ELECTRIC ROCK Numerous explanations for the phenomena of luminescence and phosphorescence flood the technical literature of the day. Each seek mechanistic explanation for the remarkable radiance of certain materials and apparatus. Despite these academic speculations, the phenomena of luminosity and phosphorescence represent some very essence of our deepest dreams and mythic desires. Strange light sources form the heart of all artifices of legendary magick. These are fascinating archetypes, which surpass our merely intellectual fixations. Why their mere mention fills us with an awesome reverence has much deeper source. Each new technological epoch is always accompanied by the emergence of new and remarkable light sources. From the latter part of the nineteenth century until the middle 1930's there was an abundant emergence of such devices. While many of these "lanterns" required the forced generation of energies, there were a significant number of devices, which did not. In the following account, we will see that the fables of "lost magickal elements" and "radiant rocks" are grounded in truth.

Dr. Moray "I started my experiments with the taking of electricity from the ground, as I termed it, during the summer of 1909. By fall of 1910 I had sufficient power to operate a small electrical device, and I made a demonstration of my idea to two friends... This demonstration in the early stages consisted of operating a miniature arc light... It soon became evident that the energy was not static and that the static of the universe would be of no assistance to me in obtaining the power I was seeking... During the Christmas Holidays of 1911, I began to fully realize that the energy I was working with was not of a static nature, but of an oscillating nature. Further I realized that the energy was not coming out of the earth, but instead was coming to the earth from some outside source. These electrical oscillations in the form of waves were not simple oscillations, but were surgings --- like the waves of the sea --- coming to the earth continually, more in the daytime than at night, but always coming in vibrations from the reservoir of colossal energy out there in space. By this time I was able to obtain enough power to light the old 16-candlepower carbon lamp for about one half capacity, and I did not seem to make any further improvement until the spring of 1925."   Dr. Thomas Henry Moray, an electrical engineer, began research on aerial static generators in 1910. He succeeded in deriving usable electrical energy from the earth's electrostatic field. Many others had achieved similar results in the century preceding Dr. Moray. Patents of "aerial batteries" fill the archives (Vion, Ward, Dewey, Palenscar, Pennock, Plausen). Their remarkable efficiency required only the establishment of elevated stations in appropriate places, each differing in the actual mode of extracting the atmospheric energies. Some of these aerial battery systems successfully provided the utility requirements of small factories and telegraphic exchanges. Dr. Moray was fascinated with the concept of drawing electrical energy directly from the environment. His initial and primitive tests brought a modest amount of electrical energy from his aerial battery design, producing clicking tones in a telephone receiver. With this device, he gradually developed enough atmospherically derived energy to light a small neon "arc lamp". Dr. Moray was encouraged, but not satisfied with these results. There had to be a way to get much more energy from the environment. Static-field systems are necessarily tall aerial structures, requiring a great deal of space. Some designers used large balloons to hoist their static collectors. Others simply utilized fixed structures: large mountain-poised screens, point-studded poles. Benjamin Ward used an astounding "directional chute" which "funneled" electrostatic winds. Aerial batteries relied on the surface area of structures to absorb electrostatic charges. The larger the system, the more the available electrical power. Moray wanted to miniaturize these large systems. If miniaturization was to be the design goal, there would be a necessary and revolutionary change in the approach. While investigating the output of his device, he discovered a feature of the natural static energy, which had somehow been overlooked by other aerial battery designers. The electrostatic power had a flimmering, pulsating quality to it. He learned of this "static pulsation" while listening through headphones, which were connected to telephone wires. The static came in a single, potent surge. This first "wave" subsided, with numerous "back surges" following. Soon thereafter, the process repeated itself. The static surges came "like ocean waves". Indeed, with the volume of "white noise" which they produced, they sounded like ocean waves! These peculiar waves did not arrive with "clock precision". Just like ocean waves, they arrived in schedules of their own. Dr. Moray was convinced that these were world-permeating waves. He came to believe that they represented the natural "cadence of the universe". This intriguing characteristic suggested that small amounts of pulsating electrostatic charge might be used to induce large oscillations in a large "tank" of charge. The resultant oscillating power would be applied to industrial use. But experiments in these avenues were not very promising. Dr. Moray believed that the earth's natural electrical energies were derived from the mineral content of the ground. He therefore began examining minerals with a rare devotion. Everywhere he went, mineral hunting was the first impulse. These minerals became quite a collection. Each was examined in his small laboratory to discover any possible new electrical properties, which might reveal the truth of his ideas. There was practical truth in his first suppositions. The early days of Radio utilized mineral crystals to detect signals. Tesla was perhaps first in announcing that selenium crystals could detect the special rays with which he was principally occupied. Thereafter several different personalities claimed to have "discovered" the crystal detection method. Essentially solid state in nature, the method uses mineral crystals to "detect" radio signals. Fine wires ("catwhiskers") touched mineral surfaces at specific "sensitive points" and were tuned with a small coil. One could receive radio signals without batteries by employing this detector. When connected with an aerial, a ground rod, variable coil tuner and headphones, the resulting "crystal set" provided a means for receiving strong radio signals. As children, many of us had these little crystal sets. They are still popular and may be purchased for a few dollars in science shops today. Since the crystal was the key to better radio reception, experimenters were searching the mineral kingdom for new and more sensitive detector crystals. Early radio magazines taught the eager hobbyist how to mount special radiosensitive mineral crystals. There were several favorites of which radio hobbyists were very fond. A brilliantly reflective metallic crystal having a silvery blue cast, Galena was the mineral of choice. Pyrite, otherwise known as "fool's gold", is a close second to Galena. As a radio detector, Pyrite gives a good signal strength in the headphones. Some preferred Molybdenite, a mineral that is especially sensitive to infrared energy as well as radiosignals. Radio amateurs were always trying new mineral crystals to see which ones amplified radio stations with greater strength and clarity. Each had their favorite crystals. Little did the radio enthusiasts know why there was mystery in this quest for "radiant crystals"! Advancing the science of crystal radio detection, certain researchers discovered that contact-combinations of minerals gave stronger signal amplifications. When carborundum and silicon crystal nuggets were pressed together with little springs in a metal tube, the signal strength was enormous. Small battery voltages turned these mineral detectors into amplifiers, early transistor-like detectors. Bi-mineral and bi-metallic hybrids were tried with good results. Mineral-metal, mineral-mineral, even multiple minerals in contact with two different metals produced enormous magnifications of signal strength. Some detectors incorporated carnotite, a radioactive mineral. This greatly increased conductivity with a resultant enormous signal magnification. Coating aerial points and catwhiskers with autonite, another mild radioactive mineral, produced amplified signals. There were small companies, which manufactured synthetic minerals ("Radiocite" and "Russonite"). These claimed superiority in the signal-boosting ability. There were scores of other sensitive minerals, which gradually appeared in the journals, some natural and rare, and some synthetic compositions. In light of these wonders, a full-scale assault on the mineral kingdom was launched by both private and government research labs. It was discovered again that the mineral world is not simple. The mineral world is mysterious and locale-specific. Each ground site where minerals are found evidences unique mineral combinations and admixtures. The special qualities of identical mineral species can vary completely among geographic points. Galena contains critical element traces, which differ completely among mining sites. It was found that Galena, taken from certain special sites in Kansas, gave an excessively clear signal output with high volume. This natural Germanium rich variation placed it far above other galena samples in radio-sensitivity. In addition, these crystals visibly differ from Galena taken from other places, having a rare blue green hue.