Origins of Psychic Phenomena, The by Stan Gooch © 2007 Inner
Traditions ISBN 1-59477-164-2 261 pages Paperback $16.95
(U.S.) $21.50 (Canada)
To be quite honest, I wasn't sure how to respond to this book when I began
to read it for a couple of reasons. First, the title of the book The
Origins of Psychic Phenomena seems to promise more than the subtitle,
"Poltergeists, Incubi, Succubi, and the Unconscious Mind". The title has
far broader implications, since psychic phenomena extend far beyond the
narrower limits imposed by the subtitle. Second, I'm not sure I agree
with
the author's definition of succubi. My copy of the abridged OED does not
carry the same definition which the author uses.
His reliance on some rather dubious sources (Montague Summers, for
example)
does not, in my opinion, strengthen his case. Reliance on ancient
documents
to strengthen his case is understandable, but I feel that it is necessary
to
consider the cultural background and/or personal biases, of those who
translated those documents.
He makes connections between poltergeist activity (a fairly-well
documented,
if poorly understood, phenomenon) and spontaneous human combustion
(neither
well-documented not understood) and spontaneous external fires. These
"connections" are supported ONLY by conjecture with no accepted hard
evidence. While there MAY be a connection, it has by no means been proven
conclusively. The theory may by valid, but there may also be other
explanations.
The author actively discourages belief in any external existence of
poltergeists, UFOs, incubi and succubi, demons, ghosts, etc. He
postulates
the power and the ability of the individual human mind to produce all
these
effects. To that extent, this book is properly classified as
parapsychology.
It definitely helps to have a firm grounding in the understanding of
psychology and the human mind. A basic knowledge of the anatomy of the
brain would also be an advantage.
The more I read of this book, the less sure I was of how to take it. One
the one hand it is a basic job of reporting, on another hand it is
speculative, and on yet another hand it is ego-boosting for the author.
This is not to say that any of these presentations are "right" or "wrong".
It is merely an indication that I, personally, was unsure of what to make
of
the book.
The author sees a possible connection between left-handedness, shortness,
the size of the big toe, and the relative size of the cerebellum and the
psychic phenomena he investigates. This caused me to be even more unsure
of
how to relate to the book.
This is not a book which needs to be in your library, unless you are
particularly interested in the topics. It is, however, well-written and
informative. How valid the author's conclusions are is for you to
determine.
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