They sought to obviate this difficulty by blindfolding the
percipient, and by placing non-conductors of sound over his ears. But,
finally, they came to the conclusion that even these precautions might not
prove sufficient; and, accordingly, they devoted their attention to the
second class of experiments, in which all ordinary means of communication
between projector and recipient were impossible. They took the additional
precautions of limiting their circle to a small number of investigators of
scientific reputations, and well known to each other, always avoiding a
promiscuous company for obvious reasons.
One of the earliest series of investigations by these special committees
of investigators was that of the family of the Rev. A.M. Creery, in
Derbyshire, England. The children of this family had acquired a reputation
in what was known as the "guessing game," in which one of the children,
previously placed outside of the room, then returned to the room and
attempted to "guess" the name or location of some object agreed upon by
the party during her absence. The results were very interesting, and quite
satisfactory, and have frequently been referred to in works on the subject
written since that time. I think it well to give the results of this
series of experiments in some little detail, for they form a basis for
experiments on the part of those who read these lessons.
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