During the 1930s a new approach to exploring the boundaries of human consciousness emerged at Duke University with professor J. B. Rhine’s experimental research on extra-sensory perception, or ESP. His findings on telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and psychokinesis challenged conventional views that such abilities do not exist. Rhine’s findings and his first popular book, New Frontiers of the Mind, ignited excitement and controversy—not only among scientists but in the public at large.

This selection of Rhine’s letters chronicle his efforts to find reliable evidence of psychic ability, from the séance room to psychic animals and finally to a university research laboratory, where his team could better control the variables and measure the results. Covering the years 1923–1939, they reveal a gripping story of groundbreaking research, told in the words of the main player as he worked with his team, subjects, critics, and supporters alike.

The late J. B. Rhine founded Duke University’s parapsychology lab, the Parapsychological Association and the Journal of Parapsychology.
Barbara Ensrud is a freelance journalist and author based in Durham, North Carolina. Her articles have appeared in numerous periodicals including the Wall Street Journal and online Psi Encyclopedia. A member of the board of directors of the Rhine Research
Center since 2014, she served as president of the board from 2016 to 2020.

Sally Rhine Feather, the eldest daughter of J.B. and Louisa Rhine, worked as a clinical psychologist for several decades and in 1995 served as executive director of the Rhine Research Center and continues today as executive director emeritus. In 2010 she received the Outstanding Career Award from the international Parapsychological Association. She lives in Durham, North Carolina.

J.B. Rhine
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages:
Bibliographic Info: ca. 10 photos, glossary, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2021
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8466-6
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4266-6
Imprint: McFarland