Volume 8, Issue 2, page 5


American Studies of Dutch Telepath Disclose Need for Greater
Research
Into ESP and Other Phenomena, Independent of Science and Religion

re "Psychics" Free? Or Controlled?

OME OF the "mysteries" of "psychic phenomena", how it is
available to others, and its implications in the "war"
between science and religion

are indicated nearer solution as th~ result of experiments
conducted in the United States on Peter Hurkos , Dutch
house painter. A report on these experiments. and conclusions
reached, has just been issued by the Belk Psychic
Research Foundation, of Miami Beach, Fla.

Hurkos, or Peter Van der Hurk, fell 30 feet off a ladder in 1942,
severely injuring his head. While in the
hospital, he changed from a rational, thinking individual to a
full-blown psychic mind-reader. Since his release. he
has been the sub

Hurkos ject of numerous newspaper, mag-
azine, and radio stories that
accredited to him almost unbelievable
powers. These powers, according to the
Belk Foundation report, are mostly imag-
inary, greatly exaggerated with the re-
telling, and merely point out the need
for more research into the mind of man--
research which is balked on two fronts by
groups which should be most concerned

science and religion.

As for Hurkos, the report says the injury from the fall was to
the mid-brain. "disturbing some tissue in the
medulla. This disturbed either the pineal or pituitary glands, or
both

resulting in loss of free-will, inability to concentrate, leaving
him (Hurkos) with a mental age under 10, according
to the reported opinion ... We know his gift was not a mysterious
Divine bestowal, but purely a biologic physical
brain injury that can be repeated upon any human. Once the injury
is inflicted, the person is never normal again.'t

(Attention is called to the driving of a wooden spike into the
forehead of the monks

as described by T. Lobsang Pampa, in "The Third E~,e".)

The Belk report says the Hurkos studies along with some
experiments in hypnotic age regression in co-operation
with Morey Bernstein (author of "The Search for Bridey MurPhy"I.
have Produced the conclusions that"the
subconscious mind is the location of the socalled human soul".
This subconscious mind, or soul can be tapped in
one of three ways:

1: Physical injury to the mid-brain, such as happened to Peter
Hurkos;

2. Mentally. thru hypnosis, mediumship, mind-training exercises.
yogi. deep prayer to Divinity, etc.; and

3. Chemically, with drugs as in mushrooms, mescaline, Deyote, LSD
25, truth serums, etc.

Some of the negative results found in the after-the-injury
Hurkos, in addition to his mental regression to the age
of ten. are:

Lack of ability to concentrate, even long enough to read a book;

Hurkos claims to be a prophet (a reincarnation of the Apostle
Peterl. yet most of his prognostications have
proved false. (He has forecast his own death will occur Nov. 17,
1961);

Has been known to break murder cases. yet lacks determination to
stay on a case to its solution;

When on a crime case, he can come up with as many as a hundred
minor details, yet miss the culprit himself
(indicating he reads the police minds on a subconscious levell;

Is an excellent telepath, yet cannot predict events in his own
life, or even find his own shoes next morning;

Has little loyalty to friend or foe.

Where does Hurkos, "the radar brain", get his power? The report
says it is impossible to ascertain how much is
showmanship, historical truth (he claims to have been burned at
the stake 400 years ago in Bordeaux), or a puppet
controlled by a spirit entity. Evidence supports the spirit
agency hypothesis, but if so. some intelligence must be at
his radar control, letting in certain facts, omitting others .

But, the report asks, does this make Hurkos responsible for his
acts, legally or morally? Is Hurkos a zombie,
having lost his free will?

As far as that goes, how much of what ANY OF US does is
controlled and what is free will! If we give in to
external or internal influences-including the modern
brain-washing mediums (newspapers, billboards, radio,
television. movies) -is the reasoning mind being reduced to
puppetry by the subconscious (soul?), and how does
society punish a soul?

Fifteen years o f investigation into many persons claiming or
exhibiting "psychic phenomena" have led the Belk
Research Foundation to offer these possible conclusions-at this
stage of their research:

1. ESP was known since antiquity. Everyone stumbling on it thinks
he has made a new discovery. The first
psychic investigators were the old biblical characters, witch
doctors

and prophets.

2. The origin of all revealed religions is contact with a second
world. However, each and every church or
organizedsect eventually makes "dogma" of their"facts'! Once
made, every dogma excommunicates al I other dogmas
or revel - ation in order to gain a monopoly of believers.

3. Supernatural phenomena, ESP, etc., is a law, just a physical
phenomena of scientific facts, once the mystery,
superstition, and dogma hocus-pocus is drained off.

4. A great amount of fraud is practiced by mediums and magicians,
which tends to cast suspicion on all genuine
ESP, i.e.. telepathy, mediumship, mate ri alizations, independent
voice, ghosts, poltergeists, table-raps, etc.
Orthodox religion calls factual investigations '.works of the
devil" to further fool the masses, keeping the public in
their churchthinking. The average man is too lazy intellectually
to inquire himself.

5. Amissinglink betweenseience and re

MAY, 1961 The ABERREE 5