The 1884 Hodgson Report on the Theosophical Society

Record summary

Richard Hodgson’s 1884 report for the Society for Psychical Research investigated alleged Theosophical phenomena, including the Mahatma Letters and claims associated with Helena Blavatsky. The report became a landmark controversy over fraud, witness testimony, document provenance, and investigative bias. It is relevant to UAP methodology because it illustrates how extraordinary claims can become inseparable from disputes about investigators and evidence handling. Later scholars have criticized aspects of Hodgson’s conclusions, so the report and subsequent reassessments should be read together.