PARAPSYCHOLOGY IN THE IBERO-AMERICAN WORLD - MEXICO

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• Document Creation Date: November 4, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 17, 2000
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. 196
The Journal gojyr
is particularly true
discussion of language
Moreover, Alvarado, a fo
Parapsychology (now the
versity of Virginia, has
on parapsychological
in the United State
Ibero-American
most extensive
ever to be ele
psychologic
lvarado's
rier
nta
vities in
Release 2000/08/11
reviews (1984a, 1985) and his
ems in parapsychology (1989a).
esearch assistant at the Division of
of Personality Studies) at the Uni-
a constant flow of information
'n America to research centers
r the last eigh
psychologists, he 1
n the English-language
a member of the Board
Association.
ars. In addition, among the
one who has published
als and the only one
o ectors of the Para-
Mexico
Mexico has been known for a long time as the land of the sacred
mushroom or peyotl, a plant used by the Indian shaman to induce
an altered state of consciousness, which allegedly facilitates the man-
ifestation of psychic powers. This country has also been a major
source for many parapsychological researchers interested in unor-
thodox psychic healing practices. Famous curanderas (healers) such
as Maria Sabina and Dona Pachita have been extensively investi-
gated by Stanley Krippner and other famous parapsychologists
(Krippner & Villoldo, 1986).
Although Mexico has been a major source of study for many
parapsychologists from foreign countries, psychical research has not
flourished there as it has in other countries such as Argentina and
Spain. Moreover, even though the country is located on the south-
ern border of the United States and has been subject to very strong
American cultural influence in almost every aspect of life, the dom-
inance of the United States has not been a factor in the develop-
ment of parapsychology. Even though in the United States there are
more parapsychological research centers than anywhere else in the
world, very little is known in Mexico of their research. Most of what
is known about serious parapsychology comes from Latin American
countries such as Brazil. For example, the writings of Quevedo are
well known in Mexico, and also most of what is known generally
comes from popular magazines.
Early efforts to study psychical research within a scientific frame-
work in Mexico began in 1919 with the isolated efforts of such re-
searchers as the German-born medical doctor Gustav Pagenstecher,
the first researcher to conduct serious psychical research in Mexico.
Pagenstecher was a very well-known and respected physician in the
: c_t CIA-RDP96-00792R00070009000q 197 iapsychology in the Ibero-Ainerican World
Mexican medical community as well as in political circles. In the
course of his career he delivered speeches before two presidents of
Mexico, Diaz and Obregon (Allison, 1943)."
A respected member of the medical profession, Pagenstecher
said he had been a materialist for forty years when he had his first
encounter with the paranormal. It was during a hypnosis treatment
of one of his patients who had insomnia that he discovered the re-
markable psychical gifts of Maria Reyes de Zierold. Pagenstecher be-
gan a series of psychometric experiments with her in 1919. The re-
sults were so striking that he brought them to the attention of the
Mexican medical society, which appointed a commission to verify
them. Pagenstecher also decided to write to the ASPR and send
some of.the results he had obtained. The results induced Walter
Franklin Prince, Research Officer of the ASPR, to go to Mexico to
investigate the case. After a series of experimental sittings with Zier-
old, Prince was so impressed with the results that he decided to pub-
lish them in the Journal of the ASPR in 1920 (Pagenstecher, 1920).
Prince later published another paper in which he discussed the ex-
periments in which he participated (Prince, 1921b). Moreover, the
ASPR published a monograph by Pagenstecher entitled Past Events
Seers/tip: A Study of Psychometry (Pagenstecher, 1922).
According to William Roll (1967), Pagenstecher contributed to
two major areas in parapsychology:
[He was], as far as I know the first investigator to use hypnosis as a
means to cultivate ESP in a gifted subject.... Pagenstecher's studies were
also, I believe, the first to indicate that the (parapsychological) associa-
tion of objects may be governed by the same laws that govern the (psy-
chological) association of ideas. (p. 238)
Pagenstecher showed great courage in undertaking these exper-
iments. He jeopardized his professional standing as well as his med-
ical practice by trying to substantiate the claims for Zierold's psychic
abilities. The Medical Commission appointed to investigate the case
was skeptical of the reported phenomena. Fortunately, however, the
Commission's leading experts obtained successful results in the ex-
periments M which they participated (Gomezharper de Trevino,
1990).
