Observations placeholder
Croiset, Gerard - The prophecy of who would sit in a chair
Identifier
022938
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Croiset was repeatedly able to predict who would sit in numbered chairs and almost started to do this as a sort of party trick, although he had no idea how it worked.
A description of the experience
Croiset the Clairvoyant - Jack Harrison Pollack
Last-Minute Ticket
On the afternoon of March 6, 1950, when nosing around for a story, Amsterdam journalist E.K. telephoned Gerard Croiset in Enschede asking for some concrete evidence of his powers, the news of which was then spreading over the Netherlands.
"'Well, in two days," replied Croiset, "I am giving a chair test before the Utrecht chapter of the Society for Psychical Research. Please pick a chair number for then. Name any number you want."
"Row 7, third chair from the right," volunteered the Dutch journalist.
"All right," replied Croiset. "Please make a note of these impressions that I am now giving you. I see on this chair will sit a lady with grey hair. She has a slim figure and is a lean type. She likes to help people, but calls everything she does Christian social work."'
When these facts were checked under Dr. Tenhaeff’s supervision on the evening of March 8th, this particular chair was found to be occupied by a protestant Sister of Mercy, sister LB., who, indeed, did Christian social work. Croiset’s description of her was a direct hit. It couldn't possibly have fitted anyone else present.
Sister L.B. acknowledged the paragnost's description of her as being accurate, she said that she had almost stayed at home, and her choice of the seat was unpremeditated.
--A put-up job? Croiset was in league with a Sister of mercy? Even a professional cynic world be loath to charge this.
Investigator Tenhaeff's later checkup revealed: “Sister L.B. was not a member of the Dutch Society for psychical Research. It was purely accidental that she received an admission ticket as late as 5:40 pm. on March 8th. Croiset gave his information to journalist E.K. when the participants of the test had not yet received their invitations. Moreover, the person who gave Sister L.B. her ticket did not know any of the facts furnished by the paragnost."