Save the Perishing Blog

A book was written about an interesting experiment which occurred in the 1970’s.

Eight members of the Toronto Society for Psychical Research documented an experiment where they fabricated a man named Philip and when they called out to him “something” answered! This experiment went on for years and is also recorded on video.

“They invented a man and brought him to psychic life! It was the most exciting event in the history of parapsychology. Each week, a group in Toronto gathered in a dusty hall and imagined a character who lived in Scotland in another century. They gave him a name, a personality, looks, a history, a home, and a love life.

Silently they sat around a table in the candlelight and summoned Philip to answer their calls. Again and again they sat in seance, waiting. And one night, Philip came.”

Before we continue lets quickly examine what the Bible says about demonic spirits and their character.

According to Jesus, Satan is a liar.

John 8:44
44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

Satan and the spirits who follow him can look like good guys.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

Demons deceive people with doctrines.

1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons…”

Demons preach a different Gospel.

Galations 1:8
“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.”

All spirits must be tested to see if they are from God.

1 John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Satan wants to be God.

Isaiah 14:2-14
2 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.‘

Satan wants you to be your own “god.”

Genesis 3:4
4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

How can an invisible entity communicate to physical people, leading them away from God’s Word? We are about to find out.

“Philip” was asked questions and responses such as table raps, table movements, levitation, lights turning on and off and more were recorded.

They asked Philip yes/no questions to see if he matched the profile the group invented. Most of the time Philip went along with the story, but he also lied.

One of the members named Barret “on one occasion asked if ‘it’ would respond by a given number of raps. He said ‘it’ did answer questions but just as often with lies as truth.” (page 130)

Other Evidence

The book mentions other poltergeist cases to further understand what was happening with their experiment. One such case was in Canada in 1889.

“Dinah Burdon McLean, a Scottish child, was adopted at the age of 11 by George and Susan Dagg. Shortly after Dinahs arrival poltergeist activity occurred. Percy Woodcock, a distinguished artist and a member of the Royal Canadian Academy, agreed to investigate the phenomenon for two days and write a report about it.

The activity was in the form of a gruff voice that could be heard speaking to Dinah. After ruling out Dinah and no one else nearby was producing the disembodied voice Mr. Woodcock asked ‘Are you there, Mister?’ According to the report ‘a deep gruff voice, as of an old man, seemingly within a four or five foot distance, replied instantly in language which cannot be repeated here.’ Mr. Woodcock asked who it was, and the reply was ‘I am the devil. I’ll have you in my clutches. Get out of here or I’ll break your neck.’ (page 133)

Later on “during the course of the conversation the voice modified its aggressive tone and became amiable and conciliatory. It apologized for the poltergeist phenomena and said it had caused them ‘for fun‘ and mean’t no real harm. It claimed that a neighbor, Mrs. Wallace, using the ‘Black Art’ had sent it to plague the Daggs.

At this, Woodcock fetched Mrs. Wallace and challenged the voice to accuse her to her face. Mrs. Wallace argued with the voice and involved it in several self-contradictory statements, whereupon it lost its temper and burst out plaintively, ‘Oh, don’t bother me so much – you make me lie!’ It became conciliatory again, and said it was sorry for its bad behavior.”

Later “the voice claimed ‘I am not the person who used the filthy language. I am an angel from Heaven sent…to drive away that fellow.’ But as time went on the voice changed its character, getting entangled in some of its answers, lost its temper, and said many things out of harmony with its supposed heavenly origin. However, it continued until 3 A.M., changing character once more, and singing hymns in a beautiful flutelike voice.” (page 134)

The Toronto group made some conclusions about this story. They said, “The voice communicated a personality–in fact, more than one. The scientific explanation is that it was the confused personality of the child herself”

Huh? The voice was being created by the 11 year old child???

Later it was admitted “However, the actual explanation for the physical production of the ‘direct voice’ is extremely baffling, more so than the production of raps and knockings, or the even more spectacular movement of objects, as in many other poltergeist cases.”

Thoughts create reality?

The Toronto Group does not discount there could be real spirits out there, but their experiments with Philip cause them to believe the source of the phenomenon is coming from themselves. Strong desires accompanied with visual representations of their desires caused Philip to appear.

In other words, strong wishes for good, or for evil, create thought forms such as Philip. The groups thoughts created Philip!

