The Hidden Language of Objects: An In-Depth Look at Psychometric Readings
*What if the things you've touched most tenderly — your grandmother's ring, your father's watch, a child's first worn shoe — could speak? What if the right person, holding them in open palms, could hear them?*
What Is Psychometry?
At its core, psychometry is a form of extrasensory perception in which a person gains historical or emotional information about an object — and the people connected to it — simply through physical touch. A psychometrist "can sense or 'read' the history of an object by touching it," receiving impressions "as images, sounds, smells, tastes, and even emotions" (Wagner). The practice also goes by the names *object reading* or *psychoscopy* — the ability to sense the history of an object through touch, tapping into an object's energetic signature in order to read its historical context (College of Psychic Studies).
The word itself is revealing: a combination of the Greek *psyche*, meaning "soul," and *metron*, meaning "measure" — literally, the measuring of the soul's impression upon the material world (Mills). The practitioner who performs such a reading is called a psychometrist.
A Brief and Astonishing History
Joseph Rodes Buchanan and the Birth of a Discipline
The formal history of psychometry begins in 1842 with an American professor of physiology named Joseph Rodes Buchanan. Using his students as subjects, he placed various drugs in glass vials, and then asked the students to identify the drugs merely by holding the vials. "Their success rate was more than chance," and he published the results in his book, *Journal of Man* (O'Brien). To explain the phenomenon, Buchanan theorized that all objects possess "souls" that retain a memory — a claim as radical today as it was then.
William Denton and *The Soul of Things*
Among those captivated by Buchanan's work was geologist Professor William F. Denton. In 1854, he enlisted the help of his sister, Ann Denton Cridge, wrapping his geological specimens in cloth so she could not see what they were. She then placed the package to her forehead and was able to accurately describe the specimens through vivid mental images (Wagner).
The descriptions she produced were not vague impressions but cinematic reconstructions. When given a pebble of limestone with glacial scratches on its surface, Cridge declared: "I feel as if I were below an immense body of water...it must be ice; I am frozen in it. The motion of the mass I am in is not uniform; it pitches forward then halts and pitches again, then goes grinding, pressing and rushing along — a mountain mass" (Encyclopedia.com). Without prior knowledge of the specimen, she had described glacial movement from within the rock's apparent "memory."
From thousands of experiments conducted from 1853 until his death in 1883, Denton concluded that "the existence of psychometric ability is unquestionable" (Encyclopedia.com). He published his findings in a landmark 1863 volume titled *The Soul of Things*, which defined psychometry as "a mysterious faculty which belongs to the soul and is not dependent upon the body for its exercise" (Occult World).
Gustav Pagenstecher and the Vibrational Theory
From 1919 to 1922, a German physician, Gustav Pagenstecher, discovered psychometric abilities in one of his patients, Maria Reyes de Zierold, while treating her for insomnia. He found she could enter a trance state while holding an object and perceive detailed information about its origin and history (Wagner). Pagenstecher developed an influential theoretical framework: terrestrial bodies store vibrations that a sensitive individual can perceive, the object acts "like a tuning fork," and the psychometrist's brain picks up "vibrational emanations" that "connect with the universal consciousness and then create mental images" (Paranormal Daily News). He also posited that "thoughts and emotions are vibratory in nature" and "can imprint or become attached to any objects" (Paranormal Daily News).
Stefan Ossowiecki: The Polish Phenomenon
Perhaps no psychometrist in history was tested more rigorously than Polish engineer Stefan Ossowiecki, born in 1877. In one celebrated experiment, he was given a sealed package held by a researcher named Jonky for eight years. Ossowiecki was not only able to correctly identify Jonky from several photographs despite the two having never met, but he "accurately described many details of Jonky's life" and identified the package's contents — a meteorite wrapped in candy paper (Futurescopes).
In a real-life case corroborated by witnesses, engineering students at Warsaw Polytechnic asked Ossowiecki for help tracing missing cash books. "They gave him letters from individuals who might be suspected of taking the books. Ossowiecki did not visit the place but described it in detail. Following his instructions, the students located the books, which had been torn up and thrown behind some filing cabinets" (Psi Encyclopedia).
Gerard Croiset and the Psychic Detective
In the mid-twentieth century, Dutch psychic Gerard Croiset brought psychometry into criminal investigation. Police departments in the Netherlands and other European countries often sought his help in solving bewildering cases (An Experimental Exploration, Parra & Argibay). In a famous 1961 case, Brooklyn detectives sent Croiset only a photo and some of Edith Kiecorius's clothes. From the Netherlands, he envisioned "a grey building with five floors" — and police found Edith's body at a boarding house at 307 West Twentieth Street (Ranker).
