Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-06-26
PROBING THE OCCULT
BY H. Addington Bruce

ITO three professors of psychology, TAX
ing lunch together, l brought up the
subject of psychcal research. Their
reaction was most interesting.
One took an attitude of bored indiffer-
ence. Others might probe the occult if they
chose, but not he. He was interested in
things of greater Importance
The second was frankly hostile 1t was
foolish for any scientist, he held to labor in
field where he could not establish the
conditions of rigorous scientific experiment
and control.
ticipation in psychical research by men of
science, and particularly by PSYCHOLOGISTS
Genuine or ilusory, occult phenomena, he
argued, bear directly on human thought and
human behavior, and thus come unmistak-
ably into the domain of psychology.
Unquestoinably they do. More than this
in the years that have passed since organ
lzed and systematic probing of the occult
began, that probing has resulted in dis
coVerles of as practical a significance as
any modern psychology can boast. In fact
modern psychology itself is vastly indebted
to the psychical researchers unfairly made
the targets for sneers by psychologists who
ought to be the first to thank them
If psychology today has clearer under
standing than it used to have of the laws
and mechanisms of dreams, of hallucina-
tons; of suggestion, of delusion of mental
dulling and mental quickening; if it is able
as 1T was not able even twenty-five years
ago, to lay bare hidden motives of conduct
it is largely because Of the pioneering work
of the derided psychical researchers.
From them psychology gained both stimu-
lus to explore the subconscious life of man
and also sundry methods for its more
effective exploration Openly and generous
ly this was acknowledged by one famous
Psychologist, the eminent William James, at
the time of the death of that greatest of
early psychical researchers, F. w. H. Myers
In tribute paid to Myers memory, James
ayowed:
What is the precise constitution Of the
sublimnal-such is the problem which de-
serves to figure in our science hereafter as
the problem of Myers; and, willy-nilly, in
curry must follow on the path which he has
opened up But Myers has not only pro-
pounded the problem definitely, he has also
invented definite methods for it's solution
"Post-hypnotic suggestion, crystal-gazing
automatic writing, and trance speech, the
willing game, etc, are now, thanks to him
instruments OF research, reagents like litmus
paper and the galvanometer for revealing
what would otherwise be hidden. These are
so many Ways Of putting the subconscious
on tap"
Surely it i'll becomes minor PSYCHOLOGISTS
to scott when a leader like William James
was so outspoken in sympathy and praise.
And surely the fact that James was himself
willing to be psychical researcher as well
as psychologist should give all PSYCHOLOGISTS
pause whenever they are tempted to con-
denim psychical research, as not few of
them do as a grieyous waste of time
Cndeniably there are uncommon difficult
ties in the way Of satisfactory study of oc-
cult phenomena. The fact too, that they
often are associated with chicanery and
fraud tends naturally enough to create SEN
timents Of impotence and disgust They
remain none the less phenomena that have
welded Of
science-and phenomena promising to yield
still more valuable results If trained psy-
chologst a class can be persuaded to
investigate them