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Human Personality and Its Survival of Bodily Death (Studies in Consciousness)

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This is THE seminal work by THE premier researcher of the heyday of psychical research. It was originally published around 1900. If you don't own this, there is a huge gap in your library. It is basically the only thing in the field of psychical research that Myers ever published because he died at age 50, but he was truly one of the gods of psychical research. He was a classical scholar, and this is reflected in the quality of this work. His theories as to "What Its All About" do not make for easy reading, but they have greatly influenced all subsequent thinking in the field of personal survival. Myers is perhaps best known for what he accomplished after death: communicating from the "other side" through Piper, Verrall and other mediums, he was the source of the "cross-correspondences" which are widely regarded as some of the best evidence for personal survival. Anyway, if your reading concerning life after death has been confined to works published in the 1980s and 90s (George Anderson, Rosemary Altea, et al.), your mind will be blown by the quality and seriousness of the work done by researchers like Myers 100 years ago.

(Paperback edition)
In the 1890's, when F.W.H. Myers wrote Human Personality and Its Survival of Bodily Death, people didn't believe they necessarily had souls, much less that the soul would survive their death. After Myers experienced communication with his deceased wife, he set out to prove his contemporaries wrong.

Myers was a scholar who became a scientist when he began investigating paranormal phenomena. He conducted research and experiments in a variety of fields, including personality disintegration, genius, sleep, hypnosis, and trances. His goal was to "break down that artificial wall between science and superstition." He believed that questions of the soul should be subjected to the same open mind and critical analysis used in other scientific inquiries.

His landmark investigations set the standards for subsequent research into human consciousness. In his interpretive introduction to the book, Jeffrey Mishlove says that Myers's "classic synthesis of nineteenth century field research [is regarded] as the most important single work in the history of psychical research." He adds that it is still "fresh, vigorous, and contemporary."

Like many of the classic metaphysical texts, Myers's book has been out of print for years. Hampton Roads Publishing Company has begun to reissue the classical texts in their new series, Studies in Consciousness/Russell Targ Editions. Their current edition of Myers's book is an abridgement of the original, "prepared to make its major content more readily accessible to the modern reader."

Human Personality and Its Survival of Bodily Death documents Myers's extensive experiments and conclusions that personality does, in fact, continue after death. Readers will discover that he achieved his goal of proving that the human personality is not limited to material life.

_In 1903 the Society for Psychical Research published this classic work- and effectively proved to any reasonable reader that man's true essence survives bodily death. However, the world of the early 20th century was obsessed with materialism and effectively ignored this finding. Those few scientists that did review the work came away convinced, more often than not. The problem was that most "reputable" scientists wouldn't even consider it- a problem that continues to this day.

_The author of this pioneering volume was F.W.H. Myers, the cofounder of the Society of Psychical Research. Myers was not some fringe crank, for he was a recognized classics scholar, platonic philosopher, poet, and son of a clergyman. It was Myers who first translated and introduced Freud to the British public. He was also the originator of the term "telepathy." He was a meticulous and conscientious investigator. That is what strikes you about the vast compendium of cases included here- they were painstakingly documented, all witnesses were carefully interviewed, and sworn affidavits were obtained. In no way can this be considered a book of "hearsay." Myers covered a wide variety of phenomena from hypnotic trance, dreams, possession, mystic ecstasy, telepathy, mediumship, clairvoyance, automatic writing, phantasms of the dead, to actual evidence of the survival of the subliminal elements of personality after death- because he correctly considered them all to be in some way interrelated.

_So, in life, Meyers effectively proved survival of the personality after death. But that was only half of his work. Starting a few years after his death his spirit started communicating with widely separated mediums in England, the United States, and India. The result was a huge body of interconnected messages called the "Cross Correspondences." This work consisted of over 3000 messages delivered over 30 years, and of such a complexity- and consistency- that they provide absolute proof of the survival of Meyers and several of his colleagues.

_So you see, the case for survival of the spirit was effectively made over 100 years ago, but it is still effectively ignored by a mainstream materialist society with its own agenda. But that doesn't make it any less true.

_This new edition has an introduction by Jeffrey Mishlove, Ph.D; the foreward by Aldous Huxley; and the introduction to the 1961 edition by Susy Smith. There is a full index.

