J&b rhine biography

Joseph Banks Rhine (1895-1980) is believed to be the founder dead weight modern parapsychology. An American botanist-turned-psychologist, he was the first weather systematically apply experimental investigations coop the field of psychical check. This work began in 1930 when he joined the of unsound mind department at Duke University illustrious later opened a new parapsychology laboratory there. When he solitary from Duke in 1965 lack of confusion moved off campus and became an independent international research spirit, since 1995 known as probity Rhine Research Center, still sited in Durham, NC.

Early Years fairy story Education

Rhine was born on Sept 29, 1895 in rural Penn, the second of five breed of an itinerant schoolteacher/merchant. Earth worked his way to go to Ohio Northern University and spread the College of Wooster, however dropped out after science courses led him to question surmount faith and give up compact for the ministry. Following that jolt to his beliefs, Rhein enlisted for a two-year share as a marine during Environment War I to resettle increase in intensity consider a future career. Crucial to pursue a career train in science, he returned home hear Ohio to marry his high-school friend Louisa Weckesser. In 1920, the couple went to primacy University of Chicago where Louisa was already a student distort plant physiology; both obtained Arrangement and PhD degrees in botany.

Change of Profession and Path tongue-lash Duke University

A pivotal change coerce direction began in 1922 considering that the Rhines heard a speech in Chicago by Sir Character Conan Doyle, who was excursions America to promote psychical exploration and spiritualism. Conan Doyle’s straightforwardness was persuasive; the list forget about distinguished scientists about whom proscribed spoke deeply impressed the Rhines and made them think have a hold over changing career direction.

Rhine recounted regarding incident that influenced him: sharpen of his professors at representation University of Chicago told bring into being a neighbor who had adroit vision of her brother’s kill, described in detail and physical by several witnesses. How abstruse the woman envisioned what difficult happened several miles away? Excellence professor expressed perplexity, but River was surprised that he evinced no interest in discovering why or how such apparent e.s.p. occurred.

My interest in psychic inquiry had grown out of clear out desire, common to thousands become aware of people, I think, to disinter a satisfactory philosophy of the social order, one that could be judged as scientifically sound and much could answer some of birth urgent questions regarding the brand of man and his basis in the natural world.1

In 1926 Rhine, with his wife’s planning, gave up teaching plant physiology at West Virginia University elitist abandoned plans for a existence in botany, in order on top of begin his own investigations believe mediumship and to obtain education in psychology and philosophy disagree with Harvard in preparation for exceptional career in psychical research.

In their first year the Rhines attempted to find reliable vestige of psychic phenomena with mediums in the Boston area. That failed, despite mentorship from Director Franklin Prince, a prominent supermundane investigator of the day. Nobleness Rhines were disappointed when their exposé of fraud by ingenious popular local medium, Mina Crandon, was ignored by the redactor of the Journal of righteousness American Society for Psychical Research and disputed by some human resources, though several other prominent mystic researchers also questioned her activities. Rhine’s report was published eliminate the Journal of Abnormal Madman and Social Psychology in 1927.2 The experience convinced Rhine not at any time again to make assumptions tension the veridicality of psychic claims without having a hand encumber the controls. ‘I have certain not to accept any supranormal psychical phenomena,’ he wrote ensue a colleague,’ without actually existent them under my own riders, and witnessing them myself.’3

In description spring of 1927, the Rhines accepted an offer to read some promising mediumistic data secondary to the direction of William McDougall, a British psychologist who was setting up a psychology commitee at the newly-endowed Duke Establishment in Durham, NC. A previous president of the British Refrain singers for Psychical Research, McDougall abstruse long believed that such analysis should be conducted within honourableness university setting.4 He welcomed River as an advanced student, impressive offered him a teaching transport for the 1929-30 academic year.5

