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Journal of Parapsychology, Vol. 55, June 1991
Eastern Virginia Medical School
Norfolk, VA 23501
PARAPSYCHOLOGY IN THE IBERO-
AMERICAN WORLD
PAST AND PRESENT DEVELOPMENTS
BY SERGIO A. RUEDA
ABSTRACT: This review of parapsychology in Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Puert
Rico, and Mexico points out that many developments in these countries rarel
transcend the language barrier to become better known in the international com
munity of psi researchers. The review focuses on developments in research an
theory, as well as on parapsychological organizations, journals, and other aspect
of the field. Parapsychology in some of the countries is very different from Anglc
Saxon parapsychology owing to cultural influences, but it shares with the rest c
the world problems in financing research. The aim of this review is to help comba
the language and cultural barriers that have limited cross-cultural communication
of parapsychological activities and findings.
Although parapsychology has a long history and tradition i
some of the Ibero-American1 countries, very little is known to th
rest of the parapsychological community about the efforts of th
Ibero-American parapsychologists to establish parapsychology as
respected field of science within their wider scientific community. A
Alvarado (1989a) has pointed out, this is perhaps due mainly to lar.
guage-barrier problems. Other reasons, however, may also hav
contributed to the isolation and neglect of the Ibero-American re
searchers, among them the idea that third-world science is inferic
to that of developed countries (e.g., see Garfield, 1987). In the cas
I wish to thank the Parapsychology Foundation for financial support. I also grat
fully acknowledge the cooperation of the following parapsychologists, who provide
information about parapsychology in their countries: for Argentina, Naum Kreima:
President of the Instituto Argentino de Parapsicología, his colleague Dora Ivnisk
and Alejandro Parra, Editor of the Revista Argentina de Psicología Paranormal; for Br
zil, The Centro Latino Americano de Parapsicología (CLAP); for Mexico, Cark
Treviño, President of the Sociedad Mexicana de Parapsicologia (SOMEPAR); f
Puerto Rico, Carlos S. Alvarado; and for Spain, Sociedad Española de Parapsicologi
I also thank Anne Carroll, Dorothy Pope, and Nancy Zingrone for editorial assistan
and Carlos S. Alvarado for his extensive suggestions for the improvement of th
paper. Wellington Zangari also provided useful criticism.
Persons desiring to contact research centers and publications that have been me:
tioned in this article and are still active may obtain addresses by writing to the autho
1 I am using the term Ibero-American to designate any ethnic or linguistic group .
Iberian and Latin American origin.
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· 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 attention to information about Ibero-American
parapsychology presents a serious problem for English-speaking
parapsychologists, who often receive invitations to attend parapsy-
chological conferences in some of these countries where there are
groups whose commitment to academic parapsychology is doubtful
and whose only purpose in extending their invitations is to legitim-
ize local efforts, which are sometimes a dubious mix of parapsychol-
ogy, spiritism, ufology, and so on. A better knowledge of parapsy-
chology in these communities could facilitate evaluation of the goals
of specific groups who identify themselves as parapsychologists.
David Hess (1990) has pointed out the following concerning Brazil-
ian parapsychology:
[Since] anything "international" or "first world" in Brazil means addi-
tional status, the participation of PA parapsychologists at Brazilian con-
ferences that represent one group could mean legitimating either Cath-
olic or Spiritist parapsychology at the expense of the other group. (p.
110)
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Although it is true that such groups exist, it is important to men-
tion that there are also serious groups and researchers who for
many years have carried out important work-work that deserves
recognition even though the language barrier has hindered its re-
ception in the international parapsychological arena. Efforts to
bridge this lack of attention and to increase cooperation with Ibero-
American researchers will not only help those in the English-speak-
ing countries to better understand cultural differences and national
styles in research practice, but also help the researchers in the Ibero-
American world to improve the quality of their work. Therefore, I
have selected the following countries for a general survey of the re-
search that has been conducted in parts of Ibero-America: Argen-
tina, Brazil, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Spain.
Spain
There has never been a serious attempt to organize the history
of psychical research in Spain, and information is scarce on early
attempts to study psychic phenomena seriously. It was not until the
1920s that the Sociedad Española de Estudios Metapsíquicos was
Parapsychology in the Ibero-American World
177
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 Metapsíquicos (Fernandez
Briones, 1981b). The research orientation of the Society was to
study spontaneous cases and psychics, such as the famous Joaquín
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 Sánchez Herrero, the Marquiz of Santa Clara, J. Palmés! and M
Otero y Acevedo, researchers whose independent efforts Contrib
uted to a new generation of investigators such as Ramos Pergra Mo
lina, Francisco Gavilán Fontanet, and Luis Fernandez Brion. This
latter group, at the beginning of the 1970s, founded the ft well
organized society to investigate psychic phenomena in Spains It wa
called the Sociedad Española de Parapsicología (Fernández Briones
1981b). From its inception, this Society, under the directiog of Ra
mos Perera Molina, had as its main goal to promote the Cientifi
study of parapsychology. To achieve this goal, the Society conbine
the efforts of experts in experimental design, illusionism, psycho)
ogy, medicine, and other fields of science and in 1976 established
research center (De Vicente, 1983).
To carry out its research projects, the Society has been divide
into several research committees that specialize in different area
embracing field studies as well as experimental projects."Amon
these committees are those concerned with the development of the
oretical models to enhance ESP, Kirlian photography, experiment:
research, OBEs, and the medical aspects of psi. More recently,
new committee was established2 to investigate anomalous ghenor
ena along the lines of the Society for Scientific Explorationa
Members of the Society have carried out original reseagch pr
jects in experimental parapsychology as well as research orgspont
neous cases. They have also critically evaluated miracle claimas mar
by the Catholic church in Spain, such as the liquefaction of ti
blood of Saint Pantaleón (Jordán Peña, 1983).
One of the most interesting investigations has been conducted
members of the research committee headed by FranciscooGavil
Fontanet (1976). In this study, the committee investigated @denti
2 The goal of the committee is to investigate UFOs, cryptozoology, religious
paritions, and other phenomena scientifically.

