Observations placeholder

Rudi Schneider – A scientific examination of his mediumship, compiled by Harry Price (Honorary Director, National Laboratory of Psychical Research).

It is well known that the Schneiders are a family of mediums. Willi leapt into fame in English-speaking countries when I published [In Psyche, April 1923]  my account of the convincing phenomena which Mr. E. J. Dingwall and I witnessed at Munich in 1922, through the kindness of the late Baron von Schrenck.

These seances at Munich were, to all intents and purposes, under our own control. We examined everything, affixed our seals to the seance room door, etc., etc. After the séances, Dingwall and I signed statements to the effect that we had witnessed genuine phenomena, which included many telekinetic movements - starting and stopping of a musical box in a gauze cage-to order. The box also wound itself up.

A pseudopod or handlike form picked up my handkerchief several times. Loud raps inside the cabinet were heard; the 'hand' or pseudopod showed itself against a luminous plaque, etc., etc. And all these phenomena occurred at a distance of some feet from the medium, who was controlled by two persons.

At the fore-control Willi was searched and put into black tights, which were outlined with luminous bands and buttons. It was a wonderful display of phenomena, produced in really excellent red light.

I have referred to these early sittings with Willi because the phenomena were almost identical with what were later witnessed through Rudi and, I believe, Karl, his brother.

Lina, the wife of Hans Schneider (another brother), is also psychic. The outstanding fact is that Baron von Schrenck invited us to Munich in order to discover trickery, if it existed, and we returned convinced of the abnormality of the manifestations.