| There are two opinions regarding esp. Those who | | | | once in a while would not be considered to have ESP. |
| believe in it, and those who do not. Many believe that | | | | It would be just a matter of statistical chance. |
| there are some people, often called psychics who can | | | | However, someone who consistently scored much |
| receive the thoughts of others, or make determinations | | | | higher marks of guessing red or black, test after test, |
| beyond the normal senses (smell, touch, taste, hear, | | | | over and over, certainly might be considered to have |
| see). | | | | some extra sensory perceptive abilities |
| ESP generally falls into four categories: | | | | Sit your subject down. Make certain the cards are |
| Telepathy - a person's awareness of another's | | | | mixed very well. Don't let them see you mix the cards. |
| thoughts, without any communication through normal | | | | Place the entire deck face down, and ask the subject |
| sensory channels. | | | | to concentrate on whether the card is red or black. Do |
| Clairvoyance - acquiring knowledge of an event or an | | | | not let them see the cards after they guess. Write |
| object without the use of the senses. | | | | down every answer, whether right or wrong. Continue |
| Precognition - knowledge of a future event or future | | | | to do this with all of the subjects in your experiment. |
| thoughts. | | | | Make each person do the experiment four times. |
| Psychokinesis - a person's ability to influence a physical | | | | Make a table with your results. The table might list the |
| object or an event merely by thinking about it. (Did you | | | | total number of cards the subject guessed, how many |
| see the movie Carrie?) | | | | were correct and how many were incorrect. To |
| ESP is often called the sixth sense. It is sensory | | | | calculate the percentage correct, divide the number |
| information that an individual receives beyond the five | | | | correct by the total and multiply by 100. |
| senses. The term was first used by Sir Richard Burton | | | | Now start all over with your cards, and this time make |
| in 1870 and was later used to describe the ability of a | | | | them concentrate and guess which suit each card is. |
| person who was hypnotized to sense things without | | | | Hearts, spades, diamonds or clubs. This time the |
| using their ordinary senses. | | | | average hit rate should be one out of four, compared |
| Some say that ESP was indicated in biblical times. Dr. | | | | to the red/black test where the average hit rate was |
| Rhine at Duke University is one of the modern | | | | one out of two. |
| proponents of ESP and conducted experiments for | | | | Keep good records. Mix cards thoroughly. Never let |
| many years to demonstrate that certain people had | | | | the subject see the front face of the cards. Tell them |
| the ability to outguess matters of chance to a marked | | | | to concentrate and really try to guess what you ask |
| degree. | | | | them to do. |
| OK, let us find out for ourselves whether ESP is for | | | | There are many other tests that you can devise to |
| real. Get a deck of regular playing cars and some | | | | determine whether any of your subjects has ESP. |
| coins. | | | | You can toss a coin and ask them whether it will |
| We will begin the first experiment with an ordinary | | | | come down heads or tails. The hit rate should be 50% |
| deck of cards, and a group of your friends or family. | | | | on average, but anyone who consistently guesses |
| The more people, the more valid the results. Keep | | | | better might have ESP. Or do they? In this test, you |
| accurate notes on everything that happens. | | | | must find a method of getting the coin to spin so that |
| If some one had to guess the color of the cards while | | | | the subject cannot get into the rhythm of your toss |
| looking at the back side of the cards, they would be | | | | and thereby get an advantage. |
| likely to get half right and half wrong. Even if they | | | | What will you learn? Will anyone of the people tested |
| guessed that every card was black, they would get | | | | show signs of ESP? Find out in this revealing fun |
| 50% of the answers right and 50% wrong. Someone | | | | science fair project! |
| who gets slightly more than 50% correct guesses | | | | |