Spiritualism, Mesmerism and the Occult, 1800–1920

This edition provides an important insight into the dark areas between science, medicine and religion in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Scientific principles were commonly used during this period in an attempt to prove the existence of the supernatural. It was this emphasis on proof rather than faith that led to the emergence of psychical research as a discipline.

Investigation reflected the popular desire to account for events such as ghost-sightings, telepathy and second-sight, as well as seeking to provide a better understanding of human psychology and proof of the soul. Observation, credibility and accumulation of evidence were seen as key to legitimizing the supernatural as an area for scientific debate and for challenging its many sceptics. This created a lively public sphere for debates, reports, narratives and a rich documentary culture.

This five-volume collection is organized thematically and spans the period from initial mesmeric experiments to the decline of the Society for Psychical Research in the 1920s. It includes a wide range of rare source material which illustrates the variety of different debates and opposing viewpoints, while a full editorial apparatus allows a nuanced reading of the texts. The set is a significant addition to the growing research on spiritualism and will be of interest to scholars of the history of science and medicine, parapsychology and Victorian studies.

• All material is rare and most texts are not available in microfilm or digital collections
• Includes a selection of manuscript sources
• Contains over seventy-five texts reflecting the contemporary controversies and debates
• Full editorial apparatus: general introduction, volume introductions, headnotes and endnotes
• Index in final volume

Contents

Volume 1: Apparitions, Spectral Illusions and Hallucinations

Apparitions and Spectral Illusions
Christoph Friedrich Nicolai, 'A Memoir on the Appearance of Spectres or Phantoms occasioned by Disease, with Psychological Remarks. Read by Nicolai to the Royal Society of Berlin, on the 28th of February, 1799', Journal of Natural Philosophy, Chemistry and the Arts (1803); John Alderson, An Essay on Apparitions, in which Their Appearance is Accounted for by Causes Wholly Independent of Preternatural Agency (1823); Past Feelings Renovated; or, Ideas Occasioned by the Perusal of Dr. Hibbert’s Philosophy of Apparitions Written with the View of Countering any Sentiments Approaching Materialism, Which that Work, However Unintentional on the Part of the Author, May Have a Tendency to Produce (1828) [extract]; William Chapman, Nocturnal Travels; or, Walks in the Night. Being an Account of Ghosts, Apparitions, Hobgoblins, and Monsters (1828); T Forster, Illustrations of the Atmospherical Origin of Epidemic Diseases, and of its Relation to their Predisponent Constitutional Causes, Exemplified by Historical Notices and Cases, and on the Twofold Means of Prevention, Mitigation, and Cure, and of the Powerful Influence of Change of Air, as a Principal Remedy (1829) [extracts]; Robert Paterson, 'An Account of Several Cases of Spectral Illusions, with Observations on the Phenomena and on the States of Bodily Indisposition in which they Occur', Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal (1843); Charles Ollier, Fallacy of Ghosts, Dreams, and Omens; With Stories of Witchcraft, Life-In-Death, and Monomania (1848) [extract]; John Netten Radcliffe, Fiends, Ghosts, and Sprites: Including an Account of the Origin and Nature of Belief in the Supernatural (1854) [extract]; Selections from the Papers of the Phasmatological Society (1882)

Illusions and Hallucinations
Henry, Maudsley, 'Hallucinations of the Senses', Fortnightly Review (1878); Edmund, Gurney, 'Hallucinations', Mind (1885) [extract]; Henry Sidgwick, 'Address by the President on the Census of Hallucinations', Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research (1889–1890); Eliza Lynn Linton, 'Our Illusions', Fortnightly Review (1891); Henry Sidgwick, 'Report on the Census of Hallucinations', Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research (1894) [extracts]; Carl E Seashore, 'Measurements of Illusions and Hallucinations in Normal Life', in Edward W Scripture ed. Studies from the Yale Psychological Laboratory (1895) [extract]; Lillien J Martin, 'Ghosts and the Projection of Visual Images', American Journal of Psychology (1915); Robert Hunter Steen, 'Hallucinations in the Sane', Journal of Mental Science (1917)

