I’ve read a lot on paranormal and spiritual topics, but for some reason most of the books I read avoid the topic of “table tipping”. Or, at least they don’t get into the subject very deeply. Along with discussing séances, mediums, etc., the book I’m reading now (which is not necessarily spectacular) discusses table tipping a bit. If you’ve followed my Scole Experiment posts recently, you’ll know that some of the major phenomena for them involved the table in the room. Apparently, in one sitting, the table levitated completely off the floor, turned on its side, and spun around like a fan. Can you imagine? It was recreated and dramatized in the introduction of the Scole documentary video I posted.
Can you spot the trickster in this photograph?
But table tipping has roots way before Scole. Beginning in the middle to late 1800s, table tipping was just one of the phenomena being experienced by the Fox sisters, most famous for spirit “rapping” and really introducing modern Spiritualism to the world. Along with some EVP (electronic voice phenomena), I tend to get a lot of rapping in my home. Table tipping sometimes happens in a séance, usually involves a medium, and requires all sitters to gently place hands (sometimes just finger tips) on the top of the table. Usually a smaller, lighter table, and made out of solid wood. The idea is that spirits use your energy to rock or tip the table, making it easy to communicate.
Of course, this form of spirit communication involves a lot of trust. All the sitters must be able to trust that their fellow sitters are not causing the rocking or tipping themselves. I think this is probably why the practice has a lot of skeptics.
I’ve never been involved in table tipping. Have you? Thoughts? Feelings?
Enjoy these videos (there are also many others online) and discuss.
June 14th, 2012 at 6:30 am
Never been involved with table tipping – but I’d classify it as a hybrid between ouija and pendulums. That’s really all it is – one big pendulum.
I’ve been experimenting with the body pendulum lately – stand up straight, ask a yes or no question, and see if your body tips forward or backward. It’s pretty crazy! You almost can’t control it.
June 14th, 2012 at 8:21 am
Pendulum! Never thought of that connection!!
June 14th, 2012 at 8:00 am
Much of physical phenomena can be and was faked in the earlier days of Spiritualism, often for money, and that’s why few believe it any more; charlatanism bolsters skepticism. But there are definitely genuine physical phenomena that happen.
However, it’s hard to determine the source causing the actual table tipping. If people are touching it, there’s the possibility that it’s happening by their own physical movement, even if it’s not being done purposely or consciously. (Last summer they had an actual table-tipping workshop at Lily Dale.) If they’re not touching the table or object, then the movement could be either by the agency of spirits or by psychokinesis, and it would take careful study to determine which.
I must say, though, that the table spinning like a fan is pretty wild, however it occurred!
June 14th, 2012 at 8:26 am
Hey I always heard that they banned physical mediumship at Lilly Dale. Does table tipping not count? I still want to go to Lilly Dale.
June 15th, 2012 at 1:39 am
I have always wanted to go to Lily Dale, too!
June 15th, 2012 at 7:25 am
Me toooo!!! Let’s take a Big Seance field trip! I’ll make permission forms!
June 20th, 2012 at 3:21 pm
I’ve personally done table tipping with someone I trust and it WORKS! I was a skeptic before, but after my own personal experience a few months ago, I’ll never doubt it again. We had that thing rocking!
June 20th, 2012 at 9:50 pm
Brandie, I think you told me but I can’t remember. What were the circumstances of how you had this experience?