For 75 years the Edinburgh College of Parapsychology has given its services to the people of Edinburgh. A registered charity, constitutionally dedicated to its independence, the College is the only foundation of its type in Scotland. Once over 20 such psychical societies flourished in the UK. but only a few have survived to the present.
Founded by Mrs Ethel Miller, in 1932, as a memorial to her husband, Robert, every major speaker and medium in the field of Spiritualism and Psychical Research was invited to serve the College in those early years. Despite the move from Heriot Row to Melville Street, a rich legacy has come down to the present in the form of long forgotten accounts and photographs, including some of medium Helen Duncan who gave seances there for 18 years.
With stories of other mediums, college workers and supporters, woven together in an account, of the College’s past and present, the authors, Gerald O’Hara and Ann Harrison have created a snapshot of what would have been experienced there, over the years. But this is not just a local tale, for it represents what other Psychic Research facilities were providing across the UK in the 20th century.