Br Brian Allan & Barry Fitzgerald
In 1993, physical mediums Alan and Diana Bennett conducted a series of experiments that
created a muted stir among some in the scientific community. Their comrades in the five year
process were Robin and Sandra Foy. This UK based psychical research team met twice a
week inside the basement of the Foy's home in Scole, near Diss in Norfolk, UK, with the
intention of capturing definitive proof for the scientific community to support the theory of
life after death. This is no small task since by its very nature science is evidence based and
reproducible evidence at that. Besides, most scientists tend to reject out of hand anything
even remotely paranormal on the basis that it can’t be true, often despite some quite
overwhelming evidence.
The traditional trappings of spiritualism do not help either, the prayers, darkened rooms and
items such as trumpets etc. do not instil confidence in any dispassionate observer intent on
viewing the project both rationally and scientifically. It is perhaps the determination of the
participants to attach a religious significance to the proceedings that created a mantle of
superstition that permeated the entire project. The Scole researchers were assisted by a group
of discarnate entities from the spirit realm whom they dubbed, ‘the spirit team’.
The ‘spirit team’, according to the Scole researchers, was comprised of specialists in various
disciplines who continued with their interests even after they passed on. One of the items
presented by the spirit team was a diagram of what appears to be a modified crystal set using
a piece of Germanium (a semi-conductor) with suitable circuitry to achieve direct audio input
to a tape recorder. It would be simple to de-bunk or deny the well-documented findings and
reports, but this would serve no real purpose, it certainly would not present a credible
explanation for what transpired. Therefore, we should approach the events described here
with an open mind, albeit in terms of ‘high strangeness’. The experiments ended up capturing
huge amounts of data and other material, most of which, 25 years later, still remains a
mystery. Phenomena such as small, 5mm sized lights would appear in the darkness of the
séance room, in this case the cellar in the Foy’s home. These lights and strange sounds were
captured on video. Also, the accounts of those present actually being touched were just some
of the more frequent phenomena reported, but it didn't end there.