196
The Journal of ParapjMp^^ For Re |ease 2003/09/10
is particularly trueo^Alvarado’s boj^^eviews (1984a, 1985) and his
discussion of languag^^jrierj^lems in parapsychology (1989a).
Moreover, Alvarado, a fx^^^esearch assistant at the Division of
Parapsychology (now the Dj^^i of Personality Studies) at the Uni-
versity of Virginia, has^^Kuntim^tl a constant flow of information
on parapsychologicayjflivities in cfatin America to research centers
in the United State^ror the last eigM^ears. In addition, among the
Ibero-American t^rapsychologists, he l^teone who has published
most extensive»m the English-language^fcmals and the only one
ever to be elejjld a member of the Board o^krectors of the Para-
psychologicajfc.ssociation.
Mexico
Mexico has been known for a long time as the land of the sacred
mushroom or peyod, a plant used by the Indian shaman to induce
an altered state of consciousness, which allegedly facilitates the man-
ifestation of psychic powers. This country has also been a major
source for many parapsychological researchers interested in unor-
thodox psychic healing practices. Famous curanderas (healers) such
as Maria Sabina and Dona Pachita have been extensively
investi-
gated by
Stanley
Krippner and
other famous
parapsychologists
(Krippner & Villoldo, 1986).
Although Mexico has been a major source of study for many
narQnevrhnlnoisfs from foreiy n countries, osvchical research has not
r“* -r-/
o
-o
•
.*
'
.
,
flourished there as
it has m other countries such as Argentina and
Spain. Moreover, even though the country
is located on the south-
ern border of the United States and has been subject to very strong
American cultural influence in almost every aspect of life, the dom-
inance of the United States has not been a factor in the develop-
ment of parapsychology. Even though in the United States there are
more parapsychological research centers than anywhere else in the
world, very little is known in Mexico of their research. Most of what
is known about serious parapsychology comes from Latin American
countries such as Brazil. For example, the writings of Quevedo are
well known in Mexico, and also most of what
is known generally
comes from popular magazines.
Early efforts to study psychical research within a scientific frame-
work in Mexico began in 1919 with the isolated efforts of such re-
searchers as the German-born medical doctor Gustav Pagenstecher,
the first researcher to conduct serious psychical research in Mexico.
Pagenstecher was a very well-known and respected physician in the
Approved For Release 2003/09/10
197
ClA-RDP96^)0792R0007(ftri568t/f-'F “
WoM
Mexican medical community
as
well
as
in
political
circles. In the
course of his career he delivered speeches before two presidents of
;
Mexico, Diaz and Obregdn (Allison, 1943).
A respected member of the medical
profession, Pagenstecher
said he had been a materialist for forty years when he had his first
encounter with the paranormal. It was during a hypnosis treatment
of one of his patients who had insomnia that he discovered the re-
!
markable psychical gifts of Maria Reyes de Zierold. Pagenstecher be-
i
gan a series of psychometric experiments with her in 1919. The re-
sults were so striking that he brought them to the attention of the
|
Mexican medical
society, which appointed a commission to verify
them. Pagenstecher
also decided
to write to the ASPR and send
some ofahe results he had obtained. The results induced Walter
i
Franklin Prince, Research Officer of the ASPR, to go to Mexico to
investigate the case. After a series of experimental sittings with Zier-
old, Prince was so impressed with the results that he decided to pub-
!
lish them in the Journal of the ASPR in 1920 (Pagenstecher, 1920).
Prince later published another paper in which he discussed the ex-
periments in which he participated (Prince,
1921b). Moreover, the
ASPR published a monograph by Pagenstecher entitled Past Events
Seership: A Study of Psychometry (Pagenstecher, 1922).
According to William Roll (1967), Pagenstecher contributed to
two major areas in parapsychology:
r T T
T
r
__
T
Crrt inirorflmtor tn
11 C*» hvrtnnsi* 3S
[Tie wasj,
as
iai
as
1 miuw
uiv
***•*<- umwu6» 9v.
~
**/ 1
—
-
means to cultivate ESP in a gifted subject.
.
.
. Pagenstecher’s studies were
also,
I believe, the
first to indicate that the (parapsychological) associa-
tion of objects may be governed by the same laws that govern the (psy-
chological) association of ideas,
(p. 238)
Pagenstecher showed great courage in undertaking these exper-
iments. He jeopardized his professional standing as well as his med-
ical practice by trying to substantiate the claims for Zierold s psychic
abilities. The Medical Commission appointed to investigate the case
was skeptical of the reported phenomena. Fortunately, however, the
Commission’s leading experts obtained successful results in the ex-
periments
in which
they
participated (Gomezharper de Trevino,
1990).
11 Obreg6n was a revolutionary military leader, later President of Mexico. Walter
Franklin Prince (1921a) relates an interesting psychic experience witnessed by Ob-
:
regbn, about a precognitive dream Obreg6n’s brother had about the death or their
mother.
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