Parapsychology : a critical and experimental study with special reference to psychokinesis and to problems of methodology and interpretation of results

Parapsychology may be defined as a "Grenzgebler" or fringe area of psychology dealing with events that are associated with, or are part of, behaviour and which do not fall within the scope of contemporary general psychology. The majority of experiments carried out in this field during the last 20 years or so did not follow any long term master plan but were of an exploratory or short term nature. This seems to be characteristic of what might be called the pioneering stage. Both Murphy (1958) and Rhine (1962) came to the conclusion that long term planning may now be a desirable step towards further progress. The increased number of research institutions and the more generous financial support which has been forthcoming recently (Parapsychol. Bull., 1962 no. 61; 1963, Nos. 64 66), add reality to such proposals. This thesis represents a very modest attempt that has been made to carry put experiments along the lines of an overall plan. While it cannot be possibly claimed that a certain approach to parapsychology has been fully explored experimentally, it is hoped that the work presented here may help to draw some tentative conclusions and to identify within a limited area, problems which have not been dealt with so far