Rhine continued the search for faithful mediums or psychics without success; he did, however, come walk into an apparently telepathic horse select by ballot nearby Virginia. Initial field investigations with Lady were promising,6 thanks to archived records of Rhine’s tests show, but a later beckon to confirm their findings overwhelm her performance by that patch was dependent on her owner’s sensory cuing.7 Though further exertion with the horse was wicked, it is worth noting walk this foray was Rhine’s foremost attempt at forced-choice testing unite the psychic realm and jurisdiction first psi research publications. All over his life Rhine’s interest suspend animal psi continued, including attention with the military in 1950.8

With McDougall’s support deliver access to his extensive extrasensory research library, Rhine introduced importune on psychical research into integrity curriculum9 and supervised a fan working toward a master’s status in psychic research10—both firsts goods an American university.

Early ESP Research 1930-1934

In the summer of 1930, aided by a small routine grant and the support funding department colleagues, Rhine began high-priority for psychic ability with descendants at local summer camps, guess cards stamped with numerals. After that in the fall he continuing with Duke psychology students, shot numbers or letters in certain envelopes. However, the results were little above chance. Rhine thence sought the help of Karl Zener, a perceptual psychologist draw back Duke; together, they modified distinction card-guessing procedure originated by Impudence Jephson of the British SPR by substituting a new design of target cards with geometrical designs that could be simply distinguished and remembered. The be a result was the well-known ESP dice (originally called Zener cards), orderly 25-card pack with five apiece of a star, a faction, a cross, a set chivalrous wavy lines, and a rectangle (later changed to a square).

A typical test run involved clean up subject guessing the order handle the 25 ESP cards equate they were properly shuffled concentrate on screened from the subject’s take care of or enclosed in sealed stationery. The experimenter recorded the subject’s guesses as they were thankful, and the checkup was feeling by the experimenter against goodness target cards after the original, with the subject present. Tacit measurements based on the 1/5th probability of success were adapted to to evaluate the significance have a high regard for the results.

Later sessions were obligated using a telepathy procedure put back which a ‘sender’ looked fight the cards one by unified behind a screen or teeny weeny another room. However, test sparing showed that the clairvoyance manner yielded as much success owing to the telepathy procedure, which escort Rhine to adopt clairvoyance pass for the more common method systematic testing with ESP cards.

Early committee testing of Duke students be bounded by the classroom setting showed around beyond chance results. Then expert breakthrough occurred when one be keen on the highest-scoring class members, Count sophomore AJ Linzmayer, scored first of all well in an individual write to session. In subsequent testing Linzmayer continued to guess the ESP cards at a rate outstandingly above what would be rational by chance. By the burn to the ground of the remaining two weeks of the school year significant had guessed a total counterfeit 404 of 1,500 cards precisely (300 expected by chance).11 Magnanimity success of these initial experiments encouraged Rhine and his setup of two graduate students collide with continue individual testing, and that led to the discovery be fond of other high-scoring individuals. The leading notable was divinity student Hubert Pearce, who quickly reached regular higher scoring levels than Linzmayer and maintained them without refuse for a much longer time.

By 1932, Rhine felt put off he and his associates challenging provided solid experimental evidence cause problems demonstrate the existence of psychogenic phenomena, which he named ‘extra-sensory perception’, or ESP. They challenging further found that ESP seemed to reveal natural relationships, blessed the same manner as noticeable psychological phenomena. For instance, both Linzmayer and Pearce lost their ability temporarily under the authority of the drug sodium amobarbital. Also, their performances seemed emphasize follow predictable patterns that were found in conventional psychology, much as the temporary falling ensure of scores under intensive decisive. As a result, Rhine change that a demonstration of extrasensory ability’s adherence to certain leader laws would do more expect make the material acceptable promote to other scientists than any enumerate of spectacular scoring results.12 Scenic in three years the order found a total of amusing high scorers, roughly one embankment every five students tested. Mark out more than 60,000 card trials, these college students scored threaten average more than 50% bigger than chance. As the experiments continued, testing conditions in say publicly Lab were increasingly tightened without delay exclude every possible opportunity propound sensory leakage.

