Ah, 9 December: 162nd anniversary of the birth of Catherine-Elise Müller, aka Hélène Smith, who communicated with the spirit of Victor Hugo — and with Martians, whose landscapes she painted. And was a reincarnation of a Hindu princess and Marie Antoinette. Obviously.
Müller started working in a silk shop at the age of 13, so when she discovered spiritualism in Geneva in 1892, at the age of 30, she would, understandably, have been ready for change. How lucky, then, that she discovered she had a gift for contacting The Beyond.
According to the Society for Psychical Research’s Psi Encyclopedia, she “quickly started to present phenomena of automatisms, alterations of consciousness, and hallucinations”. In particular, she heard from seven-years-dead Victor Hugo, who kindly wrote poetry for her group.
The author of Les Miserables was replaced, though, by Leopold, who in life (he said) had been 18th century occultist Guiseppe Balsamo, who styled himself Count Cagliostro. Leopold could apparently “explain obscure messages or scenes described by Hélène”. Which was lucky.
Her fame spread, of course, and eventually she came to the attention of psychologist Théodore Flournoy, who spent several years studying her, and eventually writing up his findings in a book: From India to the Planet Mars: A Study of a Case of Somnambulism with Glossolalia.
Monday, November 2, 1896. — After various characteristic symptoms of the departure for Mars … Hélène went in a deep sleep. … [Léopold] informs us that she is en route towards Mars; that once arrived up there she understands the Martian spoken around her, although she has never learned it; that it is not he, Léopold, who will translate the Martian for us — not because he does not wish to do so, but because he cannot; that this translation is the performance of Esenale, who is actually disincarnate in space, but who has recently lived upon Mars, and also upon the earth, which permits him to act as interpreter.
Sometimes, in her trances, she visited Mars and saw its landscapes, flora, fauna and architecture — because it was, of course, inhabited.
But she was also taught the Martian language through ‘automatic writing’. Some of these completely authentic words, for example, are Dog Breeder (top row, middle), Bearer of Sacred Water (second row, right), and Fiancée (handy if you and a Martian fancy each other, bottom right).
Hélène was also the reincarnation of Princess Simandini, an Arab maiden who had fallen in love with prince Sivrouka Nayaka of Chandragiri and committed sati when he died in 1402. He was reincarnated as Théodore Flournoy. Naturally.
She had also been Marie Antoinette. Well, haven’t we all, darling? According to the Psi Dictionary:
Hélène’s representations were vivid and detailed, and mirrored many of the queen’s known characteristics and behaviours.
Fluornoy didn’t think she was a charlatan, but he was interested in rational explanations. He discovered a book of Indian history in a library in Geneva, which contained the full story of Princess Simandini — and a book of Sanskrit grammar in the room where Hélène gave her seances.
He also analysed the ‘Martian’ which she spoke and wrote down, and discovered it bore an uncanny resemblance to… er, French.
‘Glossolalia’, incidentally, in the title of his book, is the technical term for speaking in tongues — or talking wibbling bollocks, as it’s also known. Fluornoy put it more diplomatically than that, but was still persona non grata at Hélène’s seances when it came out.
Eventually, he agreed to give her 50% of the royalties, which, given the book’s sales, may have softened the blow somewhat — as, presumably, did a reputed American benefactor. She also became beloved of the Surrealists for being a pioneer of ‘automatic writing’ (which they thought gave access to the subconscious, which was certainly more likely than contact with the spirit world and outer space. Anyway…)
One of the best summaries of her life and work and relationship with Fluornoy is in this article:
…but the best testament to her ‘work’ is probably this entry in James Randi’s Encyclopedia Of Claims, Frauds, And Hoaxes Of The Occult And Supernatural:
Automatic writing
A claimed phenomenon similar to that of the Ouija board. The operator holds a pen or pencil which is then said to move independently across a sheet of paper and write out messages from other living persons, from deceased persons, or from unknown discarnate entities. This idea has been popular with spiritualists from the beginning of that religion, and one Swiss spirit medium named Hélène Smith (née Catherine-Elise Müller, 1863?-?) even invented an entire written language which she used to relate details of Martian civilization to her sitters. Psychologist Theodore Flournoy examined Mlle. Smith’s claims and found that this language was very similar to French, using the same syntax. Mlle. Smith’s native tongue was French.
Also known as “psychography.”
See also ideomotor effect and planchette.
