SENSORY PERCEPTION IN THE BLIND AND THE SIGHTED (EXTRASENSORY PERCEPTION, E.S.P., PROTOSENSORY-NEOSENSORY)

This investigation is based on the possibility that ESP is the response or perception of stimuli received by a primordial, instinctual, sensory system, and that our contact with this system has been lost with the development and conscious dependency on a newer sensory system that was more adaptive under the demands of evolution. It is theorized that the blind, showing superiority in utilizing cues from auditory, olfactory, tactual, and taste stimuli as compensating mechanisms for lost vision, may also show superiority in utilization of ESP as additional compensation for their blindness.;The cards were randomized, placed in an opaque envelope, sealed inside a second envelope, and only then given to the experimenters. A total of 6000 trials were made. The blind subject's scores were highly significant, while the sighted subjects scored at the chance level. A second hypothesis, that the blind would show less variability in scoring was not supported. No significant differences were found between the two groups for the tactual effect. Scores for both Sheep and extraverts, and for combined Sheep-extraverts, were slightly above chance, though not enough for significance. Goat and introvert scores were at the chance level. I.Q. scores, though showing a positive relationship, were not significant.;The results of this study show a statistically significant ESP score for blind subjects over chance. This strongly suggests that additional research on ESP in the blind be conducted. An extensive review of physiological, parapsychological, and psychological research and theory suggests the possible involvement of the brain stem, the reticur activating system, and the basal ganglion in ESP processes, with the right hemisphere as the point of conscious contact with this phenomenon.;A group of 30 blind and 30 sighted subjects were tested for comparison of ESP scores, using ESP card matching as the decisive factor. Two runs each of touch and non-touching of the cards were made to determine what influence this might have on the scores. Additional testing was performed to examine the influence of the Goat-Sheep effect, extraversion-introversion, and I.Q. on scoring across both groups.