The Washington times., 1923-09-26
By JULES ROMANS.
Translated for CoanopoIitan Ne,

Translated for COGmOpOlitan News
PARIS, Sept 26.-Is man able to
see objects without using his eye
more precisely than il he had the
image reflected upon the retina Of
his eyes7
The question alone upsets all ac-8
cepted notions and seems to shock
many minds. as appears from the
opposition to theories Of Extra
Retinal Vision" DUNG the past five
years Although ! have presented
proofs and presented my
theories before well qualified wit,
nessQ. many refuse to credit these
results. It appears that from the
very birth Of humanity cases Of
extra-retinal vision have occurred;
even among living primitive races,
the use of this vision was and Ii q
commonplace. Physicians and other
observers refer to these phenomena
frequently.
Before beginning my own inves.
LEGATIONS had gathered from
medical and other literature con-
siderable significant testimony, and
was told OF much more. Neverthc-
less, when / published my works,
the subject seemed so novel scien-
tificially that not one psychologist
claimed priority for the revelation.
The progress OF the physic0-
chemical sciences. the diligence Of
their investigators lead us to be-
lieve that modern man has done
with routine and intellectual slotn.
"A flattering illusion! Our descen-
dants VIII Judge us to have been
very tinnid psycho-phy siologists.
Outline Of Results.
My part was limited to the re-
discovery scientifically of that
which had been observed only by
accident. and not followed up to Sc
cure the facts in properly equip
ped laboratory, in place Of few
scattered facts. all confused ana
semi-legendafy. In a wori, to
make q science Of what had not
been such.
can not trace any complete
outline OF what has been done dur.
ing the experimental work Of sew
eral years, but / can give an idea
OF tha results.
First, the truth Of extra-retinal
vision can no longer be doubted.
Here are some Of the confirmatpry
experiments which any subject, SUI
ficiently trained, may make.
1. The eyes are bandaged abso-
lutely with bands OF gummed silk
and elastic bands. The iobJects held
at a distance are described and
recognized.
2. But it might be suggested that
the most careful covering would
not, in certain cases. prevent slight
infiltrations Of light between the
edge Of the band and the cheeks.
To obviate this, the head of the
subject was held motionless, and the
object to be seen was so placed that
the luminous rays reflected from it
fell perpendicuIarly upon the band,
and the subject could not possibly
use any lateral filtration. 1t was
recognized.
8. 1t might be supposed that pos
sibly, although the band is Opaque
to ordinary light, it. is not so to
radiations other than light, and that
possibly these radiations reflect the
picture upon the retina of the SUBJ
1ect. l put over the first band a
second band covered with sheets Of
lead, and between the two I put
another thickness of lead-silk. But
vision followed as before.
4. The elimination of. eye-vision
may be made still more convincing.
The object to be seen is placed be-
tween the screens of an apparatus
called the buckler, in such a way.
that the object is completely hid
den from the face by one Of the
screens. which may be of wood or
metal, the eyes being banded as
before. The phenomenon of vision
follows nevertheless.
Finally, 5. Finally, when the
subjects are sufficiently educated.
have obtained easy and constant
recognition OF signs, numbers and
letters placed behind the subject.
bltndfolded.
I Laws of Vision Sought.
The important part of my work
has consisted in
l. Trying to determine with all
possible precision the conditions un.
der which the phenomenon occurs,
the laws which it obeys from the
N@APA~ ROAHN Vi vie" OF DAYSICSB
physiology and psychology. In
other words, to prove the exist
ence OF a new sense, which I have
called the paroptic sense, and to
describe its function as vigorously
as possible.
z. To try to discover the organ
OF this sense, to localize it and un-
fold its structure and method of
working.
1t appears that this extra.retinal
vision has all the characteristics of
a natural function. It does not APP
pear to be connected with any su.
pernormal activity. Nor is it the
privilege of certain exceptional sub
Jects alone, or reducible to the
mysterious functions, so iIl-defined,
such as mental suggestion and
thought-tranference
Experimental analysis leads to the
conclusion that this vision Is exer-
cised through the skin; that in man
1t is analogous to, and possibly the
survival of documentary vision,