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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 kms 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 also 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 Gavilán 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. Krippner,
and C. Tart. Three hundred questionnaires, each having 23 questions,
were prepared in five different languages3 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, 31% 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-
carnation), and 71% 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
3 The languages were English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.
4 A group that conducts experimental and theoretical research about ESP.
Parapsychology in the Ibero-American World
179
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 (Fernandez 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. Fernández Briones summarized
the findings in his book entitled Desarrollo de la Percepción Extrasen-
sorial [The Development of Extrasensory Perception] (1983). 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 by Charles Tart (1966). Although the results have ong been
suggestive, Fernández 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 (Jordan Peña, 1980)5; conceptual
papers related to the ability of some fish, such as the electric gel 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 (Baflasanc
Rubio & Arano Bermejo, 1980a); examination of the migration of
carrier pigeons and other animals to develop a model for ES? (Bar.
dasano Rubio & Arano Bermejo, 1980b); and studies of the socio-
logical and anthropological aspects of psychic surgery (Jimenez Vi-
sedo, 1984). Moreover, other members of the Society have
speculated on the pineal gland as a possible somatic organ for ESJ
reception (Bardasano Rubio et al., 1981); examined neurophysiol
ogy and its importance for parapsychological research (Jim@ez Vi
sedo, 1985); considered the psychophysiological correlates &f hyp
nosis and its implications for parapsychology (González Ord&1985)
investigated perception of the laying-on of hands by a sergoriall
isolated subject (Prat et al., 1988); proposed three-dimensiona
models of RSPK studies, that is, the cases are studied withinga para
psychological, psychological, and psychosociological context Me Ca:
tro, González Ordi, & Berrocal Muela, 1984); and offered theoret
cal models to explain firewalking (Perera, 1989).
In the educational area, even though efforts have been fade t
include parapsychology in the curriculum of universities ing Spain
EApproved For Release
5 Jordán Peña published a book called Casas Encantadas, Poltergeists
Haunt
Houses, Poltergeists] (1982), in which he presented an overview of cases and theori
of hauntings. For a review of this book, see Alvarado (1985).

180
The Journal of Parapsychology
.
these have not been successful as yet. Since its inception, however,
members of the Society have been very active in organizing numer-
ous educational activities and seminars at different universities. The
seminar offered by the president of the Society, Ramos Perera Mo-
lina, at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid in 1975 drew distin-
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 Comunicación, 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 Fernández
Briones (1983). Other books include an anthology, entitled La Nueva
Parapsicología: Introducción a la Parapsicología Científica [The New
Parapsychology: An Introduction to Scientific Parapsychology] ed-
ited by Fernández Briones (1981a), a valuable introduction to the
field, and Mario Capel's La Supervivencia Después de la Muerte: Evi-
dencia Espontánea 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.
.
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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.
Brazil
At the 1990 Parapsychological Association convention, David
Hess, who has made several field trips to study Brazilian parapsy-
chology, presented a paper in which he described Brazilian para-
psychology in the following terms:
Brazil does not have a coherent community of academic parapsycholo-
gists, and there are few if any people in Brazil who research and publish
Parapsychology in the Ibero-American World
18
at the standards of the Parapsychological Association. Instead, what
called "parapsychology" in Brazil is largely defined by rival groups
Catholic and Spiritist (Kardecist) intellectuals. (Hess, 1990)
To understand parapsychology in Brazil, we need to be familia
with the cultural milieu from which it has evolved, one that is don
inated by Afro-Brazilian cults and Catholicism. On the one han
we have the Spiritist tradition that came from France through th
teachings of Allan Kardec; Spiritists believe that spiritual progress
effected by a series of compulsory reincarnations. They believe th
mediumship provides opportunities to communicate with decease
individuals. Moreover, Spiritism is strongly influenced in Brazil 1
the Afro-Brazilian cults such as Umbanda and Candomble derive
from the African religions brought to Brazil through the skye trac
(Bastide, 1971; Giesler, 1985).
This spectrum of Spiritist beliefs and Afro-Brazilian geligio
has crept in and mixed in Brazilian society (Hess, 1987), creating
variety of belief systems from which Brazilian brands of@araps
chology have evolved. There are many interesting combinations
the Kardecist type of Spiritism and all sorts of Brazilian eligio
movements that essentially accept possession, the influencegf spir:
of deceased individuals, as well as the belief that divinitiescan pc
sess individuals and can effect healing (Parra Alvarez, 1981).
On the other hand, there is the Catholic tradition that has d
veloped a system that uses parapsychology as an ideology with whi
to fight and eventually destroy all the movements the church sees
superstition and threats to the established Catholic dogmas (He
1990). This system has been developed mainly through the work
one of the most influential and respected "parapsychologists"
Ibero-America, Father Oscar González Quevedo, a Spanish-bo
Jesuit priest living in Brazil. Padre Quevedo (as he is known) ai
Luis Ferreira da Silva cofounded the Latin American Center
Parapsychology, CLAP, of the Anchieta College of São Paulo
1970.
The Center, which was closed down in 1982 and reopened
1989 under reduced circumstances, used to offer clinical counseli:
for people suffering from psychological problems related to re
gious experiences and practices (e.g., demonic possession). T
Center still has an impressive library6 of books on parapsycholos
which used to be housed in huge facilities that also accontodat
an experimental and clinical laboratory and a museum & obje
6 One of the biggest parapsychology libraries in Latin America with approximat
4,000 volumes.

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The Journal of Parapsychology
.
related to parapsychological phenomena, Spiritism, miracles, and
psychic healing. In addition, the Center offers seminars and short
courses in parapsychology during the year.
The stated goal of the Center listed in a publicity leaflet7 is to
disseminate scientific parapsychology in order to clarify the miscon-
ceptions and superstitions produced by the lack of understanding of
psychic phenomena. The content of their publications, however,
seems to indicate that the real objective of the Center has been to
destroy Spiritism and its belief system because it contradicts the
church's teachings. Consequently, the Center has been ruled by a
religious ideology.
Discussion of Brazilian parapsychology must focus essentially on
the work of Quevedo, because his work and publications have been
the major source of scientific parapsychology not only for Brazil but
also for other Ibero-American countries since the 1960s. It is nec-
essary also to emphasize his publications because they are well re-
spected and are considered by many to be representative of the
Catholic school in Brazilian parapsychology.8
Father Quevedo has published several books on parapsychology,
some of which have become best sellers in the Spanish language as
well as in Portuguese, reaching a surprising number of editions.9
Among his books are a general introduction to parapsychology
(1969/1973), a discussion of ESP and other mental phenomena
(1964/1974), and another about physical mediumship (1969/1971).
He has also authored other polemical books on healing (1976/1977)
and possession (1989).
According to a well-known Spanish parapsychology journal,
Quevedo has offered numerous seminars and courses throughout
Ibero-America, often drawing audiences of more than 200,000 peo-
ple. He has also appeared in over 200 hours of television. Quevedo's
impact, spreading what is his version of parapsychology, has been
astonishing in its education of the lay person (Fernández Briones,
Jiménez Visedo, & Capel, 1975).
