From: "Psychology of the Paranormal Email Network" ...@gold.ac.uk>
Subject: Prof Erlendur Haraldsson on Kant as a psychical researcher @ Goldsmiths, tomorrow
Date: February 27th 2012

Hi All,

Final reminder!

Tomorrow's speaker in the APRU Invited Speaker Series is Prof Erlendur Haraldsson and the title of his talk is "Kant as a psychical researcher: Swedenborg's and Indridason´s descriptions of remote fires in Stockholm and Copenhagen" (both pretty baffling cases!). The talk will take place at 6:10 pm tomorrow (details below). As always, the talk is free, open to the public and there is no need to book. For further information, contact Robert Brotherton (email: ...@gold.ac.uk">r.br...@gold.ac.uk) or visit http://www.gold.ac.uk/apru/speakers/

NB: This talk was a late addition to the programme, so might not already be in your diary!

As always, feel free to forward this message to individuals or groups that may be interested in attending (if you received this email that way, you are strongly advised to subscribe to the (free) Psychology of the Paranormal email list at http://www.gold.ac.uk/apru/email-network/ in order to ensure that you are kept informed about any changes in schedule, future events, etc.). To be sure that you are informed immediately of any very last-minute changes, you might like to follow me on Twitter (Twitter name: chriscfrench - note the middle "c").

Best wishes,
Chris

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Who: Prof Erlendur Haraldsson (University of Iceland)

When: 6:10 pm, 28 February 2012

Where: Room LG01, New Academic Building, Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London SE14 6NW (for directions, maps, etc.: www.goldsmiths.ac.uk)

Title: Kant as a psychical researcher: Swedenborg's and Indridason´s descriptions of remote fires in Stockholm and Copenhagen

Abstract

The philosopher Immanual Kant was perplexed by stories about the paranormal feats of the Swedish scientist/mystic Emanuel Swedenborg. He asked a trusted English merchant-friend to interview witnesses. When Swedenborg was visiting Gothenburg in 1759 he described at a banquet a fire that raged near his home in Stockholm 247 miles away. The correctness of his descriptions were verified when news arrived in Gothenburg a few days later. The findings given to him by his investigator seem to have become an emotional issue for Kant for he expressed opposite views about it, a positive one in private and in public rejecting, ridiculing views.

Prof Haraldsson will review this famous case and a similar case from 1905, much better documented, that took place between Reykjavik and Copenhagen before radio or telephone communication existed between the two cities. Documents in Danish archives reveal fascinating details which will be displayed in a powerpoint presentation. There follows a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the cases and their possible explanations.

Biography

Erlendur Haraldsson is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Iceland in Reykjavik. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Freiburg in Germany and did further studies at the University of Virginia. He has published over two hundred papers, mostly on anomalistic experiences, national surveys, field studies and experiments, and also on psychological testing and interrogative suggestibility. He is the author of five books, two of which have appeared in many languages (“At the hour of death” and “Miracles are my visiting cards”). For further details, see his homepage: http://www.hi.is/~erlendur/