more than briefly summarise the conditions and the results.
The main object of the experiments was to determine the fact of the transmission of ideas and sensations by other than the ordinary sensory channels; and for this purpose a form of experiment was chosen which made it possible effectually to eliminate the operation of chance coincidence as an explanation of the results. The effectiveness of the precautions taken to prevent information passing between agent and percipient by normal means will be discussed later. In the main series of experiments a set of small wooden counters used in a game called Lotto, were employed. The counters, eighty-one in number, bore the numbers from 10 to 90 inclusive, stamped in raised letters on their face. After the subject had been hypnotised, one of the counters was drawn at random from a bag, and handed to Mr. Smith inside a small box, in such a position that it was impossible for the subject, even if his eyes had been open, which was generally not the case, to see it. Mr. Smith—who in the course of the long series of experiments occupied various positions with relation to the subject, sometimes in front, sometimes behind or at the side[1]—would look intently at the number, and the percipient would state his impression. The total number of trials under these conditions with two percipients, young men name P.
- ↑ The position in each experiment is in indicated in the published report.
