The Law of Psychic Phenomena (1893) is a systematic attempt to explain hypnotism, telepathy, clairvoyance, mediumship, and religious ecstasy through a single psychological principle: the division between the objective and subjective minds. Written in a lucid, argumentative Victorian prose, the book belongs to the fin-de-siècle literature of psychical research, standing between scientific skepticism, mesmerist traditions, and the era's fascination with Spiritualism. Hudson's style is methodical rather than sensational, seeking laws where others saw miracles or fraud. Thomson Jay Hudson was an American lawyer, journalist, and lecturer whose intellectual formation encouraged both forensic reasoning and broad public exposition. His legal habits are evident in the book's structure: claims are weighed, objections anticipated, and testimony treated as evidence to be classified. Living during a period when hypnosis, mind-cure movements, and spiritualist séances challenged conventional science and religion, Hudson sought a rational framework that could preserve extraordinary experience without abandoning natural law. This volume is recommended to readers interested in the history of psychology, occult thought, hypnosis, and nineteenth-century debates over science and belief. Though many of its theories are now historically situated, the book remains invaluable as a disciplined, influential effort to make sense of psychic phenomena before modern psychology had fully defined its boundaries. This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience. - Hand-picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance. - Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.

The author describes in this book various aspects of hypnosis. His idea was that any contact with "spirits" was contact with the medium's or the subject's own subconscious. Anything else could be explained by telepathy, which he defined as contact between two or more subconsciouses.