Extraordinary Evidence | ESP Is Real

Episode 2: Institute for Experimental Religion


Listen Later

Episode 2: Institute for Experimental Religion


As the twentieth century dawns, parapsychology is divided between ghost

hunters—like Sherlock Holmes author Arthur Conan Doyle—and psi

seekers—like a young Sigmund Freud, who takes deeper interest in ESP and

telepathy than is commonly understood.


Early parapsychologists made strides with the British and American branches of

the Society for Psychical Research. William James and colleagues probe mysteries,

expose fakes, and generate controversies. But they function largely on mediums’

own turf: lace-curtain settings of Victorian séance parlors.


Enter two young, driven, and deeply ethical clinicians: J.B. and Louisa Rhine. “It

would be unpardonable,” J.B. announces in 1926, “for the scientific world today to

overlook evidences of the supernormal in our world,”


Wooed to Duke University, the Rhines in the late 1920s inaugurate the Institute for

Experimental Religion, later called the Parapsychology Laboratory. The lab

formally introduces psi research into academia. The Rhines’ efforts—involving

“guess” hits on Zener cards—prove simple, rigorous, and extraordinary. They

make extrasensory perception or ESP a household term. Stats and studies from the

Parapsychology Lab, including evidence for psychokinesis, withstand decades of

withering scrutiny.



This signal has been transmitted by SpectreVision Radio



Written and Narrated by Mitch Horowitz


Produced by Jim Perry and Jon McEdward


Original Music & Sound Design by Dean Hurley


Cover Artwork by Jake in Colour



Selected References


The Life and Work of Sigmund Freud by Ernest Jones, Vol. 3 (Basic Books, 1957)


The Future of the Body: Explorations Into the Further Evolution Of Human Nature

by Michael Murphy (Jeremy P. Tarcher, 1992)


The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, Vol.

XVIII (1920-1922) edited by James Strachey, Anna Freud, Alix Strachey and Alan

Tyson


Unbelievable: Investigations into Ghosts, Poltergeists, Telepathy, and Other

Unseen Phenomena from the Duke Parapsychology Laboratory by Stacy Horn

(Ecco, 2009)


Something Hidden by Louisa E. Rhine (McFarland, 1983)


J.B. Rhine: Letters 1923-1939: ESP and the Foundations of Parapsychology

by J.B. Rhine edited by Barbara Ensrud and Sally Rhine Feather (McFarland,

2021)


“Chapter 6: Psychokinesis,” An Introduction to Parapsychology, fifth edition, by

Harvey J. Irwin and Caroline A. Watt (McFarland, 2007)


Extra-Sensory Perception by J.B. Rhine (1934, Boston Society for Psychic

Research)


Extra-Sensory Perception After Sixty Years by J.G. Pratt, J.B. Rhine, Burke M.

Smith, Charles E. Stuart, and Joseph A. Greenwood (Henry Holt, 1940)


“Telepathy: Origins of Randomization in Experimental Design” by Ian

Hacking, Isis, Sept 1988, Vol. 79, №3


“J. B. Rhine’s Extra-Sensory Perception and Its Background in Psychical

Research” by Michael McVaugh and Seymour H. Mauskopf, Isis, June 1976, Vol.

67, №2


J.B. Rhine: On the Frontiers of Science edited by K. Ramakrishna Rao

(McFarland, 1982)


“Who Was J.B. Rhine?” by Rick Berger, Ph.D., February 14, 2020, at

parapsych.org, website of the Parapsychological Association


ESP and Parapsychology: A Critical Reevaluation by C.E.M. Hansel (Prometheus

Books, 1980)


“Rhetoric over substance: the impoverished state of skepticism” by Charles

Honorton, Journal of Parapsychology, June 1993


The Enchanted Voyager: The Life of J.B. Rhine by Denis Brian (Prentice-Hall,

1982)


Daydream Believer: Exploring the Ultimate Power of Your Mind by Mitch

Horowitz (G&D Media, 2022)


Archive Clips


Fairytale (1997)


Ghostbusters (1984)


Scooby Doo, Where Are You! (TV Series)


Charles Tart on The Case of ESP

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Extraordinary Evidence | ESP Is RealBy SpectreVision Radio

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

21 ratings


More shows like Extraordinary Evidence | ESP Is Real

View all
Duncan Trussell Family Hour by Duncan Trussell Family Hour

Duncan Trussell Family Hour

10,460 Listeners

The Astrology Podcast by Chris Brennan

The Astrology Podcast

1,539 Listeners

THIRD EYE DROPS by SpectreVision Radio

THIRD EYE DROPS

1,242 Listeners

Team Human by Douglas Rushkoff

Team Human

366 Listeners

Weird Studies by SpectreVision Radio

Weird Studies

600 Listeners

You Can See Me in the Dark by Melissa Sweazy and Nate Reisman

You Can See Me in the Dark

832 Listeners

Visitations by SpectreVision Radio

Visitations

337 Listeners

Dreamland by Whitley Strieber

Dreamland

453 Listeners

The Nightlight Astrology Podcast by Adam Elenbaas

The Nightlight Astrology Podcast

384 Listeners

That UFO Podcast by That UFO Podcast

That UFO Podcast

825 Listeners

Cosmosis [Formerly The UFO Rabbit Hole] by Kelly Chase & Jay Christopher King

Cosmosis [Formerly The UFO Rabbit Hole]

1,011 Listeners

Otherworld by Otherworld

Otherworld

3,901 Listeners

WEAPONIZED with Jeremy Corbell & George Knapp by Jeremy Corbell and George Knapp

WEAPONIZED with Jeremy Corbell & George Knapp

1,356 Listeners

Patterns Tell Stories | UFOs & High Strangeness by KLAɄЅ & GΔRRΞTT

Patterns Tell Stories | UFOs & High Strangeness

308 Listeners

Carlos Niño & Friends | Conversations and Music by SpectreVision Radio

Carlos Niño & Friends | Conversations and Music

7 Listeners

Directors Commentary with Mike Flanagan by SpectreVision Radio

Directors Commentary with Mike Flanagan

78 Listeners

Euphomet by And,If

Euphomet

1,022 Listeners

NITE DRIFT Archives by And,If Studios

NITE DRIFT Archives

73 Listeners

SpectreVision Radio Live by SpectreVision Radio

SpectreVision Radio Live

11 Listeners

Stories with Sapphire by Sapphire Sandalo

Stories with Sapphire

15 Listeners

The Haunted Objects Podcast by Planet Weird

The Haunted Objects Podcast

893 Listeners

The Spiel by SpectreVision Radio

The Spiel

58 Listeners

The Movies That Made Me by SpectreVision Radio

The Movies That Made Me

547 Listeners

The Telepathy Tapes by Ky Dickens

The Telepathy Tapes

7,968 Listeners

Full Disclosure with Danny Sheehan | UFOs, Aliens and Cover-Ups by SpectreVision Radio

Full Disclosure with Danny Sheehan | UFOs, Aliens and Cover-Ups

4 Listeners