One of the subtle methods for the transmission of signals has been passed around a good deal in its original form. The switching on and off of an electric light in another room was found to act on the radio with sharp static like snaps. Presumably the performer would be given a number or card and leave the room before the medium returned. In another room he would signal her through the radio which had been turned down a little but not off during the test.

I played around with this idea and found out an important secret which allows of a much wider range of effects. If the drawing room set doesn’t use an aerial, fasten one of the bell wires to the post. Most radios, though, use an aerial around the floor of the room or a lead to one outside. In any case, it is necessary to have a length of wire attached to the aerial post and strung along the wall or under the carpet to a convenient spot. I’ll describe my own hookup and the reader, knowing the principle, can arrange his own to suit. It is only necessary to touch a bare spot of this aerial wire to a metal connection as a ground to get the same effect, a short snap of static as the connection is made and broken. I ran the wire past a metal base on the piano leg so that it lay snug against it about an inch from the floor. In the baseboard of the wall in the back, I placed a screw eye also an inch from the floor. A three or four inches piece of elastic cord was fastened to the end of the wire and to the screw eye. Now the insulation on the wire just to the right of the leg (about half an inch) was removed. When sitting on the piano bench, my right foot underneath came just to the left of the leg. By a tap of the toe, the wire was moved to the left and made a connection for a second, whereupon the radio responded with a snap. Lifting the toe instantly broke the contact.

Effects are unlimited. I signaled three figure numbers which had been decided upon by the crowd and which the medium, on return to the room with a blindfold, revealed by holding someone’s pulse and counting. The static (?) always came through on the second number after the right one. Two cards would be named by people and the medium on return (always blindfolded) would deal through a face up deck and then call them both. She could see downward and the telltale ‘click’ would come on the second card after each time. The whole deck would be dealt, however, and both named at once.

We had worked out a book test where a book was taken from the shelf and someone would select a page and think of a word in the first line. All would see it and I’d note the page and position of the word, counting from the left. On entering for this test, the medium would stop at the door and then enter with short steps and on the right step she’d get the first signal denoting the first figure of the page number. She would then stop and, as the book or magazine was handed to her, would slowly say “Everybody please think about whatever I am supposed to do”. Just 10 words and on the right one she’d get the second figure of page number. Kneeling to the floor she would open the cover and start turning the pages slowly. On the right one she’d get the position of the word. Then she’d quicken the turning until finally she would stop and ask if she was at the right spot. Now removing the blindfold she would study the page carefully and announce the word !

Robert Doidge then gave me the idea of using the cue for ‘hot and cold’ so that the medium could enter the room and locate an Indian rupee which had been hidden and which was supposed to have a magnetic property which would register on those who were telepathically inclined. All bosh, but nevertheless a good presentation. Try it out and see for yourself the possibilities.