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In 1936 two female researchers from Duke University conducted a test in a children's home and gave
the children candy as incentive to co-operate in the experiment. Jokingly, one of the researchers
announced that she would give a fifty-cent piece to any child who managed a perfect score. A girl
named Lillian made 23. When the experimenters returned to the home, Lillian kept a promise that she
had made and accomplished a perfect run of 25 hits.
You may find it interesting to test your child's ESP as well as your own. Zener cards, an ordinary pack
of playing cards, or attractive pictures clipped from a magazine will all serve the purpose quite well.
In the child's case, however, it would be best to have a duplicate set of the targets which you are using
in the test. This is generally quite effective in working with the very young, because agent and
percipient are each able to have a set of the cards in front of him. Also, I would recommend using
only five cards instead of twenty-five. Here is a working procedure which you may follow, or, you
may improvise one of your own.
Set your child at one end of the table with five cards face up before him, then, after erecting some sort
of screen between you, seat yourself at the other end. Explain to the child that you want him to guess
which card you are looking at whenever he hears you snap your fingers. Remember, the signal must
not be a spoken one. Instruct him to look carefully at the cards before he tells you which one he thinks
you are thinking about.
After you have snapped your fingers or given some other sort of unspoken sound signal, concentrate
on one of the five cards placed face up in front of you. When the child tells you his guess, record
whether or not it was a hit or a miss. Repeat the procedure five times for a complete run. As before,
five hits are within normal probability. If your child should hit ten or more, control your excitement,
but praise him and encourage him to try to do better on future "guessing games." Above all, do not tire
him or bore him with the procedure.
These experiments may be attempted many times over - the more sessions, the better. Keep accurate
records and average your scores together. Encourage friends with similar interests to engage in the
experiments along with you. Compare your results. You may find that you possess your own private
entryway into lie world of ESP. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]