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Wolf Grigorevich Messing (10 September 1899, Góra Kalwaria, Poland – 8 November 1974, Moscow) was an alleged psychic who became a stage performer.
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Biography
Born to a Jewish family, Messing fled from Germany to the USSR before World War II. His abilities came to the attention of Joseph Stalin.
Stalin became interested in the case of Wolf Messing, and was determined to check the authenticity of his supposed abilities. In one experiment, Messing walked into a bank, presented the teller with a “note”, and requested 100,000 rubles. The “note” was actually a blank piece of paper. The cashier handed over the money, and Messing packed the banknotes into his briefcase and left the bank. Messing then re-entered the bank with two observers who had witnessed the transaction, and handed back the money. The cashier collapsed with a heart attack when he realized what he had done. [1]
A second test set by Stalin was to enter his house — surrounded by armed guards — without a pass. Later, as Stalin was working in his office, Messing walked in. Messing explained that he had broadcasted a mental suggestion that he was the feared head of the secret police Lavrenti Beria, and that the guards had seen Beria, not Messing. [2]
The source for Messing's claims was Messing himself.
Cultural references
Wolf Messing is mentioned in Suvorov's novel The Choice (Выбор), under the name “Rudolf Messer”.
Wolf Messing is also mentioned in The Coming of Tan, by Riley L. Martin (allegedly with extraterrestrial O-Qua Tangin Wann), as one who has “neurological attributes or powers that the aliens don't or no longer have”.
References
- ^ Ostrander, Sheila; Lyn Schroeder [1970]. "Wolf Messing, the Psychic Stalin Tested", Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 43.
- ^ Ostrander, Sheila; Lyn Schroeder [1970]. "Wolf Messing, the Psychic Stalin Tested", Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 44.
- Nagel, Alexandra Een mysterieuze ontmoeting… :Sai Baba en mentalist Wolf Messing/A mysterious meeting... :Sai Baba and mentalist Wolf Messing published in Tijdschrift voor Parapsychologie/Journal for parapsychology 368, vol. 72 nr 4, Dec. 2005, pp. 14-17 (Dutch language)
- Topsy Küppers: Wolf Messing – Hellseher und Magier. Langen/Müller, München 2002. ISBN 3784428800 (German)
