Böcker i Cambridge Library Collection - Spiritualism and Esoteric Knowledge-serien

The Anglican clergyman and founding member of the Society of the Holy Cross, Charles Maurice Davies (1828-1910), published Mystic London in 1875. The work is a collection of Davies' observations and researches into urban spiritualism. It includes descriptions of London mesmerists, mediums and seances, and discussions of Darwinism, secularism and the non-religious. Davies, who discovered spiritualism in Paris in the mid-1850s, and became a committed spiritualist after the death of his son in 1865, argued in this work that the principles and practices of spiritualism did not pose any threat to Christianity and that the two movements had much in common and could peacefully coexist. The work is an indispensable source on the presence of alternative religion in London and for the beliefs and practices of nineteenth-century spiritualists. It offers a fascinating insight into Victorian experiences and attitudes towards the occult and the supernatural.

Robert Dale Owen (1801-1877) was born in Scotland and emigrated to the United States in 1825 to help his social reformer father Robert Owen set up an experimental community in New Harmony, Indiana. He was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1842, and appointed US minister at Naples in 1853. In addition to his political career, Owen was a follower of spiritualism. In Footfalls on the Boundary of Another World, published in 1860, he draws from his own observations of supernatural phenomena as well as published research in fields such as psychology. Owen's comprehensive study addresses six thematic areas. He starts by comparing attempts to navigate uncharted spiritual waters to Christopher Columbus' voyages of discovery, and then moves on to examine themes such as dreams, disturbances and apparitions.

Spencer Timothy Hall (1812-1885) was a writer and practitioner of mesmerism. He grew up in rural Nottinghamshire, apprenticed himself to a printer, and in 1836 he started his own printing business. He later became co-editor of the Sheffield newspaper The Iris, and published several books describing the countryside. After watching a demonstration of mesmerism in 1841 Hall became a practitioner himself, demonstrating mesmerism throughout Britain and offering treatment. His most famous patient was Harriet Martineau, who became an enthusiastic supporter of the technique. This book, first published in 1845, describes Hall's first encounter with mesmerism and explains his decision to become a mesmerist. He discusses thirty-four cases in which mesmerism apparently cured medical problems and describes the treatment he gave to Harriet Martineau. This fascinating book provides valuable insights into both the practice and theory of mesmerism in the early Victorian period.

Harriet Martineau (1802-1876) was a British writer who was one of the first social theorists to examine all aspects of a society, including class, religion, national character and the status of women. Seriously ill in the early 1840s, she turned to alternative remedies, and underwent a course of mesmerism, to which she attributed her remarkable restoration to health. She published her account of the treatment in a series of letters in the Athenaeum in December 1844, and subsequently in book form, and her cure caused a sensation, adding greatly to public interest in mesmerism. To her fury, her doctor (and brother-in-law) T. M. Greenhow defended his own treatment of her in a remarkably detailed account of her illness, which she regarded as a serious breach of patient confidentiality, and his pamphlet is appended to Martineau's work in this reissue.

William Carpenter (1813-1885) was a leading medical teacher and researcher in London. Although much of his work focused on physiology and the nervous system, he spent a considerable amount of time investigating questions surrounding the relationship between science and religion. He participated in many debates on this issue, and was a member of the prestigious Metaphysical Society, which explored scientific and religious connections. In Mesmerism, Spiritualism, etc. Historically and Scientifically Considered, two of his lectures published in 1877, Carpenter sets out to question on scientific grounds the many spiritualist beliefs that were gaining popularity throughout Britain. His work covers topics such as odylism, electro-biology, thought-reading and clairvoyance. He locates these practices in historical contexts that often stretch back to ancient times, and gives modern scientific explanations for certain phenomena, all with the aim of stifling what he called 'epidemic delusions'.