Unfortunately, however, what could have been one of the most
important contributions to scientific parapsychology in Ibero-Amer-
ica is overshadowed by Quevedo's zealous campaign against Spirit-
Parapsychology in the Ibero-American World
183
ism, in which he explains Spiritist findings as fraud or psi by living
organisms, and his equally strong defense of Catholic beliefs. Not
only has Quevedo separated himself from the real goals and objec-
tives of the CLAP, but he has also used parapsychology as an ideo-
logical weapon in a fight to further his particular conceptual per-
spective. As Hess (1987) pointed out:
Oscar González Quevedo reinterpreted the parapsychology of the
United States and Europe in light of Catholic Church doctrine ... to
challenge the scientific basis of claims of Spiritism, Umbanda, and the
Afro-Brazilian religions. (p. 26)
In fact, to accomplish his goals, Father Quevedo has distorted
parapsychology in his books, seeking most of the time to accom-
modate church dogmas. He sometimes goes to the extreme & mak-
ing subtle changes in the content of classical writings on porapsy-
chology so as to support his own views (Martínez Taboas, 198) and
to deny any possible explanation that may be close to the Spiritist
point of view. In doing this, Quevedo has used investigations con-
ducted for many years by centers around the world, together with
numerous references from classical works, including those con-
ducted by the Rhines and others at the Duke Parapsychology Lab-
oratory. As David Hess (1990) has further pointed out:
Both Spiritists and Catholics will still appropriate PA parapsychology
and the older studies of psychical research for their own purpose. They
like to have the foreigners do the empirical research (the "dirty work")
while they sit back and put it into their own philosophical or theologica
framework. (p. 110)
The system of parapsychology Quevedo developed hasgan en
tirely different conceptualization of the field and completelydiffer
ent goals from those of the parapsychological research Bone ir
other parts of the world. For Quevedo, parapsychology helps to es
tablish a dichotomy between what he considers natural phenomena
and the supernatural, or phenomena that cannot be explained b
any paranormal mechanisms (e.g., the miracles of Lourdescand o
various saints). Quevedo divides the causes of parapsychologica
phenomena into three types. The natural ESP abilities, classified a
paranormal, are manifestations of the soul, which was created per
fect and possessed unlimited psychic abilities but was restricte
when the first man sinned. Such abilities, Quevedo says, age occa
sionally manifested by people during mental disturbances such as
trance. Another category is those phenomena that are beyond suc
7 A promotional leaflet published by CLAP entitled "O porque do CLAP."
8 For further discussions of Brazilian parapsychology, see Hess (1990) and Play-
fair (1975).
9 In Portuguese alone, 90 editions of 30,000 copies each, and more than 20 edi-
tions in Spanish and Italian (Parra & Pedroza, 1991).
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Parapsychology in the Ibero-American World
185
human abilities, that is, the phenomena are supernatural. According
to Quevedo, when a parapsychological explanation cannot account
for the manifestation of certain psychic phenomena, the explanation
should be left to the theologian. Quevedo also includes another in-
teresting category that for many would not be considered parapsy-
chology-what he calls "extraordinary normal phenomena," phe-
nomena that can be explained by normal or unusual psychological
and physiological processes. For example, Quevedo uses the term
pantomnesia (unlimited unconscious memory) as a mechanism that
can explain some types of xenoglossy phenomena. When someone
manifests this phenomenon, Quevedo believes it means that the per-
son once heard the language and is merely repeating previously
learned phrases. Another phenomenon classified under this cate-
gory is indirect hyperesthesia. According to Quevedo, all our
thoughts have an equivalent physiological reaction and are reflected
in our bodies. For example, if I am thinking about something, I
produce very subtle physical movements or signals that other per-
sons near me can decode unconsciously. The information obtained
unconsciously can then be transformed into actual knowledge.
Quevedo (1964/1974) uses this concept to explain most of the phe-
nomena exhibited by mental mediums.
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Moreover, according to his system, Quevedo (1969/1973) views
the excessive manifestation of psychic phenomena in individuals as
a pathological problem that should be treated with psychotherapy.
Although he considers such manifestations to be natural, an excess
of them denotes pathology. Consequently, the manifestation of ESP
abilities should never be encouraged or developed. That sets his tra-
dition completely apart from the one that seeks to develop psi and
to understand conditions that enhance its manifestation.
Quevedo's conclusions, however interesting, are not derived
from empirical research. Rather, his procedure is to review the writ-
ings of different authors, especially those from the classical works,
and use the material to develop his own conclusions. In a thorough
review of three of Quevedo's books, the Puerto Rican psychologist
Alfonso Martínez Taboas (1978) identified numerous contradictions,
omissions, distortions of the evidence, and dogmatic statements by
Quevedo. Quevedo's book Las Fuerzas Físicas de la Mente alone had
70 problems of this sort. One example of his exaggerated statements
appears on page 289 of his book El Rostro Oculto de la Mente. In this
passage Quevedo concludes the following about precognition:
Very few established facts about Chemistry and Physics and other
branches of science have been so well established as precognition in
parapsychology .... And the most important thing is that thousands of
laboratory experiments have scientifically proved without any doubt that
man posseses this ability. (1964/1974, p. 289)
Without any empirical evidence to support his theory, Quevedo
limits the operative range of precognition to two centuries. He does
this to prove that man possesses limited temporal abilities, a conclu-
sion supporting the Church dogma that only biblical prophecy is un-
limited by time, for it is divine in nature and is the result of God's
intervention; that is, it is a miracle.
The CLAP also used to publish a magazine called Revista de
Parapsicologia, which summarized the activities of the Center and
contained mostly theoretical articles. More recently, however, the
Center closed down, apparently because of a prohibition ifposed
by the Church as a result of a polemical book published by @evedo
(1989) entitled Antes Que Os Demônios Voltem [Before the Demains Re-
turn]. In this book Quevedo, ironically, uses parapsychoBgy to
make skeptical commentaries on Catholic dogmas concerning de-
monic possession; he also tries to explain demonic poSession
through parapsychological mechanisms. He criticizes the traditiona
Church use of the Rituale Romanum in determining the causes of
Ær mos
demonic possession. Essentially, Quevedo points out the shortcom
ings of the Rituale Romanum, which does not include psychic phe
nomena as an alternative explanation that might account
of the cases of demonic possession.
