People

Daniel Dunglas Home

Daniel Dunglas Home (1833-1886) was a nineteenth-century spiritualist medium, born in Scotland and raised in America, who was studied for many years under controlled conditions by the chemist and physicist William Crookes, who documented phenomena including materialised hands and apparent levitation.

19th century (1833-1886) · Spiritualist medium

Daniel Dunglas Home (1833-1886) was a spiritualist medium, born in Scotland and raised in America.¹² According to Surviving Death, Home is considered, along with Eusapia Palladino, one of the most impressive mediums ever.³ He practised mediumship for twenty-five years and was never accused of cheating.⁴

Home was studied under carefully controlled observation for many years by William Crookes, a prominent chemist and physicist.⁵ According to Surviving Death, among the phenomena Home repeatedly produced were hands described as supple, solid, mobile and warm, varying in size, shape and colour.⁶ The same source states that these hands were animated and solid to the touch, yet would often terminate at or near the wrist before dissolving,⁷ and that they were sometimes disfigured in the same way as the hands of a deceased individual unknown to Home.⁸

Crookes recorded specific instances of this phenomenon. During one séance with Home, he observed a small hand and arm, resembling a baby’s, appear beside a woman seated next to him before it patted his arm and pulled at his coat several times.⁹ On another occasion, Crookes watched a hand repeatedly play the keys of an accordion while both of Home’s hands remained visible, at times held by others present.¹⁰ Crookes also noted that the materialised hand’s temperature varied: to the touch it sometimes felt icy and lifeless, and at other times warm, grasping his own with the firm pressure of an old friend.¹¹

Home was observed on some occasions to levitate.¹² Crookes, who witnessed one such levitation, said he found no evidence of fraud.¹³ Mark Twain also witnessed Home and said he believed him to be genuine.¹⁴

Crookes’s account also describes an instance of what is termed living matter through matter (mediumship phenomenon). According to Crookes’s account, a spirit communicator present at the séance said it was impossible for matter to pass through matter, but that they would show what they could do.¹⁵ Crookes wrote that a piece of china-grass, thirty-eight centimetres long and forming the centre ornament of a bouquet on the table, rose from the other flowers, descended to the table in front of the vase between it and Home, and then passed straight through the table while all present watched it pass through entirely.¹⁶ According to Surviving Death, Home’s hands remained visible to everyone throughout, and the grass stem showed no signs of pressure or abrasion afterwards.¹⁷

According to Surviving Death, the strength and variety of phenomena later observed with Indridi Indridason resembled those associated with Home.¹⁸

References (18)

Home lived from 1833 to 1886.
“Daniel Dunglas Home (1833–1886)”
Surviving Death ch35:23892-23918
Home was born in Scotland and raised in America.
“Born in Scotland but raised in America”
Surviving Death ch35:24072-24103
Home is considered, along with Eusapia Palladino, one of the most impressive mediums.
“considered along with Eusapia to be one of the most impressive mediums ever”
Surviving Death ch35:23925-23996
Home demonstrated mediumship for twenty-five years and was never accused of cheating.
“demonstrated for twenty-five years and was never accused of cheating”
Surviving Death ch35:24002-24062
Home was studied under controlled observation for many years by William Crookes.
“Home (pronounced "Hume") was under carefully controlled observation for many years by Sir William Crookes, a prominent chemist and physicist noted for his discovery of the element thallium and for his cathode-ray studies.”
Surviving Death ch35:24112-24325
Phenomena included hands that were supple, solid, mobile and warm, of varying size, shape and colour.
“Hands, supple, solid, mobile, and warm, of different sizes, shapes, and colors.”
Surviving Death ch35:24495-24567
The hands were animated and solid to the touch but often ended at the wrist and dissolved.
“Although the hands were animated and solid to the touch, they would often end at or near the wrist and eventually dissolve or melt.”
Surviving Death ch35:24575-24701
The hands were sometimes disfigured as those of a deceased communicator unknown to Home had been.
“Sometimes the hands were said to be disfigured exactly as the hands of a deceased ostensible communicator (unknown to Home) had been.”
Surviving Death ch35:24707-24837
Crookes observed a small hand and arm like a baby's appear, pat his arm and pull his coat.
“On another occasion a small hand and arm, like a baby's, appeared playing about a lady who was sitting next to me. It then passed to me and patted my arm and pulled my coat several times.”
Surviving Death ch35:24906-25089
Crookes observed a hand playing an accordion while both of Home's hands remained visible.
“A hand has repeatedly been seen by myself and others playing the keys of an accordion, both of the medium's hands being visible at the same time, and sometimes being held by those near him.”
Surviving Death ch35:25100-25287
Crookes noted the hand felt icy cold at times and warm and lifelike at others.
“To the touch the hand sometimes appears icy cold and dead, at other times warm and lifelike, grasping my own with the firm pressure of an old friend.”
Surviving Death ch35:25296-25440
Home was observed on some occasions to levitate.
“One nineteenth-century practitioner, Daniel Dunglas Home, was observed on some occasions to levitate.”
The Fourth Mind ch22:26850-26942
Crookes observed Home's levitation and found no evidence of fraud.
“a noted scientist of the period, Sir William Crookes, observed levitation and found no evidence of fraud.”
The Fourth Mind ch22:27045-27144
Mark Twain witnessed Home and believed him to be genuine.
“Home was witnessed by many people, including Mark Twain, who believed him to be genuine”
The Fourth Mind ch22:26952-27032
The spirit communicator said matter passing through matter was impossible but that they would show what they could do.
“The spirit communicator stated: “It is impossible for matter to pass through matter, but we will show you what we can do.””
Surviving Death ch38:18555-18673
A piece of china-grass rose, descended, and passed through the table in full view of those present.
“There was a bouquet of flowers on the center of the table. “In full view of all present, a piece of china-grass fifteen inches long, which formed the center ornament of the bouquet, slowly rose from the other flowers, and then descended to the table in front of the vase between it and Mr. Home. It did not stop on reaching the table, but went straight through it, and we all watched it till it had entirely passed through,” Crookes wrote.”
Surviving Death ch38:18678-19111
Home's hands were visible throughout and the grass stem showed no signs of pressure or abrasion.
“Home’s hands were visible to all, and the grass stem showed no signs of pressure or abrasion.”
Surviving Death ch38:19118-19202
The phenomena observed with Indridi Indridason resembled those associated with Home.
“the strength and variety of the observed phenomena resemble those associated with Daniel Dunglas Home, considered to be one of the most remarkable physical mediums ever studied”
Surviving Death ch36:3466-3635

Daniel Dunglas Home

Language