The term parapsychology first appeared in an 1889 article in the German periodical Sphinx, penned by a scholar who intended it to describe phenomena occurring outside standard mental processes. Max Dessoir, a multifaceted academic born in Berlin in 1867, spent his career navigating the borders between established psychological research, aesthetic theory, and the rigorous critical examination of occult claims.
Academic Foundations and Career
Born into the family of Ludwig Dessoir, a prominent Shakespearean actor, and Auguste Grünemeyer, Max Dessoir pursued extensive formal education. He earned a doctorate in philosophy from the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in 1889, followed by a medical degree from the University of Würzburg in 1892. His professional life centered on the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, where he served as a professor from 1897 until 1933. His tenure concluded abruptly when the Nazi regime prohibited him from further teaching.
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Dessoir's intellectual influence spanned multiple disciplines. In 1890, he published The Double Ego, which proposed that the human mind functions in two distinct layers, a concept involving the underconsciousness that later informed the work of Otto Rank. His 1894 article on the evolution of the sex instinct received recognition from Sigmund Freud. As a Neo-Kantian philosopher, he founded the Zeitschrift für Ästhetik und allgemeine Kunstwissenschaft. In his associated book, he categorized primary aesthetic forms into five types: the beautiful, the sublime, the tragic, the ugly, and the comic.
Skepticism and Psychical Research
While a member of the Society for Psychical Research, Dessoir maintained a rigorous skeptical stance toward physical mediumship. His book, Vom Jenseits der Seele, which saw six editions, provided critical examinations of occult claims. Within this text, he exposed the fraudulent activities of mediums including Jan Guzyk, Franek Kluski, and Henry Slade. He also investigated the case of Eleonore Zugun, labeling the reported poltergeist phenomena as fraudulent performance.
The Psychology of Magic
Beyond his academic pursuits, Dessoir took an interest in the mechanics of illusion, often writing under the pseudonym Edmund W. Rells. He explored the history and psychology of magic through articles such as The Psychology of Legerdemain, printed in 1893. His analysis of the art of conjuring also appeared in H. J. Burlingame's 1891 volume, Around the World with a Magician and a Juggler.
Fast facts
- Born: 1867, Berlin
- Died: 1947, Königstein im Taunus
- Primary Occupations: Philosopher, psychologist, physician, writer
- Academic Institutions: University of Würzburg, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- Coined Term: Parapsychology
- Spouse: Susanne Dessoir
- Magic Pseudonym: Edmund W. Rells
Questions readers ask
What was Max Dessoir's role in the study of mediums?
He was a skeptical investigator who identified fraudulent practices in physical mediumship, specifically naming mediums like Jan Guzyk and Henry Slade.
What does Dessoir's theory of the double ego suggest?
He argued that the mind is divided into two layers, each possessing its own associative links and memory chains, noting that the underconsciousness surfaces during dreams or hypnosis.
Achievements
- Held posts at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