Frederic William Henry Myers (1843-1901) was a classical scholar who in mid-career turned to the investigation of psychic phenomena. After studying, and later teaching, Classics at Trinity College, Cambridge he resigned his lectureship in 1869, became an inspector of schools, and campaigned for women's higher education. With the encouragement of former colleagues he began a scientific investigation of spiritualism and related phenomena, and in 1882 he helped to found the Society for Psychical Research. This volume, first published in 1893, is a collection of essays that Myers had previously published in journals. Their topics include Charles Darwin's religious beliefs, the capacity of contemporary scientific methods to investigate the existence of the soul after death, and an unusual interpretation of Alfred Tennyson's poetry. These fascinating essays show how Myers engaged with the scientific developments and intellectual currents of his time as he developed his theory of the 'subliminal self'.

When Annie Besant (1847-1933) wrote in her 1893 Autobiography that her life was 'much attacked and slandered' she was only 45 years old, and many more controversies were yet to come. In this book, Besant charts her dramatic political and ethical awakenings, up to the point where she joined the Theosophical movement. She describes how she was unhappily married to a clergyman, contemplated suicide, embraced atheism, and legally separated from her husband. She recounts how she became a prolific writer and public speaker, joined the National Secular Society, was involved in the highly controversial publication of a birth control leaflet, and engaged in activism for workers' rights and home rule for Ireland. She also reflects on her own ideology and spirituality. Besant did much to shock and challenge Victorian society, and this book vividly portrays her struggles and successes.

First published in 1860, Eliphas Levi's history of magic follows in the wake of his enormously successful Dogme et Ritual de la Haute Magie, which first appeared in 1854. In this book, the French occultist and alleged magician offers a thoroughly comprehensive survey of the idea of 'magic' in Western history, from its origins in Indian, Greek, cabalistic and hermetic traditions to the latest developments in nineteenth-century occult philosophy, as well as his own private recollections of his experience with magic. Levi is adamant in his treatment of magic as a serious science and one compatible with Christianity, encouraging his readers to see magic as the reconciliation point between faith and reason, science and belief, authority and liberty. Extending to almost six hundred pages and with numerous illustrations, this book should appeal to those interested in the nineteenth-century obsession with mysticism and the occult.

The nineteenth-century medium D. D. Home here describes the extraordinary psychic events in his life, from his first vision at the age of thirteen to the seances he held for the rich and famous. The first of two autobiographical works, this 1863 publication describes the mysterious phenomena he experienced.

Published in 1849, this two-volume set examines how popular mythology kept alive beliefs about the occult, alchemy and the paranormal. Examining witchcraft, astrology, mesmerism, alchemy and much more, Henry Christmas shows how some of these beliefs were so entrenched that they were held almost as facts, even influencing rational thought.

Written by the French Benedictine Antoine Augustin Calmet (1672-1757), and first published in 1746, this two-volume work examines a wide selection of supernatural tales and beliefs from across Europe, seeking to understand the truth behind such tales. The work was translated into English in 1850 by Henry Christmas (1811-68).

A Scottish physician, Anthony Todd Thomson (1778-1849), translated and edited this two-volume 1846 study of miracles in ancient times by French intellectual Anne-Joseph-Eusebe Baconniere de Salverte (1771-1839), originally published in 1829. Volume 1 looks at human credulity, and offers explanations for supernatural phenomena.

English historian and antiquary Thomas Wright (1810-70) published prolifically on subjects ranging from Old English texts to Anglo-Saxon cemeteries. This two-volume 1851 publication is testimony to his interest in folklore, sorcery and legend. Volume 1 gives instances of alleged witchcraft from sixteenth-century Europe.

This two-volume work from 1879 is a comprehensive study of demon mythology by freethinker and writer Moncure Daniel Conway (1832-1907). In Volume 1, Conway classifies types of demon, and argues that the various types are personifications of the main obstacles to 'primitive man,' such as hunger and disease.

First published in 1877, this two-volume spiritualist text describes the philosophical and occultist aims of the Theosophical Society, which Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831-91) had recently helped to found. Drawing on her extensive travels, she claims to address the shortcomings of both scientific and theological inquiry.

