Studievereniging voor Psychical Research

The Studievereniging voor Psychical Research (Dutch Society for Psychical Research), the oldest of the Dutch parapsychological research facilities, was founded in 1920 by Gerardus Heymans and I. Zeehandelaar. The organization was soon joined by a young psychology student at the University of Utrecht, W. H. C. Tenhaeff. In 1928 Tenhaeff and Paul A. Deitz founded the society's journal, Tijdschrift voor Parapsychologie.

The early work of the society focused upon the study of the phenomena generated by the spreading Spiritualist movement in the Netherlands, but over the years laboratory parapsychology found its place in the society's work. Among the impressive research reported by the society was the 1950 study of telepathy in schoolchildren conducted by J. G. Busschbach. Through the remainder of the decade parapsychology gained status in the country, as signaled by the holding of the First International Conference of Parapsychological Studies at Utrecht in 1953 and the establishment of a chair of parapsychology and a Parapsychology Institute at the University of Utrecht that same year.

Tenhaeff was named to the chair in parapsychology and given the directorship of the institute at Utrecht. From that time forward he came to dominate the society and resentment grew over his authoritarian leadership. The tension between Tenhaeff and some of the other leading members culminated in 1960 with the withdrawal of a group led by George A. M. Zorab, who founded the Nederlandse Vereniging voor Parapsychologie.

During the 1960s Tenhaeff became famous both in the Netherlands and throughout the West because of his studies of and extraordinary claims for the psychic abilities of Gerard Croiset, the psychic who became well known for his work in assisting police to solve crimes, especially cases involving missing persons. Tenhaeff authored many articles and books that initially brought him some acclaim, but as people began to give his work close scrutiny, it was discovered that he had falsified data in a number of cases. During the late 1970s his exaggerations, misrepresentations, and alterations of findings became a major scandal in European parapsychology. Tenhaeff tried to withstand the massive attack by calling the religious to his support and suggesting that Communists were behind the attacks upon him. However, by the time of his death in 1981, he had been rejected by his colleagues.

The Studievereniging voor Psychical Research survived the Tenhaeff scandal and was led by Henri van Praag from 1978-1986. Under his management the Parapsychology Institute was transformed into a private organization that existed independently from the university. In 1986, Douwe Bosga became the institute's director and he was succeeded by Dick Bierman who was appointed in 1991. The institute continues a program of lectures for the public and the publication of its journal, Tijdschrift voor Parapsychology. Address: Springweg 7, 3511 VH Utrecht, The Netherlands.