Who are the Supernatural & Paranormal Society (S.P.S)?

Discover how the Supernatural & Paranormal Society transformed from a Victorian-era effort to debunk spiritualism into a globally respected authority on the unexplained. What began with scientific scepticism shifted dramatically after a life-changing encounter with a gifted medium, setting the course for over a century of investigation into the unknown.

From sceptics to believers: the origins of the world’s leading paranormal investigation organisation the Supernatural & Paranormal Society

Founded in 1885 at the height of the Victorian spiritualist movement, the Supernatural & Paranormal Society* (S.P.S.) began as a scientific response to the growing number of people claiming to speak with the dead. Established by Albert Williams and John Alexander, two respected London physicians, the organisation was rooted in scepticism rather than belief.

In 1882, both men set out with a shared purpose: to expose fraudulent mediums and disprove the existence of the paranormal. For them, this was a matter of personal as well as professional conviction. Alexander, in particular, had experienced loss with the death of his young daughter Rosie six years earlier, strengthening his resolve to uncover the truth.

During their first two years of operation, they investigated numerous cases, unmasking fraud after fraud. Every supposed supernatural event they encountered was dismissed by the application of rational science. But everything changed in October 1884 with the arrival of Amelia Gabriel.

An American medium of growing fame, Amelia captivated London’s elite with her eerily accurate readings. In January 1885, Williams and Alexander invited her to a private dinner with their families, determined to expose her as a fraud. Their plan was simple: present her with false information about Williams’ supposedly deceased brother, who would be present at the table in disguise.

As the séance began, Amelia entered a trance and immediately saw through the deception. She exposed their test without hesitation. Then, in a moment that would define the future of the Society, she claimed that Rosie, Alexander’s late daughter, had stepped forward to speak.

For five extraordinary minutes, Amelia conveyed intimate, private details about Rosie that no outsider could have known. As the séance concluded, a brief but unmistakable apparition of Rosie appeared beside her father. She placed a hand on his shoulder before fading from view.

Amelia returned from her trance to a room filled with silence and disbelief. That evening, the three sat in discussion long into the night. Williams and Alexander spoke openly about their scepticism and their intention to unmask her. Amelia, in turn, shared her views on true spiritual contact and the harm caused by fraudulent practitioners.

By the end of that evening, both men had undergone a dramatic shift in perspective. They invited Amelia to join them in founding a new kind of organisation, one that would investigate the supernatural with sincerity and scientific scrutiny.

The Supernatural & Paranormal Society was born that night. Its mission: to examine all claims of the paranormal with rigour, honesty and integrity.

By the time of Williams’ and Alexander’s deaths in the late 1930s, the Society had become the leading authority in its field. It had exposed more than 3,000 fraudulent mediums and investigated over 10,000 cases of reported supernatural activity.

Today, the Supernatural & Paranormal Society stands as the largest organisation of its kind in the world. It continues to evaluate over five million claims every year, remaining true to its founding principles of investigation, transparency and the pursuit of truth.

50 Berkeley Square - SPS Headquarters

Long before it became the headquarters of the Supernatural & Paranormal Society, 50 Berkeley Square had earned a notorious reputation as one of London’s most haunted houses. Nestled among the elegant Georgian townhouses of Mayfair, the building’s polished exterior concealed a legacy of terror and tragedy that spanned decades.

Constructed in the late 18th century, the house passed through a series of owners without incident. That changed in the mid-1800s. Between the 1840s and 1880s, reports of strange happenings at the address began to circulate. Whispered accounts spoke of unexplained noises, ghostly figures, and a string of violent, often fatal, encounters on the upper floors. Most chilling of all were the tales surrounding the attic, where an unseen presence, referred to only as the "Nameless Horror," was said to drive visitors mad or worse. By the 1870s, the house had been largely abandoned. Its windows were shuttered and its doors closed to all but the most reckless or curious.

The property’s infamy only added to its mystique. Two men were rumoured to have died of fright after spending a night in the attic. Others fled in terror, speaking of indescribable visions. As the stories grew, so too did the building’s legend. Locals crossed the street rather than pass too closely. Londoners spoke of it in hushed tones as “the house you don’t stay the night in.”

It was this exact reputation that caught the attention of Dr Albert Williams and John Alexander, founders of the Supernatural & Paranormal Society. In 1885, the pair purchased the property just months after the Society’s official formation. Their intention was deliberate. They sought not only a base of operations but a place that embodied the very mysteries they aimed to study.

Initially, their work from 50 Berkeley Square was modest: case evaluations, private consultations, and early research. But as the S.P.S. grew, so too did their presence within the building. Over the years, the Society quietly expanded into the house’s hidden rooms and sprawling cellar network. Vaults were constructed to secure cursed or dangerous objects. Laboratories were established to examine phenomena under controlled conditions. The Society’s ever-growing archive, now one of the largest collections of supernatural case files in the world, found its home deep underground.

Despite the S.P.S.’s efforts to sanitise the building’s image, the spectre of its past never fully faded. The attic, where so many of the earliest horrors were reported, remains sealed off to this day. While officially labelled a "preserved historic space," it is still the subject of internal monitoring and restricted access. Those who work at headquarters know better than to question why.

Today, 50 Berkeley Square is both a symbol and a sanctuary for the Supernatural & Paranormal Society. From the outside, it appears entirely unremarkable, just another Georgian townhouse on a quiet London square. But behind its doors, investigators, researchers, and field agents work tirelessly to uncover the truth behind the world’s strangest occurrences.

It is a building that has witnessed centuries of fear, curiosity, and discovery. It continues to stand at the very heart of the unknown.

*Disclaimer - The Supernatural & Paranormal Society (SPS) is a fictional organisation created for the game "Beyond the Veil". Any likeness to any organisation, society or person is purely coincidental. "Supernatural & Paranormal Society™ Copyright Wrenegade Studios LTD.