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National Laboratory of Psychical Research

Harry Price testing the medium Pasquale Erto at the laboratory in 1931 – the "Luminous Man" from Naples was exposed as a fraud.

The National Laboratory of Psychical Research was established in 1926 by Harry Price, at 16 Queensberry Place, London. Its aim was "to investigate in a dispassionate manner and by purely scientific means every phase of psychic or alleged psychic phenomena". The honorary president was Lord Sands, K.C., LL.D., acting president was H. G. Bois, and the honorary director was Harry Price. In 1930 the Laboratory moved from Queensberry Square, where it had been a tenant of the London Spiritualist Alliance to 13 Roland Gardens. In 1938, its library was transferred on loan to the University of London.[1]

The National Laboratory of Psychical Research was a rival to the Society for Psychical Research.[2] Price had a number of disputes with the SPR, most notably over the mediumship of Rudi Schneider.[3] Price paid mediums to test them, the SPR criticised Price and disagreed about paying mediums for testing.[4]

In 1934 the Laboratory was replaced by the University of London Council for Psychical Investigation (not an official body of the University) under the Chairmanship of C. E. M. Joad with Harry Price as Hon. Secretary.[5] John Flügel, Cyril Burt, Cecil Alec Mace and Francis Aveling were members of the Council. Price suspended the operations of the Council in 1938.[6][7] It was never revived.[8]

  1. ^ Trevor H. Hall. (Oct 1978). Search for Harry Price. Gerald Duckworth and Company. pp. 212-216. ISBN 0-7156-1143-7
  2. ^ Rene Kollar. (2000). Searching for Raymond. Lexington Books. p. 79. ISBN 978-0739101612
  3. ^ James Houran. (2004). From Shaman to Scientist: Essays on Humanity's Search for Spirits. Scarecrow Press. p. 169. ISBN 978-0810850545
  4. ^ Jenny Hazelgrove. (2000). Spiritualism and British Society Between the Wars. Manchester University Press. p. 206. ISBN 978-0719055591
  5. ^ Harry Price (2003). Fifty Years of Psychical Research (reprint ed.). Kessinger Publishing. p. 64. ISBN 0-7661-4242-6.
  6. ^ Valentine, E. R. (2012). Spooks and Spoofs: Relations Between Psychical Research and Academic Psychology in Britain in the inter-war period. History of the Human Sciences. 25(2), 67–90.
  7. ^ "Looking Back: Spook Hunting and Ghost Busting". The British Psychological Society.
  8. ^ Trevor H. Hall. (Oct 1978). Search for Harry Price. Gerald Duckworth and Company. pp. 171-173. ISBN 0-7156-1143-7
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