Ectoplasm (paranormal)

In spiritualism, ectoplasm, also known as simply ecto, is a substance or spiritual energy "exteriorized" by physical mediums. It was coined in 1894 by psychical researcher Charles Richet.^[1] Although the term is widespread in popular culture,^[2] there is no scientific evidence that ectoplasm exists^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6] and many purported examples were exposed as hoaxes fashioned from cheesecloth, gauze or other natural substances.^[7]^[8]

The term comes from the Ancient Greek words ἐκτός ektos, "outside" and πλάσμα plasma, "anything formed".

^ Blom, Jan Dirk. (2010). A Dictionary of Hallucinations. Springer. p. 168. ISBN 978-1-4419-1222-0
^ Badley, Linda (1995). Film, Horror, and the Body Fantastic. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 45–. ISBN 978-0-313-27523-4.
^ Pulliam, June; Fonseca, Anthony (26 September 2016). Ghosts in Popular Culture and Legend. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. pp. 89–. ISBN 978-1-4408-3491-2.
^ Cite error: The named reference Keene was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Ectoplasm" Archived 2011-01-11 at the Wayback Machine. Glossary of Key Words Frequently Used in Parapsychology, Parapsychological Association (2006-01-24).
^ Hines, Terence (2003). Pseudoscience and the Paranormal. Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books. pp. 44–. ISBN 978-1-61592-085-3.
^ Stein, Gordon (1993). Encyclopedia of Hoaxes. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Gale Group. p. 205. ISBN 0-8103-8414-0. One strange phenomena of spiritualism, once popular, was the production of ectoplasm. This was a white substance that appeared to ooze from various openings of the medium's body. It was usually made of gauze, chiffon, or cheesecloth, often soaked or treated with various substances.
^ Frazier, Kendrick (2009). Science Under Siege: Defending Science, Exposing Pseudoscience. Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books. pp. 330–. ISBN 978-1-61592-594-0.

[1] Blom, Jan Dirk. (2010). A Dictionary of Hallucinations. Springer. p. 168. ISBN 978-1-4419-1222-0

[Badley1995-2] Badley, Linda (1995). Film, Horror, and the Body Fantastic. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 45–. ISBN 978-0-313-27523-4.

[PulliamFonseca2016-3] Pulliam, June; Fonseca, Anthony (26 September 2016). Ghosts in Popular Culture and Legend. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. pp. 89–. ISBN 978-1-4408-3491-2.

[Keene-4] Cite error: The named reference Keene was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[5] "Ectoplasm" Archived 2011-01-11 at the Wayback Machine. Glossary of Key Words Frequently Used in Parapsychology, Parapsychological Association (2006-01-24).

[Hines2003-6] Hines, Terence (2003). Pseudoscience and the Paranormal. Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books. pp. 44–. ISBN 978-1-61592-085-3.

[7] Stein, Gordon (1993). Encyclopedia of Hoaxes. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Gale Group. p. 205. ISBN 0-8103-8414-0. One strange phenomena of spiritualism, once popular, was the production of ectoplasm. This was a white substance that appeared to ooze from various openings of the medium's body. It was usually made of gauze, chiffon, or cheesecloth, often soaked or treated with various substances.

[Frazier2009-8] Frazier, Kendrick (2009). Science Under Siege: Defending Science, Exposing Pseudoscience. Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books. pp. 330–. ISBN 978-1-61592-594-0.

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