Jan Guzyk (1875–1928), also known as Jan Guzik was a Polish spiritualist

medium Medium may refer to: Science and technology Aviation *Medium bomber, a class of war plane *Tecma Medium, a French hang glider design Communication * Media (communication), tools used to store and deliver information or data * Medium of ...

known for his alleged ability of

psychokinesis Psychokinesis (from grc, ψυχή, , soul and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), or telekinesis (from grc, τηλε, , far off and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), is a hypothetical psychic ability allowing a person ...

.Brower, M. Brady. (2010). ''Unruly Spirits: The Science of Psychic Phenomena in Modern France''. University of Illinois Press. pp. 133-135. Guzyk was exposed as a fraud by psychical researchers

Harry Price Harry Price (17 January 1881 – 29 March 1948) was a British psychic researcher and author, who gained public prominence for his investigations into psychical phenomena and exposing fraudulent spiritualist mediums. He is best known for ...

and

Max Dessoir Maximilian Dessoir (8 February 1867 – 19 July 1947) was a German philosopher, psychologist and theorist of aesthetics. Career Dessoir was born in Berlin, into a German Jewish family, his parents being Ludwig Dessoir (1810-1874), "Germany's ...

Biography

Guzyk was born in the village of Rączna, near

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

. He was the son of a weaver. He became a medium at the age of fifteen. It was alleged he could materialize spirits and perform

levitation Levitation (from Latin ''levitas'' "lightness") is the process by which an object is held aloft in a stable position, without mechanical support via any physical contact. Levitation is accomplished by providing an upward force that counteracts ...

and

of objects. Guzyk was endorsed by the psychical researcher

Gustav Geley Gustav Geley (13 April 1868 – 15 July 1924) was a French physician, psychical researcher and director of the Institute Metapsychique International from 1919 to 1924.

Investigations

Skeptical investigator Paul Heuzé and a professional illusionist known as Professor Dicksonn suspected that Guzyk was fraudulent and that Geley and other psychical researchers had been duped by trickery. In November 1923, Heuzé organized five scientists, including French physicist

Paul Langevin Paul Langevin (; ; 23 January 1872 – 19 December 1946) was a French physicist who developed Langevin dynamics and the Langevin equation. He was one of the founders of the ''Comité de vigilance des intellectuels antifascistes'', an an ...

to observe Guzyk during a series of séances at

Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...

. Objects were moved but only in close reach of the medium. They committee concluded that he had freed one of his legs to perform the phenomena. When tighter controls were introduced, nothing happened. Their report published in the ''L'Année Psychologique'', stated that fraud was "complete and without reserve". Guzyk was said to have utilized his elbows and legs to move objects around the room and touch the sitters. He was caught cheating by the psychical researcher

. According to Price the "man was clever, especially with his feet, which were almost as useful to him as his hands in producing phenomena." Price, Harry. (1942). ''Search for Truth: My Life for Psychical Research''. Collins p. 206 Price also noted that Guzyk impersonated a "spirit" animal during a séance by placing his hand in a

stocking Stockings (also known as hose, especially in a historical context) are close-fitting, variously elastic garments covering the leg from the foot up to the knee or possibly part or all of the thigh. Stockings vary in color, design, and transpare ...

to stimulate the illusion of a snapping

jaw The jaw is any opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term ''jaws'' is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serv ...

.Tabori, Paul. (1974). ''Harry Price: The Biography of a Ghosthunter''. Sphere Books. pp. 118-119. Psychologist

wrote that the trick of Guzyk was to use his "foot for psychic touches and sounds". Spence, Lewis. (2003). ''Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology''. Kessinger Publishing. p. 399. He was investigated many times and his mediumship was detected in fraud. At a séance in Kraków in December 1924 a photograph showed him moving a curtain with his hand.

Walter Franklin Prince Walter Franklin Prince (22 April 1863 – 7 August 1934) was an American parapsychologist and founder of the Boston Society for Psychical Research in Boston.Berger, Arthur S. (1988). ''Walter Franklin Prince: A Portrait''. In ''Lives and Letter ...

who attended séances with Guzyk came to the conclusion he had no paranormal ability.Berger, Arthur. (1988). ''Lives and Letters in American Parapsychology: A Biographical History, 1850-1987''. McFarland & Company. p. 95. The psychical researcher Paul Tabori has written that it was established beyond doubt that Guzyk had cheated at his séances.

Biography

Investigations

References

Further reading