Lotte Plaat was born in 1895, daughter of the Dutch Consul in Oldenberg, Germany. She was over six feet tall, well educated and spoke several languages fluently, including English. While attending college, she was told by a Dutch sensitive, Mme. Akkeringa, that she possessed a psychic gift.
After suffering through a serious illness, Lotte tried psychometry and found that the woman had been correct. Even though she practiced diligently and improved her abilities, she continued to suffer with internal inflammation and underwent an operation which gave her relief.
The German police regularly employed Lotte to trace criminals. She was always open to having her abilities tested. In Spring 1929, she submitted to testing by a committee of doctors and professors in Berlin. Dr. Paul Sunner, editor of a German psychical journal collected reports and interviews with members of the committee and published them as a brochure.
In the Sunner’s report, Dr. Gustav Pagenstecher of Mexico, stated that Lotte needed only to touch an object, unlike other mediums at the time who would knead, squeeze, or twist them to obtain information. She not only saw visions, she felt many sensations, including pressure, warmth, cold, pain, and anxiety.
Lotte preferred to be given a choice of objects from departed persons. She would be drawn to a particular one. She described it, saying, “It is as if someone were speaking into my ear, not as if I were saying things, but as if I had to repeat what I heard.”
In 1930, she traveled to London to be tested at the National Laboratory of Psychical Research. From there she sailed to Guatemala where she met German diplomat Baron Otto Von Strahl. The Baron was married at the time and left his wife and sons to marry Lotte. They lived in Berlin and South Africa until Hilter came to power.
In 1947, they moved to California. Now the Baroness Von Strahl, Lotte became famous for her readings in Hollywood. The baron died in 1961. Lotte passed in May of 1979 in Panorama City, California.
Denning, Hazel M. (2003) True Hauntings: Spirits with a Purpose. Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, Minnesota
Price, Harry (2012) Fifty Years of Psychical Research. F&W Media.
McKenzie, Mrs. Hewat. “Lotte Plaat—A Remarkable Psychometrist.” In Psychic Science Vol 9, No 1, April 1930
TENHAEFF, W.H.C. EXPERIMENTS WITH MRS. LOTTE PLAAT-MAHLSTEDT TO TEST HER GIFT OF EXTRASENSORY PERCEPTION from the CIA Home Library. Released May 10, 2000 under the Freedom of Information Act. Link:
https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/document/cia-rdp96-00792r000700700001-3
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