Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-09-12
TRANSFER OF THOUGHT.
An Interesting Paper Read by Professor Bar
ret, OF Dublin.

retf OF
IPhiladslphia Press.I
Professor w. +. Barrett, OF the Royal |
College Of Science, Dublin. read before |
Section +. (American Association for the |
Advancement OF Sciencel paper that has |
awakened a good deal OF interest among
members OF the Association. The title was
Experimental Researches on the So-called
hought-Transierence," and the Professor
said:
In paper on some phenomena associated
with abnormal conditions OF mind, read
before the British Association in 1876, |
recorded some observations which had
come under my notice. wherein an appa-
rent transference OF thought occurred in
dependently OF the ordinary channels OF
sensation. At the same time it is obvious
that TO establish even a primd-fdcie case
in favor Of so novel an hypothesis required
a very large amount OF evidence siited. not
only by one, but several competent investi-
gators.
From that wear TO the present time have
been constantly engaged in amassing evil
dence on this obscure but important ques-
ton. Encouraged TO persevere by the
cordial support and cooperation Of many
whose names entitle their judgment to the
highest respect, believe that am now in
a position to make good the following
proposition:
That there does exist a group Of phe-
nomena to which the word thought-trans-
ference" may properly be applied, and
which consist in the mental perception by
| certain individuals at certain times OF
word. picture, or idea kept yiyidly before
the mind OF another person or persons.
and this without any transmission through
| the recognized channels OF sense.
THk EVIDENCE OBTAINED.
The evidence on behalf OF a proposition
| Of this kind, where the antecedent imprOb-
ability seems so great, obviously demands
the closest scrutiny. The object OF the
present paper Il to give a general view OF
| the evidence that has been obtained and 10
invite the criticism OF unbiased and compe-
tent authorities.
Early in the. course OF this inquiry the
so-called "willing game" and later on the
| grotesque performances OF Mr. Irving
| Bishop, Mr.. Stuart Cumberland, and other
caterers for public amusement, came under
| the authors notice, and the result OF care
| full inquiries in this direction was simply
| to confirm the well.knOwn physiological
explanation OF muscle-reading. This
part OF the investigation, comprising as II
does many hundreds oi carefully-conduei-
| ed experiments, may be summed mp in the
| following statement
That much OF what is popularity known
as " thought-readin. or thought-trans-
ference" is in reality due to the interpre-
! tation by the so-called reader OF signs.
/ consciously or unconsciously impaired by
/ the touches, looks. or gestures OF those IN
/ possession OF the secret. and that this must
be taken a. a primG:tdcie explanation
! whenever the thing thought OF is some ac-
| ton or movement 10 be performed, such a.
! the finding OF an object, the location OF a
pain, the selection Of the letters OF a word,
cr even the writing down oi figure or word
/ when the hands OF the " thinker" or" WILL
rr" are in any contact whatever with the
subject. Doubtless If there exists, as the
author believes. genuine thought-readlng,
much Of what is now attributed to muscle
or sign-reading will be more readily eXpH-
/ cable By the direct action OF mind upon
mind. Ii il. however needful to be always
/ on ones guard, as the results that can be
| achieved by unconscious muscular guidance
are so surprising that an unwary inquirer.
sceptical though he may be OF the existence
Of the thought.transference will infallibly
he misled.
will give only two examples OF purely
muscular action performed uncOnsclously
bv the operators. II ring be suspended
by silk thread over the top OF the thumb.
the hand being .teadied by resting the el-
bow on q table. it will be found that the
ring will vibrate longitudinally directly u
shilling is placed under il. provided the
oper,tor be told beforehand that such
would be the case, and at the same time
warned to be on his guard against moving
his hand in the least. But il the operators
head be ayerted so that he does not know
J Ia, bn ahflliufr IL nndpr tlo ring.
the vibration will not occur except by
mere chance.
INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS.
Again. If a number or word or simple
diagram be thought OF by one person whilst
another holds pencil loosely in his hand,
the mental picture in As mind is transfer
red, not to BIS mind, but to the paper be-
fore him. when A touches Il. The factSe-
ing that A looking at the point of the pen
| ell held by unconsciously guides to the
successful reproduction OF the image in AS
mind by slight and almost imperceptlble
variations OF pressure. which are not con-
sciou,ly interpreted by B, and then his
hand move, slowly in obedience to the IN
dications unwillinZly given by A.
| Besides this UNCONSCIOUS cOllusion there
j.. Of course. conscious collusion or trick
cry to DC avoided where a code OF signals
CONVEYS to the quasi thought-reader the
desired information. But an operation OF
this sort requires sender as well a. re-
ceiver: the one Is useless without the other,
and il this hypothesis be adopted to eN-
plain the experiments am about to relate
you are forced to admit that dozen or
more well.known men. such a. Balfour
| stewart. Hopkinson, Sidgwich. Greeney,
| Lodge. and Guthrie. were all in the trick,
| \ contend 4. tmDrObable
hypothesis than to suppose we have here
something hitherto unrecognlzed by sell
ence.
The frat experiment we made was with
the young children OF clergyman in Bux-
ton, who informed me in 1881 OF the singu-
lar success he had obtained in experiments
OF so-called thought-reading. l instituted
a critical inquiry in conjunction with Dir.
+. W. III. Myers and Mr.. Edmund Gurney.
This small committee laid the foundation OF
the Society for P,vchical Research.
The child. whom we will call the per-
ciplent. wss sent into an adjoining
room whilst the committee thought
OF and silently wrote down some number,
word, or fictitious name, or drew caru
from full pack, noted II and then replaced
il. The child was then recalled, and stand
Ing at some distance from us. with her eyes
averted or turned TO the wall, In less than
minute would make an attempt to guess
the thing we had fixed on OF which we
had, silently and vividly, before our Minds
The guess was noted down, II incorrect
and second one allowed, and but rareiy q
third trial. The experiments were MADE
when none but the committee were present.
The following was the result: 80
Number OF trials s.......-......-..' ''..fo.
Number right on first guess. .....''''- -
Number right on second guess. I'D
Total right ...................it ito
'Inclusive Of an occasional third aueinpt
II the 6rst guess only Is counted tne
experiment gave correct guess IN o..
The average chance OF success by acci'
dent was in 43.
40 COLLISION.
Collusion il here excluded. unless ou'
veracity be impeachcd, but more experts
are needed to eliminate completely the eie'
ment Of chance. Later on we MADE sotie
experiments under stringent conaitons
when the adverse chances were peyoho
fifty TO one. The result was - ioi'ows
Number OF trials. .............. "a, 'o'
Number right on first guess..... ZOl
Number right on second guess. io'