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Home , Joe Nickell, Lady Wonder, Pet psychic

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Psychic Pets and Pet

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 (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 , 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; " 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 . 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 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 "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 or perhaps a . (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 ) 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 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. pet' phenomenon," published in the whom I appeared on Springer) and 3. Asking questions. Psychics fre- British Journal of Psychology. Sonya Fitzpatrick (star of the Animal quently seem to provide information when they are in reality fishing for it. The asking of a question may, if it is correct, credit the reader with a hit; Consciously or not, psychics are essentially otherwise it will seem an innocent using the same fortunetellers' query. For instance, Fitzpatrick (2002) technique—""—that is used asks a dog owner, "When was there someone who was with him who went for human subjects. After all, it is the away?" (Unfortunately, this is too good pet owners, not the pets themselves, who a hit, since the young woman seems puzzled and replies that it could have "validate" the pronouncements. been various persons—possibly, one imagines, former boyfriends or other acquaintances.) Questioning also keeps The researchers responded to a sug- Planet channel's The )—I find the reader from proceeding too far gestion by that just that they impress audiences with some down a wrong path and allows for mid- such a study be undertaken, and it fol- very simple ploys. Consciously or not, course correction. lowed a formal test of the alleged phe- they are essentially using the same for- 4. Offering vague statements that nomenon by an Austrian television tunetellers' technique—"cold read- most people can apply specifically to them- company. That test focused on an ing"—that is used for human subjects. selves. Alleged psychics take advantage English woman and her dog and seemed This is an artful method of gleaning of what is known as "the Barnum successful. Wiseman et al. (1998) con- information from someone while giving effect"—after showman P. T. Barnum ducted four experiments designed to the impression it is obtained mystically who strove to provide something for rule out the pet's responding to routine (Hyman 1977). After all, it is the pet everyone (French et al. 1991). They or picking up sensory cues (either from owners, not the pets themselves, who learn that people will respond to a the returning owner or from others "validate" the pronouncements. Here is vague, generalized statement by trying aware of the expected time of return), as a look at some of the common cold- to fit it to their own situation. Thus well as people's selective memories and reading techniques used by pet psychics. Fitzpatrick (2002) tells the owner of a selective matching, and other possible A Noting the obvious. Fitzpatrick pet iguana that the creature had experi- normal explanations. (2002) visits an animal clinic with a enced "a move." Now most people can In all four experiments the dog couple and their infant daughter to tell associate a "move" with their pet: either failed to detect accurately when her them which dog is right for their family. when they acquired it, when they owner set off for home, contradicting After the selection is narrowed to three changed residences, or when they left it claims made on the basis of the previous choices, each is brought out in turn. The with someone to go on vacation, etc. (Austrian TV) study. The experiments first is ambivalent; the second ignores Thus the pet psychic was credited with suggested "that selective memory, mul- everyone; and the third, Patty, greets the a hit (never mind that she incorrectly tiple guesses and selective matching couple and nuzzles the child. Sonya referred to the female iguana as "he"). could often have sufficient scope to give writes her choice on a slip of paper and 5. Returning messages to animals. an owner the impression of a paranor- it proves to be the same the couple People who are convinced pets give mal effect." made: Patty. The audience applauds: information to psychics may be willing Patty was apparently their choice too! (I to believe the reverse. Thus Fitzpatrick Pet Psychics know she was mine!) (2002) claims to give animals "mes- People who are both devoted to their 2. Making safe statements. Fitzpatrick sages"—for example a clarification of pets and credulous about the paranor- (2002) announces that one pooch "says" something by the owner—by silently mal may easily fall prey to unsubstanti- he wants to go out more often, and the concentrating for a moment. ated claims of pet psychics. Some pro- dog's owners accept the assertion. These and other techniques help fess to treat animals' emotional prob- Similarly, Gerri Leigh (1992) tells the convince the credulous that pet psychics lems, for example, after supposedly owner of an outgoing little dog, who have telepathic or clairvoyant or other

