Extraordinary Beliefs: A Historical Approach to a Psychological Problem

Description

Since the early nineteenth century, mesmerists, mediums and psychics have exhibited extraordinary phenomena. These have been demonstrated, reported and disputed by every modern generation. We continue to wonder why people believe in such things, while others wonder why they are dismissed so easily. Extraordinary Beliefs takes a historical approach to an ongoing psychological problem: why do people believe in extraordinary phenomena? It considers the phenomena that have been associated with mesmerism, spiritualism, psychical research and parapsychology. By drawing upon conjuring theory, frame analysis and discourse analysis, it examines how such phenomena have been made convincing in demonstration and report, and then disputed endlessly. It argues that we cannot understand extraordinary beliefs unless we properly consider the events in which people believe, and what people believe about them. And it shows how, in constructing and maintaining particular beliefs about particular phenomena, we have been in the business of constructing ourselves. Contents A brief reflexive preface Acknowledgements ONE Introduction Observations on an extraordinary feat Some extraordinary beliefs past and present Understanding paranormal beliefs Why history of Psychology? Psychological knowledge as constructed Psychological knowledge is constructive A history of unorthodox Psychology TWO The making of the extraordinary The performance of magic: how it is done Effects, methods and misdirection: what you see, and what you don’t The role of pseudo-explanations in magic The reception of magic: how it is seen Believing in magic Framing an extraordinary feat (in performance and reception) Beliefs and discourse THREE The making of mesmeric phenomena Framing mesmeric phenomena (in performance) Framing mesmeric demonstrations (in reports): reporting the facts Framing the phenomena as extraordinary Framing the phenomena as ordinary The construction of a new boundary between ordinary and extraordinary Framing a failed demonstration of mesmeric clairvoyance Framing a successful demonstration Framing an exposure of mesmerism Constructing a psychology of error Mesmerism and the constructive powers of psychological knowledge Discussion FOUR The making of spiritualist phenomena Framing séance phenomena (in performance) Framing séance phenomena (the reception): reporting the facts Managing extraordinariness Constructing and deploying expertise Framing séance phenomena as not real Framing séance phenomena as trickery The framing of failures, duplications and exposures Discussion FIVE The making of psychic phenomena The birth of psychic phenomena The problems of framing mind-reading: the case of Washington Irving Bishop Scientific psychology and the psychology of error The case of Munsterberg and Beulah Miller Discussion SIX The making of paranormal phenomena The making of parapsychology The making of mind-reading, c. 1900-1970 The making of Marion The making of paranormal belief The making of the modern sceptic Discussion SEVEN The making of extraordinary beliefs The particularity of extraordinary beliefs Extraordinary beliefs and expertise On other beliefs about extraordinary phenomena Understanding extraordinary beliefs Notes Bibliography Index