Materialization (parapsychology)
Encyclopedia
In spiritualism
, paranormal
literature, and some religion
s, materialization (also referred to as manifestation) is the creation or appearance of matter
from unknown sources. It is the transformation of something abstract or virtual into something concrete and tangible. The existence of materialization would contradict the generally accepted law of conservation of energy
.
include the biblical story of the multiplication of bread and fish by Jesus
to feed a hungry crowd (John 6:1-15 & Mark 6:35-44) and Genesis where everything came out of nothing.
Contemporary Indian guru
s Sathya Sai Baba
and Swami Premananda claim to perform materializations and spontaneous vibuthi (holy ash) manifestations are reported by Baba's followers on his pictures at their homes and once in diwali a festival of hindus he transformed water into oil for lighting fire lamps(diva).
the generally accepted law of conservation of energy
.
Spiritualism
Spiritualism is a belief system or religion, postulating the belief that spirits of the dead residing in the spirit world have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living...
, paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
literature, and some religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
s, materialization (also referred to as manifestation) is the creation or appearance of matter
Matter
Matter is a general term for the substance of which all physical objects consist. Typically, matter includes atoms and other particles which have mass. A common way of defining matter is as anything that has mass and occupies volume...
from unknown sources. It is the transformation of something abstract or virtual into something concrete and tangible. The existence of materialization would contradict the generally accepted law of conservation of energy
Conservation of energy
The nineteenth century law of conservation of energy is a law of physics. It states that the total amount of energy in an isolated system remains constant over time. The total energy is said to be conserved over time...
.
History
Accounts of materialization in ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
include the biblical story of the multiplication of bread and fish by Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
to feed a hungry crowd (John 6:1-15 & Mark 6:35-44) and Genesis where everything came out of nothing.
Contemporary Indian guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
s Sathya Sai Baba
Sathya Sai Baba
Śri Sathya Sai Baba , born as Sathyanarayana Raju was an Indian guru, spiritual figure, mystic, philanthropist, and educator. He claimed to be the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi, a spiritual saint and miracle worker who died in 1918 and whose teachings were an eclectic blend of Hindu and...
and Swami Premananda claim to perform materializations and spontaneous vibuthi (holy ash) manifestations are reported by Baba's followers on his pictures at their homes and once in diwali a festival of hindus he transformed water into oil for lighting fire lamps(diva).
Scientific views
The existence of materialization was not confirmed by laboratory experiments. Confirmation would falsifyFalsifiability
Falsifiability or refutability of an assertion, hypothesis or theory is the logical possibility that it can be contradicted by an observation or the outcome of a physical experiment...
the generally accepted law of conservation of energy
Conservation of energy
The nineteenth century law of conservation of energy is a law of physics. It states that the total amount of energy in an isolated system remains constant over time. The total energy is said to be conserved over time...
.
Literature
- Nandor FodorNandor FodorNandor Fodor was a British and American parapsychologist, psychologist, author and journalist of Hungarian birth, one of the leading authorities on poltergeists, haunting and all kinds of paranormal phenomena usually associated with mediumship...
: Materialization. In: Encyclopedia of Psychic Science. London 1934 - Erlendur HaraldssonErlendur HaraldssonErlendur Haraldsson is a Professor emeritus of psychology at the Faculty of social science at the University of Iceland who, despite having retired from his former post at the University of Iceland, continues to be an active academic. He has published work in various parapsychology journals, and...
& Joop Houtkoper: Report on an Indian Swami Claiming to Materialize Objects: The Value and Limitations of Field Observations. In: Journal of Scientific ExplorationJournal of Scientific ExplorationThe Journal of Scientific Exploration is a quarterly scientific journal of fringe science published by the Society for Scientific Exploration that was established in 1987...
. Vol. 8, No. 3, 1994, pp. 381–397 (PDF; 1 MB) - Albert von Schrenck-NotzingAlbert von Schrenck-NotzingAlbert Freiherr von Schrenck-Notzing was a German physician, psychiatrist and notable psychic researcher, who devoted his time to the study of paranormal events connected with mediumship, hypnotism and telepathy...
: Phenomena of Materialisation. 1920 (Materialisationsphänomene. 1913)