The Phillip Experiment
The Philip Experiment is one of the most famous experiments in paranormal research because it tried to answer a strange question:
Can a group of people create a ghost using only imagination and belief?
The Philip Experiment (1972)
The experiment took place in Toronto, Canada in 1972 and was organized by mathematician Dr. A. R. G. Owen with help from psychologist Dr. Joel Whitton and members of the Toronto Society for Psychical Research.
The idea was simple but radical:
Instead of trying to contact a real dead person, the group would invent a completely fictional ghost and see if paranormal phenomena would still appear.
The Ghost They Created
The group invented a fictional 17th-century English nobleman named Philip Aylesford.
They wrote an entire backstory for him, including:
• Born in 1624 in England
• A supporter of the king during the English Civil War
• Married to a cold wife named Dorothea
• Fell in love with a Romani woman accused of witchcraft
• She was executed, and Philip later committed suicide in 1654.
None of it was real. The participants intentionally created a fake ghost.
The Séances Begin
The group started holding séances around a table, trying to communicate with Philip.
At first, nothing happened.
Then they changed the environment to resemble a classic séance:
• dim lights
• relaxed conversation
• singing and joking
• asking Philip questions.
Soon the group began reporting strange activity.
Reported Paranormal Phenomena
According to the participants:
• Knocking sounds answered questions
• The table vibrated and tilted
• The table sometimes moved across the room
• Cold breezes and strange sounds were reported.
They developed a communication system:
• 1 knock = yes
• 2 knocks = no
The “entity” seemed to respond correctly to questions about Philip’s fictional life.
However, Philip never appeared visually.
What the Experiment Was Trying to Prove
The researchers were testing a controversial theory:
Some paranormal investigators believe poltergeist activity might come from the human mind, not actual spirits.
The experiment attempted to show that:
collective belief + imagination might produce paranormal effects.
In other words:
People might unknowingly create ghost phenomena themselves.
Criticism of the Experiment
Many scientists and skeptics criticized the experiment.
Problems included:
• Loose scientific controls
• Possibility that participants moved the table subconsciously
• No clear proof the sounds weren’t produced by the group.
Because of this, the results are considered inconclusive.
Later Experiments
Other groups tried to repeat the experiment by creating fictional spirits such as:
• Lilith
• Humphrey
But the results were inconsistent.
Influence on Pop Culture
The Philip Experiment inspired several paranormal movies, including:
• The Apparition
• The Quiet Ones
Both films are loosely based on the idea of creating a ghost through psychic energy.
Why the Experiment Is Still Famous
The Philip Experiment sits at the crossroads of three ideas:
- Thoughtforms or tulpas
- Poltergeist phenomena
- Group psychology and expectation
Some paranormal researchers think it suggests the mind can influence physical reality, while skeptics see it as a powerful example of group suggestion and subconscious movement.