Camille Flammarion on the powers of the soul; with an introduction by Carlos S.

There is a long conceptual tradition that interprets phenomena such as clairvoyance and apparitions as evidence for a spiritual component in human beings. Examples of this appear in the literatures of mesmerism, Spiritualism and psychical research. The purpose of this Classic Text is to present excerpts from a book by French astronomer Camille Flammarion touching on this perspective. They are selected from the introduction and conclusion of Flammarion's L'Inconnu: The Unknown (1900), a translation of L'Inconnu et les problèmes psychiques (1900), in which he published and commented on cases of apparitions and other phenomena he collected. In his view, these phenomena showed the existence of the soul. Similar beliefs regarding ideas of the nonphysical nature of human beings and psychic phenomena have continued to the present.

Out-of-body experiences and physical body activity and posture: responses from a survey conducted in Scotland.

Although there have been studies of some factors related to the features of out-of-body experiences (OBEs), the effect of physical body posture and activity has not been systematically explored. Over the years research has suggested that OBEs are more frequent in states of low physical activity and when the body is supine, in agreement with other findings related to alterations in consciousness. Thus, we predicted that OBEs would be associated with lying down and little or no physical activity, and that these factors would show a higher number of OBE features than OBEs in which the person was physically active and/or standing. OBE cases were collected through appeals in published sources. Respondents provided a description of their only or most recent OBE and filled out a questionnaire about OBE features. The findings indicate that OBEs were associated with low physical activity and being in a supine position. Those who had experiences under these conditions also obtained a higher number of OBE features than those who were active and standing at the time of the OBE.

Perspectivas históricas da influência da mediunidade na construção de idéias psicológicas e psiquiátricas / Historical perspectives of the influence of mediumship on the construction of psychological and psychiatric ideas

CONTEXTO: A psicologia e a psiquiatria têm sido, ao longo do tempo, influenciadas pelos fenômenos estudados pelos pesquisadores dessas áreas. Diversas idéias sobre a mente e suas patologias foram desenvolvidas no contexto dos estudos de histeria, de dupla e de múltipla personalidades e dos fenômenos hipnóticos. OBJETIVOS: Neste estudo, propomos que a mediunidade tenha influenciado tanto a psicologia quanto a psiquiatria de diferentes modos. Os fenômenos mediúnicos, tais como os transes e as mensagens verbais ou escritas atribuídos a espíritos de mortos, contribuíram para o desenvolvimento de vários importantes conceitos durante o século XIX e daí por diante. MÉTODOS: Revisamos a literatura histórica da psiquiatria e da psicologia relacionada à mediunidade para identificar discussões sobre a mediunidade. RESULTADOS: A mediunidade foi usada para defender ampla variedade de idéias sobre a mente subconsciente por pesquisadores como William B. Carpenter, Frederic W. H. Myers e Joseph Grasset. Tanto Pierre Janet quanto Théodore Flournoy se serviram da mediunidade para ilustrar formas de dissociação. Da mesma forma, a psicopatologia foi relacionada de diferentes modos à prática mediúnica, como foi discutido por Jean-Martin Charcot, Pierre Janet e Gilbert Ballet. CONCLUSÕES: Apesar de a mediunidade ser apenas um dos fatores que afetou a construção de conceitos como o de subconsciente, dissociação e psicopatologia, é necessário que sua influência seja mais reconhecida do que o é atualmente na historiografia da psicologia e da psiquiatria.

BACKGROUND: Psychology and psychiatry have long been influenced by the phenomena their practitioners study. A variety of ideas about the mind and its pathology were developed in the context of studies of hysteria, double and multiple personality and hypnotic phenomena. OBJECTIVES: In this study we argue that mediumship influenced both psychology and psychiatry in different ways. The study of mediumistic phenomena such as trances and written or verbal messages claimed to come from deceased spirits contributed to the development of several important concepts during the nineteenth century and later on. METHODS: We have reviewed the historical psychiatric and psychological literature relating to mediumship to identify discussions about mediumship. RESULTS: Mediumship was used to defend a variety of ideas about the subconscious mind by figures such as William B. Carpenter, Frederic W.H. Myers, and Joseph Grasset. Both Pierre Janet and Théodore Flournoy used mediumship to illustrate forms of dissociation. Similarly, psychopathology was related in different ways to the practice of mediumship, as discussed by Jean-Martin Charcot, Pierre Janet and Gilbert Ballet. CONCLUSIONS: While mediumship was just only one factor affecting concepts of the subconscious, dissociation and psychopathology, its influence needs to be more recognized than it is currently done in the historiography of psychology and psychiatry.