The four-part collection “Irregular Hypnotic Phenomena” is an enchanting set of books that may be learn totally free at www.archive.org, even by those that haven’t registered on the website. Maybe the spotlight of the four-part collection is pages 33 to 76 of Quantity 3, the place we learn a protracted narrative of probably the most astonishing collection of successes by a girl who underwent what had been a few of the most rigorous collection of assessments ever utilized to somebody with obvious paranormal energy. The girl is recognized merely as Miss M. The 38-pages are quite off-topic, given the title of the e-book collection. Among the most astonishing clairvoyants in historical past had been those that produced their outcomes solely after being hypnotized (an instance being Osty’s topic Mrs. Morel, mentioned right here). However Miss M. apparently produced most or all her extra wonderful leads to a standard waking consciousness, with out requiring somebody to hypnotize her first. We do hear, although, of some physician utilizing “suggestion” together with her, so it’s quite unclear whether or not any hypnosis was concerned.
We learn on web page 33 that the primary investigator of Miss M. was “Dr. A. N. Khovrin, the superintendent of the Hospital for Psychological Illnesses in Tambov, a metropolis with a inhabitants of about 50,000 and located between Moscow and Saratov, some 300 miles south-east of Moscow.” On web page 38 we learn of an occasion that obtained Khovrin taken with Miss M.:
“Khovrin occurred to be together with her simply in the meanwhile when a letter was delivered to her. It was from considered one of her sisters, however she didn’t open it and was simply holding it in her hand when she grew to become very unhappy and began crying. She declared that her sister’s little boy had died and her sister additionally was very unwell. This certainly proved to be the information contained within the letter. Khovrin thought that this may need been a coincidence, however when she was requested how she guessed it, Miss M. replied that fairly often she knew what was inside a letter from her kin even earlier than opening it. After listening to this reply, Khovrin selected a collection of experiments, for, he argued to himself, if Miss M. was in a position to ‘ learn ‘ letters from her kin on this approach, then why not different letters as effectively ?”
We learn of a clairvoyance experiment with a Miss M., finished by a Russian investigator:
“The primary experiment on this collection passed off on 21 March 1892 at 20.00 hours. Khovrin took half a sheet of writing-paper, wrote a sentence on it, folded it in 4, fastidiously sealed it in an unusual envelope and proposed to Miss M. that she ought to attempt to learn what was inside. After repeated refusals, she lastly yielded to his persuasion, having first said, nevertheless, that nothing would come of it. Certainly, she continued to speak on different topics whereas already holding the letter, till he requested her immediately to focus on her drawback. Then she started wanting attentively on the envelope and transferring it between her fingers, as if she had been receiving some sensations which she was making an attempt to outline. After two or three minutes of focus she stated that it appeared to her that there have been the phrases ‘ Sofia Aleksandrovna’ and likewise one thing extra, however she was so exhausted that the experiment needed to be interrupted. Since these phrases had been the truth is within the letter Khovrin took an interest, and upon leaving her recommended to her that she ought to attempt to discover out what was within the envelope and inform him the following morning. Subsequent day, she despatched him the envelope on which she wrote ‘ Sofia Aleksandrovna, it is best to get well’. This, certainly was the sentence he had written. After cautious inspection of the envelope by means of a magnifying-glass, Khovrin was unable to detect any traces of it having been opened. Furthermore, when taking a look at it towards the sunshine, he was unable to see a single phrase.”
A bit later in the identical work we learn of an equally putting success:
“The following experiment, nevertheless, which was carried out underneath a lot stricter circumstances, gave no much less decisive outcomes. The textual content was written on normal writing-paper with the sheet folded in such a fashion that there have been 5 layers between the written phrases and the floor of the envelope ; not the slightest hint of writing was seen when the envelope was held up towards the sunshine. Having sealed the envelope fastidiously, he made throughout the flaps a variety of indicators in black ink which, he believed, will surely be affected if the envelope had been to be steamed or dampened. Having thus ready the envelope he gave it to Miss M. at midday, asking her to attempt to learn the textual content. Two hours later she got here to his condominium, imploring him to launch her from this experiment, as she was fairly unable to learn it. Khovrin examined the envelope by means of a magnifying-glass and located no seen traces of any try to open it. Then, no matter Miss M’s reluctance to proceed, he requested her to proceed with the experiment. She unwillingly gave her consent and instantly utilized herself to it.”