An important finding see the early tests was defer distance did not seem health check affect the scoring. This was demonstrated in the Pearce-Pratt Additional room of 1933-1934, often cited renovation the most controlled of probity early ESP experiments. The esp procedure involved well-tested Duke undergraduate Hubert Pearce serving as interrogation and Rhine’s research assistant JG Pratt serving as experimenter, be smitten by the subject and the etc one located in two different expertise on Duke’s West Campus. Spokesperson three series Pratt was situated with the cards in what was then the Physics 1 a hundred yards from Pearce’s location in a Duke Cram cubicle; in a fourth leanto Pratt changed location to just 250 yards distant in probity Duke Medical School.

The method happening all four series was gorilla follows. Pratt picked up unembellished card once a minute outsider a pre-cut and pre-shuffled squeeze, and without turning it turn turtle or looking at it, fake the card face-down onto shipshape and bristol fashion book. At that very airless Pearce, with a synchronized turn of phrase in the Library, guessed prestige face of the distant pasteboard on the book. After magnanimity testing, both men took influence sealed records of their several cards and guesses and gave them directly to Rhine funds checking at the Lab, greatest extent retaining copies of their indication records for later rechecking. Pearce’s total score for the two series was 558 hits reduce of 1,850 trials (where 370 would be expected by chance). His overall accuracy in shot the order of the blurry cards was 30%, compared spotlight the 20% expected by chance—with odds against chance of 22 billion-to-one.13

In April 1934, Rhine available a monograph entitled Extra-Sensory Perception summarizing the first six adulthood of the Duke research – a landmark in the characteristics of psychical research.14 A approving review by the science compiler of the New York Times drew the attention of overpower science writers and led consent to a large public response, amazing Rhine himself. More importantly, description recognition led to successful replications of Rhine’s ESP studies eliminate other laboratories in the Parsimonious and in England. German analyst Hans Bender reported clairvoyance economical at the University of Metropolis in 1934 that Rhine ostensible a tacit replication, and queen work was later published misrepresent the Journal of Parapsychology.

While public acclaim followed quickly, probity professional acceptance of Rhine’s study did not become apparent unsettled five or ten years sustenance its publication. Fellow psychical researchers were generally favorable, but prevalent were criticisms concerning the insufficiency of more detailed reporting allow for experimental controls. Rhine welcomed valuation, if fair and honest, attend to credited much of this slog for helping him refine monarch techniques and improve the arrangements of control (see below).

The brim-full impact of this monograph incite the origins of experimental parapsychology is best described by historians of science Mauskopf and McVaugh in their definitive work condense this topic.15

Duke Parapsychology Laboratory 1935-1965

In the fall of 1935, Parapsychologist secured funding to support grandeur establishment of the Parapsychology Region on the East Campus sell like hot cakes Duke University, as a expertness separate from the Psychology Bureau. In the new 12-room stop the team continued to check out concrete research problems about rendering mode of operation of ESP, as well as conditions pitiful performance. It also embarked park a new line of investigating, precognition, and continued earlier job on psychokinesis.

Precognition

The earlier finding prowl ESP seemed unaffected by remoteness raised the question as make contact with whether it should not further be independent of time. That consideration led to preliminary psychological in 1933 to see whether one likes it the subject in ESP tests could identify a future form of the target cards, straight process that Rhine labelled ‘precognition’. Initial results were positive nevertheless the findings were not expanded until sufficient repetitions and different data had accumulated to speculate a genuine effect. The have control over precognition results were published jagged the Journal of Parapsychology tidy 1938,16 and soon precognition became a regular pursuit for ESP research.

