A new archive containing paranormal research will soon be available at the University of Northampton

​​The Centre for the Study of Anomalous Psychological Processes (CSAPP) at the University of Northampton is starting to form an archive of paranormal research, following a large donation from a second-hand book sellers based in Leicester.

The material contains several boxes of rare research reports of hauntings investigations, correspondence, newsletters, audio tapes and videos and was donated by Aucott & Thomas. The research will be housed in a special section of the library at Park Campus, once it has all been sorted and indexed.

Jacquie Aucott and Roger Thomas from Aucott & Thomas purchased the collection of books, magazines, handwritten and typed documents, videos and audio cassette tapes back in 2009.

They commented: “As second hand booksellers, we were primarily interested in the books and magazines and have been cataloguing and selling these ever since. However we felt that some of the other material, for example research into specific cases of possession or hauntings, was not suitable for selling as it had not been put together for public consumption. We had discussed donating it but were uncertain who would be interested. The first we knew of the CSAPP at the University of Northampton was when Callum Cooper and David Saunders bought some of our psychical research magazines.

“We decided that the CSAPP would provide a good home for many of the items we had, and we hope the material will be of value to students of parapsychology, as the people who compiled the collection presumably intended.”

Callum Cooper, Associate Lecturer at the University of Northampton, commented: “It was brilliant to be given the opportunity to sift through some classic parapsychology periodicals, and then also read through personal correspondence on such matters. The big job now is for us to continue indexing what we have (including a mass of reel to reel tapes), before we sort out the archives’ move to the library for it’s of personal storage area. Students and researchers will be able to view the material at their leisure and use it for research. Aucott & Thomas have done the University, and indeed the CSAPP department, a very good turn. We will be returning to them soon to collect more material which has taken several weeks to sort through.”
David Saunders, Lecturer and Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Northampton, said: “Aucott & Thomas have made a very generous donation to our archives which are greatly appreciated by all of us here at CSAPP. The materials we have received will undoubtedly help inform the researchers and countless current and future students within our centre.”