Researches in the Phenomena of Spiritualism
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Photo: George Charles Beresford (1864-1938) · Public domain · Image source and license ↗
Researcher profile
William Crookes
Physicist & Psychical Researcher · Royal Society / Society for Psychical Research
Discoverer of thallium, inventor of the Crookes tube, and Fellow of the Royal Society who subjected physical mediums to controlled laboratory conditions — and reported genuine anomalous phenomena.
At a glance
Area of work
Discoverer of thallium, inventor of the Crookes tube, and Fellow of the Royal Society who subjected physical mediums to controlled laboratory conditions — and reported genuine anomalous phenomena.
Methods
Force measurement apparatus · Controlled lighting protocols · Weight and resistance measurements · Chemical tests of materializations
Limits and debate
Mainstream historians of science consider Crookes to have been deceived by Florence Cook, possibly through a personal relationship. D.D. Home's phenomena have been attributed to conjuring techniques exploiting observer positioning. Critics note that Crookes' controls were insufficient by modern standards and that his investment in positive results may have compromised his objectivity.
This summarizes the researcher's work. It is not a finding that any theory of consciousness or survival has been proven.
Overview
Crookes was one of the most eminent scientists of the 19th century: discoverer of the element thallium (1861), inventor of the Crookes tube (precursor to the cathode ray tube), and later President of the Royal Society. He began investigating physical mediumship in 1870 following his brother's death, designing force-measurement apparatus and controlled lighting conditions to test claims of psychokinesis and materialization. His experiments with D.D. Home — measuring forces exerted without contact using an electrical balance — and with Florence Cook — whose materialization of "Katie King" he investigated under controlled conditions — produced positive findings he published in the Quarterly Journal of Science. The contradiction between his scientific stature and his positive conclusions provoked scandal and lasting controversy.
Selected sources and publications
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Researcher and institution links
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