Psychic Experiences: A Bibliography

Journal of Parapsychology, The, Sept, 1992 by Carlos S. Alvarado

Regarding cases of psi phenomena, we are now fortunate to have a bibliography on that subject. In their Psychic Experiences, Rhea A. White and Rodger I. Anderson present a comprehensive listing of papers and books about spontaneous phenomena in parapsychology. The entries are organized under phenomena such as apparitions, NDEs, poltergeists and hauntings, precognition, and reincarnation-type cases, among others. In addition, there are sections about animal cases, clinical cases, criticisms, experiments, literature and psychic experiences, personal meaning, psychology of psychic experiences, and theories.

The entries include books and articles published since the nineteenth century. They include many well-known studies from the times of SPR researchers such as Myers to more recent researchers such as Stevenson. Some recent theses and dissertations are also included.

As the compilers admit, the work may have some omissions. Some important ones that could be added to a second edition are book-length studies by Flammarion, Fodor, and Stevenson.(3) Similarly, one may mention the omission of recent research papers authored by Osis and McCormick, Schouten, and Sondow.(4) One also hopes that a second edition will include an author and title index, a feature that facilitates research immensely.

However, the omissions in no way detract from what, overall, is a truly impressive compilation of sources, and one that will be indispensable for future students of the subject.

3 C. Flammarion (1900), The Unknown, New York: Harper & Brothers; N. Fodor (1958), On the Trail of the Poltergeist, New York: Citadel Press; I. Stevenson (1984), Unlearned Language, Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia Press.

4 K. Osis & D. McCormick (1982), "A Poltergeist Case Without an Identifiable Living Agent," Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, 76, 23-51; S. A. Schouten (1981), "Analysing Spontaneous Cases: A Replication Based on the Sannwald Collection," European Journal of Parapsychology, 4, 9-48; N. Sondow (1988), "The Decline of Precognized Events with the Passage of Time," Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, 82, 33-51.