Parapsychology Bulletin

Issued in connection with the Journal of Parapsychology, Duke University Press, Durham, N. C.

Edited by Dorothy H. Pope

Number 45 June, 1958

The Second McDougall Award

The Parapsychology Laboratory of
Duke University, on May 31, named Mr.
G. W. Fisk and Dr. D. J. West of Great
Britain as joint recipients of the second
William McDougall Award
guished Work in Parapsychology. The
Award went to Mr. Fisk and Dr. West
for their article “Psychokinetic Experi-
ments with a Single Subject” which
peared in the Newsletter of the Parapsy-
chology Foundation for November-De-
this field. The award is given for the
most outstanding publication in parapsy-
chology during the year preceding the
announcement provided the author was
for Distin- not a member of the Laboratory at the
time his work was carried out.
Fisk and West have collaborated for
many years and have published a number
ap- of joint papers. Mr. Fisk, a lecturer in
physics at the University of Shantung
(1908-1918) and a civil servant, now re-

“.

Mr. G. W. Fisk Dr. D. J. West

cember, 1957. The first McDougall tired, is the editor of the Journal of the
Award was given last June to Superin- Society for Psychical Research and a
tendent of Schools J. G. Van Busschbach member of the Society’s Council. Dr.
of Amsterdam, Holland, for his article West, who was formerly Experimental
“An Investigation of ESP Between Officer of the Society and is still on the
Teachers and Pupils in American Council, is registrar in psychiatry at
Schools” which appeared in the Journal Maudsley Hospital, London. He _ is
of Parapsychology for June, 1956. author of Psychical Research Today,
The award was named in honor of the which is a general review of parapsy-
late Prof. William McDougall, F-.R.S., chology; another book entitled Homo-
founder of the Dept. of Psychology at sexuality; and a third, Eleven Lourdes
Duke University and sponsor of the Miracles.
Parapsychology Laboratory. It was Dr. J. B. Rhine, in announcing the
created in 1957 by the Laboratory staff award on behalf of the Duke Laboratory
as a token of their recognition of their staff, pointed out that the Fisk and West
fellow parapsychologists elsewhere and article represents a distinctly original
of the essential fraternity that underlies contribution. It offers evidence of psi in
the broad endeavors of all the workers in dice-throwing tests which involves both
extrasensory knowledge of the unknown during 1957. Since then, a similar kind
target and the funtioning of psychokinesis of disturbance, already highly publicized
in order to cause that target face to turn in the press as the “Long Island Polter-
up. geist” or the “Bottle-Popping Case,” has
The report is a resumé of three pre- occurred in the home of the James Herr-
viously reported series and two new man family at Seaford, Long Island.
series with a specially gifted subject, Dr. It was pointed out in that same num-
Blundun. In the first series, the subject ber of the Bulletin that it would be de-
threw dice for targets which Fisk selected sirable if a team of well-prepared ob-
each day by a random method and which servers could be on the scene while such
he wrote on a card and then placed on happenings were going on rather than
the mantel-piece of his home in Ditton having to make an investigation after
Hill, Surrey, England. In the second all the phenomena had ceased. In the
and third series, Fisk did not know the Herrmann case, this hoped-for situation
targets. A co-experimenter selected took place to a sufficient extent to make
them, sealed them in black envelopes, and possible a somewhat unique study. Two
sent them to Dr. Blundun. She kept the investigators, Dr. J. G. Pratt and Mr.
envelopes in her possession while she W. G. Roll of the Duke Parapsychology
threw the dice but did not open them. The Laboratory, spent several days in the
targets in the fourth series were chosen Herrmann household while the disturb-
and displayed alternately by Fisk and ances were occurring, and they will is-
West at their homes. West lived in sue a report of their findings in the June
London. Dr. Blundun did not know of number of the Journal of Parapsychol-
West’s part in the experiment and ogy. Readers who have seen various
thought that the target was always se- quotations and conclusions rather freely
lected by Fisk. In the fifth series, the attributed to Dr. Pratt in the press and
targets again were enclosed in envelopes magazines will be able to check more pre-
and sent to the subject. cisely on just what he and Mr. Roll actu-
Altogether, Dr. Blundun made 15,032 ally do think and say about the unusual
trials, with results significantly beyond events in the Herrmann household.
chance. When Fisk and West alter-
nated in selecting the targets (West’s Some Changes in the Journal
part in the experiment being unknown Readers of the Journal have probably
to the subject), her scores with Fisk already observed the changes in editor-
were significant but those with West ship listed inside the front cover of the
were at the chance level. The experi- March number and have noted that Dr.
mental situation allowed for adequate J. B. Rhine retired from the editorial
precautionary controls, and the report staff in March. Dr. Rhine, in associa-
shows the distinctive value of teamwork tion with Prof. William McDougall and
in psi investigation. An abstract of the Dr. C. E. Stuart, founded the Journal
article giving the essential findings may twenty-one years ago. Dr. J. G. Pratt
be found in the Journal of Parapsychol- and Dr. Louisa E. Rhine now continue
ogy for March, 1958. as editors, together with Mr. William G.
Roll, newly elected to the staff. Mr.
The Seaford ‘‘Poltergeist”’ Roll became Research Associate in the
Former issues of the Bulletin have Parapsychology Laboratory at Duke this
given accounts from time to time of last year. Dr. J. A. Greenwood and Dr.
“poltergeist” occurrences that have been T. N. E. Greville continue as statistical
reported here and abroad. Bulletin No. editors, and Mrs. Dorothy H. Pope as
43 reviewed the efforts made by repre- Managing Editor.
sentatives of the Parapsychology Labora- Two new sections have been added to
tory in looking into four of these occur- the contents. One section, Parapsycho-
rences that took place in this country logical Abstracts, is made up of brief
 By

