ISBN-13: 978-0691001012
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,560,232 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A peek into "another world", October 31, 2005

By	L. Stearns Newburg "LSN" (CA USA) - See all my reviews

If you are a voyeur at heart, you will love this book. Theodore Flournoy, Professor of Psychophysiology at the University of Geneva, got extremely close to his subject, Catherine Elise Muller, who he gave the pseudonym Helene Smith, and studied her for five years. On many occasions he provided his home as the locale for her excursions, each of which lasted several hours. And the subject rewarded Flournoy with an amazing display of behaviors.

Helene Smith was a Swiss medium. She created an alter ego for herself, Leopold, a reincarnation of Cagliostro, who regularly explained Helene's acts to Flournoy and provided suggestions for appropriate responses to her. Helene would often go into a deep sleep, and Leopold would carry on in her absence. What she and her friends perceived as visitations from spirits, Flournoy interpreted as manifestations of multiple personalities.

The book details Helene's seances, during some of which she would be possessed by the spirit of Marie Antoinette. On other occasions she would be possessed by Princess Simandini, a 15th century Arab princess married to a Hindoo potentate, and would re-enact her immolation on her husband's funeral pyre. She even proclaimed Flournoy the reincarnation of her deceased husband Sivrouka and re-enacted various scenes of their lives with him. In the course of her re-enactments, she spoke Sanskrit.

Her most extravagant exercise, however, was her migration to Mars and her description of Martian life, complete with specimens of the Martian language. Flournoy gives us a good look at Helene's impressions of life on Mars and transcriptions and translations of her Martian texts, These he dissects, reducing them to a variation on the French language.

Flournoy searched for genuine historical references to the events Helene re-enacted, and on occasion he made some very interesting discoveries. In the last pages of the book, he takes great pains to give us his assessment of Helene's displays and of spiritism in general. He dismisses both as genuine communications with the dead and recommends the ordinary religion of the day to those in need of sustenance. She never forgave him for it, and he never found another subject who rewarded his efforts with such prodigious feats.

The book is a joy to read. Flournoy's descriptions are thorough (and ultimately devastating), and his treatment of Helene is both gentle and entertaining, often tongue-in-cheek. Daniel B. Vermilye's 1901 translation, edited, restored, and introduced by Sonu Shamdasani, is fresh and entertaining. The explanatory and critical materials added for the benefit of readers removed by a century from the actual occurrences are genuinely helpful. I found the book fascinating.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars From India to the Planet Mars, July 23, 2000

By A Customer

Sonu Shamdasani's insightful preface to Fluornoy's classic study makes this book well worth rereading. The case of Hélène Smith was a hallmark in the early development of modern psychology. This is one of the first scientific studies of mediumship, making it a classic both for students of psychology and for those interested in parapsychology as well. Fluornoy's careful and measured scientific insight combined with his writing style give this work the fascination of a novel and the import of a scientific work.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Greatest Fraud of the 20th Century, May 4, 2004

By	Cameron S. Farmer (Red Bluff, California United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is an excellent piece of work. The author was successfully played by the infamous Mme. Helene Smith (an alias) who had created, based on her native language of French, a Martian language in one of her "mediumistic" states. Overall, it is an important work in the field of psychology and takes psychological analysis to a whole new level. I would sincerely recommend this work to a serious student of psychology to uncover the gullibility of a skeptic.

I use the artificial language on a walking stick that I carry at Renassaiance faires and I get lots of questions about the markings.