Parapsychology Foundation

{{Short description|American non-profit organization studying paranormal activity}}

The Parapsychology Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 1951 by the medium Eileen J. Garrett and Frances Payne Bolton, Ohio's first female representative in Congress. The foundation is based in New York. They offer grants and scholarships to those undertaking study in the paranormal. The organization also founded the Eileen J. Garrett Library, which eventually made its way to Greenport, Suffolk County, New York. The contents of library have since been moved to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and have become the Eileen J. Garrett Parapsychology Foundation collection.{{cite web | title = UMBC Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery Special Collections: Eileen J. Garrett Parapsychology Foundation collection | url = https://library.umbc.edu/speccoll/findingaids/coll331.php }}

Garrett claimed to be a medium and founded the organization with the explicit purpose of scientifically proving the existence of the soul.{{cite news | last = Hurwitt | first = Sam | title = Crossing Over Supernatural memoirs chart strange sojourns. | newspaper = East Bay Express | date = October 20, 2002 }}

The current Executive Administrator is Anastasia Damalas. Lisette Coly, granddaughter of Garrett, is Foundation President.{{cite news | last = Alpert | first = Lukas | title = Parapsychology foundation provides resource to science out of mainstream | newspaper = The Associated Press State & Local Wire | date = August 4, 2001 }}{{cite encyclopedia | title = Parapsychology Foundation | encyclopedia = The Element Encyclopedia of the Psychic World | volume = 1 | pages = 525 | publisher = Harper Element }} At one point the organization owned a conference center in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France and has subsequently hosted numerous conferences.{{cite news | title = Laura Archera Huxley | newspaper = The Times | pages = 71 | date = December 28, 2001 }} At their New York headquarters, they host numerous lecture series.{{cite news | title = The Skeptical Psychic ... Feel the Burn | newspaper = New York Observer | date = November 20, 2000 }} As of 2001 the organization had 200 active researchers.{{cite news | last = Alpert | first = Lukas | title = Parapsychologists return favor for foundation's financial help | newspaper = South Bend Tribune | pages = A6 | date = August 5, 2001 }} The organization publishes the International Journal of Parapsychology.