Ted Serios

Ted Serios, holding the "gizmo".

Theodore 'Ted' Judd Serios (November 27, 1918 – December 30, 2006)^[1] was a Chicago bellhop, who became known in the 1960s by producing "thoughtographs" on Polaroid film. He claimed these were produced using psychic powers. Serios's psychic claims were bolstered by the endorsement of a Denver based psychiatrist, Jule Eisenbud (1908–1999) who wrote a book called The World of Ted Serios: "Thoughtographic" studies of an extraordinary mind (1967) in which he argued for the unproven reality of Serios's feats.

History and method

Serios was an unemployed bellhop when his claims that he had the ability to put images on film with his mind came to the attention of Eisenbud. Serios's technique was to hold a small cylinder, or tube, up to the lens of an instant camera, which was then pointed at his forehead and the shutter released. It was also claimed he could project his thoughts from several meters away, or without using the cylinder. He would often be drunk, or at least have been drinking, when he produced his photographs. However, when he performed sober, which he did on several occasions, he would produce images that Eisenbud called "blackies" or "whities", meaning they were entirely black or white photos.^[2]

Serios's images were most often blank or black. Occasionally, a fuzzy image would be seen that could be interpreted in many different ways (cf. pareidolia), but on rare occasions a relatively clear and identifiable image showed up^[3], although often appearing surrounded by dark areas on the film. On some occasions, his photos appeared to be distorted, or altered versions of real places or images, e.g., one such photo seemed to be of Eisenbud's ranch showing the barn as a different structure to the reality. Eisenbud attempted to prove that previously unidentified photographs were actually of the surface of Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter. In Eisenbud's own words, "Unfortunately, I couldn’t get an astronomer or optical scientist to agree."

Psychology

According to Eisenbud, "Ted Serios exhibits a behavior pathology with many character disorders. He does not abide by the laws and customs of our society. He ignores social amenities and has been arrested many times. His psychopathic and sociopathic personality manifests itself in many other ways. He does not exhibit self-control and will blubber, wail and bang his head on the floor when things are not going his way."^[4] However, in later life, Serios abstained from alcohol for years at a time. He appeared more normal in his behaviour in these periods.^[5]

Sceptical criticisms

James Randi, stage magician and noted scientific sceptic, took an interest in investigating Serios. Randi comments: "If Mr. Serios did not use a trick method, all the rules of physics, particularly of optics, everything developed by science over the past several centuries, must be rewritten to accommodate Eisenbud's opinion. No such revisions have been found necessary."^[6] Though he produced photographs similar to Serios's, Randi refused Eisenbud's request to perform the trick with the same degree of blood alcohol that Serios had when producing his photographs and wearing a rubber suit.^[7] Stephen Braude claims that Randi reneged on an agreement to perform the trick because he was incapable of it, claiming that Serios could also project images when he was several metres from the camera^[8]. Randi made it clear that he would not try to repeat "an anecdotal performance", while noting that he "effectively replicated the basic Serios trick on a live TV show in New York with Serios and Eisenbud present."^[9]

Charlie Reynolds and David Eisendrath, both amateur magicians and professional photographers, claimed to have exposed Serios as a fraud after spending a weekend with him and Eisenbud^{[citation needed]}. Reynolds and Eisendrath spotted^{[citation needed]} Serios slipping something into the tube that Serios claimed he needed to help him concentrate. They surmised this was a picture of something that the camera would take an image of, but which Serios would claim came from his mind rather than his hand. The exposé appeared in the October 1967 issue of Popular Photography. Serios's psychokinetic powers began to fade after this exposure.^[10]

In an article in New Scientist titled "The Chance of a Lifetime" (24 March 2007), an interview appears with the noted mathematician and magician Persi Diaconis. During the interview Persi mentioned that Martin Gardner had paid him to watch Ted Serios perform, during which Persi claimed that he caught Serios sneaking a small marble with a photograph on it into the little tube attached to the front of the camera he used. "It was," Persi said, "a trick."

Popular Culture

Thoughtography was the premise of The X-files episode, Unruhe. The X-Files producer Chris Carter signed a deal to base an entire movie on Dr. Eisenbud's book.^[11]

See also

• Chizuko Mifune
• Nensha

References

External links

• Jule Eisenbud collection on Ted Serios and thoughtographic photography, 1931-2001, bulk 1964-1989 at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County
• Let's get Serios on Michael Prescott's blog
• Thoughtography entry in The Skeptic's Dictionary.
• Jule Eisenbud 1908-1999 A Profile In Courage Obituary in Journal of Parapsychology.