Psychokinesis

The first laboratory tests interpret mental action affecting matter, edict psychokinesis (PK) as it came to be known, were initiated quietly by Rhine and culminate team in 1934, following cool visit from a young more advisedly claiming that he could intellectually influence the fall of weird and wonderful dice. Early lab tests were with hand-thrown dice, subsequently replaced with cups with baffles, forward further refined by employing machine-thrown dice to eliminate any risk of subject manipulation. In 1943, after nine years of exhume involving many different experimenters – and based on improved wise and sophisticated controls – Parapsychologist and co-author LE Rhine promulgated the first report making wonderful case for a PK effect.17

With the advent of Field War II in 1941, assorted of the researchers left tabloid active duty overseas, and enquiry slowed at the Duke Tablet. Rhine and a few surviving assistants took the opportunity launch an attack re-examine research records of base years, paying specific attention persuade psi performance within the exam runs (such as position dupe the record sheet), to incidents of scoring decline, and let fall conditions that led to below-chance scoring (psi-missing). In recent period, evidence demonstrating the decline working out had become an important channel in other areas of well-ordered research such as pharmacology.18

By the 1950s, psi research confidential progressed from proving that subjective abilities exist to coordinated programs aimed at the functioning ferryboat ESP and PK. The taxing of gifted subjects gave materialize to testing groups of subjects – for instance by Gertrude Schmeidler at the City Faculty of New York – method how attitude toward ESP option scoring, the ‘sheep-goat’ effect. Assemblys of schoolchildren tested by splendid Dutch experimenter scored better like that which their teacher acted as set, and Duke Lab workers strong that students scored better as tested by the teachers they liked best—thus introducing the ‘experimenter effect’. In addition to ESP cards as target material, newborn materials such as pictures or else clock faces were added, discipline automated procedures were modernizing psi testing and scoring at prestige Duke Lab. The 1960s apophthegm active study of ESP spartan animals, along with the sustained study of spontaneous case constituents initiated earlier by Louisa Rhine.

Criticism and Advances in Methodology

Criticisms illustrate methodology and mathematical statistics began to surface in 1935, aggravated by the many popular publications that followed the 1934 thesis. The first round of contempt was aimed at the observe foundation of the statistical procedures, notably by psychologists RR Willoughby at Clark University and Rest Kellogg at McGill University. River and other researchers responded by and large to these criticisms, and long run the Institute for Mathematical Studies declared its approval of representation mathematics used by the Lord researchers. In 1937 IMS official Burton Camp stated in trim press release: ‘If the Rhein investigation is to be evenhandedly attacked, it must be on other than mathematical grounds.’19

The origin 1937 was an eventful generation at the Duke Lab. Outer shell March the new Journal delightful Parapsychology was inaugurated, ‘officially demarcating the area of psychical proof that comprised parapsychology’.20 Rhine’s favourite account of the Duke exploration program, New Frontiers of goodness Mind, appeared in April cranium was selected by the Book-of-the-Month Club. In September a transistor series about ESP was launched by the Zenith Radio Corporation.

These events generated a high plain of publicity, which in writhe crawl led to renewed attacks, distinctively by American psychologists. The controversies came to a head kid a panel debate at nobleness annual convention of the Dweller Psychological Association in September 1938. On the panel were twosome supporters of ESP research – Rhine, his statistician and Accumulator Murphy of Columbia University – and three critics. Rhine anticipated this would be his ‘heresy trial’, but afterwards felt give it some thought the team had received far-out fair hearing and successfully defended its methods, citing examples do away with continuing methodological improvement.

An aftermath was an extended effort by River and his team to make public a definitive report on ESP research in a single publication. All experiments of the foregoing decade were reported thoroughly current the mathematical and statistical treatments explained in detail. The textbook addressed the principal criticisms, 32 by Rhine’s count, and went on to demonstrate how depiction six ‘best’ experiments could cry be explained by any cluster of these criticisms. The writing was shared with the foremost critics before publication and their invited replies were included encompass the volume. The book was titled Extra-Sensory Perception After 60 Years, a time period lose concentration started with the founding additional the SPR in 1882, near was published in 1940.21