Obregon was a revolutionary military leader, later President of Mexico. Walter
Franklin Prince (1921a) relates an interesting psychic experience witnessed by Ob-
regOn, about a precognitive dream ObregOn's brother had about the death of their
mother.
Approved For Release 2000/08/11 : CIA-RDP96-00792R000700090001-1
*198 The Journal of Parapsychology
Another development in parapsychological activities in Mexico
occurred in 1937. A team of medical doctors, headed by Dr. En-
rique Aragon, formed a special commission to investigate an alleged
case of poltergeist activity surrounding a thirteen-year-old Mexican
boy named Joaquin Velazquez Villavicencio. As part of the investi-
gation, the team tried to measure the level of RSPK energy, using
a special apparatus called a sthenometer designed by the French
psychical researcher Paul Joire to detect PK forces (Gomezharper de
,Trevino, 1990). Arag6n's contributions were important to parapsy-
Ahology in Mexico because of his prestigious position and his aca-
demic attainments. Aragon was at one time president of the Uni-
gersity of Mexico and was also founder and Director of the Instituto
ale Psiquiatria y Psicologia there. He conducted field research on
.iaunting cases, precognitive dreams, and fraud in Spiritism.
g In 1939, Aragon founded the Circulo de Investigaciones Meta-
2psiquicas de Mexico." The aim of the Institute was to conduct ,a
cientific investigation of a case of alleged materialization produced
by the most famous medium in the history of Mexico, Luis Marti-
9nez. The medium started his activity when he was six years old and
llegedly could produce incredible phenomena, such as lights, ap-
b)orts, direct writing, direct voices, levitations of objects, and so
(*forth. The attention drawn by the case led to the participation of
medical and political men in the sessions. Two ex-presidents of
?Mexico were said to have participated in the seances (Garofano,
.-1988). Other work worth mentioning is that conducted by the Jesuit
i-o-priest and psychical researcher Carlos Maria Heredia. He recorded
.9..several observations and experiments in which odors (or other stim-
uli) associated with forgotten experiences were presented to the sub-
ject, theoretically causing an imbalance in the subject's subconscious
tow memories associated with the odor which, in turn, induced a tele-
cal pathic transmission of the forgotten experience to a nearby perci-
pient (Heredia, 1931/1945).
For Heredia, telepathy and spontaneous case occurrences were
&_
?fairly acceptable; however, phenomena of the seance room were to
u_
-0 him anathema. Having developed some skills as an illusionist, he
used to tour the country demonstrating mediumistic manifestations,
" 12
tx This research group later changed its name to Instituto Mexicano de Investi-
agaciones Siquicas, which also published a detailed account of the seances with the
"4. medium Luis Martinez which lasted for over ten years. The publication was called
Una Ventana at Mundy Invisible [A. Window to an Invisible World] (Instituto Mexican?
de Investigaciones Siquicas, 1960). Another interesting dimension of this case is the
participation in the seances of two well-known Mexican psychical researchers, Gustav
Pagenstecher and Carlos Maria Heredia.
Parapsychology in the Ibero-American World 199
as he supposed, by his methods of nonspiritual conjuring. He wrote
a book along these lines debunking the mediumistic phenomena
claimed by Spiritists; it was called Los Fraudes Espiritistas y los Feno-
menos Metapsiquicos (1931/1945). Unfortunately these efforts to or-
ganize serious centers and societies to study psychic phenomena
from a more empirical approach never led to a more formal type
of organization; most of these centers and investigations were short-
lived.
