Wolf Messing: The True Story of Russia`s Greatest Psychic

by Tatiana Lungin

In this, the first biography and personal memoir of WOLF MESSING to appear in the West, Tatiana Lungin limns a revealing portrait of one of the greatest psychic performers of the twentieth century.

Born a Polish Jew near Warsaw, Messing ran away from home at the age of eleven and soon discovered his psychic gifts. Supporting himself by performing mind-reading acts in Berlin theaters, at fourteen Messing was sold by his unscrupulous manager to the famous Busch Circus. In no time Wolf gained an international reputation as the world’s greatest telepath as he toured the capitals of Europe. In Vienna Messing met Albert Einstein who brought him to the apartment of another admirer of his abilities, Sigmund Freud. His touring days ended abruptly in 1937 when, after Messing publicly predicted the downfall of the Third Reich, the Nazis placed a sizable bounty on his head. Summoning all his hypnotic powers, he escaped capture by the Gestapo and fled to Russia.

In the USSR Messing’s displays of telepathy, uncannily accurate predictions, and psychic crime solving gained him a rare celebrity status. While most parapsychologists were forced to conduct psychic research in secrecy, Messing thrilled audiences in packed theaters across the country. His fame was all the more amazing coming as it did in the Marxist society dominated by Joseph Stalin, the man who had officially abolished ESP. Even Stalin himself was intrigued by Wolf’s ability to influence thoughts at a distance, and devised a number of unusual tests of Messing’s powers. The stories of how Messing successfully took on Stalin’s challenges to hypnotically elude his personal security force, and even commit psychic bank robbery, are colorfully related.

As Messing’s longtime friend and confidante, Lungin draws from personal notes, conversations with Wolf, and reports of other eyewitnesses of his performances to chronicle Messing’s incredible life and career. At the same time, she provides an inside look at parapsychology and psychic research behind the Iron Curtain.

This title has been realised by a team of the following dedicated professionals: Tatiana Lungin: translated from the Russian by Cynthia Rosenberger and John Glad : translation edited by D. Scott Rogo, Maxim Hodak - Максим Ходак (Publisher), Max Mendor - Макс Мендор (Director), Yana Kovalskaya and Camilla Stein.

Genres: Biography, Science, History

187 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 1989

Reviews

[Pat Rolston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful biography of a man blessed with gifts beyond our scientific means to understand. This gentle man amazed Stalin by passing all his security successfully and walking directly into his office unquestioned. The feat was undertaken as a challenge posed by Stalin to demonstrate and validate Messing’s psychic ability. There are many such instances of inexplicable accomplishments by Messing that are witnessed and documented by Soviet scientists and impartial persons. The psychic feats and paranormal were not recognized as possible by Soviet authorities up and through the Stalin era. Such an admission would have opened the door to religiosity and faith in a manner dangerously at odds with the the official atheist doctrine of the state. Combined with this man’s Jewish roots it was an amazing admission of his skills that Stalin encouraged to be demonstrated in public shows for entertainment. Messing lived very well during terribly traumatic economic times as a celebrity who balanced his celebrity and high social status against the duel taboos of his heritage and non-state sanctioned psychic skills. Someday our science will catch up with that labels paranormal and in turn it will be deemed normal.

[Азжаргал Азжаргал · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read it in Mongolian, he is a person who has the real power to manage hisself and tell not what person's wanted to hear, instead the truth of the matter. At young age he established his ability with somnambulism which tempered him to go away from home town to a place to hide. All the things started from there, his psychic ability spread out and competed with others and won everyone's heart including Joseph Stalin, the leader of Marxists society. These stories and situations were mostly true, cuz his lifetime dude has witnessed many of them. So... , it's a pretty good book if you're addicted to people's biographies and more objective things in life.

[Dev]

Unique book

[Abhishek Shekhar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written seems Messing was a yogi perhaps!

[Tuhkatriin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Venemaa "Selgeltnägijate tuleproovi" ühes hooajas (kus vist Kerrogi osales, kui õigesti mäletan) käisid kõik Messingi haual ja pidid siis tunnetama, kes sinna maetud on. Messing olevat olnud Venemaa silmapaistvaim sensitiiv, aga ma polnud tollel hetkel temast midagi kuulnud. Nüüd on aga lausa eesti keeles olemas täitsa huvitav raamat temast.
Kui köidavad eriliste võimetega inimesed üldiselt või just Wolf Messing konkreetselt, siis tasub kätte võtta.

[King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ma teadsin, et vene telesari jooksis "Messing" ning arvasin, et ju on raamat miski cash-in vms aga kuna teema tundus intrigeeriv, et mismõttes Stalinil oli oma sensitiiv, siis võtsin lugeda.

Päris kiirelt läks, ladus tõlge, viisakalt kirjapandud mälestused, võib nelja panna vabalt.

[Jim]

A biography of one of Russia premier Stage Mentalist.

[Dhruv Jivrajani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best

[Dharmagyanandanbohare · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice story, but could have been written in a more catchy way. Also, it's not written by Messing, or someone objective, but a friend of his, hence it's very subjective style.