Theos-Talk Archives (March 2002 Message tt00506)

3)The Foundation of the Society for Psychical Research

In 1874 Moses reported his experiences to two Cambridge scholars, 
Frederic W. H. Myers and Edmund Gurney. For some time Myers had 
been discussing his interest in psychical investigations with Henry 
Sidgwick, a respected Cambridge professor with broad philosophical and 
spiritual interests. Many years later Myers recalled what was to be a 
most important conversation for the development of psychical research:

In a star light walk which I shall not forget . . . I asked him, almost with 
trembling, whether he thought that when Tradition, Intuition, 
Metaphysic, had failed to solve the riddle of the Universe, there was still 
a chance that from any actual observable phenomena ghosts, spirits, 
whatsoever there might be, some valid knowledge might be drawn as 
to a World Unseen. Already, it seemed, he had thought that this was 
possible; steadily, though in no sanguine fashion, he indicated some last 
grounds of hope; and from that night onwards I resolved to pursue this 
quest, if it might be, at his side. (Proceedings of the Societyfor Psychical 
Research)

In 1873 Myers suggested to Sidgwick that they begin investigating 
spiritualistic phenomena. Edmund Gurney and others were drawn into 
the project, which continued with increasing intensity up to 1880, when 
it lost momentum.

Meanwhile, William Barrett, professor of physics at the Royal College of 
Science in Dublin, having developed an interest in mesmerism, began a 
series of experiments in the physical rapport of the mesmeric subject 
and the mesmerizer. He also focused his attention on table turning and 
the "willing game," where the silent will of one person is supposed to 
cause another to act. In 1881 the British National Association of 
Spiritualists proposed to Barrett that a society be formed to investigate 
the phenomena of spiritualism, and in January 1882 Barrett assembled a 
mixed group of spiritualists and academics, including those who had 
been working under Sidgwick's leadership at Cambridge. Myers and 
Gurney agreed to participate in such a society only if Sidgwick were 
president. The group agreed to this stipulation, and on February 20, 
1882, the Society for Psychical Research had its founding meeting. The 
society set itself six aiof the United States, there were many who looked 
for the cause of thephenomena in some sort of fluid and left the spirits 
out of it altogether.Roubaud called the moving agent a "new fluid" that 
was neither electric beat nor terrestrial magnetism. He was satisfied to 
refer to it simply aswn agent" whose properties could and should be 
investigatedpp. 29 30). The anonymous author of Practical Instructions 
in Tabler ( 1853) was also content to identify the phenomena merely 
as "thefknd" .

Prichard, relying on secondhand information, began by favoring
his explanation of table moving but did an about face when he carried 
own expenments and several times saw a table completely lift off the 
Convinced that what he had witnessed could not be accounted for by 
ious muscular action, Prichard (1853) attributed the movements to 
agency of electric currents instantaneously permeating the spaces of 
and thereby counteracting the forces of gravity ; see also Gentil
Goupy 1853, 1860). researchers attempted to tie the table movements 
directly to the svstern of the medium or sitters. Gentil (1854), for 
instance, spokek rad of "animated electricity" present in the physical 
organism that es from the body and penetrates the table, causing its 
motion . They believed the table moving force was an extension of 
the "netfluid that passes through the body, mediating sensation and 
producing.

for example, became involved with animal magnetism in 1845. boL* The 
Signs of the Times (185 1) reveals that terminology from mes 
practitioners had entered into spiritualism's vocabulary. The book dw the 
peculiar mixture of concepts drawn from animal magnetism it *, found 
in mesmeric literature of the day (such as the "electrical of John Bovee 
Dods) was also present in spiritualistic thinking.
wrote that the spiritualistic "circle" where people sat in a ring was a 
magnetic circle" by spiritualist mediums. The circle was also
in electrical terms: "The clairvoyant spoke of the rappings, calling 
ciectrical vibrations, and said communications might be had from the 
aMd if a battery was formed. Inquiry was made how a battery could be 
The reply was, 'By sitting around a table... (p. 33). Spirits were often 
electric beings" and the rapping out of messages was described in _4 
the newly invented telegraph, with the "magnetic fluid" of Morse by the 
electrical impulses emanating from spirit.

In the United States, there were many who looked for the cause of the
phenomena in some sort of fluid and left the spirits out of it altogether.
Roubaud called the moving agent a "new fluid" that was neither electric
beat nor terrestrial magnetism. He was satisfied to refer to it simply as
an agent" whose properties could and should be investigate. The 
anonymous author of Practical Instructions in Table
( 1853b) was also content to identify the phenomena merely as "the.
Prichard, relying on secondhand information, began by favoring
hiss explanation of table moving but did an about face when he carried 
own expenments and several times saw a table completely lift off the 
Convinced that what he had witnessed could not be accounted for by 
ious muscular action, Prichard (1853b) attributed the movements to 
agency of electric currents instantaneously permeating the spaces of 
and thereby counteracting the forces of gravity (p. 15; see also Gentil
Goupy 1853, 1860). researchers attempted to tie the table movements 
directly to the svstern of the medium or sitters. Gentil (1854a), for 
instance, spoke krad of "animated electricity" present in the physical 
organism that es from the body and penetrates the table, causing its 
motion .They believed the table moving force was an extension of 
the "netfluid that passes through the body, mediating sensation.


Bri.