Read and Download Free eBooks
/
Categories
Browse by category
1,965 books to get lost inYours to read. Yours to keep.
No books found.
Try another title or author.
Try another title or author.
Hereward Carrington investigates the physical phenomena reported at spiritualist séances and the methods by which similar effects can be produced. He brings together historical accounts, reports of experiments and practical knowledge of conjuring to examine how an observer might assess an apparent marvel.
Much of the book is devoted to methods used in fraudulent demonstrations, including restraints, concealed apparatus, slate writing, voices, photographs and the movement of objects. Carrington explains the importance of arrangements, observation and test conditions, showing how apparently convincing circumstances can still leave room for an unnoticed technique.
The later discussion considers cases and questions that Carrington regarded as requiring further investigation. His distinction between fraudulent and potentially genuine phenomena shapes the organisation of the volume. First published in 1907, the book combines the history of psychical research with detailed explanations of séance practices and stage methods, retaining the original illustrations and index.