Phantasms of the Living

https://archive.org/details/phantasmsoflivin02gurniala

This book contains the first of two volumes of "Phantasms of the Living", an 1886 work on the subject of spiritualism by leading members of the Society for Psychical Research Edmund Gurney (1847 - 1888), Frederic W. H. Myers (1843 - 1901), and Frank Podmore (1856 - 1910). Within it, the authors have documented more than 700 cases of ghost sightings which they believe are in fact evidence of psychic ability. This volume contains an introduction by Myers as well as an outline of their analytical methods, while the rest is dedicated to telepathy, hallucinations, dreams, etc. "Phantasms of the Living" constitutes a pioneering study that provides a vivid insight into the Victorian fascination with the occult and the supernatural not to be missed by those with an interest in the subject. Contents include: "Preliminary Remarks: Grounds of Caution", "The Experimental Basis: Thought-Transference", "The Transition From Experimental to Spontaneous Telepathy", "General Criticism of the Evidence for Spontaneous Telepathy", "Note on Witchcraft", etc