Psychic Pets and Pet Psychics
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INVESTIGATIVE FILES JOE NICKELL Psychic Pets and Pet Psychics any believe that the bond be- Intelligent Goose" appeared in London. tional cueing. Pfungst discovered that tween man and animals, The porker spelled names, solved aridi- Hans began stamping when the ques- Mknown from great antiquity, metic problems, and even read thoughts tioner leaned forward to observe the includes extrasensory perception (ESP). by selecting, from flashcards, words horse's hoof and only stopped when that They cite anecdotal evidence, controver- thought of by audience members (Jay person relaxed after the correct number sial research data, and the claims of al- 1986). The goose, advertised as "The was given. Pfungst even played the role of leged psychics. During over three greatest Curiosity ever witnessed," per- Hans by rapping with his hand while decades of investigating the paranormal, formed such feats as divining a selected friends posed questions. Of twenty- I have often encountered and reviewed playing card, discovering secretly five questioners, all but two gave the such evidence. I have written about selected numbers, and telling time "to a beginning and ending cue without being "talking" animals, appeared with a "pet Minute" by a spectator's own watch aware of doing so (Christopher 1970; psychic" on The Jerry Springer Show, (Christopher 1962, 35). Sebeok 1986). analyzed alleged paranormal communi- Odier prodigies were Munito die cele- Of course, trainers could deliberately cations between people and animals brated dog, Toby "The Sapient Pig" (who cue their animals and practice other (both living and dead), and even visited could "Discover a Person's Thoughts"), deceptions, such as secretly gleaning in- a spiritualists' pet cemetery. Here is a and a "scientific" Spanish pony who formation that the animal would then look at some of what I have found. shared billing with "Two Curious Birds." reveal "psychically." In 1929, the man The latter were "much superior in knowl- who later coined die term ESP, Dr. J.B. Talking" Animals edge to the Learned Pig" and "die first of Rhine, was taken in by a supposedly Alleged animal prodigies—various "edu- die kind ever seen in die World." Such telepathic horse named Lady Wonder. cated," "talking," and "psychic" crea- animals typically performed dieir feats by Rhine believed Lady actually had psy- tures—have long been exhibited. In sev- stamping a hoof or paw a certain number chic power and he set up a tent near her enteenth-century France, for instance, a of times or by spelling out answers using Virginia barn so he could scientifically famous "talking" horse named Morocco alphabet and number cards (Christopher study her apparent abilities. Lady was seemed to possess such remarkable pow- 1962; Jay 1986). trained to operate a contraption— ers, including the ability to do mathe- In 1904 a German horse named somewhat like an enlarged typewriter— matical calculations, that he was charged Clever Hans provoked an investigation consisting of an arrangement of levers with "consorting with the Devil." How- into his wonderful abilities. "Learned that activated alphabet cards. Lady ever, he saved his own and his master's professors were convinced," wrote Mil- would sway her head over the levers, life when he knelt, seemingly repentant, bourne Christopher (1970, 46), "that then nudge one at a time widi her nose before church authorities. Hans could work out his own solutions to spell out answers to queries In the latter eighteenth century a to madiematical problems and had a bet- (Christopher 1970; Jay 1986). "Learned Pig" and a "Wonderful ter knowledge of world affairs than most Magician Milbourne Christopher fourteen-year-old children." However, (1970) had an opportunity to assess Joe Nickell is CSICOP's Senior Research psychologist Oskar Pfungst soon deter- Lady's talents on a visit in 1956. As Fellow and author of numerous investiga- mined that questioners—including a test, Christopher gave Lady's train- tive books. Hans's trainer—were providing uninten- er, Mrs. Claudia Fonda, a false name. 1 2 November/December 2002 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER "John Banks." (The real Banks had exhibited the "talking" horse, Morocco, mentioned earlier.) When Christopher subsequently inquired of Lady, "What is my name?," die marc obligingly nudged the levers to spell out B-A-N-K-S. Another test involved writing down numbers which Lady then divined. Given a narrow pad and a long pencil, Christopher suspected Mrs. Fonda might be using a professional mentalists' technique known as "pencil reading," which involves subtly observing die movements of the pencil to learn what was written. So he pretended to write a bold "9" but, while going through die motions, only touched die paper on die THE PSYCHIC HORSE WITH THE 'COLLEGE EDUCATION" downstroke to produce a "1." Although An early advertisement lor "Serrano the Psychic Horse' (courtesy