There is no doubt that in developing his system Quevedo ha
extensively surveyed the whole field of parapsychology. In areview
of some of his books, George Zorab (1971) states:
These three volumes, comprising nearly 1000 pages, fully inform th
reader about all the various aspects of modern parapsycholog? It is :
the same time a fair and reliable guide. In a sense it is unique in th
present day literature of the subject, for since Richet's Traité doMétaps
chique (1922) and F. Moser's Okkultismus (1935) no such comprehensiv
work covering the whole extensive field of modern parapsychology h:
been put on the market. (p. 142)
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I certainly would agree with Zorab's opinion on the astonishir
amount of work carried out by Quevedo, work that certainly d
serves recognition. I would not, however, characterize his work
fair and reliable as far as the handling of the evidence is concerne
To a certain extent, Quevedo's position is justified when he tries
fight superstition such as that spread by the psychic healers &who a
very popular in Brazil. In a sense he is a minority in a society wi
-
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a high concentration of Spiritists whose beliefs threaten the estab-
lished Catholic dogmas. However, when he uses parapsychological
evidence of certain phenomena as a scientific backup to establish
facts, when this same evidence is still very controversial for many
parapsychologists, his position is untenable. Nonetheless, his work
has to be seen in the cultural and ideological background from
which he has worked (Alvarado, 1991).
Another dimension of Brazilian psychical research is the work by
researchers with Spiritist orientation. One example is that con-
ducted by the engineer and psychical researcher Hernani Guimar-
ães Andrade, who in 1963 founded the Brazilian Institute of Psy-"
chobiophysical Research (IBPP). The name was chosen to make it
clear that the Institute intended to explore biological and physical
as well as purely psychical phenomena. One of the most significant
things about this Institute is that it emerged from within the Spiritist
movement (Playfair, 1975). Andrade, a Spiritist himself, has con-
ducted well-planned and detailed investigations of reincarnation
cases along the lines of Ian Stevenson's work. His poltergeist cases
are particularly interesting-for example, the one published in a
monograph entitled O Poltergeist de Guarulhos (1984). These cases in-
volve very dramatic phenomena: apports, damage to furniture and
persons, apparitions of strange creatures, and spontaneous fires. In
evaluating and interpreting the cases, Andrade leans toward the dis-
carnate agencies hypothesis, sometimes with possible witchcraft com-
ponents (Alvarado, 1984b; Andrade, 1984). Also, as Michel-Ange
Amorim (1990) has remarked about Andrade's interpretation of the
cases:
Andrade interprets the different types of occurrences present in this
case [the Guarulhos's case] as supportive of a Spiritist world view in the
Umbanda tradition. The Umbanda tradition has several million adher-
ents especially in the bigger cities. It combines African, Catholic, Indian,
and Spiritist elements and may be characterized as a relatively extra-
ecclesiastic of popular Catholicism with ancient Afro-Brazilian sects. (p.
199)
According to Amorim, not only does Andrade interpret his cases
along the Spiritist lines but he also accepts the central beliefs of this
religion, such as the existence of all sorts of spirits, like Exus and
Umulums. He also believes that the sorcerer is able to practice
magic within the terreiros (a place specialized in these procedures)
to harass victims according to Quimbanda laws (the black magic side
of the Umbanda religion).
Concerning Andrade's interpretation of the aforementioned case
of Guarulhos, Amorim (1990) also states:
Parapsychology in the Ibero-American World
18
Thus, he rejects the usual attributions of RSPK outbreaks to a livin
agency. In defense of his position he points to the fact that a psycho
logical examination of Noêmia [a participant in the case], the most prot
able RSPK agent, was conducted by two psychologists belonging to th
IBPP team. He states, "Mrs. Noêmia didn't display any form of psych
cal abnormality that could justify viewing her as belonging to the 'psy
chokinetic agent of a poltergeist' category in conformity with the thec
retical patterns suggested by the current hypothesis." ... He adds the
his macro-PK tests ... of her capacities were also negative. (p. 199)
It is important, however, to point out that to some extent th
cases investigated by Andrade and his associates seem to reflect th
influence of the beliefs and culture of Brazilian society (Hess, 1990
Andrade has also published one of the first systematic tretises c
parapsychology in Portuguese entitled Parapsicologia Experiment
(1967). A basic introductory manual of the quantitative metho
used in parapsychology, it includes a detailed description ofthe st:
tistical model used in experiments with ESP cards.
There are other groups in Brazil who are interested inca mor
scientific approach to psychical research. One of these groupss is th
recently established ECLIPSY-Instituto de Investigações Científica
em Parapsicologia. This group aims to pursue a different approach
one separate from the more traditional approaches associaged wit
Spiritist or Catholic orientations typical of most Brazilian desearc
centers. It received support from the University of São Francisco t
organize its first conference in parapsychology, held in 1999, whic
included participants from the University as well as researche;
from Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. The group plans to condu.
experimental research that will be reported in its new journal, calle
Revista Brasileira de Parapsicologia. According to its presidet, We
lington Zangari, it will include abstracts in English as well as i
Spanish. The journal will also include translations from major e›
perimental and theoretical articles published in the English-lar
guage journals.
There are also other groups involved in parapsychology &h Braz
that are beyond the scope of this paper because of limitations (
space and because of our initial goal of evaluating Brazilian par:
psychology from the perspective of its impact on the Ibert- Amer
can countries.
Argentina
For many years Argentina has been the top-ranking country i
Ibero-America in terms of experimental parapsychological researc:
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However, research has diminished in the last few years, partly be-
cause of the recent deaths of two of the leading contributors, J. Ri-
cardo Musso and Enrique Novillo Paulí.
Early research began in Argentina about the same time the Duke
University Laboratory was established in the United States. The
1930s witnessed one of the most important events in the history of
Argentine parapsychology. In 1931, the first institute of psychology
was established at the University of Buenos Aires. The institute in-
cluded paranormal psychology as one of the areas to be investigated
by the department. Parapsychology appeared to be joined to psy-
chology from the beginning. The chairman of the psychology de-
partment, Enrique Mouchet, was interested in clairvoyance research
and had come to the conclusion that it was necessary to include
paranormal psychology in the syllabus of courses offered by the de-
partment (Musso, 1973).
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However, Argentinian researchers have had to struggle with the
traditional spiritualistic methodology that characterized the study of
psychical research in this country in the past. The research being
conducted in the young Duke Parapsychology Laboratory had a ma-
jor impact on the new generation of Argentinian researchers. The
move toward a more quantitative approach to the study of scientific
parapsychology was pioneered by a young engineer by the name of
José Fernández, who was teaching physics at the University of Bue-
nos Aires. Although Fernández belonged to a Spiritualist group
called ATMAN, he had been in search of an adequate methodology
to investigate the psychic phenomena manifested by mediums and
clairvoyants. He hoped to be able to apply statistical principles to the
responses given by the mediums. Fernández presented the results
of these experiments in 1941 to a meeting of the Sociedad Científica
Argentina. Fernández's efforts to introduce quantitative methodol-
ogy in Argentina had a major impact on the approaches that other
young researchers were to follow in establishing scientific parapsy-
chology there.
