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THE BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF PARAPSYCHOLOGY

JAMES HERVEY HYSLOP

Psychologist, psychc researcher. B. August 18, 1854, Xenia, Ohio; d. June 17, 1920, Upper Montclair, New Jersey. B. A., 1877, Wooster College, Wooster, Ohio; student, 1882-84, University of Leipzig; Ph.D., 1887, Johns Hopkins University; LL.D., 1902, University of Wooster. M. 1891, Mary Fry Hall: 2 d., 1 s. Instructor in philosophy, Lake Forest University, Lake Forest, Illinois, 1880-82, 1884-85; head, Department of Philosophy, Smith College, 1885-86; faculty member, Bucknell University, 1888-89; tutor, philosophy, ethics and psychology, 1889-91; instructor in ethics, 1891-95, professor of logic and ethics, 1895-1902, Columbia University.

Dr. Hyslop was one of the first American psychologists to relate psychology to psychic research. Like his fellow psychologist William James (q.v.), whose friends he was, Hyslop's interest in psychic investigation was stimulated by sessions with the Boston medium Mrs. Leonore Piper (q.v.). He reported on his sittings with her, in which he believed he had received evidence of the survival of death by his father, his wife, and other members of his family, in the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, London (October 1901). He became an active member of the SPR and of its American Branch, working closely with the secretary of the American group, Richard Hodgson (q.v.), and with James.

In 1904, Dr. Hyslop organized the American Institute for Scientific Research, Section A of which was to be devoted to the study of abnormal psychology, and Section B to psychic research, believing, as he said, that "at certain points the two fields tend to merge and at others they are widely separated." Section A never became operative, but Section B became the American Society for Psychical Research, the independent body which succeeded the American Branch of the SPR. Dr. Hyslop was secretary-tresurer and director of the organization from 1907-1920.

Durings his years at Columbia University Dr. Hyslop wrote several textbooks, including Problems of Philosophy (1892), Elements of Ethics (1895), and Problems of Philosophy (1905). On his retirement from teaching he devoted himself increasingly to psychic research, investigating mediumship, survival, telepathy, clairvoyance and psychokinesis and writing on these subjects for the Journal and Proceedings of the ASPR and the SPR and for such publications as Mind, Philosophical Review, and The Nation.

Dr. Hyslop's books on psychic research include Science and a Future Life (1905); Enigmas of Psychic Research (1906); Borderland of Psychic Research (1906); Psychic Research and the Resurrections (1908); Psychic Research and Survival (1913); Life After Death (1918), and Contact with the Other World (1919). For some time after his death his research assistant and secretary for many years, Miss Gertrude Tubby (q.v.), received what she believes were communications from Dr. Hyslop through many mediums in the United States, France and Britain. These messages, frequently containing apparent cross references to one another, are published in her collection entitled James H. Hyslop--X, His Book (1929).


Taken from Helene Pleasants (1964) Biographical Dictionary of Parapsychology with Directory and Glossary 1946-1996 NY: Garrett Publications


 
 

 

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