The Other World Spiritualism and Psychical Research in England, 1850}}}1914 [Paperback]

A study of the public fascination with spiritualism and psychical research in Victorian and Edwardian times.An examination of the public fascination with spiritualism and psychical research in Britain from the mid-19th to the early 20th century. Analyzes the social background, education and character of those who attended seances and investigated psychic phenomena.An examination of the public fascination with spiritualism and psychical research in Britain from the mid-19th to the early 20th century. Analyzes the social background, education and character of those who attended seances and investigated psychic phenomena.An examination of the public fascination with spiritualism and psychical research in Britain from the mid-nineteenth to the early twentieth century. The book explores the variety of social background, education, and professional expertise that characterized the men and women who attended seances and investigated psychic phenomena, and places them in the context of their times without ridiculing their beliefs.List of illustrations; Acknowledgments; Introduction; Part I. The Setting: 1. Mediums; 2. Membership; Part II. A Surrogate Faith: 3. Spiritualism and Christianity; 4. Psychical research and agnosticism; 5. Theosophy and the occult; Part III. A Pseudoscience: 6. Concepts of mind; 7. The problem of evolution; 8. Physics and psychic phenomena; Conclusion; Notes; Index. This is a book of rich and complex texture dealing with important activities of Victorian and Edwardian society: spiritualism and physical research....a most stimulating study... Journal of Modern History