The Philip Experiment

The Philip Experiment

“Philip was an aristocratic Englishman living in the middle 1600s at the time of Oliver Cromwell. He had been a supporter of the king and was a Catholic. He was married to a beautiful but cold and frigid wife, Dorothea, the daughter of a neighbouring nobleman. One day, when out riding on the boundaries of his estates, Philip came across a gypsy encampment and saw there a beautiful dark-eyed, raven-haired gypsy girl, Margo, and fell instantly in love with her."

This of course is a very tragic tale that contains many elements normally associated with reports of historical ghosts. It is however a complete fabrication.

The true story of ‘Philip’ is actually a remarkable experiment that was conducted in the early 1970’s by The Toronto Society Of Psychical Research. The purpose of the experiment was to see if a wholly fictious historical character - ghost could in fact manifest itself through the groups efforts of concentration on the bogus data.

The group was trying to see if they could concentrate their efforts to create an apparition, and to their amazement, the got results. (After months of trying) They had rapping and tapping and movements of their table.

It's hard to tell why or how it worked because it was the just the group's collective struggle to manifest an entity; maybe it was just that or did the conjure a ghost clasping to the story? Whatever the reason, it was truly something to be noted in paranormal research.

Though not on the website I linked, I read that the experiment came to a strange end when one member of the group broke rank and stated aloud in a reply to Phillip that “we only made you up, you know.” All communications stopped. Once denied that Phillip was real, he ceased to exist. If that's true, the mystery thickens.

www.pararesearchers.org...

reply to post by Tantalus


It's an interesting project, however the weaknesses in the experiment are obvious, aren't they?

This could have been any ghostly riff-raff passing through posing as the fictional Philip.

For thought to actually "create" an entity who has never before existed, is taking a plunge into fictional depths. I'm not really sure what happened during the experiment, but I don't think the noises they heard were from "Philip".

Perhaps after they informed the entity his identity was fictional, he knew he had blown his cover, and left.

Just a thought.

Every intention can manifest "things" But in this case I would say that it came as a projection from the participants, or a naughty entity trying to jump on the bandwagon and be heard.


A whole new "spirit" that has not had the benefit of life experience would not know how to communicate through banging or talking. It requires a life to have that vibrational ability.

So no they didn't create anything new, though as I said there is an ability to self project that aparticipant may not have realized they were doing...Or something else latched on.

[edit on 7-3-2010 by zazzafrazz]

Is it not possible that it was nothing more than mass hysteria or even a form of hypnosis that came over the group? It would seem they participated in various 'rituals' that could have easily put participants into a hypnotic even trance like state.

They didnt manifest it- they attracted it.

I'm actually surprised it took that long to get a response. You would think a group of psychics with focused intent, would be able to get a reply much quicker.
Perhaps it was more than a passing entity in need of some attention. perhaps the project worked.