Hodgson Report

Boston Courier, July 18, 1886

The Hodgson Report was a report by the Society for Psychical Research (SPR) on H. P. Blavatsky, her performance of psychic phenomena, and the production of the Mahatma letters.

Testimony by C. W. Leadbeater

In an article published in The Theosophist, C. W. Leadbeater wrote the following:

I was at Adyar myself when Mr. Hodgson came out there to make that investigation. He was very young and obviously not very well acquainted with psychic matters. I had my own opinion of the way in which he carried out his investigation! I gave him a considerable amount of testimony, but he did not refer to that in any way in drawing up his decision, and I know the same was the case with several others of our people there. He cross-examined us but apparently made no use whatever of what we told him of the honesty of Madame Blavatsky; perhaps he did not believe us; at any rate he sent in a report which induced people to condemn her.

Online Resources

Articles and pamphlets

• The Great Mare's Nest of the Psychical Research Society by Annie Besant
• The Society for Psychical Research and the Theosophical Phenomena. The Report of the S.P.R. on Madame Blavatsky at Blavatsky Study Center
• Paranormal Features of Some of the Appearances of the Mahatmas by Daniel H. Caldwell
• H. P. Blavatsky and The Society for Psychical Research by Grace F. Knoche
• Press Release of Society for Psychical Research, 1986 at Blavatsky Net

Books

• First Report of the Committee of the Society for Psychical Research at The Blavatsky Archives Online
• Obituary: The "Hodgson Report" on Madame Blavatsky by Walter A. Carrithers, Jr.
• H. P. Blavatsky and the SPR. An Examination of the Hodgson Report of 1885 by Vernon Harrison, Ph.D.
• The Coulomb Conspiracy against Theosophy by Charles J. Ryan, from H. P. Blavatsky and the Theosophical Movement, Ch. 13.

Additional resources

• The Coulomb Case. Some Suggested Reading - Pro and Con at Blavatsky Study Center