Psychology in early times concerned itself with the essence of the soul as an independent entity, its relations to the body, its destructibility or indestructibility, and the laws of its operations. The word “Psychology” has always had a vague and varying significance. Thus, when Hunt, in his presidential address before the Anthropological Society in 1866, says: “I am glad to know that there are many Fellows of this Society who are at present working on the psychological aspects of our science,” he referred to the interest then taken by the members in the phrenology of the period. Later on, however, he expresses his opinion with regard to “modern phrenology” as being “wholly unscientific.” The old phrenology is now practically dead. [Sidenote: =Psychical Research.=] During the last quarter of the last century a study of various obscure mental states received a fresh impetus in this country by the founding of the Society for Psychical Research. This society principally investigates (1) hypnotism, disorders of personality, automatic writing, and crystal-gazing, which are universally recognised by psychologists as furnishing fields for scientific study; and (2) thought-transference and its manifestations, which are not, however, at present generally accepted as facts. Though but recently crept forth, _vix aut ne vix quidem_, from the chill shade of scientific disdain, Anthropology adopts the airs of her elder sisters among the sciences, and is as severe as they to the Cinderella of the family, Psychical Research. She must murmur of her fairies among the cinders of the hearth, while they go forth to the ball, and dance with provincial mayors at the festivities of the British Association.[59] Footnote 59: A. Lang, _Making of Religion_, p. 43. The hypnotic and kindred practices of the lower races have until lately scarcely attracted the attention of anthropologists. Bastian in 1890 wrote a tract, _Ueber psychische Beobachtungen bei Naturvölkern_, and Tylor has also touched on the subject in _Primitive Culture_; but its main advocate is Andrew Lang, who declares: “Anthropology must remain incomplete while it neglects this field, whether among wild or civilised men,” and “In the course of time this will come to be acknowledged.” [Sidenote: =Methods and Aims.=] If we turn now from popular to scientific notions of psychology, we discern the following methods and aims of the science. There are two methods—(1) the introspective, by which one’s own mental states are observed; and (2) the objective, by which the conduct of others is observed: both may be studied without or under experimental conditions. It is very difficult to secure reliable introspection in backward peoples, and also to interpret the mental state of an individual by observing his behaviour. The objects of psychology are five-fold:— 1. The study of mind compared with non-mental processes.