Another development during this period was the creation of the
Asociación Argentina Médica de Metapsíquica in 1946 by a group
of physicians headed by Orlando Canavesio. The aim of this society
was to evaluate the medical and legal status of parapsychology sci- .
entifically and to promote its development in scientific circles as well
as to determine its proper classification, that is, to decide whether
the discipline belonged to psychology or physiology, or whether it
could be considered to be a new branch of science.
Canavesio himself wrote his doctoral thesis on a study of elec-
troencephalographic records of gifted subjects. This society pub-
Parapsychology in the Ibero-American World
18
lished a journal called Revista Médica de Metapsíquica summarizin
the research of the society. Included among the articles publishe
in the journal was a study of the use of dowsers by the governmer
to find water in towns where the lack of water had become a harc
ship for its inhabitants. During this period, the work of Canavesi
was important because of his connection to the government, a cor
nection that helped to legitimize parapsychological studies in Arger
tina (Musso, 1973).
The creation of the Instituto de Psicopatología Aplicada in 194
by the Secretary of Public Health was another important develop
ment. The aim of the government was to establish tight control ove
the Spiritist activities in Argentina, which were considered to be
social evil. More specifically, the aim was to control the ex
bitatio
of people engaged in nonscientific practices such as healing
and s
on.
The Institute created a subsidiary, the Comité de Investigacion
Metapsíquicas, which was assigned to conduct experimental æesearc
with gifted subjects, specifically during mediumistic sessions. Th
Committee intended to explore the medical and legal implication
of Spiritist practices, as well as to determine whether genuige para
psychological phenomena were exhibited during these sessions b
the gifted subjects. The Committee was also interested in uncover
ing negative factors that might induce mental illness, such as net
rosis, in the participants. More specifically, it seems that the real ot
jective of the Committee was to determine whether the promoter
of these mediumistic sessions were practicing medicine illegall
(Parra, 1989).
In 1949 José Fernández founded the Sociedad Argeffina d
Parapsicología. Fernández, who was already known for hisquanti
tative approach to psychic phenomena, continued to promote th
statistical approach used by the Duke researchers. This approac.
was reflected in the Society's main objective, which was to study an
investigate parapsychological phenomena with emphasis onghe de
velopment of statistical methods. By then Fernandez had deceive
from Rhine a copy of Extra-Sensory Perception After Sixty Years (Prati
Rhine, Smith, Stuart, & Greenwood, 1940). The book hadle majo
impact on Fernandez, who applied Rhine's mathematical models t
his own research. Fernandez also circulated the book amgng hi
friends (Musso, 1973).
The Society conducted the first serious experiments on gairvoy
ance in Argentina using ESP cards and statistical procedures. Th
study, with gifted subjects, obtained significant results. Fernánde
presented the results of these experiments in a pamphlet entitled
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Psicología Experimental. The Society also conducted other experi-
ments such as the one with the well-known clairvoyant Conrado Cas-
tiglione. The study used the empty-chair technique similar to that
used with Ludwig Khan and with Gerard Croiset (Musso, 1973).
The first Instituto Argentino de Parapsicología was established
in 1953. It brought together several men who represented the most
critical approach of the time, men such as José Fernández, Orlando
Canavesio, J. Ricardo Musso, and Naum Kreiman. The Institute was
organized to include a main scientific research department, along
with several sections, such as the medical-biological section and a
physics and mathematics section. The principles of the Institute re-
flected the critical approach their members followed in conducting
their research. One of these was to subject every hypothesis to sci-
entific examination, so that only those that would withstand the
most stringent tests would remain. In addition to the creation of the
Institute, this period of the 1950s was also characterized by a grow-
ing interest in publishing books on parapsychology. One of the first
systematic treatises on parapsychology in Spanish written by J. Ri-
cardo Musso (1954) was called En los Límites de la Psicología: Desde el
Espiritismo hasta la Parapsicología [On the Limits of Psychology: From
Spiritualism to Parapsychology]. Other developments included a pa-
per by Musso in 1957, which was published in a journal put out by
the ministry of education of the province of Buenos Aires. It was
the first time a paper on parapsychology had been published in a
government review. In addition, parapsychology was incorporated
as a course in five different universities. In 1960, Ricardo Musso was
awarded a professorship at Rosario University to teach parapsychol-
ogy, and, for the first time in any country, a course in parapsycho-
logy was made a requirement for a doctoral degree in psychology
(Rueda, 1989).
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In 1962 the Institute conducted studies confirming the sheep-
goat effect, using primary-school children as subjects. The results
were published in the Journal of Parapsychology (Musso, 1965). Other
important experiments included "An ESP Drawing Experiment with
a High Scoring Subject," also published in the Journal of Parapsychol-
ogy (Musso & Granero, 1973). Moreover, Musso and his wife and
colleague, Mirta Granero, conducted an international experiment
on long-distance ESP called the "Antarctic Experiment." Although
the results were not statistically significant they were important be-
cause the experiment involved subjects from twenty different coun-
tries (Musso, 1973, p. 168).
The expansion period of parapsychology was interrupted in
1966 when the then current Argentinian government was over-
Parapsychology in the Ibero-American World
19
thrown by a military coup; most state universities were forced to
eliminate the study from their curricula. In spite of the prevailing
negative conditions standing in the way of university status for the
subject, a new quarterly publication was founded. The Cuadernos d
Parapsicología, perhaps the most important publication in the histor
of Argentinian experimental parapsychology, took the responsibilit
of disseminating a high level of academic parapsychology. Header
by Naum Kreiman, it has been the most professional organ of sci
entific parapsychology in Argentina to the present time.
Owing to the military takeover of the government that elimi
nated most of the parapsychology courses offered at the stote uni
versities, parapsychology did not enjoy the same status at the begin
ning of the 1970s as it had during the period of undersit
expansion of the 1960s. Some new developments during thisperiod
kept the torch lit, however. Among the most important ones was th.
creation of the Instituto de Parapsicología in 1970. It is headed b
Naum Kreiman, a bio-statistician and a co-founder of the fastitute
Argentino de Parapsicología in the 1950s. Kreiman has playall a ke
role in the development of the quantitative approach to the stud
of parapsychology for the last 30 years. From 1964 to the@resen
he has conducted numerous original experiments as well as repli
cations of some of the most important experiments condeted il
foreign countries. With the help of his wife and collaborato, Dor:
Ivnisky, and Ladislao Márquez, he has conducted numerousexper
iments that have been published in the Cuadernos. Among them ar
exploratory testing with ESP cards (Kreiman & Ivnisky, 1964); ES]
using photographs as targets (Kreiman, 1965); the sheep-god effec
in ESP (Kreiman, 1972); the effect of feedback on ESP (Kr@man &
Ivnisky, 1973); ESP and memory (Kreiman, 1975); memSy and
precognition (Kreiman, 1978); psi and volition (Kreiman & &vnisky
1980); brain laterality and ESP (Kreiman, 1981); precogngion o
human actions (Ivnisky & Kreiman, 1981); and remote viewing
(Kreiman, 1983).
