Physics and Psychics Noakes, Richard

Name: Physics and Psychics Noakes, Richard
Price: 152.00 USD
Availability: InStock
Author: Noakes, Richard
ISBN: 9781107188549

✍️ Noakes, Richard

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📚 ABOUT THE BOOK

Uncover the startling fusion of Victorian science and the supernatural, where reason met the inexplicable.

Richard Noakes presents a groundbreaking examination of the surprising interplay between established physical sciences and the burgeoning interest in psychic phenomena during the Victorian age. This pioneering work delves into how eminent scientists and natural philosophers grappled with the seemingly inexplicable, from animal magnetism to the then-sensational spirit-rapping. It meticulously maps the intellectual landscape where rigorous scientific inquiry often converged with, rather than dismissed, the metaphysical, offering a unique perspective on a pivotal historical period of belief and skepticism.

Key themes

{'title': 'Science & the Supernatural', 'body': 'Explore the unique intellectual ferment of 19th-century Britain, where technological advancements and empirical observation coexisted with a profound curiosity about the unseen. The text illustrates how leading minds attempted to apply scientific methods to spiritual and occult experiences, reflecting a broader cultural fascination with the unknown.'} {'title': 'Redefining Scientific Inquiry', 'body': "Noakes's work re-evaluates scientific methodology by showcasing attempts to measure and explain psychic occurrences. It highlights how the struggle to categorize and understand phenomena like spirit-rapping pushed the very limits of what was considered 'science,' profoundly influencing future intellectual and spiritual movements."}

🏛 Cambridge University Press 📅 2019 📖 418 pages 📔 Hardcover 📐 Hardcover ISBN: 9781107188549

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Fun fact

Noakes delivers an impeccably researched and genuinely illuminating work, masterfully uncovering the surprising, often uncomfortable, alliances between Victorian science and the occult. It excels at challenging the neat separation we often assume between reason and mysticism. Readers hoping for a sensationalist exposé or a validation of paranormal claims will be disappointed; this is rigorous intellectual history. It's an essential, groundbreaking contribution to the history of science, particularly for understanding psychical research origins.

📝 Description: Physics and Psychics Noakes, Richard

This is the first systematic exploration of the intriguing connections between Victorian physical sciences and the study of the controversial phenomena broadly classified as psychic, occult and paranormal. These phenomena included animal magnetism, spirit-rapping, ...

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⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.8/5

★★★★★

If you're fascinated by the history of scientific thought, the hidden currents of Victorian society, or the complex relationship between reason and belief, this book offers an unparalleled journey. It's essential reading for anyone curious about how the unexplained challenged the cutting edge of…

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❓ Frequently asked questions

No, the book doesn't advocate for psychic phenomena. Instead, it offers a rigorous historical analysis of how these occurrences were perceived, investigated, and integrated—or rejected—by the scientific community of the Victorian age. It's a study of intellectual history, not a defense of the occult.

While the book provides crucial historical context for the origins of parapsychology, its primary focus remains on the 19th-century interactions between physical sciences and early forms of psychical research, such as animal magnetism and spiritualism, rather than contemporary studies.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Science & the Supernatural

Explore the unique intellectual ferment of 19th-century Britain, where technological advancements and empirical observation coexisted with a profound curiosity about the unseen. The text illustrates how leading minds attempted to apply scientific methods to spiritual and occult experiences, reflecting a broader cultural fascination with the unknown.

Redefining Scientific Inquiry

Noakes's work re-evaluates scientific methodology by showcasing attempts to measure and explain psychic occurrences. It highlights how the struggle to categorize and understand phenomena like spirit-rapping pushed the very limits of what was considered 'science,' profoundly influencing future intellectual and spiritual movements.

💬 Quotes from the book

«The Victorian laboratory, far from being an insulated bastion of pure rationality, was often a porous space where the boundaries of physical inquiry and metaphysical speculation blurred.»

«Understanding the era's engagement with psychic phenomena requires moving beyond simple dismissal or credulous acceptance, instead analyzing the complex intellectual frameworks employed.»

📜 Historical context

This study sits within a growing tradition re-examining the Victorian era's complex relationship with the esoteric. It builds upon foundational works exploring spiritualism and nascent psychical research, offering a unique lens. By focusing specifically on the interplay with established physical sciences, it distinguishes itself from purely social or cultural histories of the occult, providing crucial nuance.

📚 Glossary

Animal Magnetism
Spirit-rapping
Psychical Research

📔 Questions to reflect on

How might the scientific community today react to unexplained phenomena if they were as prevalent and socially accepted as spiritualism was in the Victorian era?
Consider a modern scientific theory that was once considered radical or even 'occult.' What parallels can you draw with the Victorian engagement with psychics?
In what ways do contemporary cultural beliefs about the 'unseen' or 'paranormal' continue to influence scientific discourse, even if subtly?