TCDE-Team at 23:49, 11 November 2025

2025-11-11T23:49:55Z

TCDE-Team at 19:21, 31 May 2018

2018-05-31T19:21:51Z

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''Tests of Rudi Schneider'' is an article published in the [[Daily Mail]] on 4 december 1929, including a letter written by [[Arthur Conan Doyle]].

== Tests of Rudi Schneider ==
[[File:daily-mail-1929-12-04-p8-tests-of-rudi-schneider.jpg|350px|right|thumb|[[Daily Mail]] (4 december 1929, p. 8)]]

'''Sir A. Conan Doyle Replies'''

'''Carried Out Years Ago.'''

'''"Disciple" Taunt Refuted.'''

The controversy on spiritualism in which Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author, is engaged with Mr. Noel Maskelyne, the conjurer, and Commander Oliver Looker-Lampson, M.P., is carried a stage farther by a letter to-day from Sir Arthur.

Sir Arthur has defended Rudi Schneider, the young Austrian medium, and described the Maskelyne family as being parasitic upon spiritualism. Mr. Maskelyne in yesterday's Daily Mail retorted that every opportunity had been given to Rudi Schneider to come out into the daylight and let it be proved that there is no trickery in his manifestations.

Commander Locker-Lampson declared that mediums should be tested, and challenged Sir Arthur "to submit his disciple, Rudi Schneider, to a sufficient test.

Here is Sir Arthur's reply :

: To the Editor of "The Daily Mail."

: Sir, — Commander Locker-Lampson seems to me to be strangely ignorant of the history of psychic research.

: The brothers Willie and Rudi Schneider — they may be taken as one since their phenomena are the same — have been tested again and again in every possible way by independent observers of European celebrity.

: In Munich, for example, in the laboratory of Dr. Schrenck-Notzing, a hundred people of note, including professors from the Universities of Jena, Giessen, Upsala, Heidelberg, Münich, Tübingen, Freiburg, and Basle, tested the Schneider phenomena and were unanimous in their declaration that they were genuine.

: Commander Locker-Lampson therefore is somewhat belated in his demand for tests. Incidentally, I may inform him that I have never seen Schneider, so that his description of him as a "disciple" of mine is as well-informed as the rest of his letter.

: It is quite an easy thing to stop psychic phenomena, just as electrical phenomena may be stopped by adverse conditions. I would undertake to stop Rudi Schneider's results just as surely as Mr. Maskelyne could, by making him angry and self-conscious, surrounding him with an inharmonious atmosphere, and subjecting him to physical discomfort by tight bonds.

: Such methods prove nothing save the want of sense or humanity of the experimenter. Personally, I think that if a friendly but critical observer holds the hands of a medium that control should be enough to satisfy any reasonable person. Unless assured that his medium will be placed in harmonious conditions, I think that Mr. Price is quite right in refusing Capt. Maskelyne's proposal.

: Arthur Conan Doyle.
: Buckingham Palace-mansions, S.W.

----
* [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:Complete Works|Back to Complete Works]]
* [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle|Back to Conan Doyle]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:49, 12 November 2025
Line 12:		Line 12:
	'''"Disciple" Taunt Refuted.'''		'''"Disciple" Taunt Refuted.'''

	The controversy on spiritualism in which Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author, is engaged with Mr. Noel Maskelyne, the conjurer, and Commander Oliver Looker-Lampson, M.P., is carried a stage farther by a letter to-day from Sir Arthur.		The controversy on spiritualism in which [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle]], the author, is engaged with Mr. Noel Maskelyne, the conjurer, and Commander Oliver Looker-Lampson, M.P., is carried a stage farther by a letter to-day from [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle\|Sir Arthur]].

	Sir Arthur has defended Rudi Schneider, the young Austrian medium, and described the Maskelyne family as being parasitic upon spiritualism. Mr. Maskelyne in yesterday's Daily Mail retorted that every opportunity had been given to Rudi Schneider to come out into the daylight and let it be proved that there is no trickery in his manifestations.		[[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle\|Sir Arthur]] has defended Rudi Schneider, the young Austrian medium, and described the Maskelyne family as being parasitic upon spiritualism. Mr. Maskelyne in yesterday's [[Daily Mail]] retorted that every opportunity had been given to Rudi Schneider to come out into the daylight and let it be proved that there is no trickery in his manifestations.

