The two papers which follow, by Sir Oliver Lodge 

 and J. Malcolm Bird, discuss psychical research. The 

 element they seek was called by that great English 

 scientist Sir William Crookes, "A psychic force con- 

 trolled by an intelligence unknown to science." We 

 also remember what William E. Gladstone said of it : 

 "Psychic Research is the most important work being 

 done in the world to-day, by far the most important." 

 Nor must we forget the sagacious, somewhat sardonic 

 epigram of George Bernard Shaw: "The man who was 

 scientific enough to see that the Holy Ghost was the 

 most interesting of all the hard facts of life, got easily 

 In front of the blockheads who could only sin against 

 it." 



