Psychical Miscellanea

Hill, J. Arthur (John Arthur), 1872-1951Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.3

Word count: 202K words
Chapters: 21

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Psychical Miscellanea by J. Arthur HillAuthor: Hill, J. Arthur (John Arthur), 1872-1951,Language: English, Class: BF: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Psychology, Philosophy, Psychoanalysis, Release Date: Sep 29, 2011

Editor's review

This book is a collection of psychical essays by the British writer J. Arthur Hill, an edge-of-the-field text under philosophy, psychology, and religion. Hill was active in the early twentieth century, and his writing reflects that era's strong interest in psychic phenomena, extrasensory perception, and psychical research. The book is not a systematic academic treatise but a collection of essays recording the author's observations and reflections on various psychical topics, useful as a primary source for understanding the atmosphere and discourse of early twentieth-century psychical research. For readers studying the history of psychology, the cultural history of religion, or the intellectual history of the late Victorian to Edwardian period, it offers valuable corroborative material; for general readers, it can also be read as a curiosity with period flavor, though its content reflects the conceptual framework of its time rather than contemporary scientific conclusions. Read it with a historical perspective, as cultural source material rather than empirical science.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the history of psychology and psychical research, as a period text
Scholars and students of early twentieth-century British intellectual and cultural history
General readers who enjoy old essays and are curious about supernatural topics
Ebook enthusiasts collecting public-domain English ebooks from Project Gutenberg

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking contemporary scientific explanations or empirical research
Readers who dislike or have no interest in psychical topics
Professional researchers needing systematic textbooks or rigorous academic argument
Readers with limited English reading ability or unfamiliar with old-fashioned English

Reading tips

Read the table of contents and preface first to see the range of essay topics, then choose those of interest.
Note the period ideas reflected in the book as you read, to compare with contemporary psychology.
Read alongside materials on early twentieth-century psychology or the psychical movement.
The English original uses old-fashioned spelling and expression; use a dictionary or a translation for support.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this an academic work or a popular one?

It is a collection of psychical essays, not a systematic academic treatise. It records the author's observations and reflections on psychic phenomena and carries the flavor of the early twentieth century. It is better read as cultural source material or popular writing than as a rigorous academic reference.

What language level is needed to read this book?

The book is in English, published by Project Gutenberg. It contains old-fashioned English spelling and expression, so intermediate or better English reading ability is advisable. If it proves difficult, use a dictionary or learn the background of psychical terminology first.

Do the book's views still have scientific support today?

The psychical topics discussed reflect the conceptual framework of the early twentieth century and differ from contemporary scientific consensus. Read it as intellectual and cultural history, to understand how people of that era understood psychic phenomena, rather than as contemporary scientific conclusions.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Hill, J. Arthur (John Arthur), 1872-1951 Author

J. Arthur Hill (John Arthur Hill, 1872–1951) was a British writer known for his writings on psychical research and related subjects. One work by him is held in this catalogue, Psychical Miscellanea. Judging from its title and subject matter, the book belongs to the genre of miscellaneous writing on psychical topics, dealing with paranormal phenomena and psychical research in an essayistic manner, offering records and discussion for readers interested in this field. Because public information is limited, details of Hill's life, education and career cannot be reliably established, and there is no systematic record of the number or influence of his works. On the evidence currently available, he is remembered chiefly for his writing on psychical subjects, and his work preserves some materials and observations useful for understanding early twentieth-century British writing on psychical research.