William McDougal and the Birth of Parapsychology

Considering that William McDougall is actually one of the founders of parapsychology and paranormal activity research, it is important to know something about his stature and reputation in the world of academia. Since formal academic research in psychokinesis began with McDougal and J.B. Rhine, we should know something about McDougal's background training, experience and achievements. William McDougall is regarded by many as the leading psychologist and scientists sheds some light on the validity and importance of psychokinesis research. Particularly since he worked closely with JB Rhine in the very first PK research experiments. He significantly contributed to more branches and departments of psychology than any other English writer. He is the founder of 'hormic psychology,' with the main idea being that there is an end purpose which drives humans to action, with no real knowledge of its origins, and often without benefit or even thought of pleasure. Human advancement can only be measured in terms of "horme" or "drive". He postulated that human behavior is determined by both instinctive and intentional pursuits. His main problems were in proving, or explaining, interactionism in the physical world; his fundamental belief in free-will; and his commitment to the theory of the ''transmission of acquired characteristics.''

McDougal also developed a theory of human paranormal activity and psychic phenomena. In 1900, McDougall married Annie Hick-more and they eventually gave birth to three sons and two daughters. They spent their first year in Göttingen, Germany, where McDougall studied experimental psychology with G. E. Müller. McDougall then became a professor at University College in London. His initial publications appearing in 1901 were called "On the Seat of the Psycho-Physical Processes" and "New Observations, which supported Thomas Young's Theory of Light-and Color-Vision, I-III." These were followed by papers concerning physiology of the senses and attention. In London, he also worked with Francis Galton and Charles Spearman in mental testing and eugenics, the theory that genetics could be used to improve the human race. McDougall co-founded the British Psychological Society in 1901. He also co-founded the British Journal of Psychology.

In 1904, McDougall transferred to Oxford University and held a post as the Wilde Reader in Mental Philosophy until 1920. He was the very first experimental psychologist at Oxford. The first of McDougall's textbooks was entitled Physiological Psychology, and it was published in 1905. One of his most successful and influential texts entitled An Introduction to Social Psychology was first published in 1908. In this treatise, McDougall presented his highly controversial theory of instincts, which contends that all human behavior, even social relationships, can be explained by the many instincts related to primary emotions. For example, fleeing is an instinct connected with emotions of fear. In later writings, McDougall argued that the purpose of an instinct was to propel one towards one's goal. He called this "purposive" or "hormic" psychology.

In 1911, McDougall published Body and Mind where he argued for the scientific existence of the human soul and discussed psychic research. His interest was increasing in paranormal activity and paranormal psychology, including mental telepathy and clairvoyance. In 1912, he was named a fellow of the Corpus Christi College at Oxford. That same year, he became a fellow of the Royal Society of London. He served as vice-president of the Psychiatric Section of the Royal Society of Medicine from 1914 until 1918, when he became president. In 1920 he became president of the British Society for Psychical Research. With the onset of World War I, McDougall served in the French army as an ambulance driver. Between 1915 and 1919, he served as a major in the British Army Medical Corps where he treated victims of shell shock (post-traumatic stress disorder). This work led to his Outline of Abnormal Psychology in 1926.