'196 TheJournal
 is particularly truel%,IVarado's
 discussion of languagelq
 Moreover, Alvarado, a f
 Parapsychology (now the
 versity of Virginia, ha!j
 parapsychoi(
 on
 in the United St
 Ibero-American
 most extensive
 ever to be ele2
 Mexico
 CIA-RDP96-00792RO0070009000qqiapsychology in the Ibero-American World
 197
 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 Obreg6n (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 ofthe 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
 Seership: A Study of Psychomeby (Pagenstecher, 1922).
      According to William Roll (1967), Pagenstecher contributed to
 two major areas in parapsychology:
      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. Tiiis country has also been a major
 source for many parapsychological researchers interested in unor-
 drodox psychic healing practices. Famous curanderas (healers) such
 as Maria Sabina and Dofia 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 fro in f0reign co-antries - u- r 11 haq not
      `01 F-7 - esea. ch ---- -_ - 
 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
 ities in
 the last (
 Release 2000/08/11
 wwreviews (1984a, 1985) and his
 R51ems in parapsychology (1989a).
 ;earch assistant at the Division of
 of Personality Studies) at the Uni-
 a constant flow of information
 a c nstant fl
 .n America to research centers
 r
                                                  n me 'ca
                                                h ars. In a(
 g ars. In addition, among the
 ,
 he I one
      IFapsychologists, he i one who has published
      i the English-language als and the only one
      age a
          a member of the Board o ectors of the Para-
 Board 0
                     pnosis a- :i
 [He wasj, as far as 1 know dhe first investig-a-mr. to use hyp i
 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 in which they participated (Gomezharper de Treviflo,
 1990).

 11 Obreg6n was a revolutionary military leader, later President of Mexico. Walter
 Franklin Prince (1921a) relates an interesting psychic experience witnessed by Ob-
 reg6n, about a precognitive dream Obreg6n's brother had about the death of their
 mother.
 Approved For Release 2000/08/11 CIA-RDP96-00792ROO0700090001-1

  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 Arag6n, formed a special commission to investigate an alleged
  case of poltergeist activity surrounding a thirteen-year-old Mexican
  boy named Joaquin Veldzquez 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
  jrevifio, 1990), Arag6n's contributions were important to parapsy-
  ,khology in Mexico because of his prestigious position and his aca-
  Siemic attainments. Arag6n was at one time president of the Uni-
  (%ersity of Mexico and was also founder and Director of the Instituto
  Ble Psiquiatria y Psicologia there. He conducted field research on
  r9haunting cases, precognitive dreams, and fraud in Spiritism.
  0
  0 In 1939, Arag6n founded the Circulo de Investigaciones Meta-
  0sfquicas de M&iCo.12 The aim of the Institute was to conduct,a
  CZP
  g@scientific investigation of a case of alleged materialization produced
  "'by the most famous medium in the history of Mexico, Luis Marti-
  0
  %.ez. The medium started his activity when he was six years old and
  &dlegedly could produce incredible phenomena, such as lights, ap-
  aports, direct writing, direct voices, levitations of objects, and so
  0
  I*forth. The attention drawn by the case led to the participation of
  <medical and political men in the sessions. Two ex-presidents of
  UMexico were said to have participated in the s6ances (Garofano,
  ,r-1988). Other work worth mentioning is that conducted by the Jesuit
  Ir-
  @_ riest and psychical researcher Carlos Maria Heredia. He recorded
  cop
  .0-several observations and experiments in which odors (or other stim-
  0 -
  oull) associated with forgotten experiences were presented to the sub-
  Q.
  Nject, theoretically causing an imbalance in the subject's subconscious
  Wmemories associated with the odor which, in turn, induced a tele-
  to
  mpathic transmission of the forgotten experience to a nearby perci-
  4)
  @pient (Heredia, 1931/1945).
  L_ For Heredia, telepathy and spontaneous case occurrences were
  Ofairly acceptable; however, phenomena of the s6anceroom were to
  LL
  -0him anathema. Having developed some skills as an illusionist, he
  >used to tour the country demonstrating mediumistic manifestations,
  0-
  CL " This research group later changed its name to Instituto Mexicano de Investi-
  CLgaciones Siquicas, which also published a detailed account of the seances with the

  

  I
       .<medium Luis Martinez which lasted for over ten years. The publication was called
  Una Vent4na al Mundo Invisible (A Window to an Invisible World] (Instituto Mexicano
  de Investigaciones Sfquicas, 1960). Another interesting dimension of this case is the
  participation in the sdances 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 Fen&
  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, a& I
  mentioned at the beginning of thi's section of the paper, the st
                                      4
  known studies have been conducted by anthropologists and pga-
  psychologists interested in nonorthodox practices of healing, pa@C-
  ularly those of the shamanistic variety. 0
                                      0
  Among the healers was the famous Oaxacan shaman, Barlara
  Guerrero, best known as "Pachita," who practiced as a psychic @r-
  geon and who in the 1960s became the subject of enormous atwn-
  tion. Pachita was studied by Kripprier and Villoldo (1986) and 91h-
  ers. Another healer, perhaps the best known of all, was N46ha
  Sabina, who drew worldwide attention because of her use of h~U-
  cinogenic mushrooms in her unusual healing practices. a)
       It was not until 1974 that the first Mexican parapsychologica&o-
  ciety was created, the Sociedad Mexicana de Parapsicologia, hea%ed
  by Carlos Trevifio, a psychiatrist and an Associate Member oldhe
                                     -ent time re
  Parapsycholo i a! Association. T e Societ P, r
                         aL V- . 
  gic 11 Ou'-JLc'
  resents the most critical approach to parapsychology in Mexiq[ It
  trains researchers and provides education both to the Churchand
  to Jay persons concerning alleged cases of demonic- possession nd
  other manifestations of psychic phenomena. The Society also otrs
  courses in parapsychology to the general public in an attemp@ to
  correct misconceptions about the nature of scientific parapsy6ol-
  ogy. For example, in Mexico the common belief is that parapsy!tol-
  ogy is a mixture of magic, demonology, and sorcery. A parlisy-
  chologist is thought to be a person who reads Tarot cardsaLtid
  coffee grounds and prepares horoscopes. Under these cir&m_
  stances an average Mexican tends to dismiss such beliefs, parOcu-
                       cultural%er-
  larly since they are deeply rooted in their tradition and 0
                                     L_

