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December 1987
tuition
were more common
in
the German
collection.
(2)
There
were
differences
in
the
proportions
of
trivial
and
positive
cases
reported.
(3) There was a
difference
in
the
number
of females involved
attributable
to
the manner
in
which
the cases were
collected.
All
the remaining analyses
previously
reported
in
connection
with
the
British
cases
were confirmed
in the German
collection.
- DA/R.A.W.
02435. Blackmore,
Susan.
Errors and
confusions
in
ESP. European Journal of Parapsychology,
1981
(Nov),
4(1), 49-70. 28
refs; 8 tables
If ESP
is related
to more familiar cognitive
processes,
the errors or confusions made between
targets should show
consistencies.
For example,
they may resemble
those made
in
perception
or memory.
If
so
this
could
throw
light
on
theories
relating ESP and memory.
Previous
studies
of
er-
rors
in
ESP
are
considered
and
four
experiments
are
reported. Two used
special
picture
targets
between
which
confusions
of
either
association
or
visual
similarity
could
be
made. The
first produced more confusions between
as-
sociated
pictures
but
the method
proved
to
be
flawed. A
second study using a
different
design; showed no significant
differences. In a
third a comparison of the two designs was
made
but no
difference was found. None
of
the
three ex-
periments provided
significant
extrachance
scoring. A
final
experiment used words as targets, related
to each other by
either
visual
similarity
or
by
meaning.
Again,
no
sig-
nificant
o.verall scoring was
obtained. Although
there were
significantly
more
visual
confusions
than
direct
hits,
this
unexpected
finding
must
be
considered
in
the
context
of
the
nonsignificant
ones.
The
conclusion
reached
was
that
chance
best accounts
for
the
results. From
these
results
it
was not
possible
to determine whether
visual or associative
confusions would predominate.
- DA
02436. Cassoli, Piero. The healer: Problems, methods
and
results. European Journal of Parapsychology,
1981
(Nov),
4(1), 71-80.
The
author
defines
five
problem
areas
in
the
study
of
psychic
healers.
In
this
article he
concentrates on
only
one: Can
the
healer
interfere
in
a
positive
sense
on
the
course of illness and
particularly on
factors determining
it?
If
so,
does
the
healer
act
in
connection
with
only some
illnesses?
In
particular, does he or she
act only
in connec-
tion
with
psychosomatic
illness?
The
author
discusses
the
problems
involved
in
research
in
healing and
offers
three
models
to
explain
psychic
healing:
the
physical,
the
psychological, and the parapsychotogical.
- R.A.W.
02437. Ejvegaard,
Rolf, and Johnson,
Martin. Mur-
derous ESP - A case of story fabrication. European
Journal of Parapsychology, 1981 (Nov),
4(1), 81-98. 13
refs
The
bulk
of
information
directed
at
the
public
as
regards
suggestive
paranormal
cases
most
probably
comes
through
the mass media. Under favorable
conditions, when
the
information
has been
carefully
researched,
it could
be
of
considerable
value
not
only
to
the
seriously
interested
layman
but
to
the
professional
parapsychologist
Regret-
fully,
stories
implying
paranormal
events
arc
usually
reported
for
the
sake
of
sensationalism.
Not
rarely some
stories may be an
act of intentional
fabrication.
In
this paper
a
case of a
suggestive apparition of the
dead
that was published
in
a Swedish magazine
In 1978
is
described. The
interesting results of our follow-up and
test-
ing
of
the
reliability
of
this
story
as
to
its
paranormality
are
presented.
The
author
of
the
article
gave
specific
details and
assured
in
other
ways,
for
instance,
by name-
;iving of
reliable
witnesses, that
it was a true
story.
If
this
eally
was
the
case
it
would
suffice
as
a
comparatively
well-documented
case
of
the
apparition
of
the
dead
or
dying person. As we discovered,
it was not only impossible
but also
irrelevant whether the case was considered an ap-
parition
of
the
dead
or
regarded
as
an
out-of-body
ex-
perience.
Although
the
basis
of
this
story -
a
murder
case - actually occurred, the supposed paranormal elements
were a
fabrication added
later.
Parapsychologists should
be
mindful
bf
the
possibility
of
fabricated
ESP
stories
in
magazines and newspapers.
- R.A.W7DT
02438. Marrincz-Taboas, Alfonso, and Alvarado, Carlos
S.
Poltergeist
agents: A
review
of
recent
research
trends
and
conceptualization.
European
Journal of
Parapsychology, 1981 (Nov),
4(1),
99-110. 38
refs
Historical
surveys
of
poltergeist
phenomena
do
not
leave any possible doubt on
the curious
fact
that
in
a sub-
stantial number of cases the phenomena are associated, spa-
tially and temporally,
with some
specific
person. What
is
more
problematic
is
the
reason
for
that
association.
Dcmonologists
such
as Guazzo were
inclined
to
the
view
that
the manifestations were diabolic phenomena caused
by
a
witch. Writers with a
survivalistic
inclination
see
intents
of
a
discarnate
agent
to communicate
with
some
person.
With
the advent of dynamic
psychiatry
others
see
the
ex-
pression of repressed tension and
anger.
Our purpose
is this paper
is
to evaluate
all published
studies from
1973 to 1979 whose authors made
a judgment
or
clinical
study
of
the
poltergeist
agent
as
it
relates
to
the
etiology of the
manifestations. Besides the
analysis and
discussions
of
these
recent
cases,
we
will
also
present
a
criticism
of
a
recent
theory of
poltergeist phenomena:
the
central nervous system (CNS)
or
epileptic theory proposed
by Roll.
- DT/ RA.W.
II. Parapsychology Journals
(Non-English)
DUTCH LANGUAGE
(Editors: Daniel Dumalin and George Zorab)
Psi-Forum
02439.
Gondry, Dirk.
The other Iloudini.
Psi-Forum
1984,
7(1),
10-16.
illus
The author describes the second career of
the famous
"King
of
Handcuffs,"
Harry
Houdini.
He
became
inter-
ested
in magic through a book which revealed
a few
tricks
used by fraudulent mediums.
At
first he used the book as
a guide
to perform seances
himself.
He
quit
this
practice
for moral reasons and developed
his career
as
the King of
Handcuffs.
Later
he
used
the same book
to
expose
the
practices of fraudulent mediums.
It
is from
this
that
the
author makes a
link with parapsychology.
He
states that
it
is
impossible
to
do
psi
research
without
knowledge
of
magic and
illusion.
This
is illustrated by the unfruitful
at-
tempts of a logic professor and his students to discover the
technique
used
by
Houdini
in
his famous
escape
from
a
postal sack,
- D.D.
02440.
Hocbens,
Piet Hein.
A meeting of skeptics.
Psi-Forum, 1984,
7(1), 17-20.
4 refs
The
author
describes
the
evolution
of CSICOP.
Al-
though
in
1976
the Committee stated
its aim
of promoting
critical
investigations
of
the
paranormal
and
fringe
scien-
tific claims from an
objective viewpoint,
its
activities soon
became
infested by
radicals.
CSICOP became
the new
in-
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