eMumrAL, Hapto, DOES IT WORK, AND Tow—y" Unton Sinclar, Hiahed by Messrs. T. Werner To quote, the introduction to this Shook, written by Prof. William Me~ Dougall, of Duke University, N.C. Upton Sinclair needs no introdue~ tion to the public as a fearless, honest, and critical student of pub-ie affairs. But in the present book:
has with characteristic courage entered a new field, one in which reputations are more easily lost than mmade—the field of psychic research." Mr, Sinclair and his wife,.for some years have carried on a series of Gxperiments in mental telepathy. The tests, which, apparently, {follow the same lines, consist of the preparation of drawings in the ab-Zonce of Mrs. Sinclair, lacing {hem in sealed envelopes s0 that she cannot possibly see the contents, and giving them to her so that she may Sndieate by drawings made herself what has been outlined on the concealed paper. The test, of course, Javolves the question as to whether she, in the state of concentration to Wwhich she reduces herself, can ob-{ain from the mind of the drawer the picture hidden in the envelope. Ihe proposition involved is that if there is a greater similarity between the two sets of drawings than could be attributed to chance, it would be evidence of telepathy.
hat is Mr, Upton Sinclair's own method of stating the proposition anil the book has to be judged with-such limits, despite the fact that upon the experiments and their re-Jults he comes to the conclusion that "Telepathy Happens."
Out of 200 tests made the total fof successes, according to. the futher's own classification, is 65, Foughly 23 per cent., of partial suc-esses 165, oF 68 per cent., of total failures. 'Some of the successes are Fomarkable, some of the partial fruccess: s require too great an Amount of generosity to them as. such, while the total failures throw' very considerable @oubt on the perception of the subconscious, mind, Upton Sinclair Answers so, many of the criticisms that could be put, forward on the Arnwings many of which are xeproduced that there is no need to Sut them forward in this column, ut if his figures alone are taken a percentage of 76 total and partial Ricceases certainly seems to remove possibility of coincidence from the mind of the average person. Never theless, it seems possible to argue that only 23 per cent. of total accuracy is hardly a sufficient. proof of the existence of telepathy unless we assume that, the cook inthe Kitchen (the sub-conscious mind) who in answer to the order shouted Qownstairs by the waiter (the conscious mind) of "Three on a alt," sends up a "two eyed steak" is neurath because she knows that food is wanted, It may be answered however, that having sent out the sub-conscious mind to ascertain a given, but at the moment of despatch, unknown Fact its expression has been spoiled by error of translation between the sub-conteious and conscious minds.
the other hand the error may arise through a mistake of selection, fon the part of the sub-conscious ud, between the thought, of the original draughtsman itself, and that undereurvent of thinking which often accompanies it. Or, third-Jy, it may be a combination of the tivo—wrongtul selection in the first instance and incorrect translation Detween the sub- and conscious minds in the second. It is dificult on the evidence that has been accumulated by many earnest in-gators into psychics to deny "something in it," when considering telepathy. Bat the amount of knowledge of the subject is still small enough to Sustify the ordinary man in the street to accept much that is itten about this and indeed sub-th avery fair amount of Mz, Upton. Sinelair's '6f evidence accumulated: provides: evidence which is no stronger than that which has already been secured. Tt makes the case for telepathy neither stronger nor weaker, but Ieeause it is written in a'style Wwhich uses exceptionally few terms needing previous definition, it is a Yeadable book and well calevlated tto lead other minds to search along sina Hines one,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.