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176 The Journal of Parapsychology Parapsychology in the Ibero-American World 177
of parapsychology, some may see little value in monitoring publi-
cations and research in these countries, perhaps because they doubt
that the material produced by such researchers would be of suffi-
cient quality to make an important contribution to the field (Alva-
rado, 1989a).
This lack of atten n to informa n about Ibero-American
n
t
0
i
n
f
0
r
in
a
@
s
a
er
i
0
u
s
r
parapsychology presen a serious pp lem for English-speaking
p
v.
n
re
e
cive
parapsychologists, who o n receive vitations to attend parapsy-
In
0
chological conferences in e of t se countries where there are
ee
len
aaIc
groups whose commitment acad ic parapsychology is doubtful
t cdpi
.e in e ngthei
and whose only purpose in e n g their invitations is to legitim-
are som es a du
ize local efforts, which are som es a dubious mix of parapsychol-
and so AttJ
ogy, spiritism, ufology, and so A better knowledge of parapsy-
Llis il t_
ntie fai.
chology in these communities facilitate evaluation of the goals
jde fy emsel
of specific groups who ide emselves as parapsychologists.
in outefol
David Hess (1990) has point out e following concerning Brazil-
ian parapsychology:
[Since] anything "int@rn
li?nal" or "Ist world" in Brazil means addi-
tional status, the particlation of PA p psychologists at Brazilian con-
(_ta
ferences that represeilone gr mean legitimating either Cath-
oup co
olic or Spiritist Oa ychology at the pense of the other group. (p.
110)
Although it is trie.that su .ch groups kcist, it is important to men-
tion that there a also serious and researchers who for
many years have arried out in1go-U-PA ork-work that deserves
recognition eve i
ough the Ian a e 4rrier has hindered its re-
ception in the nternational paf:apsgyc ,ogical arena. Efforts to
bridge this lac of attention and to incre* cooperation with Ibero-
res
American res rchers will not only help tykse in the English-speak-
cou t
ing countrie., o better understand culturalWferences and national
styles in res ch practice, but also help the researchers in the Ibero-
Americuan Id to improve the quality of their work. Therefore, I
have selecte e following countries for a general survey of the re-
search that has been conducted in parts of lbero-America: Argen
tina, Brazil, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Spain.
Spain
created under the presidency of the Count of Gimeno, member of
the Royal Academy of Sciences and Medicine. The Society pub-
lished a journal called Revista de Estudios Metapsfquicos (Ferndndez
Briones, 1981b). The research orientation of the Society was to
study spontaneous cases and psychics, such as the famous Joaqufn
Argamasilla (expert in dermo-optical perception) whose abilities
Houdini,attempted to expose (Houdini, 1924).
Most of the work of this society, however, was lost after the
Spanish Civil War during a period of isolation in which only a few
researchers kept the torch burning. Familiar names from this period
are Sdnchez Herrero, the Marquiz of Santa Clara, J. Palm6s, and M.
Otero y Acevedo, researchers whose independent efforts contrib-
uted to a new generation of investigators such as Ramos Perera Mo-
lina, Francisco Gavildn Fontanet, and Luis Ferndndez Briones. This
latter group, at the beginning of the 1970s, founded the first well-
organized society to investigate psychic phenomena in Spain. It was
called the Sociedad Espafiola de Parapsicologfa (Fern;indez Briones,
1981b). From its inception, this Society, under the direction of Ra-
mos Perera Molina, had as its main goal to promote the scientific
study of parapsychology. To achieve this goal, the Society combined
the efforts of experts in experimental design, illusionism, psychol-
ogy, medicine, and other fields of science and in 1976 established a
research center (De Vicente, 1983).
To carry out its research projects, the Society has been divided
into several research committees that specialize in different areas
embracing field studies as well as experimental projects, Among
these committees are those concerned with the development of the-
oretical models to enhance ESP, Kirlian photography, experimental
research, OBEs, and the medical aspects of psi. More recently, a
new committee was established' to investigate anomalous phenom-
ena along the lines of the Society for Scientific Exploration.
Members of the Society have carried out original research pro-
ts in experimental parapsychology as well as research on sponta-
iec
neous cases. They have also critically evaluated miracle claims made
by the Catholic church in Spain, such as the liquefaction of the
blood of Saint Pantale6n Uorddn Pefia, 1983).
One of the most interesting investigations has been conducted by
members of the research committee headed by Francisco Gavildn
There has never been a serious attempt to organize the history
of psychical research in Spain, and information is scarce on early Fontanet (1976). in this study, the committee investigated identical
attempts to study psychic phenomena seriously. It was not until the 'The goal of the committee is to investigate UFOs, cryptozoology, religious ap-
1920s that the Sociedad Espahola depFpp#4WdNft;ppsklg~W3/09/10 CIA-RDP96_oo719piFk
0809td(1ft1)8VfoTena scientifically.
