The Problems of Psychical Research - Experiments and Theories in the Realm of the Supernormal

Hereward Carrington

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• Publié par: onnu
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 20
• Langue: English

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Problems of Psychical Research, by
Hereward Carrington
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Title: The Problems of Psychical Research
Experiments and Theories in the Realm of the Supernormal
Author: Hereward Carrington
Release Date: November 29, 2007 [EBook #23660]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PROBLEMS OF PSYCHICAL RESEARCH ***
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[Pg iii]
THE PROBLEMS OF
PSYCHICAL RESEARCH
EXPERIMENTS AND THEORIES IN
THE REALM OF THE SUPERNORMAL
BY
HEREWARD CARRINGTON, Ph.D.
AUTHOR OF
"The Coming Science," "The Physical
Phenomena of Spiritualism," "Death: Its
Causes and Phenomena," "Modern
Psychical Phenomena," "Your Psychic
Powers: and How to Develop Them,"
"Higher Psychical Development," "True
Ghost Stories," Etc.NEW YORK
DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY
1921
[Pg iv]
COPYRIGHT, 1921,
BY DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY, INC.
VAIL-BALLOU COMPANY
BINGHAMTON AND NEW YORKThe "Will Board"
[Pg v]PREFACE
In the following pages I have dealt chiefly with the mental or psychological
phenomena of psychical research, and have not touched upon the "physical"
manifestations to any extent. The book is mostly theoretical and constructive in
tone; and, because of its speculative character, it may, perhaps, prove of value
to future psychical investigators. It represents the author's conclusions after
several years' experimentation; and, in a field so new as this, scientific
hypotheses and speculations are assuredly helpful—indicating the road we
must travel, and the possible interpretation of certain facts, which have been
accumulated in the past, as the result of years of laborious research. I believe
that practically all the phenomena of spiritualism are true; that is, that they have
occurred in a genuine manner from time to time in the past; that they aresupernormal in character, and are genuine phenomenal occurrences. But as to
the further question: "What is the nature of the intelligence lying behind and
controlling these phenomena?"—that, I think, is as yet unsolved, and is likely to
remain so for some time to come. I do not believe that the simple spiritistic
explanation—especially as at present held—is the correct one, nor one that
explains all the facts; for I believe that the phenomena are more complicated
[Pg vi]than this. Nor are the ordinary psychological explanations at present in vogue
adequate to cover them. The explanation is yet to seek; and the solution will
only be found when a sufficient number of facts have been accumulated and
the various explanatory theories have been tested,—to see which of them is
really adequate. My hope is that the present book may help to accomplish this
result by supplying a little in both directions!
The present edition of this book is to some extent an abridgement of the first
edition, which appeared some seven years ago. I have, for instance, omitted a
number of "cases" which were originally included, and also my "sittings" with
Mrs. Piper—which material will be published at a later date in another volume. I
have also omitted the original First Chapter,—since much of this material was
subsequently included in my Modern Psychical Phenomena. On the other
hand, I have included a new chapter on Recent Experiments in Psychic
Photography,—composed partly of original and hitherto unpublished material,
and partly of the experiments undertaken, some years ago, by Dr. Baraduc,—in
"photographing the soul." The account of his experiments was originally
published in my book, Death: its Causes and Phenomena, but they are now
included here as being more in line with other experiments recently undertaken
in this field. I have also added a brief chapter on the Scientific Investigation of
Psychic Phenomena by means of Laboratory Instruments.
A word, finally, as to the necessarily slow progress which has been and is
being made in the study of "psychics." As this objection is often raised, I cannot
[Pg vii]do better, perhaps, than to quote an admirable passage from Prof. William
James (Memories and Studies, pp. 175-76), where he says:—
"For twenty-five years I have been in touch with the literature of
psychical research, and have had acquaintance with numerous
'researchers.' I have also spent a good many hours (though far
fewer than I should have spent) in witnessing (or trying to witness)
phenomena. Yet I am theoretically no 'further' than I was at the
beginning; and I confess that at times I have been tempted to
believe that the Creator has eternally intended this department of
nature to remain baffling,—to prompt our curiosities and hopes and
suspicions all in equal measure, so that, although ghosts and
clairvoyances, and raps and messages from spirits, are always
seeming to exist and can never be fully explained away, they also
can never be susceptible of full corroboration.... It is hard to believe,
however, that the Creator has really put any big array of
phenomena into the world merely to defy and mock our scientific
tendencies; so my deeper belief is that we psychical researchers
have been too precipitate in our hopes, and that we must expect to
mark progress not by quarter-centuries, but by half-centuries or
whole centuries."
In the present book, I have endeavoured to show why this must necessarily be
so; also to indicate the manner in which the subject may be studied in order to
arrive at definite knowledge at an earlier date than might otherwise be possible.
H. C.
[Pg viii][Pg ix]CONTENTS
Preface v
I Is Psychical Research a
Science? 1
II Investigating Psychical
Phenomena with Scientific
Instruments 82
III Life: and Its Interpretation 93
IV The Human Will Is a Physical
Energy (An Instrument which
Proves It) 110
V Modern Dissection of the Human
Mind 138
VI Psychic Photography (New
Experiments) 157
VII Hallucination and the Physical
Phenomena of Spiritualism 188
VIII The Problems of Telepathy 210
IX The Uses and Abuses of Mind
Cure 237
X The Psychology of the Ouija
Board 247
XI Witchcraft: Its Facts and Follies 261
XII Scientific Truths Contained in
Fairy Stories 277
[Pg x]
[Pg xi]LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
The "Will Board"
1. "Psychic Photograph"
2. "Psychic Photograph"
3. "Thought Photograph"
4. "Psychic Photograph"
5. "Psychic Photograph"
6. "Psychic Photograph"
7. "Psychic Photograph"
8. "Psychic Photograph"
9. "Psychic Photograph"
10. "Psychic Photograph"
11. "Psychic Photograph"
12. "Psychic Photograph"
13. "Photograph of the Soul"
14. "Photograph of the Soul"
[Pg xii][Pg xiii]
THE PROBLEMS OF PSYCHICAL RESEARCH
[Pg xiv]
[Pg 1]CHAPTER I
IS PSYCHICAL RESEARCH A SCIENCE?
Is Psychical Research a Science?
It seems to me that the answer to this question must be somewhat as follows: If
the phenomena be true, Yes; if not, No!
If one single prophecy, clairvoyant vision, telepathic impulse, or mediumistic
message be true—if veritable supernormal information be thereby conveyed—
then psychical research is a science, and illimitable avenues are opened up for
further research and speculation.
More especially is this true in the case of mediumistic messages. If these prove
to be delusory—the result of subliminal activity and so forth—if there be no
spiritual world, then "psychics" may be said to be "founded upon the sand." It
can hardly be called a "science." Only when the fact of communication is
proved, will the real study of the subject begin. Much of the work, up to the
present, has been undertaken with a view to establishing the reality of the facts.
But this is a question of evidence, not scientific research. When the facts
themselves are established, then the real study—the work of the future—will
[Pg 2]begin. It will probably be the task of future generations to attack the problem
from this standpoint.
Let me illustrate what I mean by a somewhat striking example. Take the facts
presented in the case of Mrs. Piper. Hitherto the question has resolved itself
into that of the evidence for survival. Have or have not the various personalities
who have communicated through her entranced organism proved their
personal identity? That is the problem; and, as we know, opinions differ! But,
granting the reality of the facts, granting that "spirits" really do communicate, as
alleged—then the study of the question, from the "scientific" point of view, will
only have begun. How do they communicate? Why are these communications