Shekinah Bennett

Freshman Composition

4/25/13

Extrasensory Perception (ESP)

• Thesis Statement: By researching the origins, eyewitness accounts, and connections to present day of ESP, knowledge of how it works may be acquired.

What Is ESP?

• ESP is commonly called the sixth sense.

• It is beyond the ordinary five senses.

• Means to receive information by other means like telepathy, clairvoyance, or precognition.

(Schmeidler)

• Popularized by American parapsychologist named J.B. Rhine.

• One of the first to test ESP.

• First systematic study was done in 1882 after founding of Society for Physical Research.

Origins of ESP

(Schmeidler)

www.dukemagazine.duke.edu

How it began

• Tests began as spontaneous accidents.

• First test subjects known as “sensitives,” or psychics.

• Not tested under laboratory conditions at first.

• J.B. Rhine changed and perfected the testing forum.

(Schmeidler)

• Experiments done by card-guessing.

• First performed at Duke University in 1930 by J.B. Rhine.

• Cards consisted of 5 designs now known as ESP symbols.

How its tested

(Schmeidler)

neurocritic.blogspot.co.uk

• Researcher showed subject all cards at once then flipped them over.

• Person saw the back of the card without seeing the pictures as tester shuffles cards.

• Person would guess what picture is on the other side.

How it works

(Wiseman and Greening 487)

mashable.com

Why so fascinating?

• People drawn to idea of “knowing the unknown.”

• Also drawn to idea of alternate reality.

• Tests began to show positive results of ESP.

(Glausiusz 11)

Who saw it first?

• Reports of ESP published by the National Opinion Research Council.

• In 1987 67% of adult Americans believed they had experienced ESP.

• Percent of believers grew as tests continued.

(Wiseman and Greening 487)

Reactions

• People viewed it as a definite phenomenon.

• Some people feared the tests and what they would result in.

• People mainly thought it was intriguing.

(Buckland 156)

Test statistics

• Subjects were expected to get 0,1,2,3, or 4 trials correct

0 correct = 4%

1 correct = 8%

2 correct = 49%

3 correct = 25%

4 correct = 14%

(Wiseman and Greening 487)

New ways of testing

• As technology advances, tests are transferred to computer.

• Subject shown a video clip scenario and tries to “out-guess” the computer.

• Video games also used.

(Buckland 156)

ESP today

• People use ESP in their everyday lives using their 5 senses.

• A person can tell when another person is nervous by their actions.

• Humans specifically designed to respond to each other’s non-verbal cues.

(Perry 16)

ESP influences T.V.

• Investigative mystery shows portray a character that can ‘”see the future” or something usually unnoticed.

Touch

The Mentalist

CSI

NCIS

(Glausiusz 11)

How ESP is defined today

• It is an indirect form of communication.

• To determine things about others without them making it plain.

• A person’s non-verbal cues help you to see what they are thinking.

(Perry 16)

• We can only determine what someone might be thinking through their actions.

• We can tell when someone is happy, anxious, bored, or excited.

• There is very little evidence that ESP, in the paranormal sense, occurs.

Can people read minds?

(Perry 16)

Works Cited

1. Wiseman, Richard, and Emma Greening. "The Mind Machine: A Mass Participation Experiment Into The Possible Existence Of Extra-

Sensory Perception." British Journal Of Psychology 93.4 (2002): 487. Business Source Premier. Web. 14 Oct. 2012.

2. Perry, Bruce. "Can Some People Read Minds?." Science World 57.1 (2000): 16. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 14 Oct. 2012.

3. Glausiusz, Josie. "Mapping The Mind's Eye." Discover 22.5 (2001): 11. Vocational and Career Collection. Web. 14 Oct. 2012.

4. Schmeidler, Gertrude. "ESP (extrasensory Perception)." The City College, New York, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2012.

5. Buckland, Raymond. The Spirit Book: The Encyclopedia of Clairvoyance,

Channeling, and Spirit Communication. Detroit: Visible Ink, 2006. Print.