Croiset's career was not without controversy. Compared against his failures, "his success rate was ruled no better than chance" by some investigators (Wikipedia, "Gerard Croiset"). This tension between dramatic apparent hits and statistical skepticism defines the broader debate around psychometry — a debate very much alive today.
The Theoretical Framework: How Does It Work?
Residual Energy and Emotional Imprinting
The most common explanation within the psychic community is energetic imprinting. Objects with strong emotional or historical significance "can hold memories or energies from their past, and through touch, individuals can perceive these memories or associated energies" (Higgypop). When someone handles an object regularly, "their emotions, experiences, and memories can imprint into its energy field. That energetic 'echo' is what you're tuning into when you practice psychometry" (Intuitive Souls). Emotions in particular are "felt to be most strongly recorded in an object" — which is why items tied to intense feeling tend to produce the richest readings (College of Psychic Studies).
Quantum Nonlocality
Some researchers have proposed that quantum physics may offer a physical mechanism for psychometric phenomena. Pagenstecher's vibrational framework finds a partial echo in quantum entanglement, where particles that have interacted remain connected across any distance. A paper published in the *Journal of Parapsychology* noted that Nobel laureate Brian Josephson "proposed that parapsychology must consider quantum entanglement" and, with Pallikari-Viras, discussed "biological utilization of quantum nonlocality" (Parra & Argibay 2008, citing Josephson). If matter retains quantum information from its interactions, sensitive consciousness may access that archive.
The Nonlocal Mind
Underlying all theories of psychometry is a more radical premise: that human consciousness is not confined to the skull. The Psi Encyclopedia, produced by the Society for Psychical Research, notes that "the existence of psi phenomena — and the related idea that consciousness is independent of the physical body — is strongly disputed by materialist scientists, yet parapsychologists are convinced they have evidence for these things" (Psi Encyclopedia). If the mind is truly nonlocal, psychometry stops being mystifying and becomes a logical consequence of how consciousness actually operates.
The Process: What Happens During a Reading?
Understanding psychometry requires entering the practitioner's perspective. The process is disciplined and staged — a deliberate movement into altered, receptive awareness.
Stage One: Preparing the Space
Before any object is touched, the environment must be readied. "Your surroundings play a crucial role in your ability to connect with an object's energy" — the practitioner should "find a quiet space where you can focus without distractions," dim the lights, light candles, play soft music, or use aromatherapy (RealityPathing). Some practitioners recommend burning incense and inviting a state of calm by asking for guidance "from whatever helpful and protective spirits they believe in" (The Circle). These preparations are not merely atmospheric; they signal to the nervous system that ordinary analytical consciousness is being deliberately set aside.
Some traditions also recommend cleansing the hands: "washing your hands with water and a gentle soap removes any residual energy left on the hands and activates the chakras," since the hands "are extensions of the chakra system and directly influence psychic abilities" (Martinez).
Stage Two: Grounding and Entering Stillness
Next comes the most demanding inner work: quieting the thinking mind. The practitioner should "allow themselves some time to filter out the meandering thoughts that come across your mental screen" before picking the item up, so as to be "essentially a blank canvas on which the impressions will materialize or appear" (Backpackerverse). Many practitioners believe that "when you relax, you enter a higher state of consciousness, almost like a trance," which enables connection to the object's energy (MysticMag).
Stage Three: Taking Up the Object
With a clear, grounded mental state established, the practitioner takes up the object — held in the palms, or placed against the forehead. The practitioner should "concentrate totally on the object, noticing its weight, texture, and all physical properties," so as to be fully "earthed" in the item before the subtler information begins to emerge (The Circle).
Stage Four: Receiving Impressions
This is the heart of the reading. When a psychometrist holds an object, "they focus on its energy and allow their intuitive faculties to come into play," experiencing "visions, sensations, or emotions that are linked to the past owners or the object's history" — the medium "might see past events, hear voices, or even feel physical sensations that reflect the object's journey" (TheSpiritualist). Practitioners consistently report that genuine impressions carry a distinctive quality: they arrive unbidden, often faster than deliberate thought. Psychometry is particularly natural for empaths and "those with strong clairsentience — the ability to feel energy" (Intuitive Souls).
Stage Five: Reporting Without Editing
The final and most critical stage is faithful transmission. "Be still as images and feelings come into your mind, speak them aloud. Don't try to process the impressions you get. Say whatever you see, hear, feel, or otherwise sense as you hold the object. Don't judge your impressions. These impressions may be strange and meaningless to you, but they might be of significance to the owner of the object" (Wagner). The analytical mind's instinct is to discard what seems implausible or too specific. Every practitioner's tradition agrees: this instinct is the enemy of accuracy in a reading.