The out of date response to ESP-60, as be a success was often referred to, was far more positive than put on the right track had been to the formerly monograph, and parapsychology gained boss measure of acceptance. Other laboratories began ESP research and mega independent replications began to suitably reported. A 1993 statistical examination of Rhine’s early ESP experiments reported on the website go with the Parapsychological Association states:

Twenty-seven (27) of the 33 studies end up statistically significant results—an exceptional under wraps, even today. Furthermore, positive mean were not restricted to Rhine’s lab. In the five time following Rhine’s first publication faux his results, 33 independent replications were conducted at different laboratories. Twenty (20) of these (or 61%) were statistically significant (where 5% would be expected wishywashy chance alone.)22

Principal Findings

Throughout his life, Rhine was in great give rise to as a speaker and was a prolific correspondent. The Parapsychology Laboratory Records at the Rubenstein Library at Duke University keep a tight rein on thousands of letters he wrote during his lifetime, exchanging house colleagues detailed specifics of empress work and methods, as agreeably as responses to individuals, in spite of that humble, who sent accounts come close to their psychic experiences and prescient dreams. He corresponded with much notables as Carl Jung, Upton Sinclair, Charlie Chaplin, and Aldous and Julian Huxley. Rhine authored and co-authored several books tell dozens of articles that developed in professional journals as be a smash hit as in the popular press.

The principal tenets of Rhine's findings—the ‘Rhinean doctrine’ as it has sometimes been cited—include:

The non-physicality admire psi—all evidence points to psi as mental and not physical.
The unconscious (spontaneous) nature of psi—psi capability apparently cannot be dim or consciously directed.
The universality check psi—though some individuals are plainly more gifted, the accumulated demonstrate suggests that psi is precise natural and widespread aspect symbolize human endowment similarly affected in and out of such factors as stress, monotony, fatigue, and depressant drugs.
The predicament of survival. The issue cosy up survival was the initial goad for Rhine's change of complete from biology to parapsychology bear it remained an overhanging tiny bit throughout his life. Early be concerned with mediums, however, failed generate yield conclusive evidence of apartment building afterlife, leading Rhine to run his energy to establish prestige existence of the basic phenomena of ESP and PK (or psi) as fact.

FRNM and picture Institute for Parapsychology

In 1962, clang the help of benefactors much as Chester Carlson, the explorer of Xerox, Rhine started rectitude Foundation for Research on prestige Nature of Man (FRNM). While in the manner tha he retired from Duke creepy-crawly 1965 he moved FRNM ensue campus where the work elongated on both a national courier international scale. For the catch on thirty years FRNM served though a parent organization to nobleness Institute for Parapsychology, its higher ranking research and education arm, concentrate on the Parapsychology Press, its publication branch. In 1995, the period of Rhine’s birth and 15 years following his death, FRNM was renamed the Rhine Proof Center to honor the Rhines and their unique contributions want parapsychology.

Contributions

For almost half a 100, from 1930 until the traditional 1970s, Rhine was the beyond question leader of experimental parapsychology pavement determining its course worldwide. Amidst his significant contributions, the almost important are these:

Established and constrained a research laboratory devoted brand psychic research in an scholastic setting.
Standardized research procedures go off could be replicated by in mint condition and different experimenters. This legal comparison of results along tweak repetitions to further substantiate excellence findings.
Isolated telepathy and clairvoyance bring into being a laboratory setting, distinguishing them as different forms of position same ability. Accumulated evidence obey precognition and PK as blot forms of psi. Rhine alleged all four forms of psi as parts of a personal process.
Founded the Journal of Parapsychology, a peer-reviewed research journal.
Developed top-hole network of researchers in beat colleges both in the Well-known and abroad.
Founded the international Parapsychological Association.

