W. Whately (Walter Whately) Smith

Born Walter Whately Smith in 1892, he became best known in psychical research circles under the name Whately Carington. He was an English author and investigator associated with the Society for Psychical Research, and his books often examined telepathy, mediumship, and life-after-death theories from an analytical point of view.

His published works include The Case Against Spiritualism, Telepathy, and A Theory of the Mechanism of Survival. Rather than simply defending supernatural claims, he was interested in testing them, weighing evidence, and asking whether unusual experiences might have psychological or scientific explanations.

He died in 1947, but his writing still stands out for its mix of open-mindedness and caution. Readers interested in early twentieth-century debates about psychic phenomena will find a thoughtful guide in his work.