utable scientists, to say nothing of the vast com-
pany of fanatics.

Just what is here meant by the occult, the reader
will gather as he proceeds. The things treated
under this heading are properly the subject-matter
of what is called psychic research, but in one way
or another are also interesting and important for
psychology. Psychic research is at present in dis-
repute among scholars, largely because psychic re-
searchers do not take a logical psychological attitude
toward the phenomena they investigate. Psychic
research, the investigation of phenomena which are
alleged to be not in accordance with accepted views
of natural law, is a perfectly legitimate activity. Its
purpose is two-fold: first, to accumulate data for
psychological study; and second, to rout rascals and
to dispel popular superstition.

It is popularly believed that the thoughts of one
person may directly influence those of another.
This belief is somewhat akin to the ancient super-
stition that the eye of one person is able to affect
another person. Vision is sometimes called touch
at a distance, and it is hard for the savage (and

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