The several acknowledgments to be recorded are as follows: To the "Popular Science Monthly," for permission to reprint The Psychology of Deception (December, 1888), The Psychology of Spiritualism (April, 1889), A Study of Involuntary Movements (April and September, 1892), The Mind's Eye (January, 1899), The Modern Occult (September, 1900); to the "New Princeton Review," for The Dreams of the Blind (January, 1888); to "Harper's Monthly Magazine," for The Problems of Psychical Research (June, 1889); to "Scribner's Magazine," for The Logic of Mental Telegraphy (October, 1895); to the "Cosmopolitan," for Hypnotism and its Antecedents (February, 1896). The Natural History of Analogy was delivered as a vice-presidential address before the Section of Anthropology of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and was printed in its Proceedings, vol. xl., 1891. The article, Mental Prepossession and Inertia, appeared in a college publication of the University of Wisconsin, the "Aegis" (April, 1897). I have also to acknowledge my indebtedness to Miss Helen Keller for her very interesting contribution to my presentation of the dreams of the blind. My most comprehensive obligation in the preparation of the volume I have acknowledged upon the dedicatory page. JOSEPH JASTROW. MADISON, WISCONSIN, November, 1900. CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE v THE MODERN OCCULT I. The nature of the occult 1 II. Historical aspect of the occult 5 III. Theosophy 7 IV. Spiritualism 12 V. Practical occult systems: Alchemy 18 VI. Astrology, Phrenology, etc. 21 VII. The occult in relation to medicine 24 VIII. Christian Science 26 IX. Other forms of occult healing 33 X. Influences affecting belief in the occult 38 THE PROBLEMS OF PSYCHICAL RESEARCH I. Science and its attitude toward borderland phenomena 47 II. The attitude of Psychical Research; its relation to Psychology 50 III. Types of interest in Psychical Research: the occult interest; the psychological interest; practical applications of "psychical" investigations; the explanatory interest; the investigative interest; the anthropological interest 56 IV. The content of the problems of Psychical Research: hypnotism; subconscious activities; hallucinations; telepathy 66 V. The tendencies of Psychical Research 75