Scarce complete set of ESP (Zener) cards from the Parapsychology Laboratory at Duke University — in original pictorial box.
Very good plus.
Price: $600.00
Established in 1930 by psychologists William McDougall and J.B. Rhine, Duke's Parapsychology Lab developed a test using these cards that looked for extrasensory perception. Created by perceptual psychologist Karl Zener in collaboration with Rhine, each of the set's 25 cards bears one of five distinct symbols: a circle, a square, a star, a cross, and a wave pattern. Test subjects would be asked to guess each card's printed symbol with only the back side showing. In addition to such testing, the lab introduced and defined a number of now well-known concepts including "extrasensory perception (ESP), telepathy, psychokinesis, pre-cognition and clairvoyance."
J.B. Rhine and his wife Louisa E. Rhine, both early-career botanists, were reportedly motivated to enter the budding field of Parapsychology after a lecture given by Arthur Conan Doyle, "who was 'as well known for his dabbling in spiritualism as for his famous detective'" (Time-Life). J.B. Rhine would ironically later find himself at odds with Conan Doyle after revealing famous medium Mina Crandon — of whom the author was a devotee — to be a fraud.
Read More: Narain, LEGACY OF THE DUKE PARAPSYCHOLOGY LABORATORY, The Chronicle [Duke Student Publishing Company], November 2023; PSYCHIC POWERS (Mysteries of the Unknown), Time-Life Books.
[Durham, NC]: Duke University, (1937). 3.5'' x 2.25''. Original dark blue pictorial box. 25 Zener cards with two instruction cards. Box with some edgewear and scuffing, cards crisp with the tiniest bit of marginal toning.
We work hard to meet our ethical responsibility to describe our material accurately. All items are guaranteed as described and may be returned for any reason within 30 days. Please notify us before mailing a return.
We guarantee the authenticity of our items. All materials are original (meaning not facsimiles or reproductions) unless otherwise noted. First editions (meaning first edition, first printing) are explicitly stated. TPM is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America and upholds their Code of Ethics.
All photographs are of the actual item for sale. We're happy to provide additional images on request.
All domestic orders ship gratis. For orders under $250, free USPS media mail shipping is included; orders $250 and over ship USPS Ground Advantage. International orders over $1000 also ship gratis. Expedited, overnight, as well as other carriers (UPS, Fed-Ex, etc.), may carry additional costs beyond quoted rates. All orders receive tracking information and a direct contact in case of any questions.
International buyers are responsible for any customs, taxes, and related import fees. Please note that we are unable to accomodate requests to misrepresent, misdeclare, or otherwise falsify customs documents when shipping internationally. We appreciate your understanding.
We accept all major credit cards, Paypal, Venmo, check, money order, and bank wire. We are happy to bill institutional buyers' needs. Sales tax will be added to applicable purchases. Items subject to prior sale.
If for any reason you are dissatisfied with your purchase, please contact us. We prioritize our long-term relationships far above any individual purchase, and we want you to love your item as much as we loved cataloguing it.
Type Punch Matrix is a Washington D.C.-area rare book firm founded by Rebecca Romney and Brian Cassidy.
Read more about TPM.
