J. Arthur (John Arthur) Hill

Born in Halifax, England, in 1872, John Arthur Hill became known as J. Arthur Hill, a prolific British writer on psychical research and spiritualism. Sources consistently describe him as both a writer and investigator who tried to weigh unusual claims carefully, even when he believed some paranormal phenomena were genuine.

Hill wrote during a period when public interest in séances, mediumship, and survival after death was especially strong. His books include Psychical Investigations and Spiritualism: Its History, Phenomena and Doctrine, and later reference works note that he is credited with coining the phrase "out-of-the-body experience" in 1918.

What makes Hill notable is the mix of openness and caution in his work. Rather than leaning only on dramatic claims, he often emphasized observation, method, and the possibility that some experiences might arise from the human mind itself rather than from spirits alone. He died in 1951.