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36 Science of the Seance

Science of the seance: why

speaking to spirits is

talking to yourself

Continued from Page 35

This should have spelt the end for everything
from dowsing to Ouija boards, yet to this day
they remain devoutly held beliefs for many. And
despite the existence of ideomotor effect being
known for almost two centuries, the infinite
human capacity for re-invention and our
seeming inability to learn from our mistakes
means that we can still fall prey to the same
illusions under different packaging. In 2013,
businessman Jim McCormick was convicted of
selling useless bomb dowsing kits to the Iraqi
army: a modern twist on the divining rod.
Another inglorious 2013 entry in the ideomotor
catalogue was the C-Fast, a mechanical dowsing
rod its inventors claim would detect liver disease
- a claim which Síle Lane of Sense About
Science dissected as “pushing hope and nothing
more”. determine the source of the messages, and the teenager Naoki Higashida via his facilitated
Yet perhaps the most prominent – and trials were conducted by psychologist Douglas communicator was released in Japan. Translated
damaging - modern offshoot of the ideomotor Howler. The apparatus displayed pictures to into English in 2013, “The Reason I Jump” was
effect is the phenomenon of Facilitated both Betsy and her facilitator, Janyce Boynton, released to rave reviews and heralded as an
Communication (FC). In this process, a and Betsy was asked to identify the object she insight into the teenage autistic mind. Jon
facilitator helps move the arm of a patient to a saw. Yet in some trials, she and Janyce were Stewart praised it as one of the most remarkable
screen or keyboard so that they may apparently deliberately shown different pictures. In every books he’d ever read. Yet with FC being utterly
communicate – an interaction heralded by instance, Betsy communicated only what Janyce devoid of any even resembling corrorating
believers as a breakthrough, allowing those with saw: clear evidence the communication came evidence, several commentators have voiced
severe communication issues to express from the communicator and not the individual. concerns that the platitudes of the book give far
themselves. In the late 1980s, FC was at the This same result was shown when similar more insight into the facilitator’s mind than
zenith of its popularity, For parents and family experiments were repeated with others, all Higashida’s. English translator David Mitchell
of the non-verbal autistic and the severely returning the same null result. The evidence was dismisses this criticism by insisting the
intellectually disabled, it offered incredible clear – FC was nothing more than self-delusion facilitator no longer touches Higashida, yet
promise. Wonderful stories of FC “unlocking” buttressed by the ubiquitous ideomotor effect. given the sheer paucity of peer-reviewed
the minds of patients were shared far and wide, The facilitators weren’t unlocking the thoughts evidence for FC, this celebrated account remains
and anecdote became traded as evidence. of profoundly disabled patients: they were deeply questionable despite its popularity.
Profoundly mentally handicapped children subconsciously projecting their own. More disturbing still is the recent case of
overnight became poets and savants, even The ensuing backlash should have been Anna Stubblefield. Stubblefield, a devout
publishing books with their facilitators. But the final nail in the coffin for FC, but as with believer in FC, practiced the technique on a
while FC was wholeheartedly embraced by many pseudosciences it has simply refused to severely disabled patient, referred to as D.J in
many, the warning signs of pseudoscience were die. Howler himself, a former believer in FC, court transcripts. In the process, she became
clear from the offset. As early as 1991, over 40 lamented that while the evidence is convinced he was a savant who was confessing
empirical studies showed no evidence of incontrovertible, it would take much more to his unwavering love for her. This belief led to
efficacy but plenty for facilitator input. shift the convictions of communicators; “... we her sexually assaulting a man who was unable
The decline of FC pivoted on a number had overwhelming evidence for facilitator consent; D.J had been declared by the state to
of unpleasant sexual abuse claims, and the control. It began to dawn on us that the impact have the mental capacity of a toddler. Tragically,
media attention they spawned. The late 1980s on facilitators was going to be traumatic. FC had despite her conviction for assault, Stubblefield
and early 1990s had seen a string of bogus become an essential part of their belief system, remains steadfast in her beliefs, rejecting the
“recovered memory” cases alleging Satanic an essential part of their personality.” idea that D.J’s verbose expressions of love were
ritual abuse and subsequent of mass panic over Howler’s warning has proven to be nothing more than her projected fantasy,
claims which were shown to be baseless, created remarkably prescient: the heady promises of FC authored solely by her own subconscious. She,
by those “recovering” the memories. Given this still hold sway with desperate parents, D.J and countless others are victims of the
trend, it was perhaps inevitable that the convinced they’re communicating with their ideomotor effect.
messages “communicated” through FC would child. For many, a delusion of communication is Our ability to fool ourselves is
rapidly became darker. By the mid-1990s, FC preferable to a sad reality that their child may unparalleled, and the ideomotor effect is just one
practitioners had “revealed” hidden sexual abuse not have the requisite cognitive function to be persistent way our own curious psychology can
in scores of their clients, and a number of arrests communicative, and so FC continues to enjoy push us towards erroneous conclusions. It serves
based on this testimony took place. The case of support in many quarters. A recent review on the as a reminder that no matter how compelling the
16-year-old non-verbal autistic Betsy Wheaton topic stated this with a weary brevity “... it is anecdote, all claims must be scientifically
ignited interest when she ostensibly likely that FC will continue to reinforce the evaluated to rule out our innate capacity to
communicated that through her facilitator that assumptions of efficacy among parents and delude even ourselves. In the immortal words of
her father ‘‘makes me hold his penissss”. Soon, practitioners ...” Richard Feynman: “The first principle is that
she was detailing the most horrific abuse Despite the fact that FC has no more you must not fool yourself and you are the
allegedly perpetrated by a wide cross-section of scientific credibility than a Ouija board, its easiest person to fool.”
her family. spectre haunts us even now. It is still reported
Speech pathologist Howard Shane was uncritically in mainstream media; for example, (Continued on Page 37)
able to put together a simple yet ingenious test to in 2005, a book “written” by silent autistic