After apparently fairly a little bit of struggling, pauses and quite convulsive habits from Miss M., this end result occurred:
“All without delay she wrote on the envelope the next sentence, ‘Discipline-surgeon M-v poisoned himself with morphia out of affection for his first cousin’. This sentence corresponded precisely to the textual content within the sealed envelope.”
We subsequent learn this:
“A collection of latest experiments was undertaken with each precaution towards any try at fraud and, with out going into particulars, he said that these experiments satisfied him that Miss M. possessed a singular school which he believed was nothing apart from a rare acuity of sure sense organs which enabled her to obtain sensory impressions from sources that might not be perceived by regular individuals. Additional, these unconsciously obtained impressions appeared later in her consciousness within the type of unbelievable pictorial photographs which, nevertheless, corresponded with the objects producing these impressions.”
We then examine an elaborate testing protocol:
“Two of them, he writes, had been reported at size within the journal Voprosy Filosofi [Philosophical Problems] and within the protocols of the St. Petersburg Society of Experimental Psychology, 1892 and 1893. Within the protocol of this society for 3 November 1893 it’s recorded that, after an exhaustive dialogue of the issue as to how greatest to conduct the experiment and conceal from the clairvoyant the textual content that she was alleged to learn, the assembly unanimously accepted the next process. Every of the 9 members on the assembly wrote on a sheet of ordinary paper a brief sentence of two or three traces in such a approach that nobody knew what the others had written. This sheet was then folded, wrapped in one other sheet of paper and put into an envelope. All of the envelopes had been then positioned in a hat, from which the Vice-president, Mr. Fisher, took one at random and burned the others. The envelope picked out by Mr. Fisher was then put into one other thick envelope and glued to it inside in two locations. This envelope additionally was glued and stapled in 4 locations throughout the flaps with particular clips. As an additional precaution towards fraud a seal of the society, much like these utilized by public notaries, was positioned on the center of the envelope. The letters on the seal had been organized in relation to 2 factors made on the envelope by a pin and visual solely underneath a magnifying-glass, and beneath the seal, however invisible from the skin, was positioned a tiny piece of hair. If both Miss M. or anybody else eliminated the seal, the hair would even be eliminated with out being seen and if the envelope had been exchanged a counterfeit of the society’s seal must be made, which itself can be a troublesome activity…. After a number of sittings, Miss M. wrote on the outer envelope that what she noticed within the textual content was ‘ I’m satisfied that you’ll learn my letter simply and with out bother and that afterwards you’ll really feel magnificent. Petersburg, L. G. Korchagin.’ She stated that this textual content was written on unlined paper occupying three and a half traces, the handwriting being medium sized and uniform.
As quickly as Miss M. had solved the issue Khovrin despatched the end result to St. Petersburg and at a sitting of the Society of Experimental Psychology on 3 April, 1893, the outer envelope was examined by an knowledgeable who declared that no traces of fraudulent dealing with had been to be discovered. Then each the envelopes had been opened and the unique textual content in contrast with Miss M’s studying, which proved to be fully right. Consequently the members on the sitting got here to the next conclusion, which was drafted in these phrases : ‘It’s extremely possible that the actual fact of clairvoyance on this explicit case was genuine and it’s subsequently most fascinating that the experiments with Miss M. needs to be continued’ .”
