Unknown Arthur Conan Doyle: how a writer communicated with spirits and promoted spiritualism
Unknown Arthur Conan Doyle: how a writer communicated with spirits and promoted spiritualism

Video: Unknown Arthur Conan Doyle: how a writer communicated with spirits and promoted spiritualism

Video: Unknown Arthur Conan Doyle: how a writer communicated with spirits and promoted spiritualism
Video: «История российского кино. Рождение мифа». Эпизод 2 (rus, eng) - YouTube 2024, November
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Writer, occultist, spiritualist Arthur Conan Doyle
Writer, occultist, spiritualist Arthur Conan Doyle

May 22 marks the 157th anniversary of the birth of the author of the legendary adventures of Sherlock Holmes, a famous English writer Arthur Conan Doyle … Few know that he was a member of the Golden Dawn Occult Society, President of the British College of Occult Sciences and the London Spiritual Society, the author of A History of Spiritualism and The Apparition of the Fairies. The writer believed in the existence of ghosts and took seances seriously. But some researchers call this another hoax associated with the name of Conan Doyle.

Arthur Conan Doyle in his youth and mature years
Arthur Conan Doyle in his youth and mature years

It is hard to believe that a doctor who received a bachelor of medicine and a master of surgery degree, who even treated his profession with a certain amount of skepticism, took stories about ghosts and ghosts seriously. Arthur Conan Doyle decided to study the other world after the death of his father - he died in a psychiatric hospital, and before that he claimed that he heard voices from the other world. The writer allegedly found his father's diary, in which he stated about the way he had found a way of communicating with the souls of the dead and begged his son to explore this reserved area of human consciousness.

Spiritual seance in 1890
Spiritual seance in 1890

Arthur Conan Doyle became interested in spiritualism and the occult at a time when his writing talent had already brought him international popularity. In 1916, he published an article in which he declared his belief in communication with the dead: “When I finished my medical education in 1882, like most doctors, I turned out to be a convinced materialist … I always looked on this topic as the greatest stupidity in the world; by that time I had read some stories about the scandalous revelations of mediums and was amazed at how a person, being of sound mind, could even believe such a thing. However, some of my friends were interested in spiritualism, and I took part in the table-spinning sessions with them. We have received coherent messages."

Writer, occultist, spiritualist Arthur Conan Doyle
Writer, occultist, spiritualist Arthur Conan Doyle

In 1917, during one of his public appearances, he announced that he renounced Christianity and switched to a "spiritualist religion." And in 1925 he already chaired the International Spiritualist Congress in Paris and gave lectures on Spiritualism. Contemporaries did not doubt the writer's mental health, but many suspected him of deliberate hoaxes. The fact is that several strange stories were really associated with his name, the participants of which were exposed for forgery.

Francis Griffith surrounded by fairies
Francis Griffith surrounded by fairies
Elsie and the Fairy with a Flower
Elsie and the Fairy with a Flower

In 1917, two sisters from Yorkshire, 10-year-old Frances Griffith and 16-year-old Elsie Wright, announced that they were communicating with fairies and provided photographs as evidence. The dancing fairies were captured on them! Of course, many doubted the authenticity of the photos, but Conan Doyle supported the girls and began to prove the version of the existence of fairies. In 1982, the sisters confessed that they had cut out images of fairies from books and pinned them to a bush with hairpins. On this occasion, the British writer Gilbert Chesterton said: "For a long time it seemed to me that by intellect Sir Arthur went more to Doctor Watson than to Sherlock Holmes."

Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle

Despite the critical reviews, in 1925 g. In his article “Spiritualism and the Progress of Humanity,” Conan Doyle wrote: “Spiritualism is undoubtedly the most important thing in the world and deserves to be given time … It takes time to understand this teaching. It took me many years to do that myself. Now for me there is nothing more important than this, because I know that this is the truth."

Spiritual seance
Spiritual seance

At 71, Conan Doyle predicted the date of his death: he invited his wife to his office and stated that the spirits had warned him that he would leave the world on July 7. After that, the writer handed his wife an envelope and asked to print it after his death. July 7, 1930 Arthur Conan Doyle passed away. And in his last message it was said: “I have defeated you, unbelieving gentlemen! There is no death. See you soon!.

Arthur Conan Doyle with his wife
Arthur Conan Doyle with his wife
Writer, occultist, spiritualist Arthur Conan Doyle
Writer, occultist, spiritualist Arthur Conan Doyle

No fewer mysteries are associated with the main character of the detectives Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes in life and on the screen: who was the prototype of the legendary literary and film hero

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