The Society for Psychical Research is one of the oldest paranormal organizations in existence today. Founded in the United Kingdom in 1882, the SPR's original aim was to apply traditional scientific methods to unexplained phenomena. The group of founders, which included philosophy professors, mathematicians and physicists, intended to research telepathy, mesmerism, mediums, apparitions, séances and the history of the unexplained.

During the early years, most of the SPR's work was centered on investigating and exposing false paranormal claims, and publishing extensive files on hundreds of cases. The group employed several genuine mediums to help them in their investigations. But their investigations were not without setbacks. In 1882, an SPR member named William Barrett and a panel of investigators did a series of tests on a set of five sisters named Creery. Barrett and his panel determined that the Creery sisters displayed evidence of telepathy because they were better able to perform at guessing games than ordinary chance would dictate. In 1888, however, another SPR panel discovered that the Creery sisters had been cheating by sending one another verbal clues, and Barrett's findings were therefore meaningless.

Today, the Society for Psychical Research publishes both the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research and the Paranormal Review, and holds an annual conference in the fall. For those who don't live in the UK, there is also an American branch of the SPR.