TELEPATHY 73
person scans a picture. By combining these two technologies, one can
then determine a person's emotional reaction as he scans a picture, all
without his permission.
PSYCHICAL RESEARCH
The first scientific studies of telepathy and other paranormal phenomenon were conducted by the Society for Psychical Research, founded in
London in 1882. (The term "mental telepathy" was coined that year by
F. W. Myers, an associate of the society.) Past presidents of this society
included some of the most notable figures of the nineteenth century.
The society, which still exists today, was able to debunk the claims of
many frauds, but was often split between the spiritualists, who firmly
believed in the paranormal, and the scientists, who wanted more serious scientific study.
One researcher connected with the society, Dr. Joseph Banks
Rhine, began the first systematic and rigorous study of psychic phenomena in the United States in 1927, founding the Rhine Institute (now
called the Rhine Research Center) at Duke University, North Carolina.
For decades he and his wife, Louisa, conducted some of the first scientifically controlled experiments in the United States on a wide variety of
parapsychological phenomena and published them in peer-reviewed
publications. It was Rhine who coined the term "extrasensory perception" (ESP) in one of his first books.
Rhine's laboratory, in fact, set the standard for psychic research.
One of his associates, Dr. Karl Zener, developed the five-symbol card
system, now known as Zener cards, for analyzing telepathic powers.
The vast majority of results showed absolutely no evidence of telepathy. But a small minority of experiments seemed to show small but remarkable correlations in the data that could not be explained by pure
chance. The problem was that these experiments often could not be
duplicated by other researchers.
Although Rhine tried to establish a reputation for rigor, his reputation was somewhat tarnished by an encounter with a horse called
person scans a picture. By combining these two technologies, one can
then determine a person's emotional reaction as he scans a picture, all
without his permission.
PSYCHICAL RESEARCH
The first scientific studies of telepathy and other paranormal phenomenon were conducted by the Society for Psychical Research, founded in
London in 1882. (The term "mental telepathy" was coined that year by
F. W. Myers, an associate of the society.) Past presidents of this society
included some of the most notable figures of the nineteenth century.
The society, which still exists today, was able to debunk the claims of
many frauds, but was often split between the spiritualists, who firmly
believed in the paranormal, and the scientists, who wanted more serious scientific study.
One researcher connected with the society, Dr. Joseph Banks
Rhine, began the first systematic and rigorous study of psychic phenomena in the United States in 1927, founding the Rhine Institute (now
called the Rhine Research Center) at Duke University, North Carolina.
For decades he and his wife, Louisa, conducted some of the first scientifically controlled experiments in the United States on a wide variety of
parapsychological phenomena and published them in peer-reviewed
publications. It was Rhine who coined the term "extrasensory perception" (ESP) in one of his first books.
Rhine's laboratory, in fact, set the standard for psychic research.
One of his associates, Dr. Karl Zener, developed the five-symbol card
system, now known as Zener cards, for analyzing telepathic powers.
The vast majority of results showed absolutely no evidence of telepathy. But a small minority of experiments seemed to show small but remarkable correlations in the data that could not be explained by pure
chance. The problem was that these experiments often could not be
duplicated by other researchers.
Although Rhine tried to establish a reputation for rigor, his reputation was somewhat tarnished by an encounter with a horse called