Mark and Irene Probert
1972 SEARCH Magazine cover photo
Mark Probert (1907-1969) was the chosen trance medium (or 'channel') for the group of 16 'controls/communicators' who referred to themselves as "We of the Inner Circle." As with many other prominent channelers such as Edgar Cayce and Jane Roberts, this case is extensively documented and many transcripts of channeling sessions may be read online. The two national US magazine articles quoted in the entirety in this blog post are from 1949 and 1972. A third article is also quoted verbatim: "Portrait of a Medium" by Col. Arthur J. Burks. This memorial article about Mark Probert was found as a clipping in a hardbound edition of The Magic Bag with a 1963 copyright. The title of the publication is identified as COSMOS in the article. On the other sides of the two vintage 8"x10.5" pages, there is the first page of an article about "English music medium Rosemary Brown" and a gay rights-oriented article. The three articles in this blog post are being presented for comparison with previous articles published at this Metaphysical Articles blog about channeler Mark Probert and the scientist who was able to long utilize Probert's rare psychic ability for noncommercial research purposes, Meade Layne (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16). Their main objective was always the advancement of human knowledge.
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First Magazine Article Source: FATE magazine May 1949 Volume 2, No. 1
known as "discarnate" to enter and control
the body of a living man? Meade Layne, a
recognized authority on the subject, says
yes, and presents Mark Probert as proof
of his claim. The evidence is quite impressive.
Mark Probert
Mark Probert, considered by his associates one of the greatest mediums of modern times, lives at San Diego, California. During the past two years his seances have been attended by outstanding authorities, doctors, psychologists and investigators of psychic phenomena. The genuineness of his mediumship, and the authenticity of the phenomena of his seances have never been successfully questioned. In his seances, he allows his body and mind to be usurped completely by "outside intelligences," and returns to it completely unaware of what has occurred during his "absence." He is also an artist. One of his paintings was painted while in one of his weird trances, and depicts his "guru."
Meade Layne
N. Meade Layne, M.A., was formerly an instructor at the University of Southern California, at the University of Oregon, and at the University of Arizona. He was Department Head at Wesleyan (Illinois) and Southern College, Florida. He is at present publisher of Round Robin, the journal of Borderland Sciences Research Associates. He is an investigator of psychic phenomena and has been active in this type of work for many years. The result of his publications are published under his own imprint, Meade Layne Publications, at . . . (1949 address) . . . Of his work he says: "I merely want to know, and I don't try to force my views on others."
MARK PROBERT,
BAFFLING SAN DIEGO MEDIUM
BAFFLING SAN DIEGO MEDIUM
A man is murdered. The murder performs his deed while no one is looking. He is careful not to leave any evidence that could point directly to him. He comes and goes without being seen by anyone. When picked up and questioned he doesn't confess. He is brought to trial, convicted, and eventually executed for the crime — still without confessing.
That has happened many times. The conviction is obtained by a "preponderance of evidence." A jury decides that that preponderance of evidence is strong enough for them to order the taking of the man's life.
According to Meade Layne, of San Diego, a similar preponderance of evidence indicates that the man sitting at the table is under the control of a discarnate entity who claims to be the spirit of a Chinese philosopher and teacher of Confucius, Lao Tze.
Mark Probert in one of his trances. Painting is that of his guru, or teacher.
It was not taken by infra-red film in a darkened seance room; it was taken under the glare of spotlights for FATE magazine, even as Lao Tze "controlled" the body of medium Mark Probert. It is interesting to compare the facial expression in this photo of Mark Probert under the control of Lao Tze with the photo taken under normal conditions. [This photo above is identified with the medium's name.] Yet, the picture of Mark Probert under the control of Lao Tze is not advanced as proof that he was. It was taken at the request of the editors of FATE to accompany this article for its "news value," and not in any attempt to "prove" anything.
In most attempts to prove that spirit phenomena are genuine, an attempt had been made to produce some phenomenon that cannot be "explained" by natural means. Houdini's efforts [he waged a campaign against mediums while claiming to be exposing 'false' ones] were directed from two different angles — the duplication of the phenomenon, and the uncovering and exposure of fraud right on the scene whenever possible.
But in the case of Mark Probert there is no secret apparatus, no "phenomena," of the type that Houdini could use his genius as a magician to duplicate. "Yet," says Mr. Layne, "the preponderance of evidence over the past three years is so great that if I were the defense lawyer and you were a juror, required to listen to all the evidence and weigh it carefully, no matter how long it took for that evidence to be presented, I would not even require you to be unprejudiced at the start."
Some of the evidence consists of plaster casts of hands that dematerialized, leaving hollows that could not have permitted a solid object to be withdrawn, "voices" through trumpets, miraculous finding of two objects by the medium, "bringing back" of departed loved ones, and fortune-telling that comes true.
