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Guidelines for Testing Psychic Claimants
“Get yourself a copy.” The Skeptic
Many people claim to be psychic. Palm readers and astrologers claim that they look into the future to help solve personal problems. Mediums claim to help individuals communicate with deceased friends and relatives. Faith healers and psychic surgeons claim to diagnose and cure illness. “Psychic detectives” offer advice to the police to help solve crime. Alleged psychics have been used to attract followers to religious organizations and as consultants by large businesses.
Health professionals, law enforcement agents, cult investigators and scientists may wish to examine these claimants or assess the quality of investigations carried out by others. Badly designed investigations can result in false claimants being seen as genuine or honest claimants being accused of fraud.
This book, therefore, tackles these issues, providing pragmatic and flexible guidelines to help researchers identify and resolve the problems that most frequently occur during the assessment of individuals claiming strong psychic ability.
Many people claim to be psychic. Palm readers and astrologers claim that they look into the future to help solve personal problems. Mediums claim to help individuals communicate with deceased friends and relatives. Faith healers and psychic surgeons claim to diagnose and cure illness. “Psychic detectives” offer advice to the police to help solve crime. Alleged psychics have been used to attract followers to religious organizations and as consultants by large businesses.
Health professionals, law enforcement agents, cult investigators and scientists may wish to examine these claimants or assess the quality of investigations carried out by others. Badly designed investigations can result in false claimants being seen as genuine or honest claimants being accused of fraud.
This book, therefore, tackles these issues, providing pragmatic and flexible guidelines to help researchers identify and resolve the problems that most frequently occur during the assessment of individuals claiming strong psychic ability.
Paperback
First published November 1, 1995
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About the author
Richard Wiseman
53 books584 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Professor Richard Wiseman started his working life as a professional magician, and was one of the youngest members of The Magic Circle. He then obtained a degree in psychology from University College London and a doctorate from the University of Edinburgh.
Richard currently holds Britain’s only Professorship in the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, where he has gained an international reputation for research into psychology of luck, self-help, persuasion, and illusion. He has published over 50 papers in leading peer reviewed academic journals (including Nature and Psychological Bulletin), and his work has been cited in over 20 introductory textbooks.
A passionate advocate for science, his best-selling books have been translated into over 30 languages and he has presented keynote addresses at several organisations, including Microsoft, The Royal Society, Caltech, and Google.
Richard is the most followed British psychologist on Twitter, and has created viral videos that have received over 40 million views. Over 2 million people have taken part in his mass participation experiments and he has acted as a creative consultant to Derren Brown, The MythBusters, CBS’s The Mentalist, and Heston Blumenthal, Nick Cave, and the West End play ‘Ghost Stories’.
Richard is a Member of the Inner Magic Circle, an Honorary Fellow of the British Science Association, and a Fellow of the Rationalist Association. He is one of the most frequently quoted psychologists in the British media and was recently listed in the Independent On Sunday’s top 100 people who make Britain a better place to live.
He likes sushi, is fond of dogs, and finds Arrested Development very funny.
Professor Richard Wiseman started his working life as a professional magician, and was one of the youngest members of The Magic Circle. He then obtained a degree in psychology from University College London and a doctorate from the University of Edinburgh.
Richard currently holds Britain’s only Professorship in the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, where he has gained an international reputation for research into psychology of luck, self-help, persuasion, and illusion. He has published over 50 papers in leading peer reviewed academic journals (including Nature and Psychological Bulletin), and his work has been cited in over 20 introductory textbooks.
A passionate advocate for science, his best-selling books have been translated into over 30 languages and he has presented keynote addresses at several organisations, including Microsoft, The Royal Society, Caltech, and Google.
Richard is the most followed British psychologist on Twitter, and has created viral videos that have received over 40 million views. Over 2 million people have taken part in his mass participation experiments and he has acted as a creative consultant to Derren Brown, The MythBusters, CBS’s The Mentalist, and Heston Blumenthal, Nick Cave, and the West End play ‘Ghost Stories’.
Richard is a Member of the Inner Magic Circle, an Honorary Fellow of the British Science Association, and a Fellow of the Rationalist Association. He is one of the most frequently quoted psychologists in the British media and was recently listed in the Independent On Sunday’s top 100 people who make Britain a better place to live.
He likes sushi, is fond of dogs, and finds Arrested Development very funny.
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April 3, 2025
A MANUAL OF ‘CAUTIONS,’ AS WELL AS SUGGESTED TESTING GUIDELINES
Psychologist Robert Wiseman and parapsychologist Robert L. Morris wrote in the Introduction to this 1995 book, “Parapsychology has been defined as the study of apparent new means of communication between people and their environment. Most parapsychologists draw a distinction between two types of ostensible psychic ability. In extrasensory perception (ESP), information appears to flow from the environment to a person, using a channel of communication not presently understood. For example, an alleged psychic may apparently divine the contents of a sealed envelope, or accurately predict a future event. In the second type of psychic ability, psychokinesis (PK), a person appears to influence the environment using unknown means. For example, an alleged psychic may apparently cause a table to levitate by concentrating on it, or bend a spoon by gently rubbing it.