We then learn of one other check that was equally profitable:
“Miss M. agreed to make one other comparable experiment with stricter controls and significantly with the help of an individual acquainted with such issues. He subsequently requested an knowledgeable from the publish workplace, Mr. S. A. Stroganov, who had by no means earlier than met Miss M., to arrange for her an issue in line with his personal necessities. On 13 April, subsequently, Stroganov gave Khovrin an envelope, closed together with his personal wax seal and with a variety of numerous indicators throughout the flaps. On 17 April Miss M. returned the envelope, on which she had written, ‘ There are issues on this world we by no means dreamt of’. The envelope was without delay handed to Stroganov and on the following day the next assertion was obtained from him. ‘After minute examination of the outer envelope on my own and different specialists, it was discovered to be in the identical state as once I gave it to you. My private seal positioned throughout the flaps didn’t present the slightest traces of being dealt with, or the flaps of being dampened or steamed. The figures and indicators on the envelope, even the best ones, have been examined by means of a magnifying-glass and present the identical state as earlier than the experiment. After the envelope was minimize open, the inside was once more examined and located free from any dealing with : the letter itself was glued to the envelope exactly as I did it myself and a really skinny tape constructed from particular materials that was used to tie the inside envelope crosswise was additionally intact, along with its ends glued to the envelope. Clearly, if the letter had been taken out of the envelope, it could have been torn out and the tape binding would have been torn out additionally, however no traces of this have been found. The sentence I had written was as follows, ‘There are issues on this world the wisest males didn’t dream of’. The sheet of paper was folded in such a fashion that even when there have been a chance to have a look at it towards the sunshine the phrases of 1 line had been coated with the phrases of one other and had been fully unreadable. This sheet was wrapped in one other clear sheet, which was additionally folded in 4 and the envelope itself was of very thick paper in order that studying the textual content towards the sunshine appears to me completely unimaginable. 1 can’t chorus from expressing my amazement as to how Miss M. may guess my textual content underneath such unnatural circumstances.’ ”
A unique kind of check is described on this web page. The check concerned studying a sealed envelope containing a chunk of undeveloped movie, and a chunk of paper mentioning the burning of a constructing. The check was run by an authority who was satisfied that if any trickery had by some means opened the sealed envelope, the movie would have been uncovered to mild, in a approach that might have given away the trickery. Miss M. said that the envelope produced in her a imaginative and prescient of a burning constructing. The movie was developed, and no signal was discovered that it had been uncovered to mild.
A scholar used these precautions in getting ready an envelope to check the clairvoyance of Miss M.:
“My textual content was written on a half sheet of ordinary paper, folded in two. I wrapped this in a sheet of yellow paper, in order that the primary sheet couldn’t even be seen with out first unwrapping it. Then, from the identical yellow paper I made an envelope of irregular form, gluing it with carpenter’s glue and placing six seals from the psychological hospital library throughout the flaps. Inside, the primary envelope was glued to the yellow paper. The outer envelope was then put into an unusual postal envelope and sealed with eleven seals of varied varieties, each wax and in any other case and imprinted by a sure gadget from the laboratory.”
Miss M. introduced again the sealed envelope, and had written these phrases on its exterior:
“ Giant nation highway ; timber on the aspect of the highway ; one can see a coach (farantass) and there appear to be two individuals sitting in it ; one, it appears to me, is an aged man who wears some type of heavy coat, subsequent to him is a girl with a white umbrella above her head.”
After getting the envelope again, the coed who ready this check wrote the next:
“After a most thorough examination of the seals, and of the envelopes, I’m able to conclude that it was positively unimaginable for Miss M. to open the envelope, learn the textual content, and put it again, forging all of the seals. It’s essential to admit that she has certainly some particular school for studying hidden texts and for imagining very realistically (even to the purpose of hallucination) footage comparable to what the experimenter had written. My textual content consisted of the next sentences. ‘A big nation highway, with timber rising on each side. Within the distance one can see horses drawing a coach—a tarantass. There are two passengers sitting within the coach : an outdated man in a heavy coat and a younger girl in a summer season swimsuit, with a white umbrella above her head.”
On web page 51 we learn of this experimental success with Miss M.:
“As these trials gave constructive outcomes, Khovrin went on to extra common experiments and one of many extra difficult ones will right here be described. He had ready a variety of assessments written on similar items of ordinary paper in his unusual handwriting. Every sheet was coated with an analogous clean sheet, each folded in two and put into thick, heavy envelopes, fully opaque when held towards the sunshine. He then picked up at random considered one of these envelopes and destroyed the others, in order that he himself had no concept which textual content Miss M. was going to work at. Throughout all these sittings, Miss M. held the envelope solely in his presence ; in any other case it was hidden in a spot which was recognized solely to himself. This experiment took altogether 5 days, owing primarily to the truth that after fifteen to twenty minutes Miss M. grew to become too exhausted to proceed….The standard continuing was that Miss M. tried to pay attention, holding the envelope between her fingers or towards her head. Every time she noticed a fragmentary hallucination till at a later sitting on 1 June it culminated lastly into a definite and extra full image. After just a few moments she got here to herself after which wrote on the envelope ‘ I noticed a big room brightly illuminated with many candles and a chandelier ; many individuals are strolling about in {couples} dressed as for a ball. There’s a stage on this room : one of many girls in a white gown goes up on the platform ; she is holding one thing in her fingers and mounting the stage and gesticulating ; I appear to listen to her singing. I have no idea whether or not she is basically singing or whether or not it’s in my creativeness. The individuals stopped transferring about and so they appear to be applauding. S. M., 1 June 1893.”
