A Primer of Psychical Research

Published: 1932. DESCRIPTION: Blue cloth with black border to boards. Language: English. Book Condition: Fair: Wear to corners, edges and spine ends. Lightly faded spine with marks to cloth. Tightly bound with lightly toned intact endpapers and strong hinges. Spotting to half and full title pages and lower edges of the other opening pages. Spotting to text block edges with some spilling onto page margins, primarily to rear pages. DJ Condition: No DJ. Pages 142, 56pp catalogue. Size: 19cm by 12.5cm. AUTHOR: Carrington was a prolific writer in the early to mid-20th century whose main field was psychical research / parapsychology: investigating phenomena such as mediumship, telepathy, clairvoyance, apparitions, and physical manifestations claimed in séances. He combined an interest in the possibilities of psychic phenomena with a fairly rigorous approach to fraud detection (he had a background in conjuring/trickery which helped him assess fraudulent claims). He was involved with several important investigations: e.g. the séances with Eusapia Palladino in Naples (1908), and later with American medium Mina Margery Crandon. BOOK RESUME: A Primer of Psychical Research (originally published in 1932) is a concise introduction to the field of psychical (or psychic) research, aimed at the general reader. Its purpose is to lay out clearly what psychical research claims to study, the kinds of phenomena it investigates, and how the evidence for those phenomena is presented and evaluated. Key topics include: What psychical research is and how it differs from normal scientific inquiry The subconscious mind and its powers Psychic phenomena such as telepathy, clairvoyance, premonitions Apparitions and haunted houses Physical phenomena (seemingly paranormal physical effects) Laboratory and modern investigative methods Mediumship and the question of whether there is evidence for life after death (survival) Difficulties in communication with claimed spirit entities Issues of fraud, error, and how researchers attempt to rule them out The book tries to balance enthusiasm with caution, Carrington presents many cases and types of phenomena, acknowledges challenges, and is comparatively accessible. It is not written as a technical scientific treatise, but more as a guide or survey for those curious about psychic phenomena and how they have been studied.…