Psychologist Dr. Sally Rhine Feather and paranormal investigator Michael Schmicker joined together to present information about ESP. In their new book, The Gift, they discuss various types of extrasensory perceptions. Dr. Feather, who is the daughter of J.B. Rhine, known as the "father of ESP research," said that people are often frightened by having these experiences and she seeks to help people gain a better understanding about them.

"This is a universal human ability," said Schmicker, who added that in a 2001 Gallup Poll, 50% of the people believed ESP was real, while 27% were undecided. Proof of ESP has been demonstrated in three major collections of work, one of them done by the Society for Psychical Research, which dates back to the late 1800's, Feather noted. She speculated that ESP could function evolutionarily as an early warning system and may also have a biological component that connects people together.

Schmicker conducted an on-air ESP test using the Zener symbol cards. If you scored higher than five matches out of 25, this was greater than chance, he explained. The two also shared a number of case reports, some which included psychic premonitions. In one incident, a woman named Marie was touring DC by car with her husband, and as they drove near the Pentagon she felt overtaken by a vision of black smoke coming from the building. Two weeks later was 9/11.

Quayle Update

First hour guest, author Steve Quayle, offered commentary about recent events, such as the incident in which a small private plane forced the evacuation of thousands from the US Capitol and the White House. While the airspace incursion was determined to be an accident, he noted that Washington was caught by surprise and that there is definite concern over low flying jets that might carry weapons of mass destruction. Quayle also updated his list of mysterious deaths of microbiologists with two new cases.

Ouija Board Study

A mail survey of 373 Ouija Board users has yielded some interesting though perhaps not unexpected results. Dr. John Palmer of the Rhine Research Center found that most users "claimed involuntary movements of the planchette and successful spirit communication." A full two-thirds of the respondents reported having a negative experience with the board, and around 50% said "they felt a compulsion to use it." Check out the Museum of Talking Boards, an excellent online resource about Ouija Boards.

Bumper Music

Bumper music from Wednesday May 11, 2005