The Seybert Commission Investigation

Record summary

The Seybert Commission, established through a bequest to the University of Pennsylvania, investigated spiritualist mediums and séances during the 1880s. Its preliminary report described testing procedures, failed demonstrations, deceptive practices, and methodological limitations rather than validating paranormal claims. This is a useful comparative lead for institutional scrutiny of anomalous testimony, especially when contrasted with believers’ accounts and later parapsychological research. Researchers should consult the 1887 report and contemporary responses, since not every medium or séance associated with the commission was examined under identical conditions.