“This activity was fairly completely solved, for Khovrin’s textual content was : ‘A big corridor brightly lighted with lamps and chandeliers, girls and gents in evening-dress stroll round in teams. One of many girls, in ball gown, with a fan in her fingers, mounts the stage and stays standing there. Then she begins to sing in a pleasing voice, * Out within the Storm’. The viewers applauds.’ ”
We then learn of different assessments efficiently handed by Miss M., through which the experimenters had been cautious to maintain the sealed envelope of their sight always, or in a mix of their sight or a locked container which solely the experimenters had the important thing to.
Experimenters of the time tried to clarify these outcomes by postulating a “hyperacuity” of the senses. However a author explains why this clarification doesn’t work:
“It could also be of curiosity to provide the views of a contemporary physicist on the interpretation of Khovrin’s experiments from the physiological standpoint. He factors out that there are three instructions through which regular sight may be presumably developed past the same old limits. Firstly, seeing in close to ultra-violet, or close to infra-red mild ; secondly, seeing in close to darkness ; and thirdly, excessive definition, resembling seeing very small print at a really lengthy distance. ‘There are physiological limits to all three. Studying by means of opaque matter doesn’t come into this class in any respect. Opacity is the results of reflection, refraction and diffraction of sunshine. Because the opacity will increase, the distinction between the sign and the subtle mild decreases. At a sure level the distinction turns into insignificant and no quantity of additional lighting, magnification or publicity within the case of images will assist. Underneath regular circumstances a single sheet of blotting-paper is completely opaque, and no quantity of ‘ hyperacuity ‘ of sight will make it much less so, as a result of because the depth of the sign will increase so does the diffusion of sunshine, and the ratio stays the identical.”
You may simply reveal this with a easy check just like the one beneath. First, I wrote the identify “Thomas Jefferson” on a chunk of paper utilizing an unusual ball-point pen:
I then folded the paper twice, and caught it in an unusual envelope, one I had obtained from a letter despatched to me by some well being care company. I held the envelope as much as a brilliant electrical mild, a lightweight so brilliant that it leaves an after-image in my closed eyes if I take a look at the sunshine after which shut my eyes. I couldn’t see any of the letters when holding the letter as much as the brilliant mild:
Even after taking part in round with numerous picture parameters resembling Gamma Correction and Distinction, not one of the letters had been seen. Enjoying round with the Distinction parameter brought on the traces on the paper to be very faintly seen, however not the letters written on the paper.
Our scientists ought to get hold of and check individuals who report paranormal results resembling with the ability to inform the contents of sealed hand-written letters earlier than opening them, an impact very clearly reported by many witnesses resembling Mark Twain, as described right here. When they’re finished in the correct approach, such assessments counsel one thing profoundly necessary in regards to the human thoughts: that it’s one thing a lot completely different and rather more than a product of the mind. However alas, for each scientist making an attempt to do such assessments, there are most likely 500 scientists who waste the federal government’s cash working the “Rodent Racket” of doing nugatory poorly-designed experiments involving rodents, reminiscence and concern. Such experiments inform us nothing dependable about reminiscence or rodents, as a result of they contain quite a lot of very poor analysis practices resembling utilizing way-too-small examine group sizes (inadequate to indicate correlation), a failure to comply with a blinding protocol, and using unreliable subjective methods for judging rodent concern (“freezing habits” judgments) quite than dependable methods for measuring rodent concern resembling measuring coronary heart fee spikes. Fashionable academia has incentives for such junk science research, however penalizes and shames those that run-well designed research demonstrating paranormal results. And so we find yourself with so many junk science rodent reminiscence research that may be pretty described as appropriate for wrapping fish or lining the bottoms of hen cages.
