Albert de Rochas
Encyclopedia
Eugène Auguste Albert de Rochas d'Aiglun (20 May 1837 - 2 September 1914) was a leading French
Parapsychologist
, historian, translator, writer, military engineer
and administrator.
in the department of Hautes-Alpes
, the son of Marie Joseph Eugène de Rochas d'Aiglun, a judge at the court in Briançon
, and of Félicité Camille Jayet. He studied literature and mathematics at the Lycée de Grenoble
, then, in 1857, entered the École Polytechnique in Paris
, intending to follow a military career.
In 1861, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant
in the Military Engineers ("Le Génie militaire") and distinguished himself as a soldier, engineer and administrator. He rose to the rank of battalion
commander in 1880 and was made chief of engineers in 1887. He retired from the military in 1888 as a Lieutenant-Colonel. He had also been inspector of studies and director at the École Polytechnique, but had to resign due to his involvement in paranormal research activities.
Rochas was made a Chevalier (Knight) in the Legion d'Honneur
in 1875 and an officer in 1889.
emanations" reincarnation
, spirit photography
etc.
Rochas was part of the committee that investigated the famous Italian medium
, Eusapia Palladino
, detailed in his book, "L'extériorisation de la motricité" (1896). He carried out research into hypnosis, and documented the phenomenon of "externalisation of sensibility" whereby hypnotised subjects acquire a physical sensitivity to stimuli at a distance; for example, the subject can be made to feel pain if a certain spot is pinched or pricked away from the body, and can even be made to feel the sensations of the hypnotist. He investigated other "magnetic
" phenomena such as the transference of disease from one organism to another etc., past life regression
, the effects of music on human emotion (see "Les Sentiments, la musique et le geste") etc. He also introduced the French public to the work of Carl Reichenbach
and his theory of odic force
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Parapsychologist
Parapsychology
The term parapsychology was coined in or around 1889 by philosopher Max Dessoir, and originates from para meaning "alongside", and psychology. The term was adopted by J.B. Rhine in the 1930s as a replacement for the term psychical research...
, historian, translator, writer, military engineer
Military engineer
In military science, engineering refers to the practice of designing, building, maintaining and dismantling military works, including offensive, defensive and logistical structures, to shape the physical operating environment in war...
and administrator.
Life and career
Rochas was born in Saint FirminSaint-Firmin, Hautes-Alpes
Saint-Firmin is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...
in the department of Hautes-Alpes
Hautes-Alpes
Hautes-Alpes is a department in southeastern France named after the Alps mountain range.- History :Hautes-Alpes is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
, the son of Marie Joseph Eugène de Rochas d'Aiglun, a judge at the court in Briançon
Briançon
Briançon a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department....
, and of Félicité Camille Jayet. He studied literature and mathematics at the Lycée de Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
, then, in 1857, entered the École Polytechnique in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, intending to follow a military career.
In 1861, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the Military Engineers ("Le Génie militaire") and distinguished himself as a soldier, engineer and administrator. He rose to the rank of battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
commander in 1880 and was made chief of engineers in 1887. He retired from the military in 1888 as a Lieutenant-Colonel. He had also been inspector of studies and director at the École Polytechnique, but had to resign due to his involvement in paranormal research activities.
Rochas was made a Chevalier (Knight) in the Legion d'Honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
in 1875 and an officer in 1889.
Scientific writing
As a scholar, he made significant contributions to the study of military engineering history, producing, for example, a French translation of an 11th-century Alexandrian treatise on fortification and machines of war called "Veterum Mathematicorum Opera" (1693), and publishing the correspondence of the distinguished 17th century military engineer, Vauban. He also wrote about ancient technology, exploring subjects as diverse as hydraulic organs, water clocks, ancient surveying instruments, temple machinery, Greek artillery, and ancient railways. He was well respected as a researcher and won a medal from the "Société des Études Grecques" for his translations of Greek texts.Paranormal research
Rochas is now best-known for his extensive parapsychological research and writing, in which he attempted to explore a scientific basis for occult phenomena of various kinds. His first book on the subject, "Les Forces non définies" ("Undefined Forces", 1887), was followed by numerous books and articles over the course of nearly thirty years, on subjects such as hypnotism, telekinesis, "magneticAnimal magnetism
Animal magnetism , in modern usage, refers to a person's sexual attractiveness or raw charisma. As postulated by Franz Mesmer in the 18th century, the term referred to a supposed magnetic fluid or ethereal medium believed to reside in the bodies of animate beings...
emanations" reincarnation
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
, spirit photography
Spirit photography
Spirit photography is a type of photography whose primary attempt is to capture images of ghosts and other spiritual entities, especially in ghost hunting. It was first used by William H. Mumler in the 1860s. Mumler discovered the technique by accident, after he discovered a second person in a...
etc.
Rochas was part of the committee that investigated the famous Italian medium
Mediumship
Mediumship is described as a form of communication with spirits. It is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Voodoo and Umbanda.- Concept :...
, Eusapia Palladino
Eusapia Palladino
Eusapia Palladino was a Spiritualist medium from Naples in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ....
, detailed in his book, "L'extériorisation de la motricité" (1896). He carried out research into hypnosis, and documented the phenomenon of "externalisation of sensibility" whereby hypnotised subjects acquire a physical sensitivity to stimuli at a distance; for example, the subject can be made to feel pain if a certain spot is pinched or pricked away from the body, and can even be made to feel the sensations of the hypnotist. He investigated other "magnetic
Animal magnetism
Animal magnetism , in modern usage, refers to a person's sexual attractiveness or raw charisma. As postulated by Franz Mesmer in the 18th century, the term referred to a supposed magnetic fluid or ethereal medium believed to reside in the bodies of animate beings...
" phenomena such as the transference of disease from one organism to another etc., past life regression
Past life regression
Past life regression is a technique that uses hypnosis to recover what practitioners believe are memories of past lives or incarnations, though others regard them as fantasies or delusions. Past life regression is typically undertaken either in pursuit of a spiritual experience, or in a...
, the effects of music on human emotion (see "Les Sentiments, la musique et le geste") etc. He also introduced the French public to the work of Carl Reichenbach
Carl Reichenbach
Baron Dr. Carl Ludwig von Reichenbach was a notable chemist, geologist, metallurgist, naturalist, industrialist and philosopher, and a member of the prestigious Prussian Academy of Sciences...
and his theory of odic force
Odic force
The Odic force is the name given in the mid-19th century to a hypothetical vital energy or life force by Baron Carl von Reichenbach...
.
External links
- Albert de Rochas (Bibliothèque Dauphinoise)