Editing Society for Psychical Research (section)

===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>