What Objects Work Best?
Not all objects are equally suited to psychometric reading. "War memorabilia, antiques, and heirlooms that have been passed down through generations are particularly common in psychometric readings" because of their emotional density and history (Higgypop). Items containing personal thoughts and experiences — letters, diaries, photographs — are also considered excellent subjects (Higgypop).
The principle is one of emotional saturation. The more intensely an object has been lived with — worn daily, carried through hardship, prayed over — the richer its impressions are thought to be. "The psychometrist would typically initiate the process by holding the object firmly...placing it against their forehead or chest" (Arab Psychology Database). Jewelry, particularly rings, is often considered the most potent category of object.
Psychometry in Archaeology and Law Enforcement
Beyond personal readings, psychometry has been applied to both archaeology and criminal investigation. In Canada, psychic George McMullen, over two years, accompanied educator J. Norman Emerson to various Iroquois archaeological sites, "where the psychic was able to provide highly detailed information about the lives of the Native Americans who lived there simply by holding and 'reading' archaeological objects" (Futurescopes).
In crime investigation, criminologist Vernon Geberth, author of *Practical Homicide Investigation*, described how psychic Noreen Renier held an object belonging to a murder victim and was "allegedly able, through psychometry, to help the police track down the murderer" (New World Encyclopedia). The reliability of such accounts remains a matter of genuine dispute, but their recurrence across decades and jurisdictions keeps them from easy dismissal.
Developing Your Own Psychometric Abilities
Many practitioners hold that psychometry is not a gift reserved for a rare few but a latent human capacity. "Anyone with intuitive and psychic abilities — which everyone has — can develop great psychometric skills" (Mills). The advice across traditions is consistent: begin with objects whose history you can verify, so you receive immediate feedback. "Practice is key to developing strong clairtangent abilities. Ask friends or family to bring you personal objects that you've never touched before," write down what you feel as you hold the object, and then ask whether your impressions match their experience (A Little Spark of Joy). Do not become discouraged by early inaccuracies; with time, sensitivity deepens.
If impressions are slow in coming, try "rubbing the palms of your hands against each other for approximately thirty seconds to activate the energetic centre," then return to the object (Martinez). The hands, in most traditions, are the primary psychometric instrument — the antennae through which the reading flows.
Skepticism, Science, and the Open Question
Honest treatment of psychometry requires acknowledging that mainstream science has not accepted it. "Although the materialist scientific community does not consider psychometry scientifically proven, some basic research has been done" — but "more is still needed, especially research into the phenomenon of psychometry itself" (Paranormal Daily News). The methodological challenge is genuine: designing controlled experiments for a phenomenon that practitioners say requires a relaxed, unforced state of mind is difficult, since high-pressure laboratory conditions may be precisely wrong for the practice.
The history of fraud and embellishment among some psychics has given investigators good reason for caution. Yet the accumulated testimony — from nineteenth-century geology labs to twentieth-century police precincts to contemporary mediums — is striking in its consistency. Across two centuries, across continents and cultures, people have reported holding an object and knowing things they had no conventional means of knowing.
Perhaps the universe retains more of what happens within it than materialism has assumed. And perhaps the capacity to read those retained impressions — to hear what objects remember — is less a supernatural gift than a deeply human one, waiting patiently to be rediscovered.
Works Cited
A Little Spark of Joy. "What Is Psychometry? How to Read the Energy of Objects."
*ALittleSparkOfJoy.com*, 30 Nov. 2024, alittlesparkofjoy.com/psychometry/.
Arab Psychology Database. "Psychometry: Read Objects and Unlock Their History."
*db.arabpsychology.com*, 10 Nov. 2025, db.arabpsychology.com/psychometry-2/.
Backpackerverse. "5 Simple Steps to Read an Object (Developing Psychometry Made
Easy)." *Backpackerverse.com*, 11 Feb. 2020, backpackerverse.com/developing-
psychometry/.
Buchanan, Joseph Rodes. *Journal of Man*. Cincinnati: Office of the Journal of Man, 1849.
College of Psychic Studies. "Psychometry: The Tactile Art of Reading Energy." *The College
of Psychic Studies*, 6 Aug. 2021, www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/
enlighten/psychometry-the-tactile-art-of-reading-energy/.
Denton, William. *The Soul of Things: Psychometric Experiments for Re-Living History*.
Boston, 1863. Reprint, Wellingborough: Aquarian Press, 1988.
Encyclopedia.com. "Denton, William (1823–1883)." *Encyclopedia.com*,
www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/denton-william-1823-1883.
