Observations placeholder

Wolf Messing –the true story of Russia’s greatest psychic – Tatiana Lungin

The following is taken from an article entitled "In the World of Human Thought." The original Russian source of the review and its writer are irrelevant:

A blindfolded man leans over a chessboard with intense concentration.  He confidently picks up a figure and places it on the appropriate square.

With another move he checkmates his imaginary opponent. It should be added that the victor has never played chess before, which is the whole point of the demonstration.

But don't rush, dear reader, to reach a hasty conclusion. Only after becoming acquainted with the psychologicaI experiments of Wolf Messing - a man with highly trained senses - can you see how it's done.

Without outside help, Wolf Messing would never have been able to checkmate his imaginary opponent. He needs an inductor – that is a person capable of giving him mental commands and with whom he is in immediate contact. This person holds Messing's wrist firmly in his own hand and it is he who must play chess. During the session he remains silent as a clam and can even turn his back on the psychologist after examining the board. But he must mentally suggest to Messing what his next move should be.