Albert Louis Caillet (1869-1922) devoted himself to the study of psychic sciences after a career in civil engineering. In this essential reference work on the literature of the occult, published in three volumes in 1912, he covers subjects ranging from alchemy to secret societies.

Karl Kiesewetter (1854-95), an influential German theosophical writer, published this two-volume account of occult beliefs in the ancient world in 1895, with the assistance of Ludwig Kuhlenbeck (1857-1920). It covers the ancient Near East, South Asia, the Mediterranean and northern Europe, giving attention to individuals, practices and teachings.

This two-volume history was published in 1926 by the creator of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), who, like many of his contemporaries, was fascinated by spiritualism and the possibility of communication with the dead. Volume 1 focuses on the origins of the movement in the mid-nineteenth century.

Spiritualism, first published in 1853, caused an instant controversy as it detailed the conversion of New York judge John W. Edmonds and physician George T. Dexter to spiritualist practices, with Dexter even becoming a medium. Volume 1 includes letters from two spirits - 'Sweedenborg' and 'Bacon' - who communicated through Dexter.

Written by William Howitt and published in 1863, this two-volume history traces common characteristics in engagement with the supernatural. Volume 1 begins with an apology for faith in the nineteenth century and continues with spiritualist histories of Europe, the Bible and apocrypha, the ancient world, the East, and Scandinavia.

Joseph Ennemoser (1787-1854) was an Tyrolean doctor, who was a forerunner of Freud in his belief in the connection between the mind and physical health: his interest in psychology led to investigations into the paranormal. This English translation of his 1844 work was published in 1854.

This 1886 book was a pioneering attempt to explain ghost-seeing through the idea of telepathy, by analysis of over 700 case studies. Volume 2 presents data for auditory, visual, reciprocal, and collective hallucinations. It is a key source for the history of Victorian psychical research.

Madame Helena Blavatsky (1831-1891) was a co-founder of the theosophy movement in the United States, which was later extended to Europe and India. In The Secret Doctrine, published in 1888, Blavatsky aims to explain the spiritual origins of the world.

Eneas Sweetland (E. S.) Dallas (1828-1879) was a journalist whose love of poetry led to his writing the two-volume The Gay Science, published in 1866. The title comes from an expression used by Provencal troubadours to describe composing poetry. Volume 1 looks at the historical context of artistic criticism.

The German scientist Gotthilf Heinrich von Schubert (1780-1860) participated in the debates of his time on animal magnetism, clairvoyance and dreams, and attempted to reconcile Enlightenment philosophy and Christian faith. This two-volume work, reissued in its expanded 1850 edition, presents Schubert's views on the human body, soul and spirit.

Written by her close friend and partner Edward Maitland, this two-volume biography details the life of physician, spiritualist, and activist Anna Kingsford. First published in 1896, this first volume details Kingsford's early life, her first meeting with Maitland in Paris, and the beginnings of their joint supernatural experiences.

Modern Spiritualism (1902) was the first comprehensive history of Spiritualism. It traces the movement's historical development from its origins in animal magnetism to its decline in the late 1870s. Volume 1 covers the key figures of Paracelsus, Mesmer, Bertrand, and Esdaile. It is an indispensable source on nineteenth-century Spiritualism.

Frederic William Henry Myers (1843-1901) was a classical scholar who later turned to the investigation of spiritualism. This study, published in 1903, presents Myers' theory of the 'subliminal self' and remains a fascinating example of nineteenth-century attempts to understand psychic phenomena. Volume 1 discusses dreams and sensory automation.

Crowe's collection of ghostly and psychic tales was a nineteenth-century best-seller. Volume 1 includes stories on presentiments, traces, wraiths, doppelgangers, apparitions and the after-life. It is a wonderful example of early Victorian spiritualist writing and marks the apogee of the nineteenth century's fascination with the supernatural.

This 1856 publication remains the most comprehensive study of the Ssabian communities of the Middle East during the early Islamic period. The Ssabians' beliefs and rituals were shrouded in mystery but their astronomers and physicians were highly regarded throughout the region. Volume 1 focuses on their history, culture and cosmology.