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Experiments in mental suggestion – Professor L L Vasiliev

Another series of experiments was conducted by the hypnologist T. V. Gurstein, together with B. B. Kajinsky in 1926. A chamber with double walls, with a floor and ceiling made out of sheet brass and iron was used. The chamber was placed on insulators and could be earthed through a commutator (two-way switch).

In the opinion of these investigators, this "circuiting," i.e. the earthing of the walls of the chamber, increased its insulating properties.

The percipient was placed in the chamber and Gurstein, while remaining outside the chamber but in the same room, would look at some object in his hands and ask the percipient to describe it; or he would ask the percipient whether he smelt anything (whilst himself sniffing some eau de cologne), or whether he felt anything (whilst pricking his own hand with a needle).

Fourteen [14] such experiments were carried out from which, however, it is hard to draw any conclusions as to the importance of screening: the percipient responded accurately both when the chamber was earthed and when it was not.

For example, Gurstein, holding in his hand a red cross, asked "What do you see?" The answer-the chamber being earthed-was “A cross."

In the course of the same experiment, in response to the question "What colour do you see?" the reply was "dark red"-the chamber not being earthed.