Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 5, No. 1 1988 Page 41
Ambiguity in the Exercise
In the demonstration, the trainer may also tend to use ambiguous metaphorical images and many
possible interpretations of what they might mean, which can lead the participants to mimic the
trainer's model. The process leads to ―hits,‖ such as the following actual case: One participant
was thinking of a friend when her partner said, ―I'm getting an impression of the Pillsbury Dough
Boy.‖(7) This was taken to be a psychic hit because the object was slightly overweight and soft.
However, the attempt could also have been seen to be accurate if the person was any kind of
boy, a baker, liked bread, lived on Pillsbury Street, worked for Pillsbury, or came from
Minneapolis (the home of Pillsbury).
Giving the name, sex, age, city and/or state of residence of the person being described in the
exercise can lead to many inferences and thereby contribute to the illusion of ESP. One
participant told her partner that the person in question lived in Florida, and was then
impressed with the accuracy of her partner's statement that he lived in a one-story house (a
typical Florida residence).(8)
Based on my interviews, by the fifth day of the training, the level of acceptance regarding the
exercise can be so high that even the smallest coincidental detail that is accurate in the intuition
exercise can serve to validate the vague or ambiguous guesses, and can further convince the
participants that they are experiencing ESP.
Distributing “Belief” Throughout the Group
In the forming of dyads, the second stage in the exercise, the trainer first tells participants to
stand up if they do not believe that ―this [the intuition exercise) can work.‖ Then they are told to
look around and not pair off with any of these other people. This has two effects. First, through
cognitive dissonance, it reinforces the belief of those who remain sitting, because they have taken
a physical action which is associated with believing, namely remaining seated. The tendency to
remain seated is further reinforced because previously many participants who had not conformed
were intimidated and ridiculed. Second, this method of forming dyads helps to ensure that each
dyad win include at least one person who has a propensity toward interpreting ambiguous images
as hits.
The participants I interviewed reported that the trainer tells the participants, ―If you don't believe
it [the intuition exercise] can work ...guess what?‖ This is an effective indirect suggestion that if
the exercise doesn't work for a participant, it is in some way his fault In hypnotherapy, indirect
suggestion is thought to be a more effective way to influence some patients than direct
statements. ―Indirect suggestions are not commands, they are suggestions that cry out for
unconscious inferences to be drawn by the patient‖(9)
If the exercise doesn't work for the participant, there is a further implication that it is the
participant's fault because the trainer has already demonstrated that he (the trainer) has this
ability, and has said that others who have taken the training also have shown ability.
My subjects reported that during the exercise, the volunteer assistants are instructed to mingle
and pair themselves off with those partners having the most difficulty. In a manipulative way, this
distributes the level of belief as evenly as possible throughout the room, and further ensures that
there will be a high number of hits.
Guidance and Reinforcement Through Feedback
My subjects stated that the trainer told them they must give feedback during the intuition
exercise. This guides the partner, narrowing down the focus of the ―reading‖ until there is some
degree of accuracy. One participant stated that when she was doing the intuition exercise, she
considered the early misses to be .warming up.‖(10) Another participant said ―Eventually I would
Ambiguity in the Exercise
In the demonstration, the trainer may also tend to use ambiguous metaphorical images and many
possible interpretations of what they might mean, which can lead the participants to mimic the
trainer's model. The process leads to ―hits,‖ such as the following actual case: One participant
was thinking of a friend when her partner said, ―I'm getting an impression of the Pillsbury Dough
Boy.‖(7) This was taken to be a psychic hit because the object was slightly overweight and soft.
However, the attempt could also have been seen to be accurate if the person was any kind of
boy, a baker, liked bread, lived on Pillsbury Street, worked for Pillsbury, or came from
Minneapolis (the home of Pillsbury).
Giving the name, sex, age, city and/or state of residence of the person being described in the
exercise can lead to many inferences and thereby contribute to the illusion of ESP. One
participant told her partner that the person in question lived in Florida, and was then
impressed with the accuracy of her partner's statement that he lived in a one-story house (a
typical Florida residence).(8)
Based on my interviews, by the fifth day of the training, the level of acceptance regarding the
exercise can be so high that even the smallest coincidental detail that is accurate in the intuition
exercise can serve to validate the vague or ambiguous guesses, and can further convince the
participants that they are experiencing ESP.
Distributing “Belief” Throughout the Group
In the forming of dyads, the second stage in the exercise, the trainer first tells participants to
stand up if they do not believe that ―this [the intuition exercise) can work.‖ Then they are told to
look around and not pair off with any of these other people. This has two effects. First, through
cognitive dissonance, it reinforces the belief of those who remain sitting, because they have taken
a physical action which is associated with believing, namely remaining seated. The tendency to
remain seated is further reinforced because previously many participants who had not conformed
were intimidated and ridiculed. Second, this method of forming dyads helps to ensure that each
dyad win include at least one person who has a propensity toward interpreting ambiguous images
as hits.
The participants I interviewed reported that the trainer tells the participants, ―If you don't believe
it [the intuition exercise] can work ...guess what?‖ This is an effective indirect suggestion that if
the exercise doesn't work for a participant, it is in some way his fault In hypnotherapy, indirect
suggestion is thought to be a more effective way to influence some patients than direct
statements. ―Indirect suggestions are not commands, they are suggestions that cry out for
unconscious inferences to be drawn by the patient‖(9)
If the exercise doesn't work for the participant, there is a further implication that it is the
participant's fault because the trainer has already demonstrated that he (the trainer) has this
ability, and has said that others who have taken the training also have shown ability.
My subjects reported that during the exercise, the volunteer assistants are instructed to mingle
and pair themselves off with those partners having the most difficulty. In a manipulative way, this
distributes the level of belief as evenly as possible throughout the room, and further ensures that
there will be a high number of hits.
Guidance and Reinforcement Through Feedback
My subjects stated that the trainer told them they must give feedback during the intuition
exercise. This guides the partner, narrowing down the focus of the ―reading‖ until there is some
degree of accuracy. One participant stated that when she was doing the intuition exercise, she
considered the early misses to be .warming up.‖(10) Another participant said ―Eventually I would
