The Naturalisation of the Supernatural

Throughout his life, Frank Podmore (1856–1910) harboured a fascination for the supernatural. Published during a period of prolific writing and introspection, this 1908 work was the result of years of research, observation and analysis. It remains one of the most authoritative works on the phenomenon of spiritualism.

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A founding member of the Fabian Society and a prominent member of the Society for Psychical Research, Frank Podmore (1856–1910) occupied a unique position in British political and scientific society. From his undergraduate days at Oxford until his untimely death in 1910, he harboured a fascination for the supernatural, hallucinations and mesmerism. Published in the final years of his life, during a period of prolific writing and introspection, this 1908 work was the result of exhaustive personal research and first-hand observation. Although fascinated by his chosen subject, Podmore never abandoned his scientific stance and demonstrates a level of scepticism rarely found among the more committed Victorian spiritualists. The result is a scholarly but entertaining series of case studies, which remains one of the most authoritative works on the phenomenon of spiritualism.