Théodore Flournoy (15 August 1854 – 5 November 1920) was a Swiss professor of psychology at the University of Geneva and author of books on parapsychology and spiritism.

His father Alexander Flournoy was a stockbroker and his mother Caroline came from a long line of ministers, judges, and teachers.

[2] In his travels, he became acquaintances with William James and Alfred Binet who both also had significant contributions to psychology in their lifetimes.

This was the study of mediumship, apparitions, clairvoyance, healings, poltergeists, premonitions, and thought transference.

Flournoy was said to have written a letter to William James stating that he was not upset about the fire because he was getting tired of doing experimental research anyway.

[5] In the end, the laboratory was rebuilt, and Flournoy remained there for a few more years before starting another chapter in his life.

[6] Jung also used Flournoy's publication of the autosuggestive writings of Miss Frank Miller as the starting-point for his own book Psychology of the Unconscious.

[7] Jung was also influenced by Flournoy's concept of a prospective element in the unconscious, laid out most clearly in his 1908 paper on 'Anti-Suicidal Teleological Automatisms', where he argued that last minute visions in (failed) suicides confirming the value of living served the (unconscious) purpose of preserving life.