Editing Society for Psychical Research (section)

==Research==

===Psychical research===

Among the first important works was the two-volume publication in 1886, ''[[Phantasms of the Living]]'', concerning telepathy and [[apparitional experience|apparitions]], co-authored by Gurney, Myers and [[Frank Podmore]].<ref>[[Janet Oppenheim|Oppenheim, Janet]]. (1988). ''The Other World: Spiritualism and Psychical Research in England, 1850–1914''. pp. 141–142. {{ISBN|978-0521347679}}</ref> This text, and subsequent research in this area, was received negatively by the scientific mainstream,<ref name="Sommer2"/> though Gurney and Podmore provided a defense of the society's early work in this area in mainstream publications.<ref>[[Edmund Gurney|Gurney, Edmund]].  (1887). [https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ns-9.214.233 Thought-transference]. ''Science'', 233–235.</ref><ref>[[Edmund Gurney|Gurney, Edmund]]. (1887). [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiuo.ark:/13960/t9088vz2x;view=1up;seq=445 Thought-transference]. ''National Review'', 9, 437–439</ref><ref>[[Edmund Gurney|Gurney, Edmund]]. (1888). [https://books.google.com/books?id=HSPkAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA415 Hallucination of memory and ‘telepathy’]. ''Mind'', 13, 415–417.</ref><ref>[[Frank Podmore|Podmore, Frank]]. (1892). [https://books.google.com/books?id=cSM_AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA234 "In Defense of Phantasms"]. ''The National Review''. Vol. 19, No. 110. pp. 234–251</ref><ref>[[Frank Podmore|Podmore, Frank]]. (1895). [https://www.jstor.org/stable/25103491 "What Psychical Research Has Accomplished"]. ''The North American Review''. Vol. 160, No. 460. pp. 331–344</ref>

The SPR "devised methodological innovations such as randomized study designs" and conducted "the first experiments investigating the psychology of eyewitness testimony (Hodgson and Davey, 1887), [and] empirical and conceptual studies illuminating mechanisms of dissociation and hypnotism"<ref name="Sommer1"/>

In 1894, the ''Census of Hallucinations'' was published which sampled 17,000 people. Out of these, 1,684 persons reported having experienced a hallucination of an apparition.<ref>Williams, William F. (2000). ''Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience: From Alien Abductions to Zone Therapy''. Routledge. p. 49. {{ISBN|1-57958-207-9}}</ref> Such efforts were claimed to have undermined "the notion of dissociation and hallucinations as intrinsically pathological phenomena".<ref name="Sommer1"/>

The SPR investigated many spiritualist mediums such as [[Eva Carrière]] and [[Eusapia Palladino]].<ref>Anderson, Rodger. (2006). ''Psychics, Sensitives and Somnambules: A Biographical Dictionary with Bibliographies''. McFarland & Company. pp. 14–132. {{ISBN|978-0786427703}}</ref>

During the early twentieth century, the SPR studied a series of [[Automatic writing|automatic scripts]] and trance utterances from a group of automatic writers, known as the [[cross-correspondences]].<ref>Edmunds, Simeon. (1966). ''Spiritualism: A Critical Survey''. Aquarian Press. pp. 178–180. {{ISBN|978-0850300130}}</ref>

Famous cases investigated by the Society include [[Borley Rectory]] and the [[Enfield Poltergeist]].

In 1912 the Society extended a request for a contribution to a special medical edition of its Proceedings to [[Sigmund Freud]]. Though according to Ronald W. Clark (1980) "Freud surmised, no doubt correctly, that the existence of any link between the founding fathers of psychoanalysis and investigation of the paranormal would hamper acceptance of psychoanalysis" as would any perceived involvement with the occult. Nonetheless, Freud did respond, contributing an essay titled "A Note on the Unconscious in Psycho-Analysis"<ref>1912 Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, 26 (Part 66), 312–318.</ref> to the Medical Supplement to the Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research.<ref>Keeley, James P. "Subliminal Promptings: Psychoanalytic Theory and the Society for Psychical Research." American Imago, vol. 58 no. 4, 2001, pp. 767–791. Project MUSE, {{doi|10.1353/aim.2001.0021}}</ref>

