27 July 2026: Psi Encyclopedia (PE) was founded in 2014 by Robert McLuhan who retired recently, but built an extraordinary resource for those are interested in psychic matters. Under General Editor Dr James Matlock, the blog covers the PE and how it works. psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/2026/07/27/o...
Psi Encyclopedia
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The Psi Encyclopedia (PE) presents entries that cover the full scope of scientific parapsychology. Founded in 2014, PE offers about 750 entries written by more than 80 authors. Updates here, and at https://psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/
23 July 2026. James Kennedy describes how to plan the data processing and analysis for presentiment research that uses physiological measures to predict random stimuli. psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/pre...
20 July 2026 by Michael Tymn: British Methodist minister Charles Drayton Thomas (1867–1953) investigated mental mediumship, in more than five hundred sittings with Gladys Osborne Leonard, distinguishing spirit communication from living-agent ESP. psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/cha...
16 July 2026 by James Kennedy: Free-response ESP tests ask participants to describe targets such as images, videos or locations, allowing richer impressions than forced-choice tests, researchers handle common judging and statistical methods and more: psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/fre...
13 July 2026, by Donna M Thomas: Children’s near-death experiences (NDEs) have received little study. Research by Donna Thomas & Graeme O’Connor uses creative, participatory methods with children after intensive care, reporting core NDE features and more. psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/chi...
9 July 2026: In "Preventing Researcher Fraud" by James Kennedy argues that preventive research practices – including secure raw-data archives, audit trails, restricted access, quality control, blinding, preregistration etc., offer the strongest protection. psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/pre...
6 July 2026, "Researching a Life" by Nemo C Mörck, Associate Editor: At the time of writing, the Psi Encyclopedia (PE) has 350 biographies of researchers and authors. There are some stylistic differences to the entries, and their depth necessarily varies. psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/2026/07/06/r...
3 July 2026, "Dealing with the Stacking Effect" by James Kennedy, covers when several participants respond to the same target in an ESP trial. Kennedy explains why this can distort significance testing, and recommends better ways to analyze the results. psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/dea...
Uploaded 1 July 2026: Peter Underwood (1923–2014) was a British paranormal researcher and author, and the president of the Ghost Club Underwood for 33 years. He is remembered for popularising ghost-hunting through books, broadcasts and investigations. psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/pet...
Uploaded 29 June 2026: A pioneer in experimental psychology, Fechner (1801–87) investigated mediums, argued that consciousness permeates nature, and developed a theory of immortality that connected psychophysics, religious thought and psychical inquiry. psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/gus...
Uploaded 26 June 2026: JB Rhine’s methodological writings anticipated several reforms, including preregistration, open data and a sharper distinction between exploratory and confirmatory research. psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/jb-...
Uploaded: 24 June 2026: Cyril Burt (1883–1971), one of Britain’s most influential psychologists who argued extra-sensory perception merited scientific attention. After retirement, his work showed caution and rational scrutiny but some doubted his work. psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/cyr...
Updated 22 June 2026: Before British parapsychology had a foothold in academia, much of the field was built by clubs, societies and local investigators working outside academia, taking on subject matter perceived as too ‘fringe’ for mainstream academia. psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/uk-...
Uploaded 22 June 2026: Elizabeth Jane Puttock (Madame Elizabeth d’Esperance), a British medium know for materialisation, supported by Alexander Aksakov, her phenomena questioned at the time but more recently have been reassessed through archival evidence. psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/eli...
19 June 2026: This case concerns a mediumistic communication to Isaac K Funk about a borrowed ancient coin thought to have been returned years earlier through another medium. psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/the... Written by Michael Tymn: psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk?s=Tymn
Isaac K Funk (1839–1912), an American clergyman, editor, publisher, lexicographer, psychical investigator, and co-founder of Funk & Wagnalls, investigated mediumship and argued that spiritualist claims deserved careful study despite fraud and uncertainty. psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/isa...
15 June 2026: Read "Our Use of AI": General Editor James (Jim) Matlock & Associate Editor KM Wehrstein had 725 intro summaries to write that would have been have taken us months. Using ChatGPT 5.4 with some editing from us the job was done under 24 hours. psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/2026/06/15/o...
@bsky.app Systematic enquiry into alleged paranormal events long preceded the SPR by many years. Ten pioneers whose activities helped prepare the ground for the SPR. Read this entry in the PE: psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/psy... Written by Michael Tymn, posted on 12 June 2026!
@bsky.app Cromwell Fleetwood Varley (1828–83), a leading telegraph engineer, he brought technical apparatus and scientific methods to séances. Written by Roberto R Narváez, posted 10 June 2026. psi- encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/cromwell-fleetwood-varley/
Rhea A White (1931–2007) was an American parapsychologist, librarian and bibliographer who ran ESP experiments at Duke Lab to the development of the Exceptional Human Experience framework. psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/rhe... Author: Courtney Block/With additional in from James G Matlock
Melvyn John Willin (born 1951) is an English musician, psychical researcher, SPR council member, archivist, and the SPR Archives Liaison Officer. His work has centred on music-related paranormal claims, hauntings, and witchcraft. Uploaded 5 June: psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/mel...
@bsky.app Written by Nemo C Mörck, 3 June: John Björkhem (1910–1963) was a Swedish priest, physician, hypnotist and psychical researcher who helped establish Swedish parapsychology’s postwar profile, the Björkhem Memorial Foundation supports psi research. psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/joh...
Michael Duggan's article, created 1 June, covers Thomas Warren Campbell' s life and notable work connecting consciousness research, quantum theory, and paranormal claims to produce a single consciousness-centered account of reality. psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/tho...
After a conflict about standards in research with the American Society for Psychical Research (ASPR) in 1925, Walter Franklin Prince left to found the Boston Society for Psychic Research, reuniting in 1941. Written by James G Matlock, posted 29 May 2026. psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/bos...
The amazing Marcello Truzzi (1935-2003) was an American sociologist, an advocate of “zetetic” inquiry into paranormal and anomalous claims, and known for being open-minded, he edited Zetetic Scholar from 1978-1987. Written by Nemo C. Mörck, posted 27 May. psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/mar...
@bsky.app An Editor's Blog has been uploaded today. It's called "Social Media Outreach" and was written by Nancy L Zingrone, Associate Editor. It covers the use of social media to expand the readers of Psi Encyclopedia. Here is the link psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/2026/05/25/s...
Ada Goodrich Freer was a controversial late Victorian clairvoyant and psychical researcher. Her association with FWH Myers and the SPR led to investigations of second sight, hauntings but the Ballechin House debacle ended her relationship with the SPR. psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/ada...
Haakon Forwald tested whether his willed psychokinesis could deflect thrown objects. The apparatus he devised was ingenious; he left an historically important body of work that remains difficult to dispense with. Here's the link: psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/pla...
Uploaded today: Haakon Forwald was a Norwegian-born Swedish engineer and inventor who became active in experimental psychokinesis research after table-tipping séances in the late 1940s. psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/haa...
@bsky.app New on the Psi Encyclopedia on May 15th: The 2025–26 Kunstmuseum Basel exhibition Ghosts: Visualizing the Supernatural traced 250 years of visual culture surrounding apparitions, mediumship and the occult.