Institute members such as Dora Ivnisky have done extensive
work in keeping the Argentinian parapsychological community in
formed of activities around the world by translating numergus ex
periments and theoretical papers from languages other than Span
ish from the Journal of Parapsychology and elsewhere. The @iligen
experimental work done by Kreiman since the 1950s and congmuing
to the present time makes him one of the most important laboratory
researchers in Argentinian and Ibero-American parapsychology.
Another important development during this period was the cre
ation of an Institute of Parapsychology at the Catholic University of
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Córdoba by the Catholic priest Enrique Novillo Pauli. One of the "
principal activities of the Institute was to teach courses on parapsy-
chology in the school of psychology at the University. The staff of
the Institute also provided consultation and orientation to bishops,
priests, and families about phenomena such as poltergeists and
bleeding religious images. Unfortunately this institute recently
closed down after the death of Father Novillo.
Prior to the creation of the Institute, Novillo Pauli had been at
the Foundation for Research on the Nature of Man in North Car-
olina where he conducted some PK research with seeds as targets
under the auspices of the Organization of American States. Novillo
Paulí presented the results of his experiments at the annual conven-
tion of the Parapsychological Association in 1972 (Novillo Pauli,
1973). During the period of his stay at the FRNM, he also prepared
a book on parapsychology entitled Los Fenómenos Parapsicológicos: Psi
en el Laboratorio (1975), which included reports of his PK studies.
The studies were also reported in the Spanish-language parapsycho-
logical journals Cuadernos de Parapsicología (1974) and Psi Comunica-
ción (1976).
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In spite of the marked decline since the 1970s, an important re-
cent development is the organization of a parapsychology confer-
ence in Argentina in 1987, the Primer Encuentro de Parapsicología.
It was sponsored by the University of Salvador of Buenos Aires and
held under the direction of Enrique Novillo Pauli. Some of the top-
ics discussed at the conference were mental healing studies, altered
states of consciousness in relation to psi performance, and quantum
mechanics (Alvarado, 1989b). Soon afterward, Argentina suffered
the loss of two of its most important pioneers, J. Ricardo Musso,
president of the Instituto Argentino de Parapsicología (which he di-
rected until his death in 1989) and, in the same year, Enrique Novi-
llo Paulí. Consequently, the activities of Musso's institute declined,
and the institute at the University of El Salvador headed by Enrique
Novillo Paulí closed down. Since then, the Institute of Parapsychol-
ogy headed by Kreiman has remained as the most important source
of professional parapsychology in Argentina.
During the 1980s, parapsychology in Argentina was character-
ized by a marked decline in experimental activities. Most of the
work during this period was conducted by members of the Institute
of Parapsychology under Kreiman, who, as in previous years, main-
tained a constant interest in reporting original experiments, includ-
ing replications of foreign experimental works. They also continued
to publish regularly their quarterly journal, which contained trans-
lations of some of the most important research published in English.
Parapsychology in the Ibero-American World
193
Recently, a new parapsychology journal, the Revista Argentina de
Psicología Paranormal, has appeared. It is published by an indepen-
dent group of parapsychologists called LAPAS (Laboratory of Para-
psychology) and edited mainly by Alejandro Parra. Judged by its
content, the journal seems to be a worthwhile addition to the cur-
rent efforts to keep the Argentinian audience well informed on
professional parapsychology. However, some of the experiments of
the researchers in this group have not been well received by other
Argentinian researchers, who consider the experiments to be flawed
(Kreiman, 1990; see also Alvarado, 1990). LAPAS has also started a
Spanish-language parapsychology information center. The Center is
building a computer data bank from which Spanish-speaking para-
psychologists may obtain information about a bibliography @ para-
psychology similar to the Parapsychology International Abstra& pub-
lished by Rhea White (Villanueva, 1990).
In addition to these recent developments, CSICOP has made its
way to Argentina. A former member of Naum Kreiman's
Esearch
group, Ladislao Márquez, has created an Argentinian versioff called
Centro Argentino Para la Investigación y Refutación de la pseudo-
ciencia (CAIRP). The most important aims of CAIRP aresto de-
nounce fraud and to promote a critical scientific assessmentof the
claims made by pseudoscientists. The board of directors, headed by
Ladislao Márquez, also includes foreign members, Martin Ordner,
for instance.
The prospects for Argentinian parapsychology in the 1990s
seem less favorable than those of the booming period of previous
years. The present difficulties in the Argentinian economy have in-
creased for researchers, making it difficult for them to obtar funds
to support their research and publications.
In a recent survey conducted on the present status of rapsy-
chology in Argentina, Naum Kreiman reported that research has
decreased substantially over the last five years. Most of therecent
research reports have come from Kreiman's Institute of Parapsy.
chology. Educational activities in the field are almost nil except for
a course being offered at a small university called John F. Kennedy
University (Kreiman & Ivnisky, 1989).
In a letter published in the Journal of Parapsychology, Jorge Villa
nueva (1990) pointed out some of the major problems that Argen
tinian researchers face at the present time. Among them are lack o
support from public and private institutions, lack of serious book
in Spanish to provide responsible information on the subject, and
lack of proper technology and other means to conduct sophisticated
research. Some of these problems, Villanueva suggests, may be di
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minished by increasing communication and collaboration with for-
eign parapsychologists.
Puerto Rico10
Early psychical research in Puerto Rico was strongly influenced
by the nineteenth-century Spiritualist movement that had also
spread to other countries. Mediumistic séances in which raps and
communication with the spirits were common drew attention mostly
from people with a religious interest.
It was perhaps this influence that led Agapito Morales to publish
in 1904 a more critical examination of these phenomena. In his
booklet Breve Tratado de Hipnotismo, Magnetismo, Espiritismo y Suges-
toterapia, Morales contended that all those occurrences could take
place without assuming the action of spirit agencies. He interpreted
possession as being autosuggestion and attributed paranormal phe-
nomena to our own psychic faculties. He considered that all of the
experiments made until today demonstrate that there is an invisible
force in our being that is capable, for instance, of playing a guitar,
lifting a table, or lifting our own bodies. According to him this force
is under our control. He also believed that mediumistic communi-
cation could be explained by means of telepathy between the me-
dium and the sitter.
