About the Book
“Superbly organized and researched, this book by Block provides a comprehensive presentation about parapsychology." -Library Journal, Starred Review
The Encyclopedia of Parapsychology covers the history of parapsychology, key international figures, and a decade-by-decade annotated bibliography of research.
It includes find information on early psychical researchers from around the globe and how the work of those psychical researchers inspired the creation of the modern field of parapsychology. Alongside biographical entries about key figures are sketches of those at the center of psychical inquiry, like mediums and others who seemingly have the ability to manifest strange phenomena.
The Encyclopedia covers the Spiritualism era which influenced early psychical inquiry and how it influenced psychical thought around the globe. More contemporary coverage includes biographical entries for current international researchers who continue to investigate the depths of psi phenomena.
In order to provide comprehensive coverage of historical and modern research into psi phenomena, the Encyclopedia features a decade-by-decade bibliography of resources that highlight the shifting theories and experiments of the field, starting from the 1870s and going through the 2020s. This section includes a wide variety of research into topics such as psychokinesis, hauntings, poltergeists (also known as recurrent spontaneous psychokinesis), near-death experiences, extrasensory perception, remote viewing, and much more.
Appendices provide information on international parapsychological research organizations and a quick start research guide.
With information on key figures and research on an international scale, The Encyclopedia of Parapsychology provides an approachable yet comprehensive compendium of information.
Table of Contents:
Preface
Chapter One: A Brief History of Parapsychology
Chapter Two: Prominent Figures in Parapsychology
Chapter Three: What Does the Research Say? A Core Annotated Bibliography of Parapsychological Resources Through the Decades
Chapter Four: Criticisms of Parapsychology
Glossary of Terms
Appendix A: Topical Bibliographies to Get You Started!
Appendix B: Journals Where You Can Find Parapsychology Related Topics
Appendix C: Parapsychological Research Organizations
Index
About the Author :
Courtney M. Block is the Reference, Instruction, & User Engagement Librarian at Indiana University Southeast, and the author of Researching the Paranormal: How to Find Reliable Information about Parapsychology, Ghosts, Astrology, Cryptozoology, Near-Death Experiences, and More. She has assisted students with one-on-one research studies since 2016, and many of these sessions have involved inquiries into paranormal studies. Additionally, she has organized and hosted paranormal lectures and haunted walking tours, and has assisted with scientific, paranormal investigations since 2015 through membership in the Institute for the Study of Religious and Anomalous Experience.
Review :
Superbly organized and researched, this book by Block provides a comprehensive presentation about parapsychology. This field includes the study of extra-sensory perception, precognition, psychokinesis, near-death experiences, out-of-body experiences, mediumship, and ghosts, hauntings and poltergeists. Block acknowledges the ongoing challenge to the legitimacy of methodologies and measurements of parapsychology research, yet she champions the persistence and accomplishments of researchers and scientists who continue to explore phenomena that are experienced but unexplained. International in scope, the initial chapter covers biographies (background, field of study, affiliations, outcomes) of figures in the field, from pioneers through modern investigators, and concludes with a fascinating section on mediums, seers, psychometrists, and more. Other chapters include the history of psychic organizations and groups intent on exposing fraud, an annotated bibliography of parapsychology resources, and criticisms of the field. Each entry ends with suggested reading, and chapters conclude with extensive references. The marvelous appendixes point to topics, academic journals, and research organizations. The foot-noted glossary has its own bibliography. An exceptional first-step resource for the inquisitive reader or scholar seeking substantiated information about the history and status of current parapsychology research.
In this one-volume, single-author compilation, reference librarian Block builds on her previous book Researching the Paranormal (2020). This "encyclopedia" is primarily a research guide to support readers interested in parapsychology. While the text includes ample descriptions of supernatural phenomena, they are presented within a framework of identifying directions and resources for further research. The author is openly a believer in psychic phenomena, but also a committed academic. Block emphasizes peer-reviewed studies as well as public science and personal experience. An informal, first-person voice engages the reader throughout, yet the text is grounded by a focus on rigorous academic citations. The text is divided into four useful, well-structured chapters, each devoted to a particular topical area and presentation style: the history of parapsychology (mainly an essay), prominent figures (encyclopedic entries on researchers as well as mediums), a lengthy annotated bibliography, and criticisms of the field (another essay), followed by several appendixes including topical bibliographies, lists of journals and organizations, a glossary, and multiple indexes. This book would be a valuable guide for an academic approach to a topic that has seen limited mainstream acceptance. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students and faculty. General readers.
I highly recommend Block’s Encyclopedia of Parapsychology as an excellent way into a subject that has so many misconceptions wrapped around it. In this book, readers will get a good understanding of how the field evolved, who the players in the field are, and most importantly, what the research has told us about paranormal phenomena and psychic experiences. If you are looking to get a true sense of the world of research on what we call psychic or paranormal, this is a comprehensive starting point.
