In the 1970s, the ghost of Philip Aylseford, Lord of Diddington Manor, made himself known. The heartbroken and grief-stricken spirit answered questions about his former life by knocking on a table—once for “yes” and twice for “no”—and even sliding it around the room. 

The only problem is: Philip was completely made up.

In 1972, mathematician Dr. A.R.G. Owen teamed up with psychologist Dr. Joel Whitton to see if collective consciousness and human will could create paranormal phenomena. In particular, they wondered whether these elements could conjure an apparition (a ghost becoming visible).

The two doctors recruited eight participants: a heating engineer, several engineering students, an accountant, and a bookkeeper. Once assembled, this technically minded cohort began carving out a backstory for Philip, which they would then memorize in every detail. 

The tragic, made-up tale of Philip Aylseford

They decided he was an aristocrat, born in England in 1624, a Catholic, and a close friend of Charles II, for whom he became a spy. Philip was, sadly, in a loveless marriage with a woman named Dorothea, the eldest daughter of a wealthy land baron. They lived together at Philip’s family estate, Diddington Manor. Philip secretly carried out an affair........

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