“Generally speaking, there are two ways in which parapsychologists investigate the possible existence of psychic ability. Some researchers assume that everybody possesses such abilities to a small degree. These researchers carry out experiments on large number of individuals, none of whom claim to be especially psychic. The effects obtained in these studies are often small and can only be detected by statistical analysis. An alternative approach concentrates on ‘psychic claimants,’ that is, individuals who DO claim to be psychically gifted. Studies employing the latter approach typically employ just one subject (the claimant in question) and when successful, produce effects so large (such as the levitation of a table) that they can be observed without the aid of statistics…
“However, even a casual observer of the literature couldn’t fail to notice that this latter approach has only been adopted by a minority of researchers. This bias is unfortunate, as the of psychic claimants could prove important for several reasons. For example… psychic ability might best be studied ‘in extremis,’ rather than as it occurs in the ‘normal’ population. In addition, the phenomena produced by such claimants are to many (including, perhaps, most of the general public), more convincing evidence of psychic ability than the statistical data from ‘multi-subject’ studies.
“Researchers have avoided working with psychic claimants in part because there have existed no formal methodological guidelines as to how such work should proceed. This manual tackles this problem by providing pragmatic and flexible guidelines to help researchers identify and resolve the problems that most frequently occur during the assessment of individuals claiming strong psychic ability.” (Pg. 11-13)
They tackle ‘The Problem of Fraud’: “Many psychic claimants have been the subject of scientific scrutiny… Unfortunately, some claimants have proved to be ‘pseudo-psychics,’ that is individuals who consciously fake psychic ability…. Failure to detect such fraud can lead to serous negative consequences… The controversy that surrounds the possible fraudulent nature of claimants can also threaten the unity of parapsychology. Arguments concerning the validity of the claims of medium Mina Crandon almost split apart the American Society for Psychical Research. Researchers who fail to guard against such cheating also face the problem of false accusations…” (Pg. 15-17)
They suggest, “researchers should ensure that a detailed claim is specified before any experimentation. If a claimant appears unsure as to the factors that are conducive to his or her ability, researchers should help identify such factors. This could involve running several informal sessions (i.e., with no or few controls present) in which the claimant can attempt to produce phenomena under a variety of circumstances. Before undertaking such sessions, researchers should clearly inform the claimant that any phenomena produced will not be taken as evidence of psychic ability. This may help a claimant erroneously believing (and perhaps telling others) that he or she has ben formally ‘tested’ when, in reality, only pilot investigations have taken place.” (Pg. 29)
They admit, “Problems arise if the researchers suspect that the claimant might be a likely trickster… There are several disadvantages associated with attempting to assess claimants who seem likely to engage in trickery… However, some writers have argued that there are a number of advantages associated with assessing such subjects… [J.] Beloff … describes how Eusapia Palladino was often caught cheating in many of her séances… [but then] having resulted in the production of genuine phenomena. Beloff argues that these ‘genuine’ phenomena would have been missed had the investigators adhered to the ‘once a cheat, always a cheat’ hypothesis, and thus refused to work with Palladino… [Beloff] has also noted that … a certain amount of trickery may be needed to act as a catalyst for genuine psychic phenomena… little advice can be given here. Researchers must decide for themselves.” (Pg. 31-34)
They note, “Proof of the existence of psi in an absolute sense is difficult if not impossible, as one can always speculate about artifacts or fraud strategies that have been overlooked. But by paying careful attention to details and the issues raised previously, one can build a strong case for the claims of specific individuals.” (Pg. 76)
They conclude, “This manual has described several straightforward and simple techniques for minimizing the problems that can arise while testing psychic claimants… Some of the easiest individuals to fool are those who are very confident of their ability to detect deception. These guidelines will help minimize the possibility of subject deception: they are not (and probably can never be) absolutely foolproof. Genine claimants present parapsychologists with a valuable opportunity to learn about psychic functioning. Dishonest claimants provide an excellent chance to investigate the psychology of deception. Either way, such work is both interesting and important. It is hoped that these guidelines will encourage researchers to carry out work, and help them achieve the high methodological standards that their honest subjects fully deserve.” (Pg. 85-86)
This is kind of a strange book to be published by Prometheus Books (which is VERY anti-supernatural). But some of these guidelines and cautionary notes may be of help to parapsychological researchers.