Another major influence in the formation of a more empirical
and critical approach to parapsychology was the work of Francisco
Ponte, a dentist who became president of the Puerto Rican Feder-
ation of Spiritists. Ponte visited Europe in 1912 to familiarize him-
self with the work of several Spiritualistic centers, as well as psychi-
cal research centers. He had had the opportunity to participate in
mediumistic séances in Italy with famous mediums such as Lucia
Sordi and Eusapia Palladino. During these séances he witnessed
manifestations of apparent telekinesis and materializations (Alva-
rado, 1987; Ponte, 1914).
Later Ponte returned to Puerto Rico and tried to reproduce the
same phenomena with local mediums. He reported some of his find- .
ings on materializations of body parts during séances to Walter
Franklin Prince, then Research Officer of the ASPR. Ponte's work
was important because of the critical and empirical approach he
brought to his research on séance phenomena (Alvarado, 1979a).
The theoretical ideas of Ralph U. Sierra are also interesting.
Sierra, who was interested in the psychology of ESP, believed that
to develop telepathy it was necessary to develop first an internal
state of tranquility so that the electrical activity of the brain did not
interfere with the telepathic process (Sierra, 1966).
Some of the most important developments, however, took place
during the last two centuries. At the educational level, it is impor-
tant to note the work of Celinda Madera who, during the 1970s,
offered a series of courses and lectures at different campuses of the
University of Puerto Rico. Madera's courses focused on the human-
istic and transpersonal aspects of psi. She herself had received train-
ing at Duke University's Parapsychology Laboratory (Alvarado,
1979a).
In 1974, Nestor A. Rodríguez Escudero, a lawyer, publiged a
series of essays about parapsychology and Spiritualism in higbook
Los Caminos de Dios. He discussed a great variety of paranorm& phe-
nomena. His main objective was to show that parapsycholog @dem-
onstrates the spiritual aspect of man (Rodríguez Escudero, 1994).
Another development in 1977 was the creation of the Instituto
de Investigaciones Psicofísicas at the University of Puerto Rico, May-
aguez campus. Founded to conduct investigations in parapsychology
and related areas, the Institute carried out studies of various faram-
eters of Kirlian photography and of the effects of hypnosis of ESP.
However, these research investigations were never made avrilable
for publication. During this period Alfonso Martínez Taboas began
to publish a newsletter Explorando lo Paranormal, a semipopular mag-
azine later edited by Carlos Alvarado starting in 1976.
Martínez Taboas and Carlos Alvarado wrote articles on parapsy-
chology in Spanish for the Spanish journal Psi Comunicación they
also published in other journals. Their articles covered a widerange
of topics. Among these, Alvarado wrote on experimental studies of
OBEs (1976), historical precedents of the so-called psychic discov-
eries behind the Iron Curtain (1978), the use of historical gnowl-
edge (1979b), and on J. B. Rhine (1980). Martínez Taboas published
a review of the problem of repeatability in parapsychology (1979),
critiques of psychological and physiological concepts of poltergeist
research (1977, 1980, 1984; Martínez Taboas & Alvarado, "1981),
and a discussion of the concept of parsimony applied to parapsy-
chology (1983).
The work of Martinez Taboas and Alvarado has been very im-
portant in the effort to bridge the language barrier between the
Spanish researcher and the non-Spanish-speaking researcher. This
10 This section on Puerto Rican parapsychology partly summarizes information
contained in an article by Alvarado (1979a).
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is particularly true of Alvarado's book reviews (1984a, 1985) and his
discussion of language-barrier problems in parapsychology (1989a).
Moreover, Alvarado, a former research assistant at the Division of
Parapsychology (now the Division of Personality Studies) at the Uni-
versity of Virginia, has maintained a constant flow of information
on parapsychological activities in Latin America to research centers
in the United States for the last eight years. In addition, among the
Ibero-American parapsychologists, he is the one who has published
most extensively in the English-language journals and the only one
ever to be elected a member of the Board of Directors of the Para-
psychological Association.
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Mexico
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. This country has also been a major
source for many parapsychological researchers interested in unor-
thodox psychic healing practices. Famous curanderas (healers) such
as María Sabina and Doña 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 from foreign countries, psychical research has not
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
Mexican medical community as well as in political circles. In the
course of his career he delivered speeches before two presidents of
Mexico, Díaz and Obregón (Allison, 1943).11
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 María 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 ang send
some of the results he had obtained. The results induced @Valter
Franklin Prince, Research Officer of the ASPR, to go to MeRico to
investigate the case. After a series of experimental sittings wi@ Zier-
old, Prince was so impressed with the results that he decided & pub-
lish them in the Journal of the ASPR in 1920 (Pagenstecher, 81920).
Prince later published another paper in which he discussed Che ex-
periments in which he participated (Prince, 1921b). Moreover, the
ASPR published a monograph by Pagenstecher entitled PastEvents
Seership: A Study of Psychometry (Pagenstecher, 1922).
According to William Roll (1967), Pagenstecher contributed to
two major areas in parapsychology:
[He was], as far as I know the first investigator to use hypnosis as a
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
de (psy-
chological) association of ideas. (p. 238)
Pagenstecher showed great courage in undertaking these@xper-
iments. He jeopardized his professional standing as well as his med-
ical practice by trying to substantiate the claims for Zierold's @sychic
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 Treviño,
1990).
11 Obregón was a revolutionary military leader, later President of Mexico Walter
Franklin Prince (1921a) relates an interesting psychic experience witnessedby Ob-
regon, about a precognitive dream Obregón's brother had about the death of their
mother.
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Another development in parapsychological activities in Mexico
occurred in 1937. A team of medical doctors, headed by Dr. En-
rique Aragón, formed a special commission to investigate an alleged.
case of poltergeist activity surrounding a thirteen-year-old Mexican
boy named Joaquín Velázquez 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
Treviño, 1990). Aragón's contributions were important to parapsy-
chology in Mexico because of his prestigious position and his aca-
demic attainments. Aragón was at one time president of the Uni-
versity of Mexico and was also founder and Director of the Instituto
de Psiquiatría y Psicología there. He conducted field research on
haunting cases, precognitive dreams, and fraud in Spiritism.
In 1939, Aragón founded the Círculo de Investigaciones Meta-
psíquicas de México.12 The aim of the Institute was to conduct a
scientific investigation of a case of alleged materialization produced
by the most famous medium in the history of Mexico, Luis Martí-
nez. The medium started his activity when he was six years old and
allegedly could produce incredible phenomena, such as lights, ap-
ports, direct writing, direct voices, levitations of objects, and so
forth. The attention drawn by the case led to the participation of
medical and political men in the sessions. Two ex-presidents of
Mexico were said to have participated in the séances (Garofano,
1988). Other work worth mentioning is that conducted by the Jesuit
priest and psychical researcher Carlos María Heredia. He recorded
several observations and experiments in which odors (or other stim-
uli) associated with forgotten experiences were presented to the sub-
ject, theoretically causing an imbalance in the subject's subconscious
memories associated with the odor which, in turn, induced a tele-
pathic transmission of the forgotten experience to a nearby perci-
pient (Heredia, 1931/1945).
