The Noah's Ark Society newsletters

I've started scanning a few of the early NAS newsletters and posted them on my website. I'll be scanning some more in the future.

Here's the link...

http://nasnewsletter.blogspot.co.uk/

nick pettitt wrote:I've started scanning a few of the early NAS newsletters and posted them on my website. I'll be scanning some more in the future.

Here's the link...

http://nasnewsletter.blogspot.co.uk/

Interesting. Thanks Nick.

Many thanks Nick

I have all the newsletters scanned and OCR formatted into 'Microsoft Word' .doc file format.

That's very interesting Mac a very worthwhile collection. What the recent debate show on here is that whilst we are developing a huge resource up to the 1920's we are stuck on digitising more modern material like the whole of the back issue of Psychic News, Light from 1920 on, the USA's Psychic Observer and a few other oddments.

Admin wrote:That's very interesting Mac a very worthwhile collection. What the recent debate show on here is that whilst we are developing a huge resource up to the 1920's we are stuck on digitising more modern material like the whole of the back issue of Psychic News, Light from 1920 on, the USA's Psychic Observer and a few other oddments.

They're what I mentioned I had once intended to index, Jim, way back when I had enough interest and there might have been folk who would read 'em...

I'd love to again see Psychic News as it used to be but I don't have even a single copy of those fragile newspapers. I binned mine after a few months holding them for reference. Oh the joy of the digital age where files can be stored cheaply and easily! But even if copies of PN were available to scan and document it would be a huge undertaking.

Hopefully one day, sadly the only cost effective way may be with Gale Cengage they asked me about Harbinger of Light. The sad thing is that would be pay to see without money going back to sat Psychic news. Its the great thing IAPSOP are doing they use their own money and donations to give all of us free access. Google and Gale would love to get on the action I am sure.

In relation to an article I am writing for Psypioneer Paul Gaunt kindly sent me a copy of the first ever psychic news in adobe format.

Admin wrote:Hopefully one day, sadly the only cost effective way may be with Gale Cengage they asked me about Harbinger of Light. The sad thing is that would be pay to see without money going back to sat Psychic news. Its the great thing IAPSOP are doing they use their own money and donations to give all of us free access. Google and Gale would love to get on the action I am sure.

In relation to an article I am writing for Psypioneer Paul Gaunt kindly sent me a copy of the first ever psychic news in adobe format.

No such thing as a free lunch - somebody, somewhere, is paying....

Well in terms of IAPSOP its the founders who are paying for the benefit of researchers everywhere, like the archive.org site.

It's heartwarming that individuals are prepared to fund their ventures and others benefit from it.

mac wrote:I have all the newsletters scanned and OCR formatted into 'Microsoft Word' .doc file format.

I have just spotted this mac, to my surprise. I won't tell our mutual friend !

I didn't realise you didn't know, normy.  

As for our mutual friend he's been angling  on PM4U in the past to get NAS stuff.  I know you're friends with him but he's not someone who actually cares about people or how things affect them and he's the last guy I'd entrust with such information.

He's not a friend mac, but he helps to get discussions going which I find interesting and challenging. You're probably right in your opinions about him.

nick pettitt wrote:I've started scanning a few of the early NAS newsletters and posted them on my website. I'll be scanning some more in the future.

Here's the link...

http://nasnewsletter.blogspot.co.uk/

I really looked through this Nick, having scanned and posted this is a long term job for you but really well done.

Jim

mac wrote:I have all the newsletters scanned and OCR formatted into 'Microsoft Word' .doc file format.

Mac, do you know who owns the copyright of the Newsletters ?

mac wrote:No I don't know the legal copyright situation.

It was discussed somewhere fairly recently (it might have been this website, I just can't remember) and the suggestion was that contributors to the newsletters gave up their individual copyright to the NAS.  There is, of course, now no society so it's anyone's guess what happens to copyright - perhaps it returns to each individual author?  

To me it doesn't make sense that George could withhold, or grant, permission to use any NAS material other than his own.  He's no longer president and there's no longer a society but maybe its constitution dealt with such a foreseeable situation when it was drawn up.  If so that constitution might be registered somewhere with consequential impact on copyright.

Thanks mac. George seemed to imply he had the power to grant free use of NAS material, when he said by email to me he'd think about it, but I might have assumed incorrectly. I don't know if he's still very ill.

normy wrote:

mac wrote:No I don't know the legal copyright situation.

It was discussed somewhere fairly recently (it might have been this website, I just can't remember) and the suggestion was that contributors to the newsletters gave up their individual copyright to the NAS.  There is, of course, now no society so it's anyone's guess what happens to copyright - perhaps it returns to each individual author?  

To me it doesn't make sense that George could withhold, or grant, permission to use any NAS material other than his own.  He's no longer president and there's no longer a society but maybe its constitution dealt with such a foreseeable situation when it was drawn up.  If so that constitution might be registered somewhere with consequential impact on copyright.

Thanks mac. George seemed to imply he had the power to grant free use of NAS material, when he said by email to me he'd think about it, but I might have assumed incorrectly.  I don't know if he's still very ill.

