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The Mediumship of Attila von Szalay – Raymond Bayless [from Experiences of a Psychical Researcher]

Other odd psychical manifestations have occurred with Mr. von Szalay besides his "voices."

Some years back he was moving his studio, and I was helping him in this not so cheery task. We had finished the day's work, and he had retired to his old studio and I, rather than face a long, tiring ride home, stayed for the night in the new studio. I had gone to bed and was idly looking about the room, which was lighted by a streetlight, when on a closet door (to which for purposes of decoration he had fastened some sheets of metal foil paper) I heard sounds exactly as though human hands were scrabbling about on its surface.

I looked directly at the door but could see nothing which could have caused these sounds normally. The strange sounds died away, ending a very interesting and curious incident which I believe to have been of paranormal origin.

One of the strangest occurrences which I witnessed with Mr. von Szalay took place one evening in his studio while he was in his kitchen. I was sitting in the fully lighted main room facing a darkened hallway when I saw shooting out from behind the doorway a white, cloudy object about the size of a human arm. It instantly shot out into view and just as quickly returned to its place of origin.

 Its method of return was so very strange, so completely fantastic, that I almost hesitate to put it to paper. However, like Carrington, I have nerved myself to offer this peculiar event. The "arm," to call it that, which was in a position within height range for a normal arm, apparently folded back upon itself like an accordion and disappeared from view. This weird motion was so fantastic that I sat in amazement for a few seconds and then immediately described the incident to Mr. von Szalay, who had been in my range of vision all the while.