; - - 50001-2 Journal of the Society for Psychical Reseadypproved For Releas¢ 2003/99/19, CUARRERE 00792R0007003 (p. 8). If Noémia did have dissociative episodes, we could suppose that, while in a dissociated state, she could have ‘spirited away’ the properties and returned them after a time; given an amnesia between the dissociated personality and Noémia’s normal self, this seems quite plausible. At any rate for the events which were not directly witnessed, if we dismiss the RSPK perspective, then the one responsible for this kind of occurrence could easily be an outsider: é.g., a ‘sorcerer’... (7) It’s curious to notice that the first PPG-like events took the appearance of two floor-polishers breakdowns, one of which belonged to the neighbour. If we disregard the short-circuit possibility as did Marcos (p. 13), this event plus the breaking of the front door’s lock (p. 8) twice are suggestive of the presence of (one or more) malfunction-linked person(s) (MLP) in the family. And what a coincidence, it was then Noémia who was using the machine with Judite! Of course situational stress, like in the present case, tends to favour MLP activity (Morris, 1986). However, there seems to be legitimate PPG cases: for example, the ‘Suzano poltergeist’ case attested by police officers (Andrade, 1982) and which has been recently reviewed by Carlos 8. Alvarado (1984). But, contrary to that case, in the present one—where the PPG events are still, for Andrade (p. 12), “blackmagic related’—the actual initiation of the fire was not directly witnessed (except with the machines): that’s where his interpretation stumbles; because there could be here a possibility of fraud, conscious (the ‘sorcerer’} or not (Noémia—or someone else— possible dissociative episodes). It should be noted that, in 12 of the 32 cases (37%) directly studied by the IBPP, PPG occurred (Andrade, 1988) GENERAL Discussion One wonders whether there are any cases as complicated and dramatic as the present one. In fact, Gauld & Cornell (1979) quoted two cases with no apparent sorcery component: the Naples (1696-7) and the Rerrick ( 1695) cases, where, among other disturbances, there occurred apport phenomena of diverse kinds, incendiary phenomena, persons were hurt by an invisible assailant, phantasms were seen, and, in the Naples case, the subject talked with a demon ‘dressed in white with a face the colour of fire’ (p. 162) almost as did Noémia! Two other cases presented a sorcery component: the Fewston (1621-2) and the Bristol (1761-2) cases, where witches claimed responsibility for the death of children who were subjected to divers bodily afflictions. Another well-known case is that of Eleonore Zugun (1925-7) investigated by Harry Price. Eleonore was a Rumanian girl victimized by a poltergeist in a manner similar to what happened to Noémia, i.€., scratching (and biting) her skin. The RSPK activity (stone-throwing, removal or delivery of apported objects .. .) also followed her wherever she went, from Vienna to London and right into Price’s own laboratory (Price, 1926). More recently, the Mulhouse case (1977-81), France, investigated by Hans Bender and his team (Bender & Jacquey, 1984) presented similar characteristics to the Guarulhos’s. There were also apparitions (of a black shape), cuts on a person and on sheets, moving of books including a Bible, disappearance of money and of papers that were found under a mattress in the new family house, etc. 204 The Guarulhos Poltergeist 5 in the light of Stevenson’s (1972) Hens coalysis devi Peete eihelp the investigator" discriminate living from i te agents we may find a kind of mixing between effects supposed ie belong to both types of agency (pp. 248-249). Indeed, features be onging (0 discaraate agency occurred: heavy objects €.8-5 stones an vit S were move in sometimes ina complicated trajectory (cl. Nocmia s fami ass 2 eave), a object ane Fa) was he cbject of destructive and injuring impulses, there een vication (of Noémia) with an apparent discarnate persona ity sheno vena were localized around family members and places (e.g., PP int ; ne house though the family had moved) and exorcism offered several times asa first tion of the physical disturbances (e-g., in the first house after t teeing Pedro wi h the ‘monster’ during Marcos’s family stay there). Features nein rear livin vagency also occurred: the short range of distance over wn ol ty S., were moved, breakage of objects were commons ne seem a ae artiiondl Pe ea aeg and phenomena seemed to be localized around a phen cur , Pace oe at to recor to the Batcheldorian framework and jo Mor i i ive, But one must wonde in the aa with sical se ae living nor a discarnate agency pattern, omg exp ined otherwise, especially if we dismiss a massive fray 3 a a ve (Hl vt n, 1989) It’s worth noting that this RSPK case is clear y ee pn sade ctive religious and magic content (Winkelman, ). Moree the mnsitives of the Church with their ‘prophetic utterance’, oreoeding everal RSPK events, could have led to the establishment of growing eepectane set which triggered some of the paranormal outbreaks. on recent one Guarulhos case is certainly one of the richest poltergeist cases in rece ara . chological history. Whether the phenomena reported are ce rend Pevcholog’ lly or paranormally based (or some combination 0 cape he acer enol clear. Perhaps what is most clear is that a complex role : * © : sis ' intel i ase could serve as : one con Wd read into it whatever aseches, the result reflecting more perhaps h son’s own beliefs, predispositions, and biases, than about the acs ‘hem: i ew e still have much to learn from cross-cultural studies no only vhout the peculiarities of psi manifestations but also about the limits of our o understanding. pattern analysis devis one could reac LEDGEMENTS .. Sand helo in ae very grateful to Mario Varvoglis for his suggestions ae ad i i ; English. Special thanks are due to Professor Ro a . Morea higetaff, at the Koestler Chair of Parapsychology, for having a owe four ne lib at there: also to K. Morgan, C. Watt and L. R. Gissurarson | or he Ae alatine discussions we had, during my brief stay at Edinburgh in 5 1988. 11, rue du Pont Hardy 77400 Lagny sur Marne Approved For Release 2003/09/10 : CIA-RBPY6.00792R000700350001-2 205
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