‘ Approved For Release 2003/09/10 =-CItA-R Vol. 5, No. 2. 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 cither 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 cither visual similarity or by meaning. Again, no sig- nificant overall 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 parapsychological. - 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 are usually teported 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- ziving of reliable witnesses, that it was a true story. If this ‘eally was the case it would suffice as a comparatively 24 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 clements were a fabrication added later. Parapsychologists should be mindful of the possibility of fabricated ESP stories in magazines and newspapers. - R.A.W/DT 02438, Martfnez-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. Demonologists 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/ R.A.W. If. PARAPSYCHOLOGY JOURNALS (NON-ENGLISH) DUTCH LANGUAGE (Editors: Daniel Dumalin and George Zorab) PSI-FORUM 02439. Gondry, Dirk. The other Houdini. Psi-Forwm, 1984, 1(1), 10-16. 2 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 ta 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. Hoebens, Piet Hein. A meeting of skeptics. Psi-Forum, 1984, (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- Approved For Release 2003/09/10 : CIA-RDP96-00792R000700690003-3 sior this psy stil: arti- refi one 024 Fo. fra vie ren Ra: thr: ava sta: to clu inv bot me 02- Fo te- or av aL SO u