I’ve reported a couple of times on the Society for Psychical Research’s online Psi Encyclopedia (PE), designed to be a more reliable guide than Wikipedia to subjects which fall within psychical research. Under the able guidance of its first editor, Robert McLuhan, it grew in size until, as chair of the Education and Publicity Committee Bernard Carr stated in his contribution to the SPR’s 2024/25 annual Report, it contains almost two million words (and is still growing).
It was recently given a makeover as the
original platform, inaugurated in 2014, was creaking with age. The new version
offers a more up-to-date look and enhanced accessibility of topics, both within
the PE and to articles in the SPR’s Journal and Proceedings via a
‘links library’. Unfortunately, the ability to download files as PDFs and epubs
has disappeared, but I have been told that it requires a plug-in which will be
reinstalled shortly. I personally like to transfer articles to an e-reader, so
will be pleased when that happens.
Bernard Carr added in his report that “The
founding editor, Robert McLuhan, is moving on and the name of his successor
will be announced shortly.” A new editor
has now been appointed, but the transfer was low-key and no announcement was
made. The current ‘About’ section of the PE states:
“The PE was created by Robert McLuhan, who
edited it until April 2026, when he was succeeded by James G Matlock as General
Editor and a team of Associate Editors (Nemo Mörck, KM Wehrstein, Melvyn Willin
and Nancy L Zingrone). The site was developed by Ian Rons and Circle
Interactive and is currently under the management of James Matlock and Hugh
Matlock. Its initial funding came a bequest [sic] from Nigel Buckmaster, a
long-time member of the SPR.”
Jim Matlock is a Research Fellow at the
Parapsychology Foundation and is best known for his work on reincarnation. He
has gathered a useful group of associates, which acknowledges that the size and
scope of the project are too great for one person to manage with only ad-hoc
assistance. Nemo Mörck is the SPR’s website content manager and Journal
reviews editor; Karen (now known as KM) Wehrstein has been a prolific
contributor to the encyclopaedia, mostly in, but not confined to, the field of
reincarnation (she wrote the PE entry on Matlock); Melvyn Willin is the SPR’s
archives officer, custodian of the Society’s AV collection, and a frequent PE
contributor; Nancy Zingrone is an eminent parapsychologist with a longstanding
connection to the Parapsychology Foundation, and also with a PE page devoted to
her (co-written by Matlock).
One obvious point is that, of the new team,
only one member is based in the UK, while two are in the United States, one is
in Canada and one is in Sweden. The style guide for contributors states that
the PE adheres to British English standards – with the minor exception of most
hyphenated words – so one hopes Americanisms will not creep in (though the
paragraph following this reassurance begins with the word “Organize”). However,
the expertise assembled bodes well for the future of the project as a
dependable source of information, provided that no difficulties arise from
perceived conflicts of interest, such as the one that occurred during the final
weeks of McLuhan’s tenure.
This concerned the PE entry on Eileen Garrett,
founder of the Parapsychology Foundation, which was written by Matlock. There
have been two recent books critical of some of the assertions Garrett made
about herself (their very titles alluding to deception), but one of these, by
Lis Warwood, was only listed in the bibliography and not referred to in the
text, while the other, by Julie Coyle, was mentioned briefly in passing, with
no elucidation of her claims. Any rounded portrait of Garrett should have
included discussion of these authors’ findings, though it is understandable
there might be discomfort in the Parapsychology Foundation camp at having them
aired. After disquiet about potential bias was raised on Facebook the article
was withdrawn, and a revised version is awaited with interest. In the meantime,
there is an article in the PE about the Parapsychology Foundation, co-written
by Matlock.
Update 6 May 2026:
The new Psi
Encyclopedia regime has now been announced to the world on social media, so it
has not been quite as quiet a transfer as I had thought it would be, and to
mark the changing of the guard the website has some additions. Firstly, in
recognition that the funds from the Buckmaster bequest used to support the
project have now diminished substantially, a page soliciting donations has been
introduced. This is an excellent idea, and I hope some of those who benefit
from its information will feel moved to give something, though as the regular
Wikipedia appeals indicate, obtaining money from users is not always easy.
Another innovation is a
bi-weekly ‘Editors’ Blog’, the first instalment of which was penned by Jim
Matlock and dated 4 May, which I think gives a good idea of his vision for the
PE. For a start, he doesn’t seem to be in sympathy with the term psychical
research, referring to “academic parapsychology, which until the 1930s was better known as
psychical research.” This suggests that
psychical research as a term is redundant and has been completely superseded by
parapsychology, whereas in practice the two co-exist, albeit uneasily.
Before stressing the
continuity in aims for the Encyclopedia, he announces two more names on the
editorial team. In addition to the Associate Editors, there are two “staff
writers”: Courtney Block and Roberto
R Narváez. This brings the total of personnel working on the editorial side of
the PE to seven, definitely a multinational group, but with three in the US,
one in Canada, one in Mexico, one in Sweden, and only one in the UK. Hugh
Matlock (Jim’s brother) is a software developer, which will be useful in
keeping the look of the PE up to date.
Matlock refers to the SPR as the PE’s “sponsor” rather
than owner, suggesting an element of autonomy. Actually, the PE currently falls
within the remit of the SPR’s Buckmaster Oversight Committee, and when that eventually
winds up it will come under the Education and Publicity Committee. Furthermore,
the new Facebook page and Bluesky feed headers refer to ‘Psi Encyclopedia’
rather than ‘The SPR’s Psi Encyclopedia’, downplaying the association. These
moves suggest a desire to create some distance between the Society and the PE,
though when I raised the issue of the abbreviated title, Matlock pointed out
that there were multiple references to the SPR within the PE, so the link was
firmly visible to readers.
An alternative view is that no opportunity should be lost
to emphasise the relationship. I have looked after the Psi Encyclopedia
Twitter/X account since 2019 (shortly to be handed over to the editorial team)
and was careful there, and in my other SPR social media activities, to ensure
it was always referred to as the SPR’s Psi Encyclopedia. The connection may be
shown within the PE, but when people are discussing its articles, that
connection can become severed, so stressing the SPR at every opportunity is
important. However, it is early days and the new team is still bedding in, so
there may be refinements as it gains experience and obtains feedback on its
efforts. The reservations above aside, there is a vigorous programme of new
entries, and that is to be welcomed.
References
Carr,
Bernard (2026) ‘Report of the Education and Publicity Committee’, Society
for Psychical Research Annual Report 2024/25. Available at: https://www.spr.ac.uk/node/19834 (Accessed: 1 May 2026).
Coyle, Julie (2024) The Early Life of Irish
Psychic and Trance Medium Eileen J. Garrett: Fact or Fabrication?
Independently published.
Matlock, James G. (2026) ‘New Team, Old
Direction’, Psi Encyclopedia. Available at: https://psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/2026/05/04/new-team-old-direction/ (Accessed 5 May 2026).
Psi Encyclopedia (no date) ‘About’. Available at: https://psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/about/ (Accessed: 1 May 2026).
Warwood, Elisabeth J. C. (2025) Behind the
Medium's Mask: Eileen Garrett's Shadow Self. New Directions Network.
