New Prometheans: Faith, Science, and the Supernatural Mind in the Victorian Fin de Si?cle

The Society for Psychical Research was established in 1882 to further the scientific study of consciousness and was adopted as an experimental vanguard to probe mysteries such as telepathy, hypnosis, and séance phenomena. The New Prometheans explores the evolution of psychical research through the intertwining biographies of four men, making it part of a shared examination of science and society.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 440 pages
Publication date: 04 December 2019
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

The Society for Psychical Research, founded in 1882, emerged as a response to a broader cultural quest for self-understanding among the Victorian era. In this pursuit, individuals sought solace in the realms of mesmerism, spiritualism, and other romantic pursuits, exploring the depths of altered states of consciousness. When psychology finally prepared to confront these extraordinary phenomena, psychical research was embraced as an experimental vanguard. Far from being dismissed as a fringe science, it became a necessary heterodoxy, delving into the mysteries of telepathy, hypnosis, and even séance phenomena. The investigators of psychical research embarked on a quest to uncover evidence that transcended the confines of physical laws, seeking to unveil the existence of a transcendent and irreducible mind.

The New Prometheans, a captivating book, weaves the biographies of four remarkable individuals: Sir William Crookes, a renowned chemist; Frederic Myers, a pioneering depth psychologist; Sir Oliver Lodge, an eminent ether physicist; and Andrew Lang, an influential anthropologist. These past presidents of the Society for Psychical Research played a pivotal role in bringing psychical research beyond the confines of academic circles and into the public sphere. By interweaving their scholarly papers, textbooks, and lectures with more personal and intimate texts such as diaries, letters, and literary compositions, Courtenay Raia offers a unique perspective on the history of secularization. This book serves as a poignant reminder of the last great effort to reconcile science and sacred truths, a momentous chapter in the evolution of our understanding of the world.

Weight: 624g
Dimension: 227 x 163 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226635354