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op
178 The Journal Of Parapsyc ap@9961ojy in the Ibero-American World 179
twin girls presumed to have been born with psi abilities. The case
had received extensive coverage by the media in Spain. According
to the reports of the case, one of the twin girls had suffered a burn
on her hand while ironing. Her sister, separated from her at the
time the burning occurred (16 kins away), developed a similar burn
on the same hand. The Society sent a team of researchers to carry
out a careful investigation of the case. They conducted a series of
experiments to determine the possible existence of psi communica-
tion between the sisters. One of the experiments consisted of sepa-
rating the two girls into two different buildings and stimulating one
of them (the sender) with different sensorial inputs (like perfume)
while observing physiological reactions, such as pupillary and patel-
lar reflexes, in the other twin (the receiver). Psychological profiles
of the twins were bLlso obtained from projective tests. The sessions
with the two girls were simultaneously filmed to document the stim-
uli as well as the perceptual pattern of the reactions. The results
showed simultaneous reactions of the twins' reaction time and visual
and olfactory responses.
In 1978 the members of the Society conducted another impor-
tant study, an international survey of the motivational factors of
parapsychological researchers. Headed by Gavildn Fontanet (1978),
the main objective of the study was to find out what motivates para-
psychologists to investigate psychic phenomena.
They surveyed 201 parapsychologists from 18 countries around
the world. Among the parapsychologists were J. B. Rhine, S. Kripprier,
and C. Tam Three hundred questionnaires, each having 23 questions,
were prepared in five different languages' and were mailed to re-
searchers throughout the world, Among the interesting findings
were that 61% of the respondents were psychologists, psychiatrists,
and medical doctors, 45% considered themselves agnostics, 24% got
involved in parapsychology while looking for a philosophical answer
to the question of the nature of man, 3 1 % got involved for scientific
reasons, 51% believed in a transcendent intelligence, 50% believed
in some type of survival after death (of these 10% believed in rein-
carnadon' ), and 7 11% rejected astrology,
Another research objective of the Society was the search for a
theoretical model to enhance psi abilities. For this purpose the So-
ciety created the Committee for the Development of ESP' headed
by Luis FernAndez Briones. The Committee's purpose was to outline
'The languages were English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.
A group that conducts experimental and theoretical research about ESP.
a methodological model for the practical development of ESP. Once
the model and the techniques were developed, the Society hoped it
would be possible to train subjects to obtain positive results over an
extended period of time (Fernindez Briones, 1976), thus confront-
ing the replicability problem that characterizes most psi research.
Although the Committee has not been successful as yet, the results
obtained so far are encouraging. Fernindez Briones summarized
the findings in his book entitled Desarrollo de la Percepct6n Extrasen-
sorial [The Development of Extrasensory Perception] (19 83). Among
the techniques used by the Committee to attain this goal are the
inducement of altered states of consciousness and the application of
learning theory principles to ESP performance, such as those pro-
posed bLCharles Tart (1966). Although the results have only been
suggestive, Ferridridez Briones was hopeful enough to emphasize
the need for more research to test the proposed models sufficiently.
Other research conducted by members of the Society includes
investigations of poltergeist cases Uorddn Pefia, 1980)5; conceptual
papers related to the ability of some fish, such as the electric eel and
the sturgeon of the Nile, to obtain information about their sur-
roundings through electrical communication, which the authors
speculated might be a primitive language of telepathy (Bardasano
Rubio & Arano Bermejo, 1980a); examination of the migration of
carrier pigeons and other animals to develop a model for ESP (Bar-
dasano Rubio & Arano Bermejo, 1980b); and studies of the socio-
logical and anthropological aspects of psychic surgery Uim6nez Vi-
sedo, 1984). Moreover, other members of the Society have:
speculated on the pineal gland as a possible somatic organ for ESP
reception (Bardasano Rubio et al., 1981); examined neurophysiol-
ogy and its importance for parapsychological research Uim6nez Vi-
sedo, 1985); considered the psychophysiological. correlates of hyp-
nosis and its implications for parapsychology (GonzAlez Ordi, 1985);
investigated perception of the laying-on of hands by a sensorially
isolated subject (Prat et al., 1988); proposed three-dimensional
models of RSPK studies, that is, the cases are studied within a para-
psychological, psychological, and psychosociological. context (De Cas-
tro, GonzAlez Ordi, & Berrocal Muela. 1984); and offered theoreti-
cal models to explain firewalking (Perera, 1989).
In the educational area, even though efforts have been made to
include parapsychology in the curriculum of universities in Spain,
sJordAn Pefia published a book called Casas Encantadas, Poltergeists [Haunted
Houses, Poltergeists] (1982), in which he presented an overview of cases and theories
of hauntings. For a review of this book, see Alvarado (1985).
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180 The journal of Parapsychology Parapsychology in the Ibero-American World 181
these have not been successful as yet. Since its inception, however, at the standards of the Parapsychological Association. Instead, what is
el
members of the Society have been very active in organizing numer- called "parapsychology" in Brazil is larg defined by rival groups of
ous educational activities and seminars at different universities. The Catholic and Spiritist (Kardecist) intellect a (Hess, 1990)
seminar offered by the president of the Society, Ramos Perera Mo-
a
Bra
e
r
s
n
ta d
p
the Universidad Aut6noma de Madrid in 1975 drew distin- To erstand parapsychology in Bra , we need to be familiar
lina,
s/
@pe
at
guished and prominent figures such as Prince Juan Carlos of Spain
and his wife and the minister of education.