One reason they conclude this is because “In most meditation systems people are trained in visualization techniques. Some people who are good at visualization and who train themselves in this type of experience can have very striking visions, not only of people but of objects ‘seen.’ ” (page 147)

“…one group of people we know, who have been practicing meditation techniques for a period of three years, and who meet regularly (thus creating the same type of rapport within the group as the Philip sitters did), report that from time to time, in addition to experiencing group hallucinations when all the members are present, they have shared dreams, which are identical in all details. This is somewhat different from a telepathic communication received during a dream, when a thought might be transmitted, or possibly a symbolic picture, which might vary from person to person but convey the same thought. These people actually all had the same dream and were able to write it down in their own homes. Upon subsequent comparison, the details were all in agreement.” (page 148)

“In the Eastern world there is a great deal of literature on this subject, and there are many reports of holy men who can perform the feat of creating their own double, or tupla as it is called in Tibetan lore. There is a chapter describing this type of phenomena in ‘Magic and Mystery in Tibet’ (David-Neel 1972). The author gives an account of how the Tibetan holy men, by virtue of prayer and meditation, are sometimes able to create a thought-form duplicate of themselves, a tupla, which they use to protect themselves by sending it into situations where they might be in danger. Miss David-Neel says that after considerable learning and practice she was able to produce a tupla of her own, although in her case she did not produce a double of herself but ‘a monk, short and fat, of an innocent and jolly type.” She says that after a few months of concentration of thought, and performance of the necessary rites, the phantom monk was formed. His form gradually grew fixed and lifelike and he became a kind of guest living in her apartment. During the period she has been forming the monk she had been living quietly, but she then embarked on a journey, taking with her servants and tents. The monk came too!

She says that although she lived in the open, riding for many miles each day, the illusion persisted with her, behaving naturally as any member of the party would, and performing actions that she had not commanded. However, she says that he underwent an apparent personality change, and she felt that he had escaped her control. So she dissolved her phantom, but it took her six months to be finally rid of him. She relates that on at least one occasion, he was seen by someone else and taken for a lama. She finishes this account with the remark: ‘There is nothing strange in the fact that I may have created my own hallucination. The interesting point is that in these cases of materialization, others, too, see the thought-forms that have been created.” (pages 150-151)

Later the book goes on to talk about “faith.”

“The power of faith cannot be denied, but from a scientific point of view it is very difficult to say just what power it is. The power of the human will, autosuggestion, genuine love or desire–all these and many more possess an intangible spiritual force, that, in the biblical context, “can move mountains.” We have by no means reached that stage, of course, but the biblical expositions no longer seem as illusory or even as unscientific as they once did. We are told how Christ’s disciples, once they had the right kind of faith, were able to work miracles in His name. Does the whole operation of the healing force rest on one’s faith and confidence in being able to achieve it? There are profound ramifications to the answers to these questions–if these answers can be found.” (page 211)

Uri Geller is famous for his ability to bend metal spoons, keys, and other objects with his mind. “Similiarly, the young English psychic, Matthew Manning, who also bends metal in the same way, started to do this because he saw Uri Geller on television, and said to himself, ‘If he can do it, so can I.’ Faith again?” (page 213)

I am a “god”

So what conclusions can we make about all of this?

In the particular case of Philip the demonic entity has appealed to the pride of fallen man in order to lead the observers into believing people are little “gods” able to control reality with their will. If you wish for something hard enough it will manifest. This, in a nutshell, is witchcraft! Another version of this is called “The Secret.”

Witches today cast spells to control reality, and the Bible says witchcraft is rebellion against God.

Faith is not a force aimed at God to get what you want. The Biblical definition of faith as Jesus was describing…a faith that can move mountains…is referring to faith IN GOD AND HIS WILL.

What the entity Philip is teaching people is to have faith in YOURSELF, in YOUR ABILITIES, in YOUR DREAMS, in YOUR GOALS.

God is the only being in the universe who is capable of creating something out of nothing with His thoughts. Human beings do create things, even out of our imaginations, but we must use physical tools to create physical objects. That is different than simply focusing on something and your mind creates it out of thin air.

Jeremiah 10:11
Thus you shall say to them: “The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens.”

The entity Philip has cleverly lead these people and anyone who believes it, away from the truth that fallen man is not ascending to a higher plane of evolution to god-hood, but is instead, wicked by nature, that he is so lowly he cannot reach the true God by his own efforts.

Jeremiah 10:23
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.

The truth is not to be found in table rappings, visions, or meditations. The truth is we are all wicked before a Just and Holy God. You have lied in your life, stolen, used God’s name in vain, committed adultery by your lustful thoughts. In short, you have broken God’s commandments. One sin makes you a sinner. What should God do with you then when you face Him after death? Should He let a guilty criminal into His Heaven? The Bible says He will give you what you deserve, which is hell.

However, God did do something about this. He came down to the Earth as a man named Jesus Christ, lived a perfect life, died on a cross for your sins, and rose again on the third day!

Only by throwing yourself on His mercy will He grant you understanding of spiritual things, and save you from hell. Only by repenting of your sins, with a broken and contrite heart, admitting your lowliness before Him, trusting in Him alone for salvation as the only way to God will He find you “forgiven”.

If you are still not convinced take the good person test to see how you measure up.