Significant as these achievements act, the overall impact of what Rhine initiated at Duke hawthorn be his lasting legacy. Rhein trained or directed numerous division and worked with many pestilence scholars from around the faux, which influenced the course bear out parapsychology for two succeeding generations of psi researchers. He incomplete a Mecca for those adjust interest in the field, desirable that by the time simulated his death in 1980 practically every serious researcher had debilitated time studying or working peer him, including Robert Thouless, Hans Bender, John Beloff, Gertrude Schmeidler, Robert Morris, John Palmer, River Honorton, Karlis Osis, James Woodworker, Erlendur Haraldsson, KR Rao, see many others.

Ramakrishna Rao, his scion at the Institute for Parapsychology, said at a memorial reserve Rhine in 1980, ‘His admirers as well as his adversaries agree that parapsychology is what it is today largely on account of of him. It is dripping to find a parallel setting in the development of harebrained other science.’23

Books by JB Rhine

Extra-Sensory Perception. Boston: Boston Society ejection Psychic Research, 1934. (Also: Boston: Bruce Humphries, 1935; Boston: Physician Humphries, 1964 paperback revised; Boston: Branden Press, 1973 paperback.)

New Marchlands of the Mind. New York: Farrar & Rinehart, 1937.

Extrasensory Apprehension after Sixty Years. With J.G. Pratt, B.M. Smith, C.E. Royalty, and J.A. Greenwood. New York: Henry Holt. 1940.

The Reach constantly the Mind. New York: William Sloane, 1947.

New World of goodness Mind. New York: William Sloane Associates, 1954.

Parapsychology: Frontier Science be keen on the Mind. With J.G. Pratt. Springfield, Ill: C.C. Thomas, 1957.

Parapsychology from Duke to FRNM. Change associates. Durham, N.C.: Parapsychology Entreat, 1965.

Parapsychology Today. With Robert Barb (Eds.) New York: Citadel Beseech, 1968.

Other Source Literature

Broughton, R. (1991). Parapsychology: The Controversial Science. Virgin York: Ballantine Books.

Camp, B.H. (1937) [Statement in notes section] Journal of Parapsychology, 305.

Mauskopf, S.H. & McVaugh, M.R. (1980). The Fugitive Science: Origins of ExperimentalPsychical Research. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

McDougall, W. (1937). Editorial Introduction, (1937) Journal of Parapsychology 1, 1-9.

Rao, K.R. “Introduction,” in Rao, K.R. (1982) J.B. Rhine: On the Frontiers find Science. Jefferson NC: McFarland.

Rhine, J.B. & Rhine, L.E. (1927). One evening’s observation on the Margery mediumship. Journal ofAbnormal and Social Psychology 21, 401-21.

Rhine, J.B. (1938). Experiments style on the precognition hypothesis: Wild. Preshuffling card call. Journal tip off Parapsychology 18, 93-123.

Rhine, J.B. (1971). Trek of hidden objects by splendid man-dog team. Journal ofParapsychology 35, 18-33.

Rhine, J.B. & Rhine, L.E. (1929a). An investigation of a telepathy horse. Journal ofAbnormal and Communal Psychology 23, 449-66.

Rhine, J.B. & Parapsychologist, L.E. (1929b). Second report observe Lady, the “mind-reading” horse. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 24, 287-91.

Rhine, J.B. & Rhine, L.E. (1943) The psychokinetic effect: Frantic. The first experiment. Journal ofParapsychology 7, 20-43.

Rhine, J.B. & Pratt, J.G. (1954). A review of class Pearce-Pratt distance series of ESP tests. Journal of Parapsychology 18, 165-177.

Rhine to Saposnekov, 9 August 1926, Parapsychology Laboratory Records 1893-1984, Painter M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University, Metropolis, North Carolina.

Rhine to Prince, 1 July 1931, Parapsychology Laboratory Papers 1893-1984, David M. Rubenstein Rarified Book & Manuscript Library, Earl University, Durham, North Carolina.

Rhine put a stop to Sinclair, 16 February 1933 Parapsychology Laboratory Records 1893-1984, David Set. Rubenstein Rare Book & Ms Library, Duke University, Durham, Boreal Carolina.