| ESP is most commonly called the "sixth | | | | The early experiments faced several |
| sense." It is sensory information that an | | | | criticisms. Two were automatically dismissed: |
| individual receives which comes beyond the | | | | (1) The statistics were unsound which was |
| ordinary five senses sight, hearing, smell, | | | | refuted by the president of the American |
| taste, and touch. It can provide the | | | | Mathematical Association. (2) That ESP is |
| individual with information of the present, | | | | physical impossibility which begs the |
| past, and future; as it seems to originate in | | | | question. |
| a second, or alternate reality. | | | | |
| | | | Several appropriate criticisms were accepted |
| History: | | | | by Rhine which he used to improve his |
| | | | experiments. Examples are: (1) There may have |
| The term "ESP" was used in 1870 by Sir | | | | been sensory cues. An example of this is that |
| Richard Burton. A French researcher, Dr. Paul | | | | if a strong light shined on the back of the |
| Joire, in 1892 used the term ESP to describe | | | | ESP cards, it might be possible to see the |
| the ability of person who had been hypnotized | | | | symbol through the back. Currently to avoid |
| or were in a trance state to externally sense | | | | this possibility the target card is covered |
| things without using their ordinary senses. | | | | by an oblique shielding, or kept far from the |
| | | | subject. (2) An experimenter that knows the |
| However, the phenomena of ESP activity has | | | | target might whisper it or otherwise give a |
| been indicated much earlier, some say even in | | | | cue to the subject. Presently no one in |
| Biblical times. Although there is no clear | | | | contact with the subject knows the target. |
| evidence as to the certainty of the phenomena | | | | (3) More hits might be recorded than actually |
| it has attracted the attention and enthusiasm | | | | occurred.. Currently hits and responses are |
| of many throughout the centuries. | | | | recorded by machine or by someone not knowing |
| | | | either. |
| In the 1920's a Munich ophthalmologist, Dr. | | | | |
| Rudolph Tischner, used ESP in describing the | | | | Three criticism remain: (1) The "file drawer" |
| "externalization of sensibility." Then in the | | | | effect. Only favorable results are published. |
| 1930s the American parapsychologist J. B. | | | | Larger experimental data like one in a |
| Rhine popularized the term to include psychic | | | | million make this unlikely. (2) Results are |
| phenomena similar to sensory functions. Rhine | | | | inconsistent and not repeatable. This can be |
| was among the first parapsychologists to test | | | | remedied statistically. (3) Charges of fraud. |
| ESP phenomena in the laboratory. | | | | Can be refuted by other reputable |
| | | | investigators obtaining similar results. |
| The first systematic study of ESP was | | | | |
| conducted in 1882, when the Society for | | | | There was a finding which seemed puzzling |
| Psychical Research was founded n London. The | | | | until better understood. While some label it |
| journals of this society Proceedings and | | | | "missing-ESP" it might be thought of as |
| Journal were published as well as other | | | | reverse-ESP too. It is found among subject |
| publications in the United States and the | | | | who dislike ESP. Even though the subjects |
| Netherlands. Soon other countries were | | | | were consciously trying to achieve good |
| reporting similar findings. | | | | scores, they scored lower than chance. An |
| | | | unconscious factor seemed to come into play |
| However, these first studies of ESP were | | | | here. Experimenters have found they can |
| rarely experimental. The studies consisted of | | | | predict higher scores for some groups (for |
| mostly spontaneous incidents that were | | | | example, those who are interested and |
| located. Many of the individuals studied were | | | | relaxed), and lower scores for other groups |
| self-claimed "sensitives" or psychics. Rarely | | | | (those who show fear, negativity, or |
| were they examined under anything resembling | | | | boredom). The factor of missing-ESP indicates |
| laboratory conditions. The researchers | | | | why ESP data is unreliable. |
| conducting the examinations resembled | | | | |
| prosecuting lawyers. The subjects were | | | | More recently computer games are increasingly |
| bombarded with questions, those standing up | | | | being used to test ESP. The computer is |
| the best were judged creditable. | | | | programmed so that a random series determines |
| | | | the targets, and the subjects attempt to |
| The Rhine experiments: | | | | outguess the computer. |
| | | | |
| The first card-guessing ESP experiments were | | | | Another factor that researchers and |
| conducted by Rhine at Duke University in | | | | experimenters must watched for in ESP and all |
| 1930. The cards consisted of five designs, | | | | psychical experiments is preconceived or |
| now called ESP symbols, a square, a circle, a | | | | previously learned knowledge. This concerns |
| plus sign, a five pointed star, and a set of | | | | any knowledge which might influence the |
| three wavy lines. The symbols were printed | | | | subject's activity. For example, a person |
| singly, in black ink, on cards resembling | | | | might say she sensed her son would telephone |
| playing cards. | | | | her on that certain day at that specific |
| | | | time. If the son had previously called her in |
| In the classic Rhine experiments on ESP, the | | | | such a fashion, then her sensation must be |
| subject tries to guess or "call" the order of | | | | suspect for it might have been based upon |
| the five symbols when they are randomly | | | | knowledge of her son's previous performance. |
| arranged in a deck of 25 ESP cards. The | | | | A person might strongly feel that he would |
| likelihood of calling a card correctly by | | | | receive an email message from a friend on a |
| chance is one in five. Therefore, it is | | | | certain day, and he does; but, can this be |
| possible to calculate how often a particular | | | | considered a ESP phenomenon considering that |
| score is likely to occur by chance in a given | | | | this person had not head from the other |
| number of calls. It was Rhine'' argument that | | | | person for sometime and was expecting the |
| when his subjects made high scores that could | | | | message. The point being made is that when |
| be expected by chance only once in a thousand | | | | dealing with psychic phenomena all factors |
| tries, or once in a million, they displayed | | | | must be considered when examining the |
| "extrachance" results, or ESP. | | | | performance. |
| | | | |