The Scole Experiment
For five years in a Norfolk farmhouse, a group claimed to produce physical evidence of the afterlife under scientific observation. Lights materialized, objects appeared from nowhere, and photographic film captured images from the dead. The results divided the paranormal community.
The Scole Experiment was an ambitious attempt to scientifically document evidence of life after death. From 1993 to 1998, a group in rural Norfolk claimed to produce physical phenomena - materialized objects, spirit lights, and photographs from beyond - under conditions designed to prevent fraud. The results, documented in meticulous detail, remain among the most controversial in paranormal research.
The Setup
The Scole Experimental Group formed in 1993 in the village of Scole, Norfolk, England. The core members were Robin and Sandra Foy and Alan and Diana Bennett. They conducted regular séances in the Foys’ cellar, which had been converted into a dedicated experimental space.
The group claimed contact with a “team” of spirits who agreed to produce physical evidence of survival after death. Unlike traditional physical mediumship, which required total darkness to protect “ectoplasm,” the Scole group worked in darkness for different stated reasons - the spirits explained they were using a new form of energy that was light-sensitive during manifestation.
The Phenomena
Over five years, the group documented numerous phenomena:
Spirit Lights: Balls and points of light that moved through the room, sometimes passing through solid objects or entering people’s bodies.
Materialized Objects (Apports): Small objects appeared during sessions, including a Churchill crown coin minted in 1965, jewelry, and historical documents.
Direct Voice: Voices spoke through a microphone-like device called the “germanium receptor,” appearing to come from empty air.
Spirit Touches: Sitters were touched by hands and other appendages that materialized and then vanished.
Photographic Evidence: Sealed rolls of film were placed in a locked box during sessions. When developed, they contained images - faces, symbols, text in various languages, and what appeared to be scenes from other times and places.
Scientific Investigation
In 1995, the Society for Psychical Research sent investigators Montague Keen, Arthur Ellison, and David Fontana to observe the sessions. Over two years, they attended multiple sessions and attempted to document or debunk the phenomena.
Their conclusions were remarkable: they found no evidence of fraud and considered the phenomena genuine. They published a 300-page report detailing their observations.
Key findings:
- Phenomena occurred under conditions that made conventional trickery difficult
- Photographic films showed no evidence of prior exposure or manipulation
- Materialized objects showed no signs of being smuggled in
- The investigators were unable to explain what they witnessed
The Critics
Not everyone was convinced:
Susan Blackmore: The prominent skeptic attended a session and remained unimpressed, noting the conditions were too uncontrolled to rule out fraud.
Other Researchers: Critics pointed out that the sitters knew each other well, that darkness prevented observation, and that the investigators were believers predisposed to accept the phenomena.
The Film Evidence: Skeptics suggested the photographic anomalies could have been created through double exposure or other techniques, despite the controls.
Motivation: Questions were raised about the Foys’ financial interest in the phenomena, as they later marketed books and conducted paid sessions.
The End
The experiment ended abruptly in 1998 when the “spirit team” announced they were moving on. Some later connected this to the death of Montague Keen in 2004. Whatever the reason, the Scole Experiment ceased, leaving behind extensive documentation but no ongoing demonstration of its phenomena.
Legacy
The Scole Experiment remains one of the most extensively documented claims of physical mediumship:
- Hundreds of pages of session notes
- Photographs and film images
- Audio recordings
- Reports from multiple investigators
Whether genuine evidence of survival after death, elaborate fraud, or collective delusion, the Scole Experiment represents either a landmark in paranormal research or a cautionary tale about the difficulty of investigating such claims.
The Scole Report is available through the Society for Psychical Research and continues to generate debate among researchers on both sides of the survival question.