Why, then, isn't this evidence advanced boldly to prove that Mark is a genuine medium — ballyhooed over the country so that Mark can make a fortune?
To answer that question, we advance the words of Mr. Layne: "We are not interested in 'proving' the genuineness of Mark's mediumship pr the necessary concomitant — survival after death. We believe that belief in survival is up to the individual, and if any individual wants to believe that when we die that's the absolute end of us, and that all mediumship is fake, it is his right and we have no interest in attempting to change him.
"In Mark's mediumship we are primarily interested in the growing mass of statements of the communicators on science, philosophy, metaphysics, history, and whatever they can tell us of their own surroundings. To anyone who wishes to examine this mass of material we have gathered during the past two or three years we suggest that he consider it primarily for its intrinsic worth on the same basis as he would if the statements were asserted to be merely those of Mark himself — or of anyone else."
What does Mark Probert himself say of his mediumship? He says, "Honestly, sometimes I don't know. There are times when I think that it's something subconscious—in all of us—created as an antidote to the fear of death."
Mr. Layne, publisher of Round Robin, which is a bi-monthly journal devoted to the subjects of borderland sciences and phenomena, attends and more or less officiates at each of the Mark Probert seances. He is a competent, careful, and scrupulously honest observer. One need read only a few issues of Round Robin to become convinced of this. Mr. Layne's editorial comments on articles appearing in that publication show a keen analytical mind.
In the three years that Mr. Layne has published Round Robin there has gravitated about him a group of highly competent students, including Max Freedom Long, the greatest living authority on Huna — the religion and magic of the people of the Hawaiian Islands, the well-known writer Vincent H. Gaddis, Dr. Philip Haley and others. Recently this natural association of people has crystallized into what is called BSRA, Borderland Science Research Associates, with headquarters at the Meade Layne Publications . . . (1949 address) . . . California. Round Robin has become the official publication of this group, but without altering its general character and policy of the past three years.
The BSRA aims are the careful study of all current unexplained phenomena and well-authenticated phenomena of the past in the light of logical analysis and discussion. The formation of BSRA provided a mechanism for others to join in this work, either as mere observers who subscribe to the official journal to read and keep informed, or as competent students and investigators who have themselves something of value to contribute to its pages. There are at present less than a thousand in this group. They are a select group of quietly serious, intelligent students of the borderland sciences.
And, Mr. Layne says, perhaps the most serious, intelligent and capable of these BSR Associates are the "communicators" who take possession [a superstitious term for what today is often called 'channeling'] of the Body of Mark Probert, the medium, and listen quietly to and join in discussions of such phenomena as the "flying saucers" and the Macomb ghost-fires which observers claimed started before their eyes, unexplainably, but which were "explained" eventually by the "confession" of a 13-year-old girl that she started them with matches. [Often otherwise 'unexplained' incidents are 'explained away' by emotionally disturbed individuals — see Mysterious Fires and Lights (1967) by Vincent H. Gaddis.)]
Besides Lao Tze, who was in possession of Mark's body at the time the picture shown in this article was taken, there is Lingford who died in New York forty years ago; Ali Ben Casi; Professor Luntz; the Tibetans, Lo Sun Yat and Rama Ka Lao; the astronomer Ramond Natalli and many others. They gather even before the seance is to start.
When the seance is to begin there is no darkening of the room and joining of hands. Mark Probert sits at a table and engages those present in conversation, seeming unconcerned over what is to come. He is barely over five feet tall and a few pounds over a hundred in weight, yet, as he sits there, observers completely forget that he is small. Full of good humor and delighting in good jokes, he dominates the room, talking on any subject that comes to mind, or subtly leading his guests into conversation.
Let Meade Layne tell what happens next: "Suddenly, almost without warning, he is no longer Mark, the host. There is a sigh from deep within the slight frame — and from a universe that lies within and around us, but which science has not yet touched, some Being settles into place and takes control of his body. That sigh is as of a cold wind on a mountain crag with ice and snow and the loneliness of the wildernesses of the Earth. It is the cold breath of outer space whispering outside the window easements of a warm room, in which people sit comfortably, safe from harm.
"Then, with the smooth quietness of an ocean liner coming into port, the face changes. It is more than a contortion of the muscles. It is a change of personality — the outward expression of a different soul. It may be Lingford, Lao Tse, or some other spirit that once lived in an Earth body on its own — and died. It may be a spirit that has never before re-entered a living body on our plane or the spirit of someone who died recently. But it is there, unassuming, unmiraculous, but there.