It doesn't surprise me that he'd say that, normy.... There were other issues concerning the disbanding of the NAS that exercised certain members some years ago and that's another story.

Hi Normy,

I wonder if anyone truly can with the society now no longer in existence, if individual writers had retained copyright of their contributions they may still possess this.

I do know one person who once claimed ownership of all rights to Noahs Ark Society material but I guess we all know him. I have been wondering what response they would have to this becoming available without really wishing to know. It is interesting to read some of these articles in retrospect. In terms of the historical items, all to often the availability we have now, of the original material (including the spiritual periodicals of the time, the EE Lewis report etc) means that these are riddled with the typical errors (like Mr Splitfoot) and can be discounted as a valid source.

Of more interest is the picture of the more recent items in Physical Mediumship, where the digitised archives are not yet available to give better insights and also who was involved (I note that the person who I believe may claim to own the rights is not part of the society at this stage, volumes 1-7).

Jim

My membership of the NAS, from 1995 to it's disbanding, has heavily influenced my thinking about physical mediumship. I hope my thoughts might be of interest to the members here.

Soon after I joined, I attended several seminars, and a few NAS seances with Colin Fry and Stewart Alexander. This was very exciting and wonderful at first, but gradually I realised that the fact that nothing could be seen would always prevent general acceptance of physical mediumship as genuine. Calls for infrared filming were refused by the mediums and the leadership, and the NAS seemed content to continue in the same way. I thought there was no point in attending their seances any more, as survival evidence, which was my main interest, was only a small part of the demonstrations.

When I researched in later years, I discovered that many physical mediums had demonstrated materializations in the past in lighted conditions, and some had even demonstrated direct voice in light. So it was possible; why had it changed to darkness conditions? The Newsletters had many articles about old-time physical mediums who used light for public demonstrations or private seances, but their advice to prospective physical mediums was always to sit in the dark for development.

Perhaps this attitude, combined with the two NAS mediums using and supporting darkness, led to the present situation where it's considered normal. I can't remember the NAS ever suggesting that developing in dim lighting was possible or advisable. However, that's all I'm interested in now. What became surprising to me is that a prominent NAS leader always insisted that materializations must be seen in the light, but never encouraged it's development in all the years of the NAS. I would never attend another public dark seance, but rather see for myself wherever a PM attempts developing in light, however long it takes.

spirit whil bring in light when the medium is reedy fore it and can expose fore it- thats why you sitt in dark first. some of the seanses whit Colin whas whit spiritlight (i have experienst that) - in NAS - the information to start develop in dark came frome spirit- and when time is right spirit bring in light. Even materialisaiton seanses in the past whas in dark and parsly in light - like helen dunkan - alec Harris.....

That's your opinion Jane, but I question whether it's really spirit instructions to develop in the dark until it's the right time. How many years or decades have we got to wait? Are you sure? It depends on whether your evidence is credible that this is what they wish.

My opinion is that if the medium has developed in the dark, but then wishes to use light, he has to start all over again, and it takes longer. But worth it in the end. These dark public seances can always have the possibility of fraud and deception, and the modern mediums show no signs of changing to some type of lighting. It's a waste of time and money to go on with the same old dark seances, although I'm only judging this on what I've read more recently and what I "did not see" in the NAS.

normy Yeas it came trou the mediums - but in my upinjun non of the todays sk physical medium are near Colins gift and he stopt becouce he dident like the circus it has to become - people just came fore the fenomena - al wanted to see - no one were intrested in the evidens and kommunikation.

Materialisaition medium are so rare- that if 1 are in every century ore 2 - I just knowe of 2 - Alec Harris - and Helan Duncan - whit full materialisaition. in the latest time - in present there are non ! Colin hade parsly materialisations but not fully.

I agre whit you - dont goo to dark seanses unless it is independed direktvoyces as Lesli Flint - there were no need for light.

Nowe we have sk mediums here in sweden that are demonstraiting trancefiguration according to them selfs (pulling facec) they take a chards aboute 3-5 hundred kroner per persen- that is aboute 30-50 pund (thepending on the pund) and there are englich and swedis sk medium - it is like a rase in ho is the best physical medium - and that we can thank Robin Foy and his so cald new energi - discusting

Hope you understand my swenglich

Yes I understand and agree with all you said in swenglich Jane!

My physical medium friend has had confirmation through trance mediums' guides that she was capable of working in the light (not darkness0 and would do so, with details of what would happen. This has gradually come true, she is sitting in some light with her home circle, and we are carrying out experiments with light in a scientific kind of way. I have experienced transfiguration with this medium, and I'm sure it's not face-pulling ! However, as always you have to see for yourself and make your own mind up what you see!

God you understand my Swenglish - I´m not supristed that a transfiguration cirkel are working whit light - howe shuld you see the transfiguration in black? - but what i understand transfiguration are more on a trans level then physical mediumship as materialisation. - 2 diffrent way approthing the mediumship.
If spirit whil go fore materialisation in that cirkel thay whil leav the ligt off- I´m sorry but I dont belive you can develop materialisation ore independed direkt voyce in light- but when is full developt spirit whil bring in the light