Human Personality

This influential 1903 book, by the man who coined the word 'telepathy', attempted to explain psychic phenomena in scientific terms.

Frederic William Henry Myers (1843–1901) was a classical scholar who later turned to the investigation of spiritualism. This study, published in 1903, presents Myers' theory of the 'subliminal self' and remains a fascinating example of nineteenth-century attempts to understand psychic phenomena. Volume 2 discusses trances and bodily possession.Frederic William Henry Myers (1843–1901) was a classical scholar who in mid-career turned to the investigation of psychic phenomena. After studying, and later teaching, Classics at Trinity College, Cambridge he resigned his lectureship in 1869, became an inspector of schools, and campaigned for women's higher education. With the encouragement of former colleagues he began a scientific investigation of spiritualism and related phenomena, and in 1882 he helped to found the Society for Psychical Research. This two-volume work, first published posthumously in 1903, contains the fullest statement of Myers' influential theory of the 'subliminal self', which he developed by combining his research into psychic phenomena with his in-depth reading about the latest advances in psychology and related fields. His deeply intellectual approach is evident throughout the book, which analyses a huge amount of interesting data. Volume 2 discusses apparitions, trances and bodily possession.