"It may remain mute, unable to control the muscles that make speech, or again it may speak in some strange language. If so, it is soon told by its 'other side' associates to take its departure. But if it is such a control as Lingford or Lao Tze, he will speak in English, answering questions, talking, often for 30 or 40 minutes at a time. And then, either abruptly or with a courteous farewell, the spirit departs. There is a moment of deep quiet — and Mark is back, unmistakably there. So completely different was his body under control that it seems a surprise that it is actually he again.
"Quiet and lack of disturbance in the room are always helpful. Sudden noises, the noisy entrance of a newcomer, can disrupt the seance, causing the spirit in possession to lose its grip, bringing Mark back too suddenly for his own welfare. Though darkness is never necessary there are usually no glaring lights, and if the seance is held during the day, shades are usually drawn sufficiently to keep out the direct glare of sunlight.
"Therefore, to take a picture of Mark under the control of Lao Tze was actually a remarkable feat. Glaring lights and people moving about would often—and with most mediums—destroy all chances of success. Yet the old philosopher, Lao Tze, was not disturbed, but showed great curiosity about the whole procedure and was deeply interested — surprised at the simpleness of the operation of taking a photograph. He had waited 2,500 years, he said, to have his photograph taken—but added that he had gotten along very well without it, for all that—and that he would be much interested in seeing the print when it was completed.
"It is a very remarkable picture. In itself it proves nothing. Together with the preponderance of evidence we have gathered it is perhaps one of the most remarkable photographs ever taken."
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Second Magazine Article Source: SEARCH Magazine January 1972 Issue No. 101
UNUSUAL ORGANIZATIONS
SEARCH presents the story of 'The Inner Circle'
Kethra E'Da Foundation.
[Ketha E'Da means 'Teachers of Light' in the ancient language of the 'Yuga' civilization of 'channeled entity' 'Yada di Shi'ite.']
Mark Probert in later years.
The Extraordinary MARK PROBERT
By R.G. Warren
The bright afternoon sun streaming in the windows of a room in San Diego, California, seemed glaring, sharply indifferent to the eerie events in progress. Although the small gathering of about twenty-five people lounged comfortably in their chairs while a slight-built little man seated at a card table spoke to them in a soft voice, there was a feeling of subdued excitement in the air. Suddenly the soft voice trembled slightly and said, ". . . and now I'm beginning to feel . . ." The voice trailed off. The little audience stirred briefly and sat wide-eyed, expectantly immobile with rapt attention. The speaker at the card table breathed heavily for a few minutes, his head drooping forward as if nodding sleepily. Slowly he lifted his head as a strange, new personality seemed to possess his entire body, chuckled reassuringly and spoke English with a Chinese accent.
"I am Yada di Shi'ite. I lived 500,000 years ago in the Himalayan mountains in a civilization called Yuga, meaning vast body. My city was Kaoti, meaning city of temples. I was a Kata or priest of the temples until I became a Yada or spirit light of the order of Shi'ite. The Shi'ite order exists today. There were 180 million in my civilization, not monkeys. Yuga was destroyed by a terrible earthquake which killed 80 million people. My body was crushed by a wall of the temple — squashing me like a fly. But I took my body with me . . ."
This simple but astounding story was reported many times in 23 years with a wealth of detail. Fifteen teachers beside the Yada spoke through this remarkable man. There are more than 2,000 two-track and four-track seven inch tapes of these lectures. Each lecture is from two to three hours long. These contain a clear, rational cosmology and a science-philosophy that is so revolutionary in its unorthodox perfection that it seems destined to profoundly affect the foundations of entrenched thought. This cosmology so brilliantly yokes science to philosophy that many professional men in psychiatry, psychology, physics, astronomy and related professions have been fascinated by the haunting logic.
The entranced little man through whom the Yada spoke was the late Mark Probert; born in Bayonne, New Jersey, February 5, 1907, and died in San Diego, California, February 22, 1969. His passing was unnoticed in the public press but thousands of national and international devotees felt deeply the loss of this very human, kindly personality who has astounded and shocked great numbers of people. The extremely ancient language of Yu which Yada spoke for about ten minutes before reverting to English became an item of great interest to professors of ancient languages at the University of Southern California. One of these was Hans von Colbert, Professor of Ancient and Modern Asiatic Languages. They elected to listen for about forty-five minutes to the highly questionable source, but became so enchanted that they listened and talked for five hours and begged for more time. Professor Colbert spoke Hindustani, and Chinese dialects with Yada and discussed Inca and Maya writings. He understood the root words in the Yu language. Yada told him that the Yu language is the mother tongue or universal language.