synopses of articles in this field appear- ond day. Neither side scored significant-
ing in other journals and of unpublished ly, and a prize which had been offered
work on file at the Parapsychology Lab- went unclaimed. Cambridge, the team
oratory. This section is edited by Mrs. with the highest scores, was invited by
Sara Rhine Feather, who was a Research the Parapsychology Society of the Uni-
Fellow in the Parapsychology Laboratory versity of Chicago to take part in a
AF
for two years, and for the following three transoceanic competition in April. Here
years worked in the Library of Congress again, the over-all results were reported
as an abstracter for the Armed Services as inconclusive. However, there is no
Technical Information Agency. The antecedent basis for expecting ESP to
other new section is devoted to the
x
function under such formal and imper-
announcements, proceedings, and other sonal conditions. k
business of the Parapsychological Asso-
ciation with which the Journal has re- Courses in Parapsychology
cently become affiliated. For the first time in this country,
courses in parapsychology for credit are
Inter- and Intra-University appearing on the undergraduate curricu-
ESP Contests lum in some American colleges and uni-
An ESP contest was recently arranged versities. In the fall semester of 1957-
on the Duke University campus by three 58, the Psychology Department at Way-
Seniors in the School of Engineering who land Baptist College, Plainview, Texas,
were assisted by Miss Margaret Ander- offered a course listed as “Introduction
son of the Parapsychology Laboratory. to Extrasensory Perception. An intro-
The tests were conducted by Edward duction to the study of extrasensory per-
Mott, John E. Jenkins, and Wilbur ception which includes the history, meth-
Stewart on three different models of ods of investigation, problems, and cur-
ESP test machines. They had con- rent procedures.” Dr. John Freeman
structed these devices under the direction taught the course. In addition to study-
of Dr. John Artley and Mr. David ing the general topics of telepathy, clair-
Young as part of their training course in voyance, and psychokinesis, each student
engineering. For two half-days, on May undertook a research project. A repetition
17 and May 19, students and other mem- of the course is being considered for the
bers of the University community were coming academic year. At Saint Joseph’s
invited to compete for prizes: five dollars College in Philadelphia, Dr. C. B. Nash
for the highest score on each machine will teach an undergraduate course in
and ten dollars for the highest over-all parapsychology commencing in the fall of
score. Altogether, 120 persons, mostly 1958. It will entail a study of spontane-
students, entered the contest. On one ous and experimental phenomena and the
machine, significant positive scores were carrying-out of one or more experiments.
obtained; on a second, significant nega- Actually, academic recognition of para-
tive scores. On the third, the results ran psychology has been lagging in this coun-
approximately at the chance level. That try. In Holland, as long ago as 1932,
this type of contest could be successfully Dr. P. A. Deitz was appointed tutor in
carried out was perhaps the main point parapsychology at the University of Ley-
which was established, although the in- den. In 1953, the University of Utrecht
trinsic value of the test machines them- created a Chair devoted exclusively to
selves is of importance as well. the teaching of this subject, and Prof.
In England, the parapsychology socie- W. H. C. Tenhaeff, who had already
ties at Cambridge and Oxford held an been given a readership in parapsychol-
inter-university competition on Novem- ogy in 1934, was appointed to fill the post.
ber 30 and December 1. Eleven men on On other than the undergraduate level,
each team carried out “telepathy” runs however, there have been a variety of ed-
one day and clairvoyance runs the sec- ucation offerings on this subject in the
United States. In 1937, Dr. W. T. nell (Yale University Press) reports on
Heron of the University of Minnesota the relation between personality and ex-
devoted part of his summer school course trasensory perception. It is based on
called “Frontiers of Parapsychology” to nine years of experimental work in para-
ESP. The course has been presented, psychology carried out by Dr. Schmeid-
with increasing emphasis on parapsychol- ler, who is Associate Professor of Psy-
ogy, in most summer sessions since that chology at City College of New York.
time. Dr. J. B. Rhine offered graduate The statistical analysis was mainly the
seminars at Duke University during the work of Dr. McConnell, Prof. of Bio-
late thirties and early forties. In 1942, physics at the University of Pittsburgh.
the centennial of William James’s birth, There is an introductory note by Dr.
Dr. Gardner Murphy offered a course, Gardner Murphy.
“Psychical Research from William James * * * * *

