Dr Hodgson is one of the earliest workers for the Society for Psychical Research
- Date of account
- English edition published 1904
- Source
- Mrs. Piper & the Society for Psychical Research
- Reference
- Mrs. Piper & the Society for Psychical Research · selected passage 13
- Rights
- public_domain
- Language
- English translation from French
- Translation
- English translation of Michel Sage with an Oliver Lodge preface
- Record updated
- 2026-08-24
Record summary
Dr Hodgson is one of the earliest workers for the Society for Psychical Research
Published source text
Read the available text below. Archive transcriptions may contain OCR errors; later context is labelled separately. A recorded claim is not a finding that it happened.
Source passage
Source text · mention onlyDr Hodgson is one of the earliest workers for the Society for Psychical Research. He has been a terrible enemy to fraud all his life. At the time of the formation of the Society, Mme. Blavatsky, foundress of the Theosophical Society, was making herself much talked about. The most extraordinary phenomena were supposed to have occurred at the Theosophical Society's headquarters in India. Dr Hodgson was sent there to study them impartially. He quickly made the discovery that the whole affair was charlatanry and sleight-of-hand. On his return to England he wrote a report--which has not killed Theosophy, because even new-born religions have strong vitality--but which has discredited this doctrine for ever in the eyes of thoughtful people.
Historical context
Contextual commentary · mention onlyThis comes from historical psychical research. Methods, witness handling and standards of evidence differ from present-day research and should be assessed from the cited passage and edition.
Modern context
Contextual commentary · mention onlyThe passage can support a history of claims and recurring descriptions. It does not establish a paranormal mechanism, and competing psychological, social and physical explanations remain relevant.
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