Hudson, Thomson Jay “The Law of Psychic Phenomena” [A. C. McClurg & Co., 1901]

HUDSON, Thomson Jay. The Law of Psychic Phenomena: A Working Hypothesis for the Systematic Study of Hypnotism, Spiritism, Mental Therapeutics, Etc.

Chicago: A. C. McClurg & Co., 1901. Twenty-Third Edition. 7.5" x 5", xvii + 409pp + 3 ads. Publisher's dark blue cloth gilt. Light rubbing at spine ends and corners, with minor wear to the gilt lettering. Internally clean and remarkably well-preserved, the paper fresh and supple. Very Good.

First published in 1893, Hudson's influential study attempted to provide a unified explanation for hypnotism, mesmerism, telepathy, clairvoyance, mediumship, faith healing, and other psychic phenomena through his theory of the "subjective" and "objective" mind. Written at the height of public fascination with spiritualism and psychical research, the work became one of the most widely read and frequently cited books in the field.

Chapters address hypnotic suggestion, extraordinary memory, telepathy, mental therapeutics, clairvoyance, psychometry, spirit communication, trance states, and the claims of contemporary mediums, while also engaging with Christian Science and related movements. The book occupies an important place in the history of both occult literature and early psychological speculation, reflecting a period when scientific inquiry and paranormal investigation often overlapped.

A classic work of psychical research that remained in print through numerous editions and helped shape popular understanding of psychic phenomena at the turn of the twentieth century.