_Human Personality And Its Survival of Bodily Death_, first published in 1903 and republished here by Dover Publications, by psychical researcher and psychologist F. W. H. Myers is a classic text in parapsychology, telepathy, and the role of the unconscious in human psychology. F. W. H. Myers (1843 - 1901) was a lecturer in classics at Cambridge University who became disillusioned with traditional religion. This process of disillusionment led him to feeling profoundly unsatisfied and ultimately he was to form the Society for Psychical Research (S.P.R.) together with Henry and Mrs. Sidgwick and Edmund Gurney. Later he was also involved with the famous American psychologist and philosopher William James in exploring the realms of psychical research. At the time this book was written, there was much discussion of Darwinian evolution and much of the scientific world held to a strict dogmatic materialism, denying that man had a soul. It required great courage for Myers to maintain that the human being had a soul and that it was indeed possible for that soul to survive bodily death. Further, Myers also considered extra-sensory perception to be something natural and not unnatural, thus challenging much scientific orthodoxy. The relationship between Myers and traditional religion is more problematic however. He did not denigrate traditional religion but rather instead decides to turn to science as a means for investigating such phenomena of the "World Unseen". This book is presented in a format that includes many case studies and anecdotal evidence to make its point regarding the survival of human personality after bodily death. This edition of the book is an abridgement of the original 2 volume edition which is rightly regarded as an esteemed classic in the field of psychical research. This edition includes a Foreword by Aldous Huxley and a Preface by the editor Susy Smith.

The book begins with an Introduction by Myers in which he explains his methods for investigating the "World Unseen". As stated previously, Myers maintains that he will rely on science to investigate these phenomena and relates this to traditional religion and the Christian churches. Myers further explains the idea of a threshold of consciousness and relates this to a subliminal consciousness. Myers also explains how the classical conception of a "ghost" arises and that such phantasms may appear both at and after a man's bodily death. Myers also discusses telepathy, lays out his plans for the book, and mentions the work of Sir William Crookes and D. D. Home. Following this, Myers turns to a discussion of the "Disintegration of Personality", where he examines the possibilities of post-epileptic states and multiple personalities. Myers quotes extensively from the works of Janet regarding multiple personalities and examines several case studies as such. Myers also provides some examination of cases including dreams, ecmnesia, hypnosis, and "personality splits". Following this, Myers turns to an examination of "Genius". Myers considers genius as a "power of utilizing a wider range than other men can utilize of faculties in some degree innate in all". Myers considers the possibility of the "inspiration of Genius" and explains this through a "subliminal uprush". Myers then examines cases of "arithmetical prodigies" and "calculating boys" (noting how their powers often wane in adulthood) as well as some famous poets. Following this, Myers turns to an examination of "Sleep". Here, Myers examines different states of consciousness, somnambulism, dreams and nightmares, as well as hypnosis providing detailed case studies to illustrate much of this. Myers also notes that the accomplishments made during sleep can sometimes outdo those made during the day. Myers argues that sleep is not "useless" which he claims is a "pre-scientific or even an anti-scientific term" and that in fact in many instances much is achieved through sleep. Following this, Myers examines the case of "Hypnotism", which he maintains is a very complex subject. Myers considers the "hypnotic trance", noting in particular the role of the hypnotist and the post-hypnotic suggestion, as well as the human will which he relates to "higher centres". Myers then considers several cases, mentioning those of Mesmer in particular. Finally, Myers examines some cases amongst the Africans and the situation at Lourdes where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared. Myers argues for some skepticism regarding some of what happened at Lourdes, but remains generally sympathetic to the supernatural viewpoint. Following this, Myers examines the case of "Sensory Automatism". Myers defines automatism as "the widest term under which to include the range of subliminal emergences into ordinary life." Myers considers sensory automatisms and motor automatisms as well as dreams (i.e. low-level hallucinations), hallucinations, imagination-images, and inspirations of genius. Myers quotes extensively from the work of Edmund Gurney _Phantasms of the Living_ as well as from the journal of the S.P.R. Myers also provides many extensive case studies of such including detailed drawings of objects visualized by subjects in S.P.R. studies. Following this, Myers turns to an examination of "Phantasms of the Dead". Myers first considers the possibility of man's survival of bodily death, then attempts to classify such evidence, and to arrive at a possible conclusion regarding this possibility. Myers considers the case of immortality as well. Myers provides much evidence of such phantasms appearing near, at, or after death in the form of case studies much of it from the _Proceedings_ of the S.P.R. Myers considers the possibility of a proof of survival following bodily death and notes that neither the religious nor the scientific perspectives can any longer ignore the facts presented and that the evidence must be met by both. Following this, Myers turns to a discussion of "Motor Automatisms". Here, Myers considers motor automatisms including "table-turning", "spirit rapping", and the like as well as such notions as telepathy. Myers finds some of this problematic but examines much evidence of such. Myers also notes the experiments of Faraday with table-turning as well as mentioning the possibility of the role of the unconscious in such motor automatisms. Myers then provides ample evidence through case studies including a study by Flournoy of a medium. Following this, Myers turns to a discussion of "Trance, Possession, and Ecstasy". Myers considers the possibility of good and evil in such and notes the role of possession and a doubling of personality. Myers then provides case studies of each, mentioning for example the case of the famous Swedish seer Swedenborg, the infamous "Seeress of Prevorst", and several other studies of Richard Hodgson. Myers then ends with some remarks on spirits relating this to traditional Christianity and Jesus Christ, noting the role of religion. Myers concludes by noting the role of mystery, our struggle to understand the Cosmos, and the Godhead.