  

  itage (Gomezharper de Treviflo, 1990).
  CL
       Along with courses for the general public, the Mexican Sceiety
  is the only organization that offers an officially required courO for
  candidates to the priesthood studying at the Instituto de la Arque-
  di6cesis de M6xico. Members of the Society have also conducted ex-

  

  200 The journal of Parapsychology
  perimental research with Kirlian photography (Trevifio, 1975) and
  field investigations of haunting cases and poltergeists.
  Some parapsychological conferences have been organized in
  Mexico-for instance, the Congreso Internacional de Parapsicologia
  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
  @chlitz and Stanley Krippner (Gomezharper de Treviflo, 1990).
  Another conference worth noting is the one organized by the
  ,gewly created Sociedad Mexicana para la Investigaci6n Escl6ptica.
  ghe first Latin American skeptics' conference was cosponsored by
  SSICOP and convened in Mexico City in 1989. The conference in-
  guded 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 M6ndez has launched a
  purnal called El Investigador Esciptico, which will be made available
  &roughout Latin America for Spanish-speaking readers.
       t6 An example of the attention to parapsychology given by high-
  Ranking political figures in Mexico was the visit of the wife of the
  pDrmer president of Mexico, Carmen L6pez Portillo, who visited the
  @nstitute for Parapsychology in North Carolina to participate in
  Come testing demonstrations of ESP. It is also interesting to note
  'Chat the presidl-MI-L'S S1,-t.e.,, M.,ranrit, 1.6r)ez Portillo, prepared a
  V.-. -- 1
  v,video about the life of the famous Mexican healer "Pachita." There
  Sre also some isolated researchers in Mexico such as Jacobo Grin-
  berg who in 1977 conducted research in dermo-optic perception.
  ac
  0 It is unfortunate that one can find no serious parapsychological
  C14
       blications in Mexico at the present time. There are only some
  rp') ular magazines on the topic, such as Duda (Doubt]."
         Conclusion
  0
  LL So far, I have surveyed the past and present positions of para-
  Vsychology in several lbero-American countries. But what does this
  P
  10conglomeration of names, societies, and research centers mean?
  0
       ,first of all, as I have pointed out, my purpose was to familiarize the
       <English-speaking parapsychologists with the work of their colleagues
       from other countries, especially those researchers who have been in
       "'Duda is a magazine that is widely published nationally. It includes sensational
  articles an mixed topics such as UFOs, ESP phenomena, cryptozoology, and so on.
  Parapsychology in the Ibero-American World 201
  the field of parapsychology for many years but whose work and
  publications have been neglected in the major English-language
  journals. Second, I have reviewed a variety of parapsychological ac-
  tivities so as to provide the reader with insight into the different
  approaches to psychical research in different countries as well as

  


  into the cultural, geographical, and historical factors that have col-
  ored parapsychology in those countries. Some of the information
  provided is new and, may I say, very interesting. The different re-
  search methodologies pursued by the parapsychologists in these
  countries range from the empirical quantitative approach of the Xr-
  gentinian group, who follow the Rhinean School, to the theoreti&l
      9D
  and Spiritualistic approach shaped by the influence of ideologmal
  . 0)
  and cultukal constructs of the Brazilian Spiritists and Catholic ce
  searchers. However, in a way, these different approaches to &Re
      Ain
  study of psychic phenomena are reflections of the cultural milie F@_
        0
  which the research has evolved. 0
  Another important feature that emerges from an examinatio4$f
  the developments of parapsychology in these countries is that 4bst
  Ibero-American researchers are in the main plagued with the s;&e
  practical and theoretical problems common to most other coune3ks
  involved in psychical research. Common problems are the strumle
  to gain recognition in their own scientific communities and the jlck
  f economic means to support research.
  0
  C'M a-..-ther 1-infortunate pattern is the isolation of individuatjre-
  searchers in these Ibero-American countries from their counterpuris
  in the English-speaking parapsychological community. Some- of
  these researchers, such as J. Ricardo Musso and Nauni Kretan
  from Argentina, have been doing research and publishing ex39L-n-
  sively since the 1950s but remain virtually unknown outside f5eir
  own countries. Very few of the researchers from those coi@Qies
  have ever belonged to the Parapsychological Association. A bnqre-
  view of the most recent list reveals that even at the present-%me
  there are very few Ibero-American members in the PA, an or&ni-
  zation that claims to be international. 14 L_
  0
  It is my hope that this brief summary will bridge the gap created
  by the language barrier and will remedy the previous lack of for-
  mation, thus fostering communication between lbero-Amencatt re-
       0
  searchers and their English-speaking colleagues. The increaJa of
  communication with parapsychologists in the Ibero-Amenican !run-
  141 -
  Ibero-American members account at the present time for less than 8% of the
  Parapsychological Association members (Parapsychological Association, 1991).