Since the 1930s, very little is known of any other serious efforts
to introduce scientific parapsychology to Mexico. After 1940, at I
mentioned at the beginning of this section of the paper, the 13st
known studies have been conducted by anthropologists and pea-
psychologists interested in nonorthodox practices of healing, pagic-
ularly those of the shamanistic variety.
Among the healers was the famous Oaxacan shaman, Bartra
Guerrero, best known as "Pachita," who practiced as a psychic gir-
geon and who in the 1960s became the subject of enormous atitn-
tion. Pachita was studied by Krippner and Villoldo (1986) and gib-
ers. Another healer, perhaps the best known of all, was Mia
Sabina, who drew worldwide attention because of her use of h@u-
cinogenic mushrooms in her unusual healing practices.
It was not until 1974 that the first Mexican parapsychologicaBo-
ciety was created, the Sociedad Mexicana de Parapsicologia, heed
by Carlos Trevino, a psychiatrist and an Associate Member o e
Parapsychological Association. The Society at the present time rep-
resents the most critical approach to parapsychology in MexicfE It
trains researchers and provides education both to the Churchand
to lay persons concerning alleged cases of demonic possession nd
other manifestations of psychic phenomena. The Society also o ers
courses in parapsychology to the general public in an attempt to
correct misconceptions about the nature of scientific paraps4ol-
ogy. For example, in Mexico the common belief is that parapsydiol-
ogy is a mixture of magic, demonology, and sorcery. A paretsy-
chologist is thought to be a person who reads Tarot cards uand
coffee grounds and prepares horoscopes. Under these cirdim-
stances art average Mexican tends to dismiss such beliefs, particu-
larly since they are deeply rooted in their tradition and cultural-ler-
?
itage (Gomezharper de Trevino, 1990). &_
o.
Along with courses for the general public, the Mexican Satiety
is the only organization that offers an officially required cours`g for
candidates to the priesthood studying at the Instituto de la Argue-
diOcesis de Mexico. Members of the Society have also conducted ex-
200 The Journal of Parapsychology
perimental research with Kirlian photography (Trevino, 1975) and
field investigations of haunting cases and poltergeists.
Some parapsychological conferences have been organized in
Mexico?for instance, the Congreso Internacional de Parapsicologfa
held in 1984 in Mexico City. The Society also organized the Primer
Simposio de Parapsicologia Cientifica held in 1984. At this meeting
a number of PA members presented papers, among them Marilyn
fIchlitz and Stanley Krippner (Gomezharper de Trevino, 1990).
(7, Another conference worth noting is the one organized by the
gewly created Sociedad Mexicana para la Investigacion Esceptica.
ghe first Latin American skeptics' conference was cosponsored by
gSICOP and convened in Mexico City in 1989. The conference in-
luded speakers such as Ray Hyman and James Alcock, as well as
gveral psychologists from the University of Mexico. The new Mex-
an society of skeptics headed by Mario Mendez has launched a
4burnal called El Investigador Esciptieo, which will be made available
roughout Latin America for Spanish-speaking readers.
(.6 An example of the attention to parapsychology given by high-
er) .
aankmg political figures in Mexico was the visit of the wife of the
Tnrmer president of Mexico, Carmen Lopez Portillo, who visited the
stitute for Parapsychology in North Carolina to participate in
Usome testing demonstrations of ESP. It is also interesting to note
'that the president's sister, Margarita Lopez Portillo, prepared a
.?.
vvideo about the life of the famous Mexican healer "Pachita." There
are also some isolated researchers in Mexico such as Jacob? Grin-
erg who in 1977 conducted research in dermo-optic perception.
2 It is unfortunate that one can find no serious parapsychological
faoublications in Mexico at the present time. There are only some
pular magazines on the topic, such as Duda [Doubt]."
Conclusion
&_
u_
So far, I have surveyed the past and present positions of para-
-a
psychology in several Ibero-American countries. But what does this
?conglomeration of names, societies, and research centers mean?
tffirst of all, as I have pointed out, my purpose was to familiarize the