Volume 2: Mesmerism and Hypnotism

George Winter, Animal Magnetism: History of its Origin (1801) [extracts]; The Supernatural Magazine for 1809 (1809) [extracts]; J C Colquhoun, Report of the Experiments on Animal Magnetism, Made by a Committee of the Medical Section of the French Royal Academy of Sciences; read at the Meetings of the 21st and 28th of June, 1831 (1833) [extract]; J P F Deleuze, Practical Instruction in Animal Magnetism (1837) [extract]; Hugh McNeile, 'Satanic Agency and Mesmerism: A Sermon, Preached at St Jude’s Church, Liverpool', Penny Pulpit (1842); James Braid, 'Satanic Agency and Mesmerism Reviewed' (1842); Robert Hanham Collyer, Psychography; or the Embodiment of Thought (1843); John Hughes Bennett, The Mesmeric Mania of 1851, with a Physiological Explanation of the Phenomena Produced (1851); Alexander Wood, What is Mesmerism? (1851) Hill Hamilton Hardy, Analytic Researches in Spirit-Magnetism (1852); George M Beard, 'The Study of Trance, Muscle-Reading and Allied Nervous Phenomena in Europe and America' (1882); Edmund Gurney, 'The Problems of Hypnotism', Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research (1884); George M Robertson, 'Hypnotism at Paris and Nancy. Notes of a Visit', Journal of Mental Science (1892)

Volume 3: Telepathy and the Society for Psychical Research

Francis Barrett, 'Directions for the Invocations of Spirits' (1802); Rochester Knockings: Discovery and Explanation of the Source of the Phenomena (1851), R Harper, 'On the Development of the Spiritual Body; or, The Human Double', Human Nature (1868); Thomas, John 'Odology: An Antidote to Spiritualism, being an Analysis of the Claims of Spirit Rapping' (1869); Barrett, Francis, 'Directions for the Invocations of Spirits' (1802); Rochester Knockings: Discovery and Explanation of the Source of the Phenomena (1851); H Tuttle and J M Peebles The Year-book of Spiritualism for 1871 ( 1871) [extracts]; Pendie L Jewett, 'Spiritualism and Charlatanism' (1873); S…..S Major, 'Phreno-Mesmo-Clairvo-Electro-Magno-Physio-Psycho-Byology; or Professor Bam’s Last Developments of Spiritualism. [A Farce in Two Acts and Prose]' (1873); William B Carpenter, 'The Psychological Curiosities of Spiritualism', Fraser’s Magazine (1877),William Stainton Moses, 'Carpenterian Criticism: Being a Reply to an Article by Dr W.B. Carpenter etc.' Human Nature (1877); William Fletcher Barrett, 'The Demons of Derrygonelly', Dublin University Magazine (1877); E W Stevens, The Wateska Wonder: A Startling and Instructive Psychological Study, and Well Authenticated Instance of Angelic Visitation (1878); Theobald Morrell, 'Spiritualism at Home' (1884); Revelations of a Spirit Medium, etc (1891) [extract]; Frank Swainson, 'Addresses on Spiritualism' (1910); Ghost Club Minutes; E Wake Cook and Frank Podmore, Spiritualism: Is Communication with the Spirit World an Established Fact? (1903); Andrew Lang, 'Historical Mysteries IV: The Strange Case of Daniel Dunglas Home', Cornhill Magazine (1904); William Fletcher Barrett, 'Seeing without Eyes',(1911); THW, Light on the Future; Being Extracts from the Note Book of a Member of the Society for Psychical Research, Dublin (1917); Preston F Hall, 'Experiments in Astral Projection', Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research (1918); Charles Marsh Beadnell, 'The Reality or Unreality of Spiritualistic Phenomena: Being a Criticism of Dr WJ Crawford’s Investigations into Levitations and Raps' (1920)

Volume 4: Dreaming and Dissociation

Thought-transference and Telepathy in the Society for Psychical Research
William Barrett, Edmund Gurney and Frederic W H Myers, 'First Report of the Committee on Thought-Reading', Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research (1882–1883) [extracts]; Balfour Stewart, 'Note on Thought-Reading', Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research (1882–1883); FWH Myers, 'On a Telepathic Explanation of Some so-called Spiritualistic Phenomena', Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research (1884); Henry Sidgwick, 'President’s Address', in Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research (1888–1889); Oliver Lodge, 'Thought Transference: An Application of Modern Thought to Ancient Superstitions' (1892); M Eden Paul, 'Psychical Research and Thought-transference: Their Meaning and Recent History' (1920)

