PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH - 1909, Volume 23
Book Details + Condition: Robert MacLehose and Co. (Glasgow). First Edition, 1909. Hardcover. 601 pages, with Index to rear. Illustrated. Scarce first edition, original copy of PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY OF PSYCHICAL RESEARCH from 1909. Publisher's original green cloth boards with gilt title, etc. to spine. Contents of this volume include: Trance Communications (mainly through Mrs. Piper); Psychical Research and Survival after Bodily Death; Assorted Psychic Sittings; and much more. Notable contributing authors include: Sir Oliver Lodge; Hereward Carrington, and others. Please see our other listings for more first editions of THE SOCIETY OF PSYCHICAL RESEARCH, as well as information about the organization below. Firm binding; old water damage to boards, which affects first and last few pages; discoloration and warping present to boards; front free (blank) endpaper glued/attached to inside front board; text is clean and free of markings save small inkspot to text block (which does not affect the interior).
The Society for Psychical Research was created in 1882, with Henry Sidgwick serving as its first president. Its stated purpose was to apply scientific methods to the investigation of psychic phenomena and the paranormal. Areas of study included hypnotism, dissociation, thought-transference, mediumship, spirit possession, apparitions and haunted houses and the physical phenomena associated with séances. The SPR were the first to introduce a number of neologisms which have entered the English language, such as 'telepathy', which was coined by Frederic Myers. Much of the early work involved investigating, exposing and in some cases duplicating fake phenomena. Among its most renowned members were Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry Price, and William T. Stead.