1 4 November/December 2002 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER powers. Some, like New York psychic tions. And since pets are loved and often at psychic fairs and now styles himself a Christa Carl, even claim to use these regarded as members of a family, it is "psychic medium." But on Dateline NBC powers to help locate lost pets. Carl not surprising diat people occasionally he was caught cheating: attempting to gained notoriety "for being called in to experience "visitations" from their pass off some previously gained knowl- find Tabitha, the cat who disappeared departed animal friends just as they do edge as spirit revelation (Nickell 2001b). on a Tower Air flight." Actually, my their human ones. However, diese seem Mediums like Edward and Van reading of the case is that Carl did not to have similar explanations to those of Praagh occasionally mention a pet— find the cat but that the cat found other apparitional experiences. For usually a dog—in a reading. Given the Carl—or rather found her owner. example, some who hear a dog's phan- Barnum effect (discussed earlier), this Tabitha was known to be hiding on the tom bark or footsteps, or see (as one re- usually gets a hit. For instance, on Larry airplane and, after twelve days and thirty ported) "a shadow jump up on the bed," King Live (February 26, 1999), Van do so just after rousing from sleep thousand miles of flight that engendered Praagh told a caller: "I'm also picking up (Cohen 1984) and may dius be having negative publicity and a threatened law- something on a dog. So 1 don't know "waking dreams." These are common suit, the airline grounded the plane so why, but I'm picking up a dog around hallucinations that occur in the twilight the animal could be retrieved. The cat you." Note the vagueness of the refer- between being awake and asleep and eventually came out to her owner—and ence—not even an indication of to Carl, who claimed credit. That was for supposedly helping the animal resolve a problem with "one of her past lives" and "showing her how to come If an animal returns, Christa Carl can out" of the plane's drop ceiling (Cooper claim credit; if not, she has a ready and Noble 1996). To find other lost animals, Carl rationalization: some animals do not claims she uses "visualization" to help wish to come back and, says Carl, them "find their way home." Thus, if an animal returns, Carl can claim credit; if "I have to respect the not, she has a ready rationalization: animal's wishes." some animals do not wish to come back and, says Carl, "I have to respect the ani- mal's wishes" (Cooper and Noble 1996). exhibit content that "may be related to whether the animal is dead or alive or Some per psychics offer still other the dreamer's current concerns" (Baker what link it might have to the person. services. For example, Oklahoma 1990). Similarly, apparitions that are But the caller offers the validation, "Oh, "equine parapsychologist" Karen seen during wakefulness tend to occur my dog died two years ago." Hamel-Noble claims to heal horses. She when one is tired, daydreaming (per- Some pet psychics, like Christa Carl, uses her hands to detect "the source of haps while performing routine work), or conduct "seance readings" for animals weakness in their energy fields"—i.e., the like (Nickell 2001a, 291-292). who have "passed over." Asked to give their imagined auras—then supplies With the advent of —the an example of such a seance, she replied compensating "energy" from herself belief that the dead can be contacted— (in Cooper and Noble 1996, 102): (Cooper and Noble 1996). However, certain self-styled "mediums" began to Brandy, a dog, had been placed in a since auras remain scientifically offer themselves as intermediaries with kennel by her owner when she got unproved and tests of psychics' abilities the spirit realm. Some produced bogus married. She broke away from the to see them have repeatedly failed spirit "materializations" and other phys- kennel and got killed. (Nickell 2000), Hamel-Noble's claims ical phenomena, but these were fre- Her owner called me and told me require proof, not just her feelings and quently exposed as tricks by investiga- she was having a hard time and wanted to communicate with Brandy. assertions. Perhaps the animals' per- tors like magician . When I did [he reading with Brandy, ceived illnesses are merely responding to Today's mediums tend to limit them- 1 learned from her that she didn't their natural healing mechanisms and selves to purely "mental phenomena," know why she had been put in the die medical treatments Hamel-Noble i.e., die use of "psychic ability" to obtain kennel. She had felt abandoned, unloved, uncared for. provides them—including penicillin messages from "the odicr side." Her owner should have told her injections (Cooper and Noble 1996). Such mediums—like James Van ahead of time why she needed to put Praagh. , , her in a kennel. 1 explained it to Bran- Pet Mediums George Anderson, and — dy, and now she's at peace. In the popular imagination, animals, appear to rely largely on the old psychics' like their human counterparts, may con- standby, cold reading. In fact Edward tinue tJicir existence after •.loath, there (real name John MaGee Jr.) came to PSYCHIC PETS AND PET PSYCHICS being many reports of animal appari- as an erstwhile fortuneteller Continued on page 18

