ABSTRACT
Social 'churches' sprang up to influence those aspects of human life that were felt to be 'in the lap of the Gods'. The civil power had to maintain a delicate stance towards such organizations. Spiritualism spread fast and is now established in many countries. Its special claim is that dead people are still alive in the 'spirit world' and, thanks to its expertise, can sometimes communicate with those who are alive in the physical one. Most of people are normal members of the human race, but a few extreme people stand out as notables. They may make commanding inventors, business bosses, politicians, artists, or experimental or theoretical scientists. The author of this chapter feels that such unusual individuals have a rare and valuable ability well away from the centre of any human Gaussian bell. If their gift is psychic, they may become effective mediums, or commanding 'star guessers' in parapsychology.
