Psychic phenomena

Reports of moving tables, unexplained sounds and unusual lights form the basis of Edward T. Bennett's study of physical effects associated with spiritualism. He draws on testimony about Daniel Dunglas Home and William Stainton Moses, and includes chapters on the divining rod and drawings used in thought transference experiments. Sir Oliver Lodge's foreword encourages careful investigation while leaving Bennett responsible for the details.

Bennett discusses the difficulty of repeating these experiences under apparently similar conditions and stresses accurate observation and records made at the time. Accounts of sittings with Stainton Moses describe perfumes, floating lights and writing attributed to spirit agency. These are presented as witnesses' reports within the author's argument for further inquiry. For readers interested in the history of psychical research, the book shows how its supporters assembled evidence and defended patient experimentation in the face of elusive results.