For Heredia, telepathy and spontaneous case occurrences were
fairly acceptable; however, phenomena of the séance room were to
him anathema. Having developed some skills as an illusionist, he
used to tour the country demonstrating mediumistic manifestations,
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 Fenó-
menos Metapsíquicos (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, as ]
mentioned at the beginning of this section of the paper, the best
known studies have been conducted by anthropologists ang para
psychologists interested in nonorthodox practices of healing partic.
ularly those of the shamanistic variety.
Among the healers was the famous Oaxacan shaman, Barbara
Guerrero, best known as "Pachita," who practiced as a psychic sur
geon and who in the 1960s became the subject of enormous atten-
tion. Pachita was studied by Krippner and Villoldo (1986) ad oth-
ers. Another healer, perhaps the best known of all, was Maria
Sabina, who drew worldwide attention because of her use @ hallu.
cinogenic mushrooms in her unusual healing practices.
It was not until 1974 that the first Mexican parapsychological so
ciety was created, the Sociedad Mexicana de Parapsicología,Qeadec
by Carlos Treviño, a psychiatrist and an Associate Member of the
Parapsychological Association. The Society at the present time rep-
resents the most critical approach to parapsychology in Mexico. I:
trains researchers and provides education both to the Church and
to lay persons concerning alleged cases of demonic possession anc
other manifestations of psychic phenomena. The Society also offer:
courses in parapsychology to the general public in an attgnpt to
correct misconceptions about the nature of scientific parapsychol
ogy. For example, in Mexico the common belief is that parapsychol-
ogy is a mixture of magic, demonology, and sorcery. A parapsy-
chologist is thought to be a person who reads Tarot cards and
coffee grounds and prepares horoscopes. Under these circum
stances an average Mexican tends to dismiss such beliefs, wparticu
larly since they are deeply rooted in their tradition and cultugal her
itage (Gomezharper de Treviño, 1990).
Along with courses for the general public, the Mexican Societ
is the only organization that offers an officially required cousse fo:
candidates to the priesthood studying at the Instituto de la Arque
diócesis de México. Members of the Society have also conducted ex
12 This research group later changed its name to Instituto Mexicano de Investi-
gaciones Síquicas, which also published a detailed account of the séances with the
medium Luis Martínez which lasted for over ten years. The publication was called
Una Ventana al Mundo Invisible [A Window to an Invisible World] (Instituto Mexicano
de Investigaciones Síquicas, 1960). Another interesting dimension of this case is the
participation in the séances of two well-known Mexican psychical researchers, Gustav
Pagenstecher and Carlos María Heredia.
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The Journal of Parapsychology
Parapsychology in the Ibero-American world
LV1
perimental research with Kirlian photography (Treviño, 1975) and
field investigations of haunting cases and poltergeists.
Some parapsychological conferences have been organized in
Mexico-for instance, the Congreso Internacional de Parapsicología
held in 1984 in Mexico City. The Society also organized the Primer
Simposio de Parapsicología Científica held in 1984. At this meeting
a number of PA members presented papers, among them Marilyn
Schlitz and Stanley Krippner (Gomezharper de Treviño, 1990).
Another conference worth noting is the one organized by the
newly created Sociedad Mexicana para la Investigación Escéptica.
The first Latin American skeptics' conference was cosponsored by
CSICOP and convened in Mexico City in 1989. The conference in-
cluded speakers such as Ray Hyman and James Alcock, as well as
several psychologists from the University of Mexico. The new Mex-
ican society of skeptics headed by Mario Méndez has launched a
journal called El Investigador Escéptico, which will be made available
throughout Latin America for Spanish-speaking readers.
An example of the attention to parapsychology given by high-
ranking political figures in Mexico was the visit of the wife of the
former president of Mexico, Carmen López Portillo, who visited the
Institute for Parapsychology in North Carolina to participate in
some testing demonstrations of ESP. It is also interesting to note
that the president's sister, Margarita López Portillo, prepared a
video about the life of the famous Mexican healer "Pachita." There
are also some isolated researchers in Mexico such as Jacobo Grin-
berg who in 1977 conducted research in dermo-optic perception.
It is unfortunate that one can find no serious parapsychological
publications in Mexico at the present time. There are only some
popular magazines on the topic, such as Duda [Doubt].13
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Conclusion
So far, I have surveyed the past and present positions of para-
psychology in several Ibero-American countries. But what does this
conglomeration of names, societies, and research centers mean?
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
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 Ar-
gentinian group, who follow the Rhinean School, to the theoretical
and Spiritualistic approach shaped by the influence of ideological
and cultural constructs of the Brazilian Spiritists and Catholic re-
searchers. However, in a way, these different approachesgo the
study of psychic phenomena are reflections of the cultural nglieu in
which the research has evolved.
Another important feature that emerges from an examination of
the developments of parapsychology in these countries is the most
Ibero-American researchers are in the main plagued with the same
practical and theoretical problems common to most other countries
involved in psychical research. Common problems are the struggle
to gain recognition in their own scientific communities and che lacl
of economic means to support research.
RDP96-00792R000400100006
Still another unfortunate pattern is the isolation of indivQual re
searchers in these Ibero-American countries from their counterpart
in the English-speaking parapsychological community. Some o
these researchers, such as J. Ricardo Musso and Naum Dreimal
from Argentina, have been doing research and publishing exten
sively since the 1950s but remain virtually unknown outside thei
own countries. Very few of the researchers from those Suntrie
have ever belonged to the Parapsychological Association. Agrief re
view of the most recent list reveals that even at the present tim
there are very few Ibero-American members in the PA, angorgan
zation that claims to be international.14
It is my hope that this brief summary will bridge the gap create
by the language barrier and will remedy the previous lack of info
mation, thus fostering communication between Ibero-American r
searchers and their English-speaking colleagues. The increase .
communication with parapsychologists in the Ibero-American cou
13 Duda is a magazine that is widely published nationally. It includes sensational
articles on mixed topics such as UFOs, ESP phenomena, cryptozoology, and so on.
14 Ibero-American members account at the present time for less than 8% of t
Parapsychological Association members (Parapsychological Association, 1991).
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The Journal of Parapsychology
tries becomes more important now that CSICOP has taken an ag-
gressive role in approaching these countries with conferences and
new societies.
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