Spiritualism and the New Psychology : An Explanation of Spiritualist Phenomena and Beliefs in Terms of Modern Knowledge

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Culpin, Millais, 1874-1952

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"Spiritualism and the New Psychology" by Millais Culpin is a scientific publication written in the early 20th century. The work delves into the explanation of spiritualist phenomena and beliefs through the lens of modern psychological principles, suggesting that many so-called supernatural occurrences can be better understood using contemporary scientific knowledge. The author aims to debunk the mystical interpretations of spiritualist practices while providing insight into the underlying psychological mechanisms. The opening of the book begins with Culpin's preface, where he lays out his objective of demystifying spiritualist phenomena, highlighting the prevalent credulity surrounding them. He discusses the honesty and apparent simplicity of mediums, whom he asserts can engage in elaborate trickery despite their genuine beliefs in their abilities. Culpin introduces key psychological theories, referencing the works of Freud and Janet, emphasizing how concepts such as the unconscious mind and dissociation play crucial roles in understanding these phenomena. Overall, the initial chapters set a tone of skepticism, aiming to equip readers with a scientific framework to critically analyze spiritualist claims based on modern psychology. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Contents:

Preface

Introduction

The unconscious

Complexes

Forgetting and repression

Dissociation

Water-divining

Suggestion

Hypnotism

Dreams

Hysteria

Experiments, domestic and other

About mediums

The accounts of believers

The evolution of the medium

Conclusion.

Credits:

Produced by Suzanne Shell, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)

Notes:

Reading ease score: 51.2 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read.

Release date is 2011-07-30