Futurescopes. "Psychometry Explained." *Futurescopes.org*,
futurescopes.org/psychic/psychometry/2411/psychometry-explained.
Geberth, Vernon. *Practical Homicide Investigation: Tactics, Procedures, and Forensic
Techniques*. 4th ed. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2006.
Higgypop. "How Psychometry Could Reveal an Object's Past Through Touch."
*Higgypop.com*, www.higgypop.com/news/psychometry/.
Intuitive Souls Blog. "Psychometry: How to Do Psychic Readings by Touch." *Intuitive
Souls*, 30 Jan. 2026, intuitivesoulsblog.com/psychometry/.
Martinez, Sandra. "How to Test Your Psychometry Skills: An 8-Step Exercise for Psychic
Development." *SandraMartinez.co.uk*, 11 Apr. 2025, www.sandramartinez.co.uk/exercise-to-practice-psychometry/.
Mills, Arlene. "What Is Psychometry? Measuring the Soul." *ArleneMills.com*, 19 Apr. 2023,
arlenemills.com/what-is-psychometry/.
MysticMag. "What Is Psychometry? (and How to Try It) in 2026." *MysticMag.com*, 9 Feb.
2024, www.mysticmag.com/psychic-reading/what-is-psychometry-and-how-to-try-it/.
New World Encyclopedia. "Psychometry." *New World Encyclopedia*,
www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Psychometry.
O'Brien, Paula. "Psychometry." *Paula Obrien — UK Psychic Medium*, 5 Aug. 2017,
paulaobrien.net/psychometry/.
Occult World. "Psychometry." *Occult-World.com*, 8 July 2017, occult-
world.com/psychometry/. Citing Pagenstecher, Gustav. "Past Events Seership: A
Study in Psychometry." Ed. Walter Franklin Prince. *Proceedings of the American Society for Psychical Research*, vol. XVI, pt. I, Jan. 1922, pp. 1–107.
Paranormal Daily News. "The Spirit and Science of Psychometry." *Paranormal Daily News*,
5 May 2025, paranormaldailynews.com/the-spirit-and-science-of-psychometry/3866/.
Parra, Alejandro, and Juan Carlos Argibay. "An Experimental Exploration of Psychometry."
*Journal of the Society for Psychical Research* / *Alipsi*, 2008,
www.alipsi.com.ar/investigaciones/pdf/Parra\_Argibay\_ajp\_2008.pdf. Citing Josephson, B. D., and F. Pallikari-Viras. "Biological Utilization of Quantum Nonlocality." *Foundations of Physics*, vol. 21, 1991, pp. 197–207.
Psi Encyclopedia. "Stefan Ossowiecki." *Society for Psychical Research*, psi-
encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/stefan-ossowiecki/.
Psi Encyclopedia. "Welcome to the Psi Encyclopedia." *Society for Psychical Research*,
psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/.
Ranker. "13 Psychics Who Broke the Case When Police Couldn't Get the Job Done."
*Ranker.com*, 22 Apr. 2024, www.ranker.com/list/fbi-working-with-psychics/jane-h-kyle.
RealityPathing. "Psychometry for Beginners: Your Guide to Reading Objects."
*RealityPathing.com*, 24 July 2024, realitypathing.com/psychometry-for-beginners-
your-guide-to-reading-objects/.
The Circle. "Seven Steps to the Art of Psychometry." *TheCircle.com*, 1 May 2014,
www.thecircle.com/us/magazin/psychics/seven-steps-to-the-art-of-psychometry.do.
TheSpiritualist. "Psychometry: The Art of Reading the Object." *TheSpiritualist.org*, 11 Mar.
2025, www.thespiritualist.org/2025/03/11/psychometry-the-art-of-reading-the-object/.
Wagner, Stephen. "Psychometry: Sensing an Object's Past Through Touch." *LiveAbout*, 7
Apr. 2018, www.liveabout.com/need-to-know-info-about-psychometry-2593072.
Wellesley Historical Society. "Wellesley's Spiritualist Past: One Family's Travel Through
Space and Time." *Wellesley Historical Society*,
www.wellesleyhistoricalsociety.org/collections-spotlight-spiritual-past.
Wikipedia. "Gerard Croiset." *Wikipedia*, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerard\_Croiset.
Wikipedia. "Psychometry (Paranormal)." *Wikipedia*,
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychometry\_(paranormal).
*Note: This blog post is presented as an exploration of a fascinating and contested field. It draws on practitioner accounts, historical sources, and parapsychological research, and does not constitute an endorsement of any specific metaphysical claim.*