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New Zealand Listener, Volume 37, Issue 943, 6 September 1957, Page 11

Sir-It will probably be widely agreed that in the realm of patapsychology, Dr J. B. Rhine is rather small beer. Still, one need not confine one’s reading to those authors who express the views one prefers, and physics is not the only science on which authoritative works are being produced. In our desire to avoid being credulous, we may very easily find that we have carried our incredulity to the point where it has become just a specialised form of credulity after all. The greatest superstition of all is the impression that the science of physics has said the last word on all subjects. I invite your- correspondent R.M.D. to enlarge the frontiers of his own mind, by spending six shillings on a little "Teach Yourself’ volume rather misleadingly entitled Teach Yourself Psychical Research. This was printed in 1955, published by the English Universities Press Ltd., London; the author is Dr R. C. Johnson, M.A. (Oxon.), Ph.D., D.Sc. (Lond.), of Queen’s College University of Melbourne. It contains a fairly extensive bibliography, and though perforce very sketchy in itself, does cover a lot of the ground. I do not wish to be disagreeable, but if I have to risk being in error I would prefer to err with Dr R. C. Johnson than in the company of R.M.D. I also like the company of Dr Laurence J. Bendit, M.A., M.D. (Cantab.), D.P.M., formerly Assistant Physician of the Tavistock Clinic, whose thesis, Paranormal Cognition, was accepted by Cambridge University and published some years ago by Faber and Faber.

MARION

KIRK

(Auckland).