Since 1975, the Society has also published a biannual journal,
entitled Psi Comunic"i6n, which includes English abstracts. The
journal covers both the activities of the Society and a wide range of
topics in parapsychology, some of which have been mentioned. In
addition, their journal includes a section for national and interna-
tional news on parapsychological activities around the world. Mem-
bers of the Society have published several books summarizing its re-
search activities. I have already mentioned the books by Fernindez
Briones (1983). Other books include an anthology, entitled La Nueva
Parapsicologia: Introducci6n a la Parapsicologfa Cient#ica [The New
Parapsychology: An Introduction to Scientific Parapsychology] ed-
ited by Ferndndez Briones (1981a), a valuable introduction to the
field, and Mario Capel's La Supervivencia Despuis de la Muerte: Evi-
dencia Espontdnea y Experimental [Survival after Death: Spontaneous
and Experimental Evidence] (1981) reviewing some of the research
and phenomena related to the issue of survival after death.
Although parapsychology has been negligible in Spain until re-
cent times, it is important to point out that we are now witnessing a
boom in parapsychological activities in that country. Unfortunately,
even though the Society seems to be the best organized, and to have
the most resources in the Ibero-American world, its members have
not participated in the broader international parapsychological con-
ferences, such as that of the Parapsychological Association, possibly
because of the language barrier. In addition, it is unfortunate and
disheartening to find that such a large, productive, and well-orga-
nized society has no member in the PA.
c 'c 0
At the 1§90 Parapsychologica on convention, David
s g
a h@ I o @an,
Hess, who has made several to study Brazilian parapsy-
@despever stud
chology, presented a which h to scribed Brazilian para-
I pe
f ng terms
psychology in the ng terms:
Brazil does AWhave a coherent community of academic parapsycholo-
and publish
gists, and there are few if any people in Brazil who research
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with the tural milieu from which it hvolved, one that is dom-
r
I
in
I
t
u
a
fl
e
I ita h
inated by ro-Brazilian cults and Ca Ikism. On the one hand,
r
i
lic
0
B
r
z
b
a
y
c e r'
th
we have th piritist tradition that ce from France through the
Irl
t
is
t
f
e
p
teachings'o-f Ilan Kardec; Spiritists ieve that spiritual progress is
I
n
al
ieve
s
0
K
f
a
g
.e
of carna
effected by a ries of compulsorv carnations. They believe that
a
n
b
s
I
y
hl
id
e
s
ns
v
mediumship p vides opportun
p
over
uals Mo
individuals. Mo over, Spiritisrr.
_o_BraziIia
cul
the Afro-Brazifia cults such as
from th&African ig*
African
I
'3" ie jg
I
(Bastide, 1971; Gie 1
e,197 1,G
ru
ss ct in
This spectrum o
t)t in and mix
has crept in and mix
variety of belief systei
chology have evolved.
the Kardecist type of
movements that esseni
of deceased individual
sess individuals and c2
On the other ha
veloped a system th
rae@
to fight and eventu )
_Yn
superstition and ez
a:
1990). This syste a:
one of the mos nflu
flu
Ibero-
Jesuit
Luis F
to com,
to communicate with deceased
strongly influenced in Brazil by
abanda and Candomble derived
to Brazil through the slave trade
1985).
ipiritis liefs and Afro-Brazilian religions
in B ilian society (Hess, 1987), creating a
r which Brazilian brands of parapsy-
e are many interesting combinations of
5 tism and all sorts of Brazilian religious
cept possession, the influence of spirits
11 as the belief that divinities can pos-
eff healing (Parra Alvarez, 1981).
, there the Catholic tradition that has de-
ses; pa sychology as an ideology with which
destroy the movements the church sees as
s to the tablished Catholic dogmas (Hess,
been dev ped mainly through the work of
!ntial and spected "parapsychologists" in
Pather Oscar Go dlez Quevedo, a Spanish-born
g in Brazil. Pa re uevedo (as he is known) and
d
Silva cofoun e Latin American Center of
ded
CLAP, of the nc 'eta College of Sdo Paulo in
A
1970.
970,
The ter, which was closed do in 1982 and reopened in
The
i inI
989 u_ 0
5e t 01
1989 un reduced circumstances, use to offer clinical counseling
for e suffering from psychologi problems related to reli-
Dr e S11
@ou pene rc
Z\
ml
gious periences and practices (e.f., monic possession). The
till h p
Cent still has an impressive library of ks on parapsychology,
whi used to be housed in huge facilities at also accommodated
r j
a, xperimental and clinical laboratory an a museum of objects
p r )rv
I' One of the biggest parapsychology libraries in Latin America with approximately
TOGO volumes.
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