===Exposures of fraud===

Much of the society's early work involved investigating, exposing and in some cases duplicating fake phenomena. In the late 19th century, SPR investigations into séance phenomena led to the exposure of many fraudulent mediums.<ref>Moreman, Christopher M. (2010). ''Beyond the Threshold: Afterlife Beliefs and Experiences in World Religions''. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. p. 163. {{ISBN|978-0-7425-6228-8}} "SPR investigators quickly found that many mediums were indeed, as skeptics had alleged, operating under cover of darkness in order to perpetrate scams. They used a number of tricks facilitated by darkness: sleight of hand was used to manipulate objects and touch people eager to make contact with deceased loved ones; flour or white lines would give the illusion of spectral white hands or faces; accomplices were even stashed under tables or in secret rooms to lent support in the plot... As the investigations of the SPR, and other skeptics, were made public, many fraudulent mediums saw their careers ruined and many unsuspecting clients were enraged at the deception perpetrated."</ref>

[[Richard Hodgson (parapsychologist)|Richard Hodgson]] distinguished himself in that area. In 1884, Hodgson was sent by the SPR to [[India]] to investigate [[Helena Blavatsky]] and concluded that her claims of [[psychic]] power were fraudulent.<ref>[[Janet Oppenheim|Oppenheim, Janet]]. (1988). ''The Other World: Spiritualism and Psychical Research in England, 1850–1914''. pp. 175–176. {{ISBN|978-0521347679}}</ref> However, in 1985 the original finding of fraud was questioned and reinvestigated by the SPR researcher [[Vernon Harrison]], president of the Royal Photographic Society and an expert at detecting forgery. Harrison determined that "As an investigator, Hodgson is weighed in the balances and found wanting. His case against Madame H. P. Blavatsky is not proven."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/hpb-spr/hpb-spr1.htm#t1 | title=Part 1, J'Accuse: An Examination of the Hodgson Report }}</ref>

In 1886 and 1887 a series of publications by S. J. Davey, [[Richard Hodgson (parapsychologist)|Hodgson]] and [[Eleanor Mildred Sidgwick|Sidgwick]] in the SPR journal exposed the [[Slate (writing)|slate writing]] tricks of the medium [[William Eglinton]].<ref name="Janet Oppenheim 1988 pp. 139–140">[[Janet Oppenheim|Oppenheim, Janet]]. (1988). ''The Other World: Spiritualism and Psychical Research in England, 1850–1914''. Cambridge University Press. pp. 139–140. {{ISBN|978-0521347679}}</ref> Hodgson with his friend, S. J. Davey, had staged fake séances for educating the public (including SPR members). Davey gave sittings under an assumed name, duplicating the phenomena produced by Eglinton, and then proceeded to point out to the sitters the manner in which they had been deceived. Because of this, some spiritualist members such as [[Stainton Moses]] resigned from the SPR.<ref name="Janet Oppenheim 1988 pp. 139–140"/>

In 1891, [[Alfred Russel Wallace]] requested for the Society to properly investigate [[spirit photography]].<ref>[http://martynjolly.com/2013/10/02/faces-of-the-living-dead/ "The Belief in Spirit Photography"]. Martyn Jolly.</ref> [[Eleanor Mildred Sidgwick|Eleanor Sidgwick]] responded with a critical paper in the SPR which cast doubt on the subject and discussed the fraudulent methods that spirit photographers such as [[Édouard Isidore Buguet]], [[Frederick Hudson (photographer)|Frederic Hudson]] and [[William H. Mumler]] had utilised.<ref>Edmunds, Simeon. (1966). ''Spiritualism: A Critical Survey''. Aquarian Press. p. 115. {{ISBN|978-0850300130}} "The early history of spirit photography was reviewed by Mrs Henry Sidgwick in the Proceedings of the SPR in 1891. She showed clearly not only that Mumler, Hudson, Buguet and their ilk were fraudulent, but the way in which those who believed in them were deceived."</ref>

Due to the exposure of [[William Hope (paranormal investigator)|William Hope]] and other fraudulent mediums, [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] led a mass resignation of eighty-four members of the Society for Psychical Research, as they believed the Society was opposed to spiritualism.<ref name="Nelson2013">Nelson, G. K. (2013). ''Spiritualism and Society''. Routledge. p. 159. {{ISBN|978-0415714624}}</ref> Science historian [[William Hodson Brock]] has noted that "By the 1900s most avowed spiritualists had left the SPR and gone back to the BNAS (the [[London Spiritualist Alliance]] since 1884), having become upset by the sceptical tone of most of the SPR's investigations."<ref>[[William Hodson Brock|Brock, William Hodson]]. (2008). ''William Crookes (1832–1919) and the Commercialization of Science''. Ashgate Publishing. p. 206. {{ISBN|978-0754663225}}</ref>