Extra-Sensory Perception

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Now, the cardboard is slightly opaque to X-rays but the ink-figures on it are not. An X-ray photograph of the card shows only a dim outline of the card after a 10-second exposure. When a pack of the cards used is photographed with X-rays, it shows only a more clear rectangle. There is no difference made by the figures printed on the cards—no differential absorption. If these rays are not obstructed by the ink-figures, it is surely not to be expected that shorter ones would be. And if longer waves were in question, the cardboard would interfere. And even if these difficulties were not in the way and there were a suitable ray penetrating the pack of cards, giving differential absorption on every card, the impression given on a receptive plate or organ would be one big blur in the center

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of the card. For the effect would presumably be additive, and one figure indistinguishable from another on the analogy of sensory perception and mechanical reception. So I see no way to use the radiation theory unless the ink-figures themselves give off the special radiation, and that its waves are short enough to penetrate cardboard even when piled up 25 cards deep and about ¾ inch thick.

[Fire in the Sky]

Such radiation, supposed, then, to come from the ink-figures on the cards, would have to be (1) continuously emitted (old cards, a year old, are as good as new), (2) would have to penetrate 25 cards with undiminished force, (3) would have to be incapable of affecting an X-ray sensitive plate after ½ hour exposure (actually tested), and (4) would have to be as detectable at 250 yards as at one yard. This takes it out of the range of present physical knowledge. And when it is recalled that such radiation, in order to make possible the D.T. results, would have to permit of 25 figures being distinguishable in a pack, at one time,—that is, with

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continuous radiation striking the receptive organ (perhaps the brain),—the discrimination between the 25 figures on the cards in the pack would presumably have to be based upon relative intensity. But the cards themselves are stamped with rubber stamps with varying pressure and ink supply, and individual differences are so large that this could not be relied upon. There would be a situation too baffling even for sense perception, which is manifestly more certain and dependable. Suppose one were to try to distinguish visually 25 luminous figures set one behind the other, all 25 in % inch space, when he was seated from 2 to 5 feet away from them. The impression would be much like the differential absorption case pictured above in which an incoming ray was assumed, one that was more

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absorbed by the ink-figure than by the cards. One great un-analyzable splotch! Furthermore, in the D.T. work the card-pack may be perceived from any angle: from above, from the side, or from an intermediate angle. Whether the supposed rays came from the figures or came from without, the angle would be important on any radiation theory —as much in fact as it is to a photographer or a reader. But, actually, the angle is not seriously regarded by the percipient.

[Fire in the Sky]

On these many scores the facts are against the Radiation Hypothesis and there are none at all to favor it, except that it is familiar.

Now, if we are dealing with the same general function in P.C. and P.T. work as the evidence (see Chapter 13) would seem to indicate, we have to suppose either that the human nervous system radiates "thought-waves" or that it selectively absorbs some outside radiation. The former seems to be the only one of the two worthy of attention. The general electro-dynamics of the nerve cell is not well known but it has been likened to a small dynamo. And the trend of neural physiology is strongly toward

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more electro-magnetic interpretation of nerve functions. To suppose some electric radiation here would not be a large leap at all. But what are the requirements for this?

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First, for an adequate E.S.P. hypothesis we must have something that can hypothetically cover both the P.C. and the P.T. conditions. The radiation coming from a card or coming from a brain probably will need to be quite similar in view of the many facts that tie the P.C. and P.T. processes up together. It is difficult, as already stated, in physical theorizing to think of wave emanations coming from a brain and an ink-figure. In doing this electro-physiology cannot help us, for we have to go down to a level of the card and ink, since they serve quite as well as the brain (or "thinking organ") as a source of E.S.P. stimulation.

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But, assuming, even, that the two sources have different wave characteristics and dealing alone with the wave-features under P.T. conditions, the radiation hypothesis is rendered pretty thoroughly inapplicable by the distance data. All radiant energy declines in intensity with the square of the distance from the source. We should then find that other things being equal, distance would bring about a sharp decline in P.T. scoring. Turning to Tables XXXVI and XXXVII in Chapter 8, we see that this is not the case with P.T. In fact, it is just the opposite, distance-P.T. giving higher scores than did P.T. in the same room with the agent. In view of the large number of trials, 3,300 in the same room and 2,100 with some distance, the difference in average scores per 25 of 1.2 is quite significant, being 5.8 times the probable error for the difference. Most of the distances are short, 30 feet and under; but even a distance of

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8 to 30 feet is a prodigious distance for the detection of patterns in short-wave radiation that will penetrate flesh, tiled walls, heavy doors, etc. Declining with the square of the distance would give great fall in intensity. But when we extend the distance to over 250 miles, and have Miss Turner jump from her "close-up" average of 7.7 in 25 to 19 hits in 25 at the long distance in the first run, any radiation hypothesis depending on the inverse square law can hardly be regarded as plausible, in my judgment. And if it be a radiation hypothesis without the inverse square law, what would it be?

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Shall Herzian or "radio" waves of short cycle be considered? They are at once thrown out by the distance data. One needs only to remember the tremendous difference in radio reception between being within a mile of a powerful broadcasting station and being over 250 miles away. In Miss Turner's case that is reversed. And the data are independent. Even though she never gets so high again, the point is amply established, unless the standard mathematics for the evaluation of such data is in grievous error; for her first 75 trials gave a gain over chance average that

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is 15.7 times the probable error. And when one reflects upon the high intensities required for radiation from the agent's mind in order to reach out over 250 miles, allowing for a decline proportional to the square of the distance—even if the results were to grade down with distance—the agent would have to be an incredibly powerful broadcasting station.

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In view of the E.S.P. at a distance and the D.T. work there is little chance for a radiation theory, along lines of present physical theory, intellectually delightful though it would be to bring these results into more easy explanation and acceptance by finding such a connection between new facts and old laws. There are general considerations, too, that are against the radiation theory. One of these is the problem of explaining orientation and focussing on radiational lines. I refer now not to the problem of localizing a card in the middle of the pack by E.S.P. but of keeping the right pack in mind. I have, for instance, worked with Pearce with the table literally covered with cards, with sixteen packs and some odds and ends strewn about. I pick up one pack and start him at calling it B.T. or D.T. Now, if all the figures on all the cards are broadcasting more messages,

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there are perhaps 75 to 100 vibrating "circle", "circle", "circle", while simultaneously (mark!) are 400 others discordantly chiming in with "wavy lines", "star" and the rest. If we use a wave-hypothesis, we have to play it throughout, and on this problem of localization or focussing, it seems preferable to wait rather than accept the confusion attending the wave-hypothesis that makes every figure a broadcasting unit. In P.T. it is even worse! What percipient could, even if he were a "sort of radio receiving set", possibly distinguish his agent's messages in spite of the fact that there are many millions of other "stations" sending in the same cycle?

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Or can we suppose that every mind if not every card, has its own cycle? This is probably implied in the medium's remark that she is "trying to get into your vibration". But what a range would be required for the race and what a task "receiving" would be! A few dozen stations are a trial to keep from overlapping; what about the millions, with no Federal supervision! It is just one more little point of difficulty for a Radiation Hypothesis.