ESP Girl
In November 1964, 5-year-old Kenneth Mason went missing. The police searched the river where he was last seen, but failed to find him.
Then 15-year-old Linda Anderson came forward and offered to use her psychic powers to help the police find Kenneth. Her father put her in a hypnotic trance, to activate her powers, and she declared, "The boy is not in the river, but is in a house." So the police began searching houses in the area.
In addition to being able to locate missing children, Linda also claimed to have the power of "dermal optical perception." She could read through her skin (as opposed to through her eyes). The media dubbed her "ESP Girl."
A skeptical physics professor, James A. Coleman, doubted that she could see through her skin and challenged her to prove it.
She lost the challenge.
And then Kenneth Mason was found. Sadly he was dead and in the river after all. So much for the powers of ESP Girl.
Then 15-year-old Linda Anderson came forward and offered to use her psychic powers to help the police find Kenneth. Her father put her in a hypnotic trance, to activate her powers, and she declared, "The boy is not in the river, but is in a house." So the police began searching houses in the area.
Charlotte Observer - Nov 14, 1964
Linda Anderson, ESP Girl
In addition to being able to locate missing children, Linda also claimed to have the power of "dermal optical perception." She could read through her skin (as opposed to through her eyes). The media dubbed her "ESP Girl."
Lewiston Daily Sun - Nov 14, 1964
A skeptical physics professor, James A. Coleman, doubted that she could see through her skin and challenged her to prove it.
Bangor Daily News - Feb 11, 1965
She lost the challenge.
Nashua Telegraph - Feb 15, 1965
And then Kenneth Mason was found. Sadly he was dead and in the river after all. So much for the powers of ESP Girl.
Daily Kennebec Journal - Mar 12, 1965
Comments
Miss Anderson had her fifteen minutes of fame. Too bad the whole thing came to a sad end.
Posted by KDP on 04/04/23 at 09:50 AM
Reading via the skin has always interested me because it's not scientifically impossible, but it's never going to happen. The photoreceptors in skin are so diffuse, and their reaction so weak, only a person with quite abnormal sensitivity could possibly 'feel' the difference between light and dark even on a fairly large scale.
Posted by Phideaux on 04/04/23 at 01:12 PM
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Category: Crime | Paranormal | Predictions | 1960s