Seeing things

[wolfinthewood]

On Sir Thomas More

His discourse was extraordinarily facetious. Riding one night, upon the suddaine he crossed himselfe majore cruce, crying out Jesu Maria! doe not you see that prodigious dragon in the sky? They all lookt up, and one did not see it, nor the tother did not see it. At length one had spyed it, and at last all had spied. Whereas there was no such Phantome, only he imposed on their phantasies.

John Aubrey (1626–1697)


This passage came to my mind last night while I was watching Channel 4’s documentary on the famous Enfield poltergeist case of 1977–1978. I remember seeing a much better television piece on the same case, which was broadcast about twenty years ago.

I would watch more modern documentaries if the currently fashionable style were not so irritating. I hate all those dressed up actors, the buzzy cross-cutting, over-charged soundtracks and other devices calculated to wind up the viewer and get in the way of rational reflection.

<link>