Enquête sur 150 Ans de Parapsychologie en France is a history of various aspects of French psychical research by Renaud Evrard. Evrard has much to say about many individuals, institutions, investigations, and issues, not to mention time periods, not covered by previous authors.
The book is at its best in terms of the social aspects of French psychical research, particularly issues such as conflicts and criticisms. Examples of this include problems within the Institut Métapsychique International, such as those dealing with Jean Meyer and Hubert Forestier. Evrard presents information about how Richet was perceived, and about controversies surrounding his work, particularly his observations of materializations with
medium Marthe Béraud, which brought him criticism from many writers.
In addition to discussions of the actual French psychical work, the great value of this work lies in the rich description of social aspects and the recognition of the sociological and epistemological issues associated with the subject. While the problems are not solved, as Evrard is aware, he illuminates the elements that form the complex tapestry of what Richet and so many others in France called “la métapsychique,” and the development of parapsychology in general.
