Editing Society for Psychical Research (section)

==Origins==
[[Image:Henry Sidgwick.jpg|upright|thumb|[[Henry Sidgwick]], first president of the SPR]]

The Society for Psychical Research (SPR) originated from a discussion between journalist [[Edmund Rogers]] and the physicist [[William F. Barrett]] in autumn 1881. This led to a conference on 5 and 6 January 1882 at the headquarters of the [[British National Association of Spiritualists]], at which the foundation of the Society was proposed.<ref>[[Janet Oppenheim|Oppenheim, Janet]]. (1988). ''The Other World: Spiritualism and Psychical Research in England, 1850–1914''. pp. 136–138. {{ISBN|978-0521347679}}</ref> The committee included Barrett, Rogers, [[Stainton Moses]], [[Charles Massey]], [[Edmund Gurney]], [[Hensleigh Wedgwood]] and [[Frederic W. H. Myers]].<ref>[[Roger Luckhurst|Luckhurst, Roger]]. (2002). ''The Invention of Telepathy, 1870–1901''. Oxford University Press. p. 51. {{ISBN|978-0199249626}}</ref> The SPR was formally constituted on 20 February 1882 with philosopher [[Henry Sidgwick]] as its first president.<ref>Schultz, Bart. (2004). ''Henry Sidgwick: Eye of the Universe: An Intellectual Biography''. Cambridge University Press. p. 276. {{ISBN|978-0521829670}}</ref><ref>McCorristine, Shane. (2010). ''Spectres of the Self: Thinking about Ghosts and Ghost-Seeing in England, 1750–1920''. Cambridge University Press. p. 110. {{ISBN|978-0521747967}}</ref><ref>[[Alan Gauld]], ''The Founders of Psychical Research'' (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1968), p. 138.</ref>

The SPR was the first organisation of its kind in the world, its stated purpose being "to approach these varied problems without prejudice or prepossession of any kind, and in the same spirit of exact and unimpassioned enquiry which has enabled science to solve so many problems, once not less obscure nor less hotly debated."<ref>[[Ivor Grattan-Guinness|Grattan-Guinness, Ivor]]. (1982). ''Psychical Research: A Guide to Its History, Principles and Practices: In Celebration of 100 Years of the Society for Psychical Research''. Aquarian Press. p. 19. {{ISBN|0-85030-316-8}}.</ref><ref name="SPR website">{{cite web|url=http://www.spr.ac.uk/main/|title=SPR website|website=spr.ac.uk|access-date=23 March 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100217045521/http://www.spr.ac.uk/main/|archive-date=17 February 2010}}</ref>

In 1882 [[Mary Everest Boole]] became the first female member of the SPR; however, she resigned after six months.<ref>{{cite book|last=Haynes|first=Renée |authorlink=Renée Haynes|title=The Society for Psychical Research, 1882-1982: A History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3PsRAQAAMAAJ|year=1982|publisher=Macdonald|pages=5|isbn=978-0-356-07875-5}}</ref> Some other early members included the author [[Jane Barlow]],<ref>{{Cite journal|date=1917|title=Meetings of the Council|journal=Journal of the Society for Psychical Research|volume=18|issue=335|page=12}}</ref> the renowned chemist Sir [[William Crookes]], physicist Sir [[Oliver Lodge]], Nobel laureate [[Charles Richet]], artist [[Lewis Charles Powles]] and psychologist [[William James]].<ref>Christie, Drew. ''Societies for Psychical Research''. In [[Michael Shermer]]. (2002). ''[[The Skeptic Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience]]''. ABC-CLIO. pp. 217–219. {{ISBN|1-57607-653-9}}</ref>

Members of the SPR initiated and organised the International Congresses of Physiological/Experimental psychology.<ref name="Sommer1">{{cite journal |last=Sommer |first=Andreas |date=2012 |title=Psychical research and the origins of American psychology: Hugo Münsterberg, William James and Eusapia Palladino |pmc=3552602 |journal=History of the Human Sciences |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=23–44 |doi=10.1177/0952695112439376 |pmid=23355763 }}</ref><ref name="Sommer2">{{cite journal |last=Sommer |first=Andreas |date=2011 |title=Professional Heresy: Edmund Gurney (1847–88) and the Study of Hallucinations and Hypnotism |journal=Medical History |volume=55 |issue=3 |pages=383–388 |doi=10.1017/S0025727300005445 |pmc=3143882 |pmid=21792265 }}</ref>

Areas of study included [[hypnotism]], [[dissociation (psychology)|dissociation]], [[telepathy|thought-transference]], [[mediumship]], [[Odic force|Reichenbach phenomena]], [[apparitional experiences|apparitions and haunted houses]] and the physical phenomena associated with [[séance]]s.<ref name="Sommer1"/><ref>Thurschwell, Pamela. (2004). ''Literature, Technology and Magical Thinking, 1880–1920''. Cambridge University Press. p. 16. {{ISBN|0-521-80168-0}}</ref><ref>McCorristine, Shane. (2010). ''Spectres of the Self: Thinking about Ghosts and Ghost-Seeing in England, 1750-1920''. Cambridge University Press. p. 114. {{ISBN|978-0-521-76798-9}}</ref> The SPR were to introduce a number of neologisms which have entered the [[English language]], such as '[[telepathy]]', which was coined by Frederic Myers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=telepathy |title=Online Etymology Dictionary |publisher=Etymonline.com |access-date=10 September 2011}}</ref>

The Society is run by a President and a Council of twenty members, and is open to interested members of the public to join.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.spr.ac.uk/main/page/join-the-spr| title=Join the SPR! |publisher=Society for Psychical Research|quote=Membership does not imply acceptance of any particular opinion concerning the nature or reality of the phenomena examined, and the Society holds no corporate views.}}</ref> The organisation is based at 1 Vernon Mews, London, with a library and office open to members, and with large book and archival holdings in [[Cambridge University Library]], [[Cambridgeshire]], England.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/deptserv/rarebooks/directory.html#soci|title=Rare Books - Collections directory - name access|website=www.lib.cam.ac.uk|access-date=23 March 2018}}</ref> It publishes the peer-reviewed quarterly ''Journal of the Society for Psychical Research'' (''JSPR''), the irregular ''Proceedings'' and the magazine ''Paranormal Review''. It holds an annual conference, regular lectures and two study days per year<ref name="SPR website"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://moebius.psy.ed.ac.uk/~info/SocAssoc.php3|title=Edinburgh University Website|website=ed.ac.uk|access-date=23 March 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070303095713/http://moebius.psy.ed.ac.uk/~info/SocAssoc.php3|archive-date=3 March 2007}}</ref> and supports the ''LEXSCIEN'' on-line library project.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lexscien.org/lexscien/index.jsp |title=LEXSCIEN Library of Exploratory Science |publisher=Lexscien.org |access-date=10 September 2011}}</ref>