|
Apport
The name given to an object — such as a
piece of jewelry, money, fruit or flowers, even live animals — which supposedly
materializes out of nothing in the presence of a
medium
or psychic.
During the height of spiritualism in
the late 19h century, the production of apports, or 'apporting', was one of
the most common, prominent and effective
features at a
seance
— the live dove was a popular
favorite, sometimes flying through the air and striking the sitters.
At other times these apports would appear
on the table, or the laps of those present. Most mediums said the
objects were gifts from the spirits, but many were later exposed as frauds, being
discovered with objects hidden in their clothing to produce just at the right moment
during the seance, which were usually held in darkened rooms, making
sleight-of-hand much easier.
Branches of trees, armfuls of fruit and flowers, jewels, and live lobsters
are among the more extraordinary reported apports.
See
Seance,
Materialization,
Asport,
Casting Black Magic Spells,
Commanding Spirits,
The Tarot Store and
Divination & Scrying Tools and
Supplies.
Sources: (1)
Dictionary of the
Occult, Caxton
Publishing; (2) Spence, Lewis,
An Encyclopedia of
Occultism, Carol Publishing Group.
|
|
|
