- TELEPATHY -
(Involuntary transmission)
We present data from an amateur telepathic experiment, not planned for scientific purposes - so that the record is poorly put together. Nevertheless, we believe it is unusual and highly suggestive, with respect to the unintentional transmission, along with failure of the message intended.
Participants. Mark Probert, in San Diego. Harry Probert, his brother, in Los Angeles (125 mi.) (Mark P. is psychic and mediumistic; Harp P. has no such tendencies.)
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Oct. 29, '46. 7.00-7.15 p.m. H.P. receiving:
(a) big red rose, (b) large feet, (c) a broken phonograph record, (d) the words "red-red-red", (e) the colour red.
Comment by M.P. (sending): I did not try to send any of these items; however - with regard to (b), I visualized Harry as lying on a couch with his feet up, and myself as whispering in his ear. This is a familiar position for him and his feet stick up conspicuously. As to (c), I was in a restaurant while trying to transmit to Harry, and there was a cracked record in the "juke" box which annoyed me. (d), (e), and the red rose do not click except with the fact that there was a pink-colored newspaper on the table, and I was looking at it but not trying to send it.
7.15-7.30. H.P. sending: (a) a beam of light, (b) a large police dog. Comment by M.P. (receiving): A strong impulse to look at a light bulb. I decided to send it as an item. As to (b), on the afternoon of the 29th, I saw a large police dog standing by a store, but I did not receive any idea or image of a dog from Harry, so this was probably coincidence.
Oct. 30, '46. 7.15-7.30. H.P. receiving:
(a) eating a sandwich, (b) a bald-headed man in a blue suit, (c) whisky, laughter, (d) the word Cordova, (e) the words "a fashionable affair).
Comment by Mark P. (sending): Was not trying to transmit any of this. As to (a), I was eating a sandwich, (b) a bald-headed man in a blue suit sat next to me in the cafe. (c) There was laughter but I did not see any whisky. (d) "Cordova" for some unknown reason has becoming into my mind of late, but I did not try to send it. As to (e), the pink-colored paper I spoke of was open part of the time at the society page.
During 15 min. of attempted transmission, H.P. "concentrated very hard" on the Queen of Spades and the Jack of Diamonds. Nothing at all was received by Mark P. He is convinced that concentration prevents telepathic communication.
Oct. 31.
Neither Mark P. nor H.P. either sent or tried to receive anything, tho neither knew that the other would not make the attempt.
Nov. 1. 7.00-7.15 pm. H.P. receiving:
(a) black dot with red circle, (b) a feeling that Mark P. is "very tired", (c) something about a light or a light bulb, (d) "You are speaking to a heavy-set man wearing a white shirt, no coat, black or blue tie", (e) "You are asking me to sending clippings. The last two items were very clear."
Comment by Mark P.: I was not trying to send any of those items except the one about the clippings. I have no connection for item (a). As to (c), there had been a small fire in an office and I had been looking at the results of it. As to (d), yes, I was talking to a big man, blue eyes, white shirt, no coat. (Erratum); "I made a mistake, I did try to send the idea that I was very tired as well as about the clippings."
7.15-7.30 H.P. sending: (a) "A letter from Bob", (b) "Your nephew Richard", (c) the number 757, (d) "While sending I felt that you were interrupted."
Comment by Mark P.: (a) idea of the letter was clearly received. Item (b) and (c) not received, but it is true that I was interrupted, by a waitress.
Nov. 2. 7.00 p.m. H.P. receiving:
(a) you broke a pencil, (b) apple on table or desk near you - table seems high, (c) you were interrupted.
Comment by Mark P.: As to (a), I broke a pencil several times while making a sketch, (b) no apple, but was drawing circles. Maybe the fact that I was measuring had something to do with the "high" idea.
7.15 p.m., H.P. sending: (a) A bright new white hair comb, (b) laundry on the line blowing in the wind. "I feel I am not reaching you."
Comment by Mark P.: As to (a), on Thursday a girl sitting for her portrait gave me a white hair comb. (b) On Sunday Nov. 3, a hot water pipe burst overhead, all the bedding got wet and I had to put it on the line to dry. (The afternoon was windy. Ed.)
This last item looks like precognition.
Mark P. did not keep close record of what he actually tried to send, after discovering that very little of it was getting through. And yet a long list of happenings and objects in his environment were being received - so clear that H.P. actually tried to transmit them back to Mark P., thinking they were of his own invention. The large feet, the broken record, the red colour, the sandwich, the bald-headed man in his blue suit, the society page, the coatless man with the white shirt, the broken pencil, the various interruptions, the light bulb, the "letter from Bob", the comb, the laundry, the wind - these should certainly take the phenomena outside the reach of coincidence. (To this we add, (a) a leaf from a torn book - checks with front page torn out of telephone book, with addresses on it, and (b) "two men friends around you" - which was correct)... With due regard for the mass of skilled work done on this subject, we still ask the attention of experts to this extraordinary record of involuntary transmission, along with failure of most of the purposeful efforts to transmit, and to the time range covered by the material. Does not this indicate the necessity of reorganizing experimental work in telepathy?