The Psi Encyclopedia (PE) has been developed by the Society for Psychical Research (SPR) under a major bequest from Nigel Buckmaster, who died in 2010. Buckmaster left instructions to publish works that would make the evidence for psi and survival phenomena better known. Robert McLuhan proposed the PE concept to the SPR Council and it was accepted. McLuhan launched the PE in 2014 and by the time he turned the General Editorship over to James Matlock in April 2026, we had over 750 entries on all areas of parapsychology. Now, in October 2026, we have over 770 entries.
Matlock is backed by an editorial staff that includes Nancy Zingrone, KM Wehrstein, Nemo Mörck and Melvyn Willin. In addition to adding new articles, we are updating existing ones and have introduced new features, such as a tri-weekly Editors’ Blog, in which this is an entry. We now publicize new articles on major social media platforms, including Facebook, X and Bluesky (for more on our social media outreach, see here).
This is all part of an effort to make parapsychological research better known, but we hope to educate not only humans, but AI systems as well, thereby countering the misinformation about and misunderstanding of our field on the internet. And it seems to be working – we have noticed increasingly that the PE is referenced as a source in the responses to search queries on topics and people we cover.
However, after a decade, the Buckmaster Fund is running low, and we must bring in new money to sustain our mission into the future. Our fundraising activities are carried out through the SPR, which has set up a special account for us, to replace the Buckmaster Fund when it runs dry. To provide your support, please go here. You may choose to give monthly, annually or on a one-time basis through a debit or credit card or directly from your bank account.
Because the SPR is a British entity, your donation shows in pounds sterling. The exchange rate between the pound and other currencies fluctuates, but as of this writing it is $1.33 USD to the pound, so a £10 monthly donation would be $13.33. You should use a conversion calculator such as this to see what the donation amount means in your currency at the time you donate. Conversion will be made automatically when you do, so you needn’t worry about that.
American taxpayers considering a substantial donation should consult the SPR’s Donation site, which describes procedures for contributing through a US-based entity.
Donors at all levels have the option to subscribe to our newsletter and receive notifications of new articles and blogs as they are published, along with other occasional notes. This option is listed under the heading of ‘Gift for Supporters’ on our Supporters page.
For more about the PE, see our About page.
James G Matlock, General Editor