The Mediumship of Carlos Mirabelli (1889–1951)
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Author/Creator
Author/Creator ORCID
Date
2017
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Citation of Original Publication
STEPHEN E. BRAUDE, The Mediumship of Carlos Mirabelli (1889–1951), Journal of Scientific Exploration, Vol. 31, No. 3, pp. 435–456 (2017), https://www.scientificexploration.org/docs/31/jse_31_3_Braude.pdf
Rights
Reprinted from “The Mediumship of Carlos Mirabelli (1889–1951)”, Journal of Scientific Exploration, vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 435-456, published by the Society for Scientific Exploration, http://www.scientificexploration.org.
Subjects
Abstract
The case of the Brazilian medium Carlos Mirabelli is one of the most tantalizing and frustrating in psychical research. If his phenomena— especially his psychokinetic manifestations—occurred as reported, he was probably the greatest physical medium of all time. Mirabelli reportedly moved objects (including very large objects) without contact, levitated himself while bound to a chair, and dematerialized and transported objects of all kinds (including himself) to distant locations. Mirabelli also reportedly
produced numerous different full-figure materializations in bright daylight, and these were often recognized as deceased relatives, acquaintances, or well-known public figures by those attending the séance. Sitters would watch them form; attending physicians would carefully examine them for up to 30 minutes and report ordinary bodily functions; photographs of the figures would be taken; and then they would slowly dissolve or fade before everyone’s eyes. However, Mirabelli was also clearly guilty of fraud
on occasion, including his notorious use of a doctored photo ostensibly showing him to be levitating. His case therefore presents an all-too-familiar challenge to psi research—namely, how to assess cases of so-called “mixed” mediumship.