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The author of this little book is a French engineer who for nearly 50 years has been interested in psychical research and metaphysics, and he has here approached telepathy from the modern point of view, in terms of psychological thinking. A large number of examples and experiments have been described, many results of which are interesting but most of which are inviting to explanations other than those offered in terms of telepathic phenomena, i.e. extrasensorial perception. The universality of basic or fundamental symbols and associations explains much of alleged “telepathy.” More frequently than most experimenters realize the ugly head of coincidence arises on the one hand and the neglect to count the failures obtains on the other. “Mental contagion” as well as much other unconscious material is erroneously interpreted as telepathy.
The author and his colleagues are of course convinced of the existence of telepathic phenomena and point out that there is a general resistance among scientists against accepting it as a fact. However, it would seem from the evidence available that the believers by and large are beset by wish fulfillment processes, as there is little evidence of telepathy that one can accept as reliable or as adequtely controlled scientifically. Most of these phenomena are characteristic of the mind of the individual, are understood by psychoanalysts as “unconscious” and are not considered as transmissions from one mind to another. Extrasensorial experiences are, of course, not impossible, but as far as any evidence at present is concerned, including that offered in the present volume it is not necessary to assume that they occur.
The book is well written with an introduction by Professor Gardner