ol the Skeptiseum). he concentrated on die latter number. Lady indicated the answer was 9. story, and credulous paranormalists. In tance away from the house. However, it In short, as the noted magician and fact, a reporter for the Isle of Man seems possible that they are either re- paranormal investigator observed, Mrs. Examiner once caught Viorrey making a sponding to some unintended signal Fonda gave a "slight movement" of her squeaking noise although her father had (such as recognizing certain noises asso- training rod whenever Lady's head was insisted the sound came from elsewhere ciated with his getting ready for a hunt- at the correct letter. That was enough to in the room (Psychic Pets 1996, 72-83). ing trip) or that he is selectively remem- cue the swaying mare to stop and nudge In part the case recalls the celebrated bering those occasions when the dogs' that lever. Thus, Lady was revealed to be magician/ventriloquist Signor Antonio excitement happens to coincide with a well-trained animal, not a telepathic Blitz who enjoyed strolling through a his intentions. Another friend says he one (Christopher 1970; Nickell 1989). village and engaging in conversation once had dogs who seemed to know No doubt the same was true of her pre- with horses tied at hitching posts. Re- when he was going to take them for a decessors, whose exhibitors were often portedly, he also "once discussed the walk, but he decided he must have performing magicians. state of the weather with a dead mack- unconsciously signaled them (such as In one case a "talking" animal was erel in a fish market and almost created by glancing in the direction of their allegedly just that: a mongoose who a panic" (Christopher 1970, 49). hanging leashes). spoke in complete sentences. Gef, as he There is also considerable anecdotal was called, not only spoke English but Psychic Pets evidence of animals supposedly know- many foreign phrases as well. He Trickery aside, what about reports of ing when their masters were about to appeared in 1931 on the Irving farm on apparent animal ESP? Anecdotal evi- suffer harm or were being harmed the Isle of Man (in the Irish Sea) but was dence suggests some animals may have (Guiley 1991). The operable word here never reliably seen. Instead, he tossed precognitive awareness of various types is anecdotal such talcs are notoriously stones at unwelcome visitors, "urinated" of natural catastrophes, becoming agi- untrustworthy. For example, they may through cracks in wails, and—although tated before earthquakes, volcanic erup- be subject to selective recall, so that he was partial to the family's twelve-year- tions, cyclones, and other events. after a death, say, the deceased's dog is old daughter, Viorrey, and allegedly lived However, the creatures may actually be recalled to have "acted strangely" some- in her room, he sometimes mischievously responding to subtle sensory factors— time before; other instances of the ani- locked her inside with a lock that, report- like variations in air pressure and mals' odd behavior, that did not coin- edly, could only be accessed from outside tremors in the ground—that are cide with the event, are conveniently the room. Psychic investigators supposed beyond the range of human perception forgotten. Additional problems with Gef was a poltergeist or perhaps a ghost. (Guiley 1991). anecdotal evidence include the narra- Not surprisingly, there were skeptics, Something of the sort may explain tor's ego and bias, memory distortion, including many fellow residents on the some instances of apparent animal pre- and other factors. Isle of Man. who believed Viorrey was science. For example, a Kentucky friend Scientific tests of animal "psi" (a playing pranks. They accused her of of mine insists that his dogs seem to parapsychological term applied to ESP using ventriloquism and other tricks, know when he has decided to go hunt- and psychokinesis) remain controver- the effects of which were hyped by fam- ing, exhibiting a marked excitement sial (Ostrandcr and Schrocder 1971; ily members, reporters in search of a even though they are lodged some dis- Guiley 1991). Rigorous experimental SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November/December 2002 13 protocols designed to exclude normal communicating with them by ESP or immediately licks Leigh's hand, that the explanations (such as sensory cueing) other paranormal means, such as animal "fears no one"; but then she tend not to show evidence for psi. An through astrology or assistance from the quickly adds that it is "not an uncondi- example is the report by Richard seer's "spirit guides" (MacDougall 1983; tional lover." She continues by stating Wiseman et al., "Can animals detect Cooper and Noble 1996). that the pet is "independent" and "not a when their owners arc returning home? Having studied pet psychics at yes dog." Such virtually universal decla- An experimental test of the 'psychic work—including Gerri Leigh (with rations are not apt to be challenged.