Founded by Jean Meyer at 89 Ave. Niel, Paris, in 1918, and recognized as an institute of public utility. The first director was Gustav Geley, who was assisted by a committee consisting of Charles Richet, a Professor Santoliquido, Count de Gramont of the Institut of France, Medical Inspector General Dr. Calmette, Camille Flammarion, former Minister of State Jules Roche, and a Dr. Treissier of the Hospital of Lyons. Later members were Sir Oliver Lodge, Ernesto Bozzano, and a Professor Leclainche, a member of the institute and inspector general of sanitary services. Later, Eugén Osty became director and Richet was elected president. The institute published a journal, La Revue Métapsychique.
An important phase of the work of the institute was to invite public men of eminence in science and literature to witness the investigations. Invitations to a hundred men of science were extended by Geley to the séances with "Eva C." The institute installed infrared photography equipment with which it was possible to take 1,000 fully exposed pictures per second. The apparatus cost about $2,500, but was so noisy and technically impractical it could not be put to much use.
The most important experiments after Osty took office were conducted with Rudi Schneider. The medium produced an invisible substance that—though it could not be seen— intercepted the passage of an infrared ray emitted from an apparatus outside his reach. The interception was automatically registered on a revolving cylinder.