Mark himself did not cultivate nor welcome his strange gift as it was often a worry and a burden for him. But from childhood the evidence of something unusual in his depth of perception gradually became a pressing urge that grew stronger and more insistent as the years passed. His marriage to his wife, Irene, in Yuma, Arizona, on July 4, 1942, was the event that ushered in the most phenomenal aspect of the latent forces burgeoning within him which now seemed to clamor for expression. His new wife promptly informed him that he not only talked in his sleep, but talked in foreign languages.
Mark and Irene Probert
After seeking help from a psychiatrist who ridiculed the idea, they met a man by the name of Meade Layne, PhD, who had an excellent academic background. He had been a professor at the University of Southern California and several other universities, and had been a department head at Wesleyan, Illinois, and at Southern College, Florida. Quite apart from his academic training, he had considerable interest and knowledge in the fields of metaphysical and occult laws. He casually suggested that Mark might be a trance medium. Mark detested the word "medium" and once started to write a book entitled Medium Rare to disavow the hated label. [The last statement is an example of overstatement.] But let Mark tell this part of the story.
"I spent two hours with Mr. Layne, in which time he quizzed me on a number of things including the state of my physical and emotional health. Then he asked me if I had ever had any experience with psychic phenomena. I told him I had and related a number of them to him. He listened with what I thought was a great deal of patience and then said that my talking in foreign languages in my sleep seemed to indicate that discarnate beings might be taking control of me during sleep. He had me sit at a small table and placed Irene on my right. I was told I might become entranced. The idea of suddenly losing consciousness was little unnerving and I was about to express myself when I was struck with a wave of dizziness that nearly rolled me off my chair; the one and only dizzy spell I ever had. Then the spell passed, followed by what I can only call elation. But what tremendous elation it was! Undulating waves of chills ran up my body from ankles to solar plexus to head. But they were not cold chills but rather the kind one gets when listening to exceptionally beautiful music or while observing an unusual sunset or sunrise. How long I stayed in this state of ecstasy I do not know, but when it left me and I was awake again, Mr. Layne and Irene told me I had been in what seemed to be a deep state of trance for approximately forty-five minutes and that a voice, quite unlike my own, had introduced itself by the name of Martin Lattimore Lingford.
Martin Lattimore Lingford, a former American actor, came through Mark in the first test sitting.
He said that he had been a showman in New York some forty years ago. He emphasized that they had spent many years conditioning my brain and body so they could use me to communicate through with the least possible harm to my physical and mental self. It was a few years later that they decided to dictate a book to me clairaudiently. They called the book, The Magic Bag. The meaning of this title is fully explained in the book. Then one night in 1947, five of my teachers suddenly appeared to me in the living room of my apartment. That I was "seeing" them clairvoyantly did not lessen any sense of fright, and had they not somehow taken hold of me mentally, I would have bolted out my front door and perhaps without opening it! Anyway, they quieted me down by assuring me that they were some of the members of the Inner Circle and I had no reason to fear them. They then said that their only purpose in showing themselves to me was to have me paint portraits of them. I made pencil sketches of the five and they left saying they would return as time permitted to have me finish the portraits in oils. Some of these portraits have been photographed and incorporated in The Magic Bag, along with some other that I painted at a later date. (NOTE: Mark was an artist of considerable talent.) In order to publish and disseminate the teachings of the Inner Circle, we formed an organization called "Kethra E'Da Foundation." The organization was founded July 6, 1956, and is a non-profit educational foundation."
Sister Theresa Vandenberg, a former nun in Sacred Heart Convent, Brooklyn, New York. / Rama Ka Lo, a former Arabian. / Kay Ting, a former Tibetan.
The teachings that came through Mark delved into almost every branch of human thought. To give a few examples: Flying were verified as actual space beings, not coming from outer planets but from the depths of space itself. They do not cross space as we did in going to the moon, but emerge from it. The teachers say we will have to learn this emergence before we can safely bring a physical man back from Mars or Venus. [The next statements seemingly are hastily drawn conclusions or express misunderstandings of Inner Circle orations by the author of this article.] Other life does not exist in our solar system but does exist outside, such as the milky way and beyond. The space people are the guardians of the earth and have infiltrated every major government. They are in supreme control. Because of great natural cataclysms that may erupt, they may have to take us off the earth and transplant us on other planets. They say this has been done many times with millions of people in the past. Tales are told of tunnels honeycombing the earth and of pyramids buried under tons of ice at the poles. Religion, they say, is man's creation and is of the earth and the astral frequencies only. It is something we must grow out of and away from as we come out of our hypnotic, conditioned spell of superstition. They see man as asleep and dreaming, caught up in the chemical fury of the matter world, a king of great power that has forgotten his royal blood. They want to give mastery back to man, and listening to the tapes, one begins to wonder. Many, many books could be written and not cover all the subjects. The subjects are being studied by laymen and professionals.
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