Apparitions and thought-transference: an examination of the evidence for telepathyPodmore, Frank
Philosophy
Apparitions and thought-transference: an examination of the evidence for telepathy
Podmore, Frank
Apparitions; Telepathy
In the paper already referred to (_supra_, p. 31) Dr. Blair Thaw
records some experiments which present us with a modification of the
Willing Game, but without contact. In most of the experiments the
person who was willed to perform a certain action--the nature of
which had been previously communicated to the other experimenters in
writing--was in the same room as the agents. But the agents did not
follow the percipient about the room, nor did the percipient look at
the agents for guidance. The percipient appears to have been awake
throughout the experiments, but it seems probable that her condition
was not that of complete normal wakefulness.
Of 26 experiments conducted under such conditions, 10 were completely
and 12 partially successful. When, however, as in this case, there are
several agents, all of whom are actually watching the movements of the
percipient, it is impossible to feel convinced that no indication by
the movements of the eyes or by breathing was given to the percipient
to show her whether or not she was moving in the right direction. In
the last four trials of the series, however, the percipient was willed
to fetch an object from another room which was out of sight from the
agents, and it is difficult to conceive that any indication could have
been given to her of the object selected.
No. 22.--By DR. BLAIR THAW.
_April 7th_, 1892.
Mrs. Thaw, Percipient. Mr. M. H. Wyatt and Dr. Thaw, Agents. In the
next four experiments an object was selected in another room, and
then the percipient sent in for it. No clue was given as to what
part of the room.
_1st Object Selected._ A WOODEN CUPID, from a corner-piece in room
with eight other objects on it.--Percipient first brought a photo
from the lower shelf of corner-piece, then said: "It's the wooden
Cupid."
_2nd Object._ MATCH-BOX on mantel.--Percipient seemed confused at
first and brought two photos, then said: "It's the brass match-box
on mantel."
_3rd Object._ A VELLUM BOOK on table, among twenty other
books, chosen; but a bag under one window was thought of
first.--Percipient went to table, put her hand on the book, then
went to the bag and took it up, then back to the table and took the
vellum book and then the bag, and appeared with both. Percipient
was in sight of agents during this time, but did not see them.
_4th Object._ BOOK on small table, among ten others.--Missed.
In commenting on these experiments, Dr. Thaw is himself inclined to
attribute some of the results to "an indistinct motor impulse of some
kind, leading the percipient near the object." But in the experiments
above recorded, at any rate, it is sufficient, probably, to suppose the
transference of the idea of the object.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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