title: William James and psychical research: towards a radical science of mind.
abstract: Traditional textbooks on the history of psychiatry and psychology fail to recognize William James's investigations on psychic phenomena as a legitimate effort to understand the human mind. The purpose of this paper is to offer evidence of his views regarding the exploration of those phenomena as well as the radical, yet alternative, solutions that James advanced to overcome theoretical and methodological hindrances. Through an analysis of his writings, it is argued that his psychological and philosophical works converge in psychical research revealing the outline of a science of mind capable of encompassing psychic phenomena as part of human experience and, therefore, subject to scientific scrutiny.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sech Junior
authors.forename: Saulo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Freitas Araujo
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moreira-Almeida
keywords: History of psychology; William James; psychic phenomena; psychical research; science of mind