1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 This episode examines the late-19th-century Society for Psychical Research through its key figures—Henry Sidgwick, Frank Podmore, Frederic W.H. Myers, Edmund Gurney, and future filmmaker G.A. Smith—focusing on the intersection of psychical research, early psychology, personal ambition, and scandal. It revisits Smith’s early career as a mesmerist and telepath whose performances with journalist Douglas Blackburn led to paid work and prestige within the Society, before Blackburn’s flawed 1911 confession cast doubt on their experiments and the Society’s credibility. Central to this controversy are Podmore’s belief in telepathy despite his skepticism toward mediums, Myers’ influential but controversial theories of the subliminal mind and survival after death, and Gurney’s crucial contributions to psychology and hallucination research, later marginalized due to psychology’s rejection of its occult roots. The episode culminates in the mysterious 1888 death of Gurney following the critical failure of Phantasms of the Living, exploring competing theories of suicide versus accidental chloroform overdose amid professional humiliation, personal betrayal, and mental illness. Despite internal conflicts and public criticism, the Society continued to shape early psychology, while Smith—after Gurney’s death and his own departure from the Society—returned to theatrical spectacle and soon helped pioneer cinema, carrying the intellectual, ethical, and imaginative tensions of psychical research into the emerging medium of film. Check out our website at https://www.rhapsodyin35mmpodcast.com/ and subscribe so you don’t miss a new posting. Please make sure to follow us on the social media platform of your choice (or all of them!) Rate and comment so more people can find us. See the blog post for credits:&amp;nbsp; https://www.rhapsodyin35mmpodcast.com/post/ep-6-remixed-murder-mystery-g-a-smith-and-the-society-for-psychical-research Until next time! Rhapsody in 35MM http://rhapsodyin35mmpodcast.com/ <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/39971385/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/2b12f3/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/content/198162645