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November/December 2002 15 of a Second Coming.. .. Reverend Sun into the Spirit World a secoad rime to error of his ways, proclaimed, "Please Myung is the returning Messiah conduct a "Seminar in the Spirit World receive die thought of Reverend Moon for whom you have been waiting and for 120 Christians Who Illuminated and study it deeply. If you do so, you will waiting. He inherited my mission at the History." Among those speaking were attend God more truly than the thinkers age of sixteen." Then it was Buddha's ' twelve disciples, fifteen patriarchs of or politicians of the Free World." Mao turn. He, too, had found a need to die Old Testament, and numerous odier Tse Tung now has very different diings to revise his religious teachings since major religious leaders including St. Paul, say than what is in his Little Red Book: ascending to the spirit world, but he Martin Luther, John Wesley, Joseph "God exists and the spirit world clearly sought to allay the fears of his current Smith, and many others. All of them have exists. Reverend Moon, True Parents, supporters: "Dear Buddhists, I am not become followers of the Reverend Moon who illuminated the truth diat God is die saying that your way of life thus far has since arriving in heaven, and emphasized Parent of humankind, please save our been wrong. Like Jesus, in my time I die urgency of following his teachings. Communist people." also did my best to guide humankind in From April 18 to May 9, 2002, Ms. While some may dismiss channeled the right direction. However, with the Young Soon Kim went back to the Spirit transcripts on obscure Web sites passing of time, die tasks needed for the World yet once more, to conduct a (www.tparents.org) as insignificant and salvation of humankind have changed. "Seminar in die Spirit World for 120 perhaps unrepresentative of the teach- ... In this age Reverend Sun Myung Communists" who during their lifetimes ings of the Unification Church, that Moon is the Buddha for whom you have had been leaders of diat atheistic and organization was so eager to promote been waiting." The last of the Big Four materialistic movement. Without excep- the endorsements of Jesus, Martin to speak was Muhammad, who told his tion, all of them had discovered after Luther, Marx, and Lenin that it took out followers, "Now God's basic desires are death the error of their ways, and a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times on to bring the truths and doctrines of all expressed full support not only for reli- July 8 to brag about it. Most impressive religions together and unite them as gion in general, but also for the True of all was a concluding Letter from God one. When it is done, God can finally Parents (Mr. and Mrs. Moon) and their himself, endorsing the Moon mission: "I rest. After countless days of waiting, mission to unify the religions of the am the God of all people. You, the True God finally sent Reverend Sun Myung world. For example, Karl Marx said, "I, Parents, have now succeeded in every- Moon for this purpose." Putting in Marx, have met God. I have found that thing and have raised everything to its cameo appearances toward the end of He is the Parent of humankind.... true level. So you are now the Savior, die seminar were Socrates and Saint Reverend Sun Myung Moon, who is on messiah and King of Kings of all of Augustine, both of whom emphasized the Earth, brought this fact to light." humanity!" Somehow this message from the importance of following the teach- Marx' sidekick, Freidrich Engels, added, God neglected to chastise the Reverend ings of the Reverend Moon. "You people on the Earth! Please attend Moon and remind him that, in virtually From August 27 to November 12, God and receive Reverend Moon's guid- every other religion, humility is consid- 2001, Ms. Young Soon Kim went back ance." Lenin, equally regretful of die ered to be a virtue.

PSYCHIC PETS AND PET PSYCHICS Christopher, Milbourne. 1962. Panorama of MacDougall, Curtis D. 1983. and the . New York: Dover, 8—37. Press. Buffalo. N.Y.: , 532. From page 15 . 1970. ESP. Seers & Psychics. New York: Nickell, Joe. 1989. The Magic Detectives. Buffalo. Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 39-54. N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 9-12. Cohen, Daniel. 1984. The Encyclopedia of . . 2000. photography: a candid shot. Of course, there is not the slightest bit New York: Dorset Press, 137-149. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER 24:3 (May/June), 15-17. of evidence that the spirit was contacted Cooper, Paulette, and Paul Noble. 1996. 100 Top . 2001a. Real-life X-Files. Lexington. Ky.: or that, in fact, it existed anywhere other Psychics in America. New York: Pocket Books. University Press of Kentucky. than in the imagination of Christa Carl 97-113. . 2001b. John Edward: Hustling ihc Fitzpatrick. Sonya. 2002. The Pet Psychic. Animal bereaved. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER 25:6 and, of course, the dog's grieving, guilt- Planet channel, March 7. (November/December), 19-22. ridden, and credulous owner. French, Christopher C. ct al. 1991. Belief in Ostrandcr. Sheila, and Lynn Schroedcr. 1971. Such seems invariably the problem astrology: a test of the Barnum effect. Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER 15:2 (winter). 166-172. New York: Bantam. 134-145. with claims involving psychic pets and Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. 1991. Harpers Psychic Pets and Spirit Animals: True Stories from pet psychics. Based on anecdotal evi- Encyclopedia of Mystical & Paranormal the Files of Fate Magazine. 19%. New York: dence—wonderful tales of psychic and Experience. New York: HarperCollins. 22-25. Gramercy Books. Sebeok, Thomas A 1986. Clever Hans redrvivus. mediumistic success—diey are not sup- Hyman. Ray. 1977. Cold reading: how to convince strangers true you know all about them. SKEPTI- SKEPTICAL INQUIRER 10:4 (summer). 314-318. ported by scientific investigation. CAL INQUIRER U2 (Spring/Summer), 18-37. Wiseman, Richard. Matthew Smith, and Julie Jay. Ricky. 1986. Learned Pigs & Fireproof Women. Milton. 1998. Can animals detect when their References London: Robert Hale. 7-27. owners are returning home? An experimental Baker, Robert A. 1990. They Call It Hypnosis. Leigh. Gerri. 1992. Appearance on The Jerry test of the 'psychic pet' phenomenon. British Buffalo: Prometheus Books. 179-182. Springer Show, March 16. journal of Psychology 89: 453-462.

1 8 November/December 2002 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER