Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir | Autograph psychical casebook from the heart of his spiritualist period

Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir

Autograph psychical casebook, containing spiritualist notes and commentary penned by Doyle, with two leaves reversed at the end with botanical writings, lettered to upper cover "Spiritual III" and to the lower cover "Book of Nature 1919." [England, ca. 1919-1921]

4to (199 x 153 mm). 47 pp; first four leaves removed (possibly by Doyle), tear to lower outer corner of pp. 31-32, affecting a few words, small portion of lower outer corner of remaining leaves lacking, occasional spots, occasional smudging to text. Red wrappers; light creasing, lower outer corner of lower cover chipped.

A remarkable collection of Doyle's spiritualist observances, in his hand.

In the years following the First World War—a period of profound personal loss and public disillusionment—Arthur Conan Doyle became an impassioned advocate of spiritualism. What had begun as a private curiosity deepened into a moral and intellectual crusade; Doyle lectured widely, conducted first-hand investigations, and published a series of books on the subject, including The New Revelation (1918), The Vital Message (1919), and The Wanderings of a Spiritualist (1921). He was a member of the Ghost Club. Founded in London in 1862, its focus was the scientific study of alleged paranormal activities in order to prove (or refute) the existence of paranormal phenomena. Fellow members included Charles Dickens and W.B. Yeats.

The present casebook, compiled circa 1919–1921, is an extraordinary artifact from the heart of this period. It contains dozens of entries in Doyle’s hand—records of séances, spirit messages, personal reflections, and notes on occult literature. Among the spirits contacted are “Stella” and “Zeda”; references appear to séances with the celebrated English medium George Vale Owen, and to figures such as Madame Blavatsky, co-founder of the Theosophical Society. Doyle notes spirit communication through planchettes and trances—"Beale had a mirror in which one could see any earth scene he desired”—and records haunting accounts of poltergeist phenomena in Scotland and automatic writing.

He observes: "There is a certain analogy between the passing of the body into this world, and the passing of the soul into the next one. That is what is meant when the Bible says "a man must be born again before he can enter the Kingdom of Heaven."

The casebook includes summaries from the works by figures like Augustus Le Plongeon (Sacred Mysteries of the Mayas), and vivid anecdotal recollections—one passage capturing a dying man’s final words: “Alf, Alf. I’m through. It is all splendid.” Another describes “a half-mad housemaid” attended to by Dr. Cameron:

"He was called in to attend people at Balham. Polter case. A priest was exorcising. He said "Now you will have no more trouble." The rug at once got up & lay over the spirit's head who fled with a yell.

The disturbances centred around a half-mad house-maid. Afterwards Cameron was in the house when the maid was thrown out the room...The clothes followed her one by one through the ceiling (!)"

The manuscript concludes with botanical notes in Doyle’s hand, concerning spring blossoms, warblers, and flowering thyme.

A rare record at the height of Doyle's spiritualist era.

PROVENANCE:

Sotheby's London, 30 June 1982, Lot 456