Hansel, C(harles) E(dward) M(ark)(1917-)

British lecturer in psychology who wrote many articles on parapsychology. Hansel was born on October 12, 1917, at Bedford, England. He attended Cambridge University (M.A., 1950) and joined the faculty at the University of Manchester, England, as a lecturer in psychology in 1949.

Hansel emerged as a leading critical voice in parapsychology. Quite outspoken concerning psychical research in general, he concluded from his study of its history that "the first forty years of psychical research produced nothing that could be regarded as scientific evidence for supernatural processes. It was in the main, a history of fraud, imposture, and crass stupidity." In 1966 he published his most important book in the field, ESP: A Scientific Evaluation (1966). He also wrote a number of articles and participated in the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal.

Sources:

Hansel, C. E. M. "A Critical Analysis of the Pearce-Pratt Experiment." Journal of Parapsychology (June 1961).

——. "A Critical Analysis of the Pratt-Woodruff Experiment." Journal of Parapsychology (June 1961).

——. "A Critical Review of the Experiments on Mr. Basil Shackleton and Mrs. Gloria Stewart." Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research (May 1960).

——. ESP: A Scientific Evaluation. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1966. Rev. ed. as ESP and Parapsychology: A Critical Re-evaluation. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus, 1980.

——. "Experimental Evidence for Extrasensory Perception." Nature (1959-60).

——. "Experiments on Telepathy." New Scientist (February 1959).

——. "Experiments on Telepathy in Children: A Reply to Sir Cyril Burt."