Criticisms of the Telepathic Theory
Professor Robertson, Hand-book of Second-Sight, Clairvoyance and Thought Reading (1883); 'The Telepathy Theory', Light (1885); 'How Many Senses Have You?', The Times (1886); 'Spooks and Their Friends', Saturday Review (1886); Charles Sanders Peirce, 'Criticism on ‘Phantasms of the Living', Proceedings of the American Society for Psychical Research (1887); Edmund Gurney, 'Remarks on Professor Peirce’s Paper', Proceedings of the American Society for Psychical Research (1887); A Taylor Innes, 'Where are the Letters?', Nineteenth Century (1887); Josiah Royce, 'Hallucination of Memory and ‘Telepathy’', Mind (1888); Reginald Courtenay, 'Telepathy', Blackwood’s Magazine (1891); Mark Twain, 'Mental Telegraphy: A Manuscript with a History', Harper’s Monthly Magazine (1891); G B Ermacora, 'Telepathic Dreams Experimentally Induced', Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research (1895); Robert Hind, 'Telepathy in Relation to Theological Investigation', Primitive Methodist Quarterly (1899); Charles Leadbeater, 'The Rationale of Telepathy and Mind-Cure. A Lecture Delivered in Steinway-Hall, Chicago', (1903); W T Stead, 'Can Telepathy Explain All?', Contemporary Review (1910)

Volume 5: Spiritualism and Mediumship

The Dreaming Consciousness
John Addington Symonds, Sleep and Dreams; Two Lectures Delivered at the Bristol Literary and Philosophical Institution (1851) [extract]; Sophia Elizabeth De Morgan, 'Notebook containing records of dreams and visions with interpretation' (1856); Forbes Winslow, 'On the Physiological and Psychological Phenomena of Dreams and Apparitions', in Journal of Psychological Medicine and Mental Pathology (1856) [extracts]; Gustavus George Zerffi, Dreams and Ghosts. A Lecture delivered before the Sunday Lecture Society, on Sunday Afternoon, 7th February, 1875 (1875); 'Circular No.2: On Dreaming and Allied States', Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research (1882–3); James Crichton-Browne, On Dreamy Mental States (1895); Sarah C Weed, Florence M Hallam and Emma D Phinney, 'A Study of the Dream-Consciousness', in American Journal of Psychology (1896); Frederick Van Eeden, 'A Study of Dreams', Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research (1912–1913)

Dissociation and the Unconscious
Frances Power Cobbe, 'Unconscious Cerebration: A Psychological Study', Macmillan’s Magazine (1870) G W Mitchell, X+Y=Z; or, The Sleeping Preacher of North Alabama (1876); William L Courtney, 'The New Psychology', Fortnightly Review (1879); Edward Cox, 'The Duality of the Mind', Proceedings of the Psychological Society of Great Britain, 1875–1879 (1880); Eduard Von Hartmann, 'Spiritism' (1885) Frederic W H Myers, 'Multiplex Personality', Nineteenth Century (1886); Frederic WH Myers, 'Professor Janet’s ‘Automatisme psychologique’'; 'Binet on the Consciousness of Hysterical Subjects'; 'Das Doppel-Ich', Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research (1889-90); Leonard T Troland, 'The Freudian Psychology and Psychical Research', in Journal of Abnormal Psychology (1914); Wilfrid Lay, Man’s Unconscious Spirit: The Psychoanalysis of Spiritism (1921) [extract]

Related titles

• Angels and Belief in England, 1480–1700
• Ghosts: A Social History
• The Selected Writings of Andrew Lang
• Victorian Science and Literature
• Vision, Science and Literature, 1870–1920 : Ocular Horizons
• Visions of an Unseen World : Ghost Beliefs and Ghost Stories in Eighteenth-Century England

Leaflets

• Colour leaflet

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