ABSTRACT

The spontaneous group consists of some hundreds of carefully collected cases sent in by members of the public and thoroughly examined by the Society for Psychical Research, and some by other similar bodies. Turning to psychical research, the first question that arises concerns the significance of extra-sensory perception; for this is the most definite and fully confirmed branch of what is called the ‘paranormal’. The evidence falls into two main groups, spontaneous and experimental. One interesting point in the experiments with the electrical machine is worthy of mention. The trials were conducted so rapidly that the percipient’s hand had begun to move towards the box that it was going to open before the key had been pressed in the great majority of the experiments. The instinctive urge to cling to the ordinary world and to reject evidence for the existence of anything beyond is deeply rooted in the primitive mind of all humanity.