The Washington times., 1923-01-24

Prof. William MouIton Marston
Tells of Dangers From
Scientific Juggiery.
By GEORGE FRANKLIN.

BY GEORGE FRANKLIN.
Psychological experiments by the
ignorant are not harmless pastime
amusements. Insanity may result
The gullibility Of the public is be-
ing played upon by pseudo scien-
fists. Twentieth century charla.
tans are reaping a harvest of ILL.,
gotten American dollars.
Public credulity is lending itself
to the encouragement of meaning.
less scientific jugglery. Psychology
the accepted keystone of the arch oil
sciences, is being made joke.
Warning Is Sounded.
Such are the opinions expressed by
William Moulton Marston, professor
OF psychology, University of Wash
tngton, in sounding warning
against the popular patronage of in.
competent persons occupying the
spotlight on lecture stages and at
semi-private clinics in the guise of
psychologists capable of providing
their hearers with occult formulas
whose employment insures success in
the attainment of any aim to which
they set themselves and believe they
can accomplish.
Worst Of all results to be appre.
hended," said Professor Marston to-
day, from Improperly directed
psychological experiments Is insan-
ity. Obsession creeps slowly forth,
but its development of the mind is
certain once its intrusion is estab-
lished. Abuse of the senses through
misdirected psychological influences
Is one OF the surest avenues through
which it enters the mind"
In presenting his indictment Of the
unqualified entertainers who assume
TO teach the secret of material sue
cess and physical well-being through
the use of mental process neither
safe nor sane, but capable OF mental
results of the most serious character,
Professor Marston points out that
psychology is the keystone Of all
sciences. To become a competent
psychologist, he declares, 1t is neces-
sary to have mastered physics, chem
istry, physiology and neurology, for
a psychologist must know the an
atomy of the nervous system. and
have a working knowledge Of 20
ology and genetics.
A Science to Few.
To the few, psychology il a
said Professor Marston. And be-
cause the sound OF that name is, in
the postwar days, so loud in the
mouths of the multitude, psychology
is to the founders of new fads and
cults an open sesame to the public
pocketbook. Miss Ignorant Miracle
Worker lectures on Getting What
You Want" And since the variety
Of human wants Is so tremendous,
the hall is packed with eager SELF
seekers, paying their perfectly good
dollars for cure-all dose Of "phych-
ology." Poor self-seekers and poor
psychology! Both are cheated"
Comparing the work of the pseudo
Psychologist with that Of a black
smith employed to teach the fourth
dimension, Professor Marston con-
tinued:
Psychology, the science, is a mat
ter of neurones. Let no one be re-
pulsed, however, by technical termi-
nogoly. Neurones are simply nerves,
and nerves are little gray and white
wires over which currents of energy,
called nerve impulses run hither
and thither about your body and
mind, carrying messages from the
outside world to your brain, and from
your brain back to your muscles.
Likening the nervous system to
a Geographic system, Professor
Marston pointed out that when the
latter became defective the remedy
was applied by men who under
stood wiring and the technique OF
telegraphic construction. The mis-
take was never made of employing
unskilled workmen.
Likened to kilograms.
When We receive a telegram
we do not stop to think Of the ex-
pert skill and knowledge possessed
by the operators in translating dots
and dashes into meaningful words.
Much less do we think when a
beautiful picture of mountain and
stream arises in our consciousness,
sent to our brain through our eyes,
that a vast experiences has been
required of US as psychological op.
orators to translate little mechani-
cal tingling and nerve currents
into beautiful pictures and delight
full emotions.
yet let the smallest portion of