These two volumes must become standard works in the history of psychiatry and indeed in the early history of spiritualism. Volume III is particularly valuable, for access to the literature of hypnosis in Russia, Poland and in the Spanish and Portuguese homelands, colonies and excolonies is particularly difficult. Dr. Ludmila Zielinski rightly points out that ideological bias has affected nearly...

many difficulties not satisfactorily explained by my theory of descent with modification, but I cannot possibly believe that a false theory would explain so many classes of facts as I think it certainly does explain. On these grounds I drop my anchor, and believe the difficulties will slowly disappear.’ One of the virtues of Janet Browne’s outstanding biography, is the unassuming manner that re...

This article argues that secular humanists’ scholars like postmodernists are developing great interest in spirituality as though they beginning to have a positive approach towards religion and abandon their humanistic beliefs. Despite such spiritualism, not changed position against religion. In fact, the spiritual practices of Eastern religions transcendental meditation Buddhism Hinduism healin...

Carl Jung’s interest in parapsychology was kindled by personal psychic experiences, especially an anomalous banging sound emanating from a bookcase while he was in the company of Sigmund Freud. He also had an interest in Spiritualism and communicated extensively with J. B. Rhine about experimental parapsychology. He credits parapsychology with influencing the development of his theory of synchr...

W. J. SHEILS (editor), The Church and healing, (Studies in Church History, No. 19), Oxford, Basil Blackwell for the Ecclesiastical History Society, 1982, 8vo, pp. xxiv, 440, £19.50. This collection of essays represents a thoughtful, stimulating, and generally successful cooperative attempt by medical and ecclesiastical historians to study an important topic, the relationship between the Christi...

W. J. SHEILS (editor), The Church and healing, (Studies in Church History, No. 19), Oxford, Basil Blackwell for the Ecclesiastical History Society, 1982, 8vo, pp. xxiv, 440, £19.50. This collection of essays represents a thoughtful, stimulating, and generally successful cooperative attempt by medical and ecclesiastical historians to study an important topic, the relationship between the Christi...

Who Believes in Belief? William Pooley (bio) modernity, belief, alief, doubt, Jason Josephson Storm, Michael Saler, Jeanne Favret-Saada, Nils Bubandt The "disenchantment of the world" remains a guiding metanarrative for many histories last four hundred years Europe. There are those who continue to argue what Keith Thomas called general "decline magic," even if they disagree about chronologies a...

This is the first part of a two-part article that provides in-depth background information and a critical examination of a phenomenon that has importance not only to transpersonal psychology but also to psychology and science more generally–the protracted Marian apparition at Medjugorje. The article presents four perspectives that may advance understanding of what the apparition and related phe...

Both parapsychologists and skeptics have interests in investigating the nature of belief in the paranormal, albeit with somewhat different objectives in mind. Despite substantial variation across studies in the definition of the scope of paranormal belief, some degree of order can be imposed on the empirical literature by taking due account of the multidimensionality of paranormal belief. In th...

The well-worn critique of “belief” as inadequate for understanding ritual motivation and practice has become a truism in need reevaluation. For groups who foreground the establishment truth practice, is useful analytic term that brings together propositions commitment to relationships systems articulating those propositions. Spiritualism religious movement which mediums attempt communicate betw...