Psychologist Robert Wiseman and parapsychologist Robert L. Morris wrote in the Introduction to this 1995 book, “Parapsychology has been defined as the study of apparent new means of communication between people and their environment. Most parapsychologists draw a distinction between two types of ostensible psychic ability. In extrasensory perception (ESP), information appears to flow from the environment to a person, using a channel of communication not presently understood. For example, an alleged psychic may apparently divine the contents of a sealed envelope, or accurately predict a future event. In the second type of psychic ability, psychokinesis (PK), a person appears to influence the environment using unknown means. For example, an alleged psychic may apparently cause a table to levitate by concentrating on it, or bend a spoon by gently rubbing it.
“Generally speaking, there are two ways in which parapsychologists investigate the possible existence of psychic ability. Some researchers assume that everybody possesses such abilities to a small degree. These researchers carry out experiments on large number of individuals, none of whom claim to be especially psychic. The effects obtained in these studies are often small and can only be detected by statistical analysis. An alternative approach concentrates on ‘psychic claimants,’ that is, individuals who DO claim to be psychically gifted. Studies employing the latter approach typically employ just one subject (the claimant in question) and when successful, produce effects so large (such as the levitation of a table) that they can be observed without the aid of statistics…
“However, even a casual observer of the literature couldn’t fail to notice that this latter approach has only been adopted by a minority of researchers. This bias is unfortunate, as the of psychic claimants could prove important for several reasons. For example… psychic ability might best be studied ‘in extremis,’ rather than as it occurs in the ‘normal’ population. In addition, the phenomena produced by such claimants are to many (including, perhaps, most of the general public), more convincing evidence of psychic ability than the statistical data from ‘multi-subject’ studies.
“Researchers have avoided working with psychic claimants in part because there have existed no formal methodological guidelines as to how such work should proceed. This manual tackles this problem by providing pragmatic and flexible guidelines to help researchers identify and resolve the problems that most frequently occur during the assessment of individuals claiming strong psychic ability.” (Pg. 11-13)
They tackle ‘The Problem of Fraud’: “Many psychic claimants have been the subject of scientific scrutiny… Unfortunately, some claimants have proved to be ‘pseudo-psychics,’ that is individuals who consciously fake psychic ability…. Failure to detect such fraud can lead to serous negative consequences… The controversy that surrounds the possible fraudulent nature of claimants can also threaten the unity of parapsychology. Arguments concerning the validity of the claims of medium Mina Crandon almost split apart the American Society for Psychical Research. Researchers who fail to guard against such cheating also face the problem of false accusations…” (Pg. 15-17)
They suggest, “researchers should ensure that a detailed claim is specified before any experimentation. If a claimant appears unsure as to the factors that are conducive to his or her ability, researchers should help identify such factors. This could involve running several informal sessions (i.e., with no or few controls present) in which the claimant can attempt to produce phenomena under a variety of circumstances. Before undertaking such sessions, researchers should clearly inform the claimant that any phenomena produced will not be taken as evidence of psychic ability. This may help a claimant erroneously believing (and perhaps telling others) that he or she has ben formally ‘tested’ when, in reality, only pilot investigations have taken place.” (Pg. 29)
They admit, “Problems arise if the researchers suspect that the claimant might be a likely trickster… There are several disadvantages associated with attempting to assess claimants who seem likely to engage in trickery… However, some writers have argued that there are a number of advantages associated with assessing such subjects… [J.] Beloff … describes how Eusapia Palladino was often caught cheating in many of her séances… [but then] having resulted in the production of genuine phenomena. Beloff argues that these ‘genuine’ phenomena would have been missed had the investigators adhered to the ‘once a cheat, always a cheat’ hypothesis, and thus refused to work with Palladino… [Beloff] has also noted that … a certain amount of trickery may be needed to act as a catalyst for genuine psychic phenomena… little advice can be given here. Researchers must decide for themselves.” (Pg. 31-34)
They note, “Proof of the existence of psi in an absolute sense is difficult if not impossible, as one can always speculate about artifacts or fraud strategies that have been overlooked. But by paying careful attention to details and the issues raised previously, one can build a strong case for the claims of specific individuals.” (Pg. 76)
They conclude, “This manual has described several straightforward and simple techniques for minimizing the problems that can arise while testing psychic claimants… Some of the easiest individuals to fool are those who are very confident of their ability to detect deception. These guidelines will help minimize the possibility of subject deception: they are not (and probably can never be) absolutely foolproof. Genine claimants present parapsychologists with a valuable opportunity to learn about psychic functioning. Dishonest claimants provide an excellent chance to investigate the psychology of deception. Either way, such work is both interesting and important. It is hoped that these guidelines will encourage researchers to carry out work, and help them achieve the high methodological standards that their honest subjects fully deserve.” (Pg. 85-86)
This is kind of a strange book to be published by Prometheus Books (which is VERY anti-supernatural). But some of these guidelines and cautionary notes may be of help to parapsychological researchers.
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