This book is an extremely valuable classic study in parapsychology and psychical research. While mainstream science may take the viewpoint of a staunch materialism, there was a time when research into the Other World was possible within science. Such research was largely done by the Society for Psychical Research which Myers was a founding member. While mainstream science may look down upon such evidence, the facts simply cannot be ignored. Thus, this book will offer hope for those of us who seek something more and who believe there is more to the world than the materialists tell us there is. This evidence also can be put into the framework of traditional religious belief through revelation and an understanding of the role of the supernatural in the history of the world. Ultimately such evidence provides hope for those of us who believe in an afterlife.

_In 1903 the Society for Psychical Research published this classic work- and effectively proved to any reasonable reader that man's true essence survives bodily death. However, the world of the early 20th century was obsessed with materialism and effectively ignored this finding. Those few scientists that did review the work came away convinced, more often than not. The problem was that most "reputable" scientists wouldn't even consider it- a problem that continues to this day.

_The author of this pioneering volume was F.W.H. Myers, the cofounder of the Society of Psychical Research. Myers was not some fringe crank, for he was a recognized classics scholar, platonic philosopher, poet, and son of a clergyman. It was Myers who first translated and introduced Freud to the British public. He was also the originator of the term "telepathy." He was a meticulous and conscientious investigator. That is what strikes you about the vast compendium of cases included here- they were painstakingly documented, all witnesses were carefully interviewed, and sworn affidavits were obtained. In no way can this be considered a book of "heresay." Myers covered a wide variety of phenomena from hypnotic trance, dreams, possession, mystic ecstasy, telepathy, mediumship, clairvoyance, automatic writing, phantasms of the dead, to actual evidence of the survival of the subliminal elements of personality after death- because he correctly considered them all to be in some way interrelated.

_So, in life, Meyers effectively proved survival of the personality after death. But that was only half of his work. Starting a few years after his death his spirit started communicating with widely separated mediums in England, the United States, and India. The result was a huge body of interconnected messages called the "Cross Correspondences." This work consisted of over 3000 messages delivered over 30 years, and of such a complexity- and consistency- that they provide absolute proof of the survival of Meyers and several of his colleagues.

_You see, the case for survival of the spirit was effectively made over 100 years ago, but it is still effectively ignored by a mainstream materialist society with its own agenda. But that doesn't make it any less true.

There is no question that F.W.H. Myers was an outstanding individual. That is a FACT. It is also a FACT that the human being only uses approximately 10% of their mind. (Unless you're a politician, then it's much less). Be that as it may, just think how people would have thought you "crazy" just 30 years ago if you told them about devises ie: cell phones, hand held computers or Fax machines.
The 90% of our "unused" brain contains other such ideas and thoughts we're not able to grasp as yet. So why then do we dismiss research such as F.W.H. Myers, Dr. Michal Sabom MD, Raymond Mooney PhD, Kenneth Ring Phd & Dr. Elisabeth Kuber-Ross, PhD, MD., etc. when they tell us that their in-depth research has established the fact that After-life exists?

SIR.I HAVN,T READ THIS BOOK.I ONLY STUDIEDITS REFRENCE IN SOME BOOK.I WANT TO READ THIS BOOK.,I WANT THAT U MAY MAIL SOME HOT TOPICS OF THIS BOOKS IN MY MAIL BOX.I M VERY THANK FUL TO U.

This book is pure nonsense. I found it in our public library, a two-volume set from 1904. It consists of poorly-written hearsay masquerading as scholarship.