Alexander J. (Alexander James) McIvor-Tyndall

Born in England in 1860 and later active in the United States, he was known as Alexander James McIvor-Tyndall and also performed under the name Ali Nomad. He became widely associated with hypnotism, mind-reading demonstrations, and the broader New Thought movement, presenting himself as both an entertainer and an investigator of unusual mental phenomena.

Alongside his public performances, he wrote a number of works on spiritual and metaphysical themes, including Cosmic Consciousness: The Man-God Whom We Await and Sex—The Unknown Quantity: The Spiritual Function of Sex. His writing reflects a period when popular psychology, occult interests, and self-improvement ideas often overlapped, and he addressed all three in an energetic, provocative style.

For listeners coming to his work today, he is best understood as a colorful crossover figure: part lecturer, part mystic, part showman. That mix gives his books a distinctive voice, revealing how people of his era tried to connect science, religion, and the hidden powers of the mind.