	Commander Locker-Lampson declared that mediums should be tested, and challenged Sir Arthur "to submit his disciple, Rudi Schneider, to a sufficient test.		Commander Locker-Lampson declared that mediums should be tested, and challenged [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle\|Sir Arthur]] "to submit his disciple, Rudi Schneider, to a sufficient test.

	Here is Sir Arthur's reply :		Here is [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle\|Sir Arthur]]'s reply :

	: <~~span class="~~q">To the Editor of "The Daily Mail."</~~span~~>		: <q>To the Editor of "The Daily Mail."</q>

	: <~~span class="~~q">Sir, — Commander Locker-Lampson seems to me to be strangely ignorant of the history of psychic research.</~~span~~>		: <q>Sir, — Commander Locker-Lampson seems to me to be strangely ignorant of the history of psychic research.</q>

	: <~~span class="~~q">The brothers Willie and Rudi Schneider — they may be taken as one since their phenomena are the same — have been tested again and again in every possible way by independent observers of European celebrity.</~~span~~>		: <q>The brothers Willie and Rudi Schneider — they may be taken as one since their phenomena are the same — have been tested again and again in every possible way by independent observers of European celebrity.</q>

	: <~~span class="~~q">In Munich, for example, in the laboratory of Dr. Schrenck-Notzing, a hundred people of note, including professors from the Universities of Jena, Giessen, Upsala, Heidelberg, Münich, Tübingen, Freiburg, and Basle, tested the Schneider phenomena and were unanimous in their declaration that they were genuine.</~~span~~>		: <q>In Munich, for example, in the laboratory of Dr. Schrenck-Notzing, a hundred people of note, including professors from the Universities of Jena, Giessen, Upsala, Heidelberg, Münich, Tübingen, Freiburg, and Basle, tested the Schneider phenomena and were unanimous in their declaration that they were genuine.</q>

	: <~~span class="~~q">Commander Locker-Lampson therefore is somewhat belated in his demand for tests. Incidentally, I may inform him that I have never seen Schneider, so that his description of him as a "disciple" of mine is as well-informed as the rest of his letter.</~~span~~>		: <q>Commander Locker-Lampson therefore is somewhat belated in his demand for tests. Incidentally, I may inform him that I have never seen Schneider, so that his description of him as a "disciple" of mine is as well-informed as the rest of his letter.</q>

	: <~~span class="~~q">It is quite an easy thing to stop psychic phenomena, just as electrical phenomena may be stopped by adverse conditions. I would undertake to stop Rudi Schneider's results just as surely as Mr. Maskelyne could, by making him angry and self-conscious, surrounding him with an inharmonious atmosphere, and subjecting him to physical discomfort by tight bonds.</~~span~~>		: <q>It is quite an easy thing to stop psychic phenomena, just as electrical phenomena may be stopped by adverse conditions. I would undertake to stop Rudi Schneider's results just as surely as Mr. Maskelyne could, by making him angry and self-conscious, surrounding him with an inharmonious atmosphere, and subjecting him to physical discomfort by tight bonds.</q>

	: <~~span class="~~q">Such methods prove nothing save the want of sense or humanity of the experimenter. Personally, I think that if a friendly but critical observer holds the hands of a medium that control should be enough to satisfy any reasonable person. Unless assured that his medium will be placed in harmonious conditions, I think that Mr. Price is quite right in refusing Capt. Maskelyne's proposal.</~~span~~>		: <q>Such methods prove nothing save the want of sense or humanity of the experimenter. Personally, I think that if a friendly but critical observer holds the hands of a medium that control should be enough to satisfy any reasonable person. Unless assured that his medium will be placed in harmonious conditions, I think that Mr. Price is quite right in refusing Capt. Maskelyne's proposal.</q>

	: <~~span class="~~q">Arthur Conan Doyle.</~~span~~>		: <q>Arthur Conan Doyle.</q>
	: <~~span class="~~q">Buckingham Palace-mansions, S.W.</~~span~~>		: <q>Buckingham Palace-mansions, S.W.</q>

Tests of Rudi Schneider - Revision history

TCDE-Team at 23:49, 11 November 2025

TCDE-Team at 19:21, 31 May 2018