Albert von Schrenck-Notzing

Albert von Schrenck-Notzing

Albert von Schrenck-Notzing was born 18th May 1862 and died 12th February 1929. He was a German physician, psychiatrist and psychical researcher. He devoted much of his time to the study of paranormal events connected to mediumship, hypnotism and telepathy. He investigated Spiritualist mediums, for instance Eva Carriere.

Schrenck-Notzing became interested in the study of psychics through his work as a medical student with hypnotism and therapy of suggestion. His interest was heightened when he met physiologist Charles Richet in Paris in 1889.

He devoted his attention to mainly to mediumship. Schrenck-Notzing studied the work of Palladino, Eva Carriere and Ruid and Willi Schneider. He often collaborated with Richet, F.W.H Myers, Sir Oliver Lodge and Henry Sidgwick.

Supernatural phenomena, such as movement of objects and levitation, have always aroused scepticism so Schrenck-Notzing took extreme precautions in an effort to prevent conscious or unconscious fraud during his investigations. Mediums were searched before and after séances and were required to wear specific clothing during the séance.

Schrenck-Notzing did receive a great deal of criticism for his work but he continued his efforts to prove what he considered to be the reality of materialisation and other physical phenomena.

[taken from Helene Pleasants, Biographical Dictionary of Parapsychology 1946-1996 (New York, 1964) ] http://www.pflyceum.org/389.html