Observations placeholder
Home D. D. – Bodily elongation experiments 01 – Mr. Jencken’s testimony
Identifier
024248
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Friar Herbert Thurston was a Catholic priest, a member of the Jesuit order and an historian. He wrote extensively on Catholic mysticism and psychic phenomena and was a member of the Society for Psychical Research. He was also widely read on this subject. He is described as ‘an honest skeptic’., and once said ‘the role of Devil’s advocate is a thankless one and does not make for popularity’.
A description of the experience
Friar Herbert Thurston - The Physical Phenomenon of Mysticism
Extract from the letter written by Mr. H. D. Jencken, a barrister of good reputation, to The Spiritual Magazine for January 1868. Internal evidence makes it clear that the incidents described had occurred only a week or so before the letter was written. Mr. Jencken declares that he had by that time been present on at least five occasions when Home was elongated and shortened. On the evening with which we are here concerned:
Lord-- was seated next Mr. Home who had passed into a trance state, in which after uttering a most beautiful and solemn prayer, he alluded to the protecting spirits whose mission is to act as guardian angels to men. "The one who is to protect you," he said, addressing Lord--, "is as tall as this." And upon so saying, Mr. Home grew taller and taller; as I stood next him (my height is 6 feet) I hardly reached up to his shoulder, and in the glass opposite he appeared a full head taller than myself. The extension appeared to take place from the waist, and the clothing separated eight to ten inches. Walking to and fro, Mr. Home specially called our attention to the fact of his feet being firmly planted on the ground. He then grew shorter and shorter, until he only reached my shoulder, his waistcoat overlapping to the hip.
The name left blank by Mr. Jencken was unquestionably that of Lord Adare, for we have his own independent account of the same scene