Spiritist séances and psychic phenomena in 20th century Greece.

A century ago, experiments with mediums, their involvement in solving police cases and newspaper articles on the interpretation and understanding of parapsychological phenomena were commonplace in Greece.

It may seem incredible today, but about a century ago, experiments with mediums in Greece and Europe, their involvement in solving police cases, and newspaper articles on the interpretation and understanding of parapsychological phenomena were all the rage in Greece and Europe. The paradox is that, in a way, it was fashionable. Of course, spiritism had already taken its first steps in Greece in the 19th century. First with the revolving tables and spiritism séances, the special spiritism ceremonies in the salons of Athenian high society, where mid-century scholars sought the transcendent. Then with the experimental societies that sought to spread spiritist ideas, and later with the circle of the satirical poet Souris, who brought spiritism séances back into fashion in the capital after many years. With the intellectual world at the table in search of the mysterious, spiritism entered the 20th century, a new era. It reflected attempts not to deceive the public, as well as reports of experiments and special events in the press.

In the mid-1950s, one can get a multi-layered picture of how both spiritism and the actions of people immersed in psychophysiology manifested themselves. Geometric shapes moving through space, intuitive experiences that led to arrests and investigations that terrified society appeared in the newspapers.

What was the Parapsychological Research Society (EPSE) and what did Tanagras' work consist of?

The EPSE was the first institutionalised attempt to record and explain parapsychological phenomena in Greece. Its nucleus, its starting point and its leading figure was Angelos Tanagras. Tanagras, who was born Angelos Evaggelidis in March 1877, studied medicine in Greece and Germany. He had an impressive appearance - he was tall, imposing, with a piercing gaze - but also an impressive career as an infantry officer who participated in the Greek-Turkish war of 1897, the Cretan revolution and the Balkan wars.

Tanagras was a psychophysiologist. Psychophysiology is the scientific aspect of parapsychic phenomena and would later become known as parapsychology, although Tanagras never used the term. EPSE was officially launched on 5 December 1924 during the third series of lectures he gave at the Lyceum of Greek Women (...).

It is clear that Tanagras contributed in an organised way to the study of psychic phenomena with his EPSE and was a pioneer in this field for many years, causing a sensation with his psychic demonstrations and his members in the newspapers of the time. In the early years of the society's existence, the newspaper "Athinai" published on 1 October 1926 an article entitled: "From the world of psychic mysteries - Hypnosis and hypnotic subjugation - Yesterday's psychic demonstration of the Society for Psychical Research".

The experiments

EPSE conducted experiments that took place between Greece and abroad. During a telepathic experiment, symbols and geometrical shapes were "emitted" and received by psychics such as Mrs. Zakynthinou, Mrs. Pavlatou, Konstantina, Mrs. Herofili, Mrs. Kikidou, Mrs. Skarlatou, Mrs. Perakaki, and reproduced them in the form they had in their imagination. Perakaki and reproduced them in the form in which his imagination portrayed them. In the "Vradini" of 28 April 1938 there is an article entitled "Athens-London Telepathic Experiments", in which, among other things, the manner in which the experiments were carried out is mentioned in detail.

Psychics and case solving

The involvement of clairvoyants in solving cases is made clear in another publication from 1934. In it, the name of Mrs. Zakynthinos appears. The publication of 30 August of the same year in "Vradini" is entitled "How a clairvoyant put the police authorities on the trail of two robbers", and describes the case in terrifying detail, as well as Zakynthinou's activity in solving the case. The predictions are detailed: from the age of the perpetrators and the exact tram they took, to the women they met after the robbery and their ages, to their final destination, Tabouria. After the evidence emerged, the passer-by and his journalist friend turned not to the police, "because the police authorities "could not believe these stories", as the article states, but to the shipping industry. After the necessary formalities were completed, the arrest was made. The perpetrators were two sailors from a ship's crew who were wanted as thieves. According to the newspaper, they had stolen a suitcase containing a dinner jacket, a fur coat, women's amphibious items, a necklace, a handbag, a luxury compact, etc., with a total value of 20,000 drachmas. Mrs. Zakynthinou, whom the victim asked for help in solving the case, is described as one of the best psychics of the Psychical Research Society, known for her truly astonishing successes to date.

Specifically, it says among other things: «La policía del Pireo y en particular la Autoridad de Seguridad Portuaria han detenido a dos ladrones que fueron localizados por una clarividente de la Sociedad de Investigación Psíquica, la Sra. Eleni Zakynthinos. It is the first time that a psychic has managed to penetrate a completely obscure case and reveal names and facts with astonishing success (....). Una vez más, la Sociedad de Investigación Psíquica, a través de la Sra. Zakynthinou, su mejor psíquica telepática, ha servido a la sociedad llevando a dos elementos malvados ante la justicia».