Observations placeholder
Rochas, Albert de - Annals of Psychic Sciences - Noula the doppelganger seen by a horse
Identifier
028593
Type of Spiritual Experience
Inter composer communication
Hallucination
Background
A description of the experience
Also quoted in Professor Ernesto Bozzano - The parapsychological manifestations of animals - 130 cases proving animal mediumistic abilities
Case 58. - (Collective visual.) - This case was published by the same Annals of Psychic Sciences 1907, p. 423. It is an integral part of the mysterious story of "Noula", reported by Colonel de Rochas. It is a young lady of high bloodline, descended from the princes of Radziwill, who constantly saw beside her a female ghost, whom she called "Noula" and whose objective reality was proved by the fact that it was photographed several times. The first time "Noula" appeared, it was first seen by the lady's horse to whom we owe the story of this episode:
...I have always lived with this double personality I call Noula! When I was a child I didn't see it, but always, in my games, there was a feeling for me that I was not alone. I was always heard answering questions that seemed to others to be the result of my imagination. To whom did I answer? I don't know and I have no memory of the facts I'm talking about. My father, when I was submitted to the doctors, remembered the fact perfectly. What I can tell you is that I didn't enjoy playing with the other children, I was perfectly self-sufficient. Besides, I wasn't alone.
I saw Noula when I was a child, and almost a young girl. Its first appearance took place some day when I was on horseback with my father, who was always with me. It seemed so amazing to me that at first I thought it was a hallucination.
Usually, I would ride a horse that was familiar with me and trained for the saddle. That day, I had the fantasy of riding a stallion horse that had never been ridden before. First of all I could control him, then, a whim took him, he moved away quickly. What happened to it? I don't know, but suddenly he became gentle again and, before my eyes, I saw Noula! Noula, very clearly! For a moment I thought that someone, seeing me in danger, had stopped my horse and I wanted to thank him.
My father then joined me and began to scold me gently on my fantasy, when, looking at me, he saw me so changed that he had a strange feeling, that I still sometimes feel: it is the feeling of a huge void, as if I was in the air. He may have called me back, but I didn't answer. He could take me in his arms, put me down, I always had that stare and those dilated eyes that scared him so much. It lasts maybe a minute, and yet it was very long.
When I returned from such a state, my first word was, "Did you see it?" My father did not understand and his eyes looked at me with such concern that I immediately guessed his thoughts. I then told him what had happened and, with his logic as a mathematician, he concluded that the fear had caused a hallucination in me. But I felt that I had no fear! I only wanted to reassure him; he was so afraid for me!
We then returned home without further accidents. I made all the efforts to look cheerful and yet I was afraid! As I arrived, my father took me to my room, because he realized that I was ill. He walked away for a moment to leave me to wash. And then when I was alone, it came back! My cries brought back my father who called our doctor, because he couldn't see anything. And when he arrived, this good doctor gave me a little calm by administering fifteen drops of opium, which made me sleepy.
Here, sir, is Noula's first visit... And since then Noula has become more and more visible to me, especially since I have become weaker, because the sadness of my life has an unfortunate effect on my state of health. I am very anemic and frail. Noula, on the other hand, is strong and healthy.
I interrupt here the interesting report from which I took the incident we have just read; what follows does not, in fact, fit into the scope of the subject we are dealing with. I would just add that the lady in question, in the hope that Colonel de Rochas could free her from this haunting ghost, left for France: unfortunately, when she arrived in Warsaw, she fell ill and died.