CIA-RDP96-00787R000400070016-6

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ORD-1384-73
13 March 1973
MEMORANDUM FOR: C/IP&A/ORD
SUBJECT
:
Rosemary Brown's Conversations with the Dead
1. This memorandum is a summary of significant sections
of Rosemary Brown's book Unfinished Symphonies: Voices from
the Beyond (New York, William Morrow and Co., 1971). Although
I have ordered the Philips recording of some of her performances
this has to be imported from Europe and has not yet arrived.
2.
Rosemary Brown has the undoubted ability to compose
music in the styles of classical composers and to perform the
music she has composed. This ability is not unique to Rosemary
Brown.
While in these days of extensive formal education it
is customary that persons able to compose music in a variety
of styles will have had some specific training in the subject,
the absence of such formal training does not seem remarkable
in the light of numerous historic instances of self-taught
musicians. What is remarkable about Rosemary Brown is her
claim that these compositions are not her own but have been
dictated to her 'from the beyond' by the living spirits of
deceased famous composers.
3. Mrs. Brown's claim should be understood in the light
of her own family background in spiritualism; at the age of
seven Rosemary was 'already accustomed to seeing the spirits
of the so-called dead' (p. 13) and many of the assertions she
makes of the beyond (e.g., the healing power of spirits) are
consistent with what she would have learned at the spiritua-
listic meetings she attended. Mrs. Brown's most frequent
communicator is (the spirit of) Franz Liszt who not only dic-
tates music to her but advises her on the prices of bunches
of bananas (pp. 100-101) when the price tag is hidden from view.
Although spirits have little linguistic difficulty (Bach has
learned English) , they cannot readily pick up television programs.
CL BY 482859
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SUBJECT: Rosemary Brown's Conversations with the Dead
4. Clearly it does not follow from the presumptive fact
that Mrs. Brown hears voices and sees other manifestations of
spirits that there are (in an objective sense) such spirits.
Schizophrenics and others (e.g., Joan of Arc) have had similar
perceptions that have not been amenable to intersubjective
verification. Nothing revealed by the spirits to Mrs. Brown
and reported in her book appears to be sufficiently remarkable
in depth of detail to require me to accept Mrs. Brown's expla-
nation of spiritual origin of these messages as the only plausible
explanation.
5. At the present state of science there is no algorithm
to determine whether or not a particular musical composition is
in the style of Bach (for example) . But even if there were
such an algorithm it would not be decisive in the present in-
stance because if Bach is adventuresome enough to have learned
English, I see no reason why he might not today be composing
music in almost any style.
6. Mrs. Brown on occasion communicates with non-musicians.
Einstein, in particular, has revealed to her his new equation:
"S (Q) R = Infinity". I append a xerox copy of Einstein's reported
message. If you think the message really originates from Einstein,
you are likely to be impressed with Mrs. Brown's abilities. If
you think Einstein never would have come up with the quoted
discourse, you are likely to dismiss Mrs. Brown, notwithstanding
the favorable introduction to her book by the Bishop of Southwark
who has his own reasons for believing in life after death.
SIGNED
IP&A/ORD
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