to the Present” at the summer session of Psi Cognition by K. Ramakrishna Rao,

Harvard University, and later he gave with a foreword by J. B. Rhine, has just
another course at the New School of So- come out in India (Tagore Publishing
cial Research in New York City. House, Tenali). In the author’s words,
Dr. Nash has just repeated a series of this book is an “attempt to review the
ten lectures for members of the Main evidence for psi cognition and survey
Line School Night Association and has some of the Indian and Western theories
given a semester course of two weekly about it.” The book is made up largely
lectures in the Evening College Division of the material presented by Rao in his
of Saint Joseph’s College. Both courses thesis for the M.A. degree from Andhra
are to be repeated during the coming University. The author will come to
year, this country for the year 1958-59 on
An informal, non-credit course in para- Smith-Mundt and Fulbright grants to
psychology was given with official ap- study philosophy at the University of
proval during the spring semester at the Chicago. His stay will include some
University of Chicago. In this series of weeks at the Parapsychology Laboratory
lectures by Mr. Stephen Abrams special at Duke for discussion and study.
emphasis was given to objective research
methods. The course is one of several Several foreign language books have
projects activated by the Parapsychology recently come out or are soon to be pub-
Society at Chicago during the last few lished. Telepathie en Heldersiendheid
months. The Society sponsored a lec- (Telepathy and Clairvoyance) by W. H.C.
ture, “The Present Status of the ESP Tenhaeff (W. De Haan, Antwerp) has
Investigation,” by Dr. J. B. Rhine on sections on clairvoyance, telepathy, pre-
May 13. Later, on June 5, a special TV cognition, apparitions, reincarnation, and
program, under University auspices, was quantitative methods in parapsychology.
given over Station WTTW. The topic Robert Amadou has written a new
for discussion was “ESP—Fact, Fiction, book entitled La Télépathie (Grasset,
or Conviction.” Prof. Howard Hunt, Paris). It is a history of telepathy from
Chairman of the Dept. of Psychology, ancient times up to the present, with
acted as moderator. The other speakers some evaluative comments by the author
were Prof. Ralph W. Heine of the Dept. concerning the evidence.
of Psychiatry, and Prof. Michael Scriven Syner Og Varsler (Apparitions and
of the Dept. of Philosophy at Swarth- Omens) by H. P. Hansen (Rosenkilde
more College. and Baggers, Copenhagen) is a collection
New Books of “omens” taken from Danish reports,
ESP and Personality Patterns by Ger- folklore, and personal experiences, some
trude R. Schmeidler and R. A. McCon- dating back to middle of the last century.
The PararsycHo.tocy BULLETIN, issued quarterly, is sent to all Journal of Parapsychology subscribers.
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