Journal of the Society for
Psychical Research
[Vol. 65.2, No. 863,
158-59, April 2001]
CORRESPONDENCE
To the Editor,
The Psi Track—practical yet unproven
In 1987 Mr Göte Andersson of Värmlands Nysäter, Sweden, discovered a phenomenon which has been named 'the psi track'.
The Psi Track
Briefly, the
psi track has the following basis:–A person, called the sender, is in a place called the sending place. For a few minutes the sender concentrates vividly on a target object hidden in the surrounding area. The distance to the target object may be tens or hundreds of metres, or even further. After some minutes, a 'track' is established from the sending place to the target object. This track can be detected by dowsing, until it gradually fades away after one to two hours. In real life, the
psi track may be used to find lost objects.Jacobson and Tellefsen (1994) published a study of the
psi track, consisting of a detailed description of the procedure, discussion of anecdotal cases, and a report of controlled field experiments. The authors hoped that their study would encourage other researchers to repeat similar experiments. Unfortunately, neither I nor my co-author have so far seen any such reports.On the other hand, Göte Andersson and my co-author and I have received reports about the practical use of the
psi track to recover lost objects. Information about the procedure has been published in popular articles in Swedish magazines, and in a book by Göte Andersson (1994).A Real-Life Report
The latest report of the practical use of the
psi track comes from Göte Andersson. The event took place at the Skäggebol farm in Värmlands Nysäter, where Mr Andersson lives and works part time. He writes:On 2nd October 2000 Ms Elisabeth Hebbe, living on the farm, told me that her half-grown kitten had not been seen for two days.
We decided to try the psi-track. Ms Gertrud Holm, living nearby, is a skilled dowser and was willing to help. I (Göte) acted as sender. Standing in the garden, I mentally concentrated on the kitten. Gertrud walked around me with her dowsing rod, and very soon got a distinct reaction. The track pointed straight towards the laundry room on the ground floor of Elisabeth's house. We searched the laundry room believing that the kitten was locked up there, but without result.
It then occurred to me that the psi track could go straight through the house and continue round the back. Gertrud started dowsing again, behind the house. Soon she got a new contact with the track and followed it towards a hillside where there was an underground cellar, used for storing potatoes. I went into the cellar, and the poor kitten crawled out. The kitten had probably sneaked in there when someone fetched potatoes. Elisabeth later told me that it was very thirsty.
None of us had any idea that the kitten could be in the cellar. Instead it was speculated that it might have fallen victim to a fox, which had been seen sneaking round the garden.
The distance from the sending place to the cellar is about 60 meters. The whole trial, from beginning of the sending until I entered the cellar, took about 15 minutes.
[The report is signed: Göte Andersson, Elisabeth Hebbe, Gertrud Holm.]
Comments
This is a typical example of the practical use of the psi track. Of course such a trial has no 'scientific' value. It is impossible to prove that no one knew that the kitten might be in the cellar. Perhaps someone had noticed the kitten around there and then forgotten about it.
However, we have dozens of reports of similar cases, some of them rather remarkable, where actual lost objects of very different kinds have been found, again with this procedure. In this case, we may even assume that the psi track saved the kitten's life, which is more important than scientific proof.
A real test of the psi track would be in connection with a police search for a missing person. However, this would need skilled dowsers who were well trained in the procedure beforehand.
I would be glad if this case report might inspire researchers to investigate the psi track. Until confirmatory studies are reported, the psi track may continue to be regarded as useful in practice but scientifically unproven.
NILS O. JACOBSON
Department of Psychiatry
Kristianstad Hospital
S-291 85 Kristianstad, SWEDEN
nilsjacob@hotmail.com
REFERENCES
Jacobson, N. O. and Tellefsen, J. A. (1994) Dowsing along the psi track. JSPR 59, 321-339.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Swedish version of
this article:
Svensk version av den engelska artikeln:
