Flim-Flam! Psychics, ESP, Unicorns, and Other Delusions - James Randi [155]
The psychiatrist had already suggested to the project director that I be consulted but had been told that there was no need for my services. Hearing this, I decided that I would at all costs attend the tests to be held a few hours from then, and my informant and I worked out a method whereby I would be able to do just that.
We had breakfast nearby, then went to the laboratory. An open locker in the basement offered a white jacket that looked quite official, and thus garbed and carrying my own large clipboard and a formidable array of pens, I slipped into the lab unnoticed. A few persons there eyed me warily but decided not to question my presence. A bearded man looks proper in such a place, especially with his glasses on his forehead, an affectation I adopted to look as if I was at ease in the surroundings. One of the graduate students recognized me and almost blew the whole episode right away, but I spoke with him and his fellow sufferers to prevent this. I learned from them that they were anxious to be relieved of the job so that they could move on to more important work. I agreed with their sentiments, and together we pursued the quarry.
Linda Anderson was her name, and she was fifteen. According to her parents, she had discovered her "powers" while in church. She said that while reading a prayer book she realized that she was seeing right through it to the floor. Since it had happened in church, it couldn't be all bad, and her father, Arthur, had brought her to the attention of these men of science, who had devised experiments—all but the right ones—to test her ability to see through blindfolds.
The blindfold she used was one she had brought with her. This was allowed by the experimenters in the lab, for they had thoroughly examined it. And besides, Linda preferred her own blindfold, and worked much better while using it than when wearing others. By such means do mice make fools of men. Her favorite blindfold consisted of a pair of aviator goggles painted black on the inside, with rubber sponge all around the edges. It was held on with heavy elastic. All present had tried on the mask, and they could not see while wearing it. But, I was convinced, Linda could.
Seated in a chair under good room light, Linda was able to read that morning's New York Times while blindfolded. She held the newspaper well to the left side of her body. Occasionally an experimenter would cover the left or right eye area with a slip of paper. When the left eye area was covered in this way, it did not inhibit her reading at all. When the right eye area was covered, she read on for a few words, then stopped or began making errors. I noted that on one attempt she was not reading the text at all a few seconds after the paper was slipped into place over the right eye area, but was inventing the copy. No one but me seemed to have been checking to see! When I called attention to this, Linda threw back her head, said she was tired, and asked for a break.
At about this time my identity became known. Although there was some objection, most of those present agreed to let me stay. Linda had been successful up to that point and did not seem to mind, though she fixed me with an unblindfolded eye.
During the break, I pointed out something of interest to those present. Linda's face had been photographed from several different angles against a squared background. The photos looked for all the world like large mug shots and had been made for the purpose of studying and mapping various areas of her face. You see, it was believed that she was "seeing" with a portion of her facial skin near her nose. They were almost right.
The profile photo emphasized something unusual about Linda's features. She had a short, concave nose that gave her an ability few possess. If my reader will perform a small experiment, it will be seen