PARTICIPANT 008 GUIDE TO SCORING 0 = There was nothing generally or specifically accurate in the participant's reading of the object. Correctly deducing or guessing one thing, such as the gender of the object's owner or how much/little the object was used, also did not count as that information could be obtained via 50/50 chance or by inspecting the object. +1 = At least one specific thing (physical description or action) or a few general things (abstract or emotional) were accurate in the participant's reading of the object. Specific things would include accurate descriptions of something physical or an action. General things include more abstract or emotional concepts. +2 = Several specific things were accurate in the participant's reading of the object. There may be some general things that accompany these specific things that are also accurate. Despite that, at least 50% of the reading was inaccurate, or the reading was too brief and lacked detail to determine it as being any more accurate. +3 = Generally, the reading was on target. Several specific things were accurate as well as general accuracy. Generally, 25% to 40% of the statements made in the reading could be inaccurate or ambiguous. +4 = The reading was overall on target. This would include general accuracy throughout the reading with less than 25% being clearly inaccurate statements, with an allowance for one or two ambiguities. Most importantly, several specific things were clearly accurate. +5 = This would be a reading that was completely on target with a majority of statements being specifically accurate with an allowance for general statements as well. There would be no inaccuracies in the reading. Nobody scored this high in the Psychometry Experiment. OBJECT A - "CLEVELAND INDIANS PIN" WHAT PARTICIPANT SAID/WROTE 1 Male 2 Mid to late 30s, possible early 40s 3 Short dark hair 4 Around 5’9” 5 Chubby but not fat 6 Loves watching sports 7 but not very active in playing 8 Needs to be around a lot of people – hates being alone 9 Has a scar on left knee 10 Got the pin as a gift from dad or uncle 11 Doesn’t like to cook 12 Prefers to eat out 13 Likes greasy food 14 Doesn’t read that much 15 Prefers visual stimuli, like movies or TV 16 CSI 17 Pin is stored in a case 18 Hasn’t been worn on a jacket in a long time 19 The last jacket that this pin was on also hasn’t been worn in a long time. 20 Possibly too small to wear, but refused to throw it out OBJECT A - ACTUAL BACKGROUND OF OWNER/OBJECT OWNER: The owner of this object is a Caucasian female born in Prince Edward Island in 1973 who resided in Ottawa, Ontario at the time of the experiment. She lived with her boyfriend in an apartment, and had one cat. She was finishing a university degree and working a retail job. She has travelled extensively across Europe, North America, and Japan. She reported having many psychical experiences in her life, namely having a strong sense of things that are about to happen. STORY OF THE OBJECT: The object she submitted was a pin of the baseball team the Cleveland Indians. She obtained the object in 1991 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and keeps it in a tin case (given to her by her deceased grandmother) on her bedroom dresser. It was given to her by her high school boyfriend who was popular at school. She was dating him and his parents did not approve of the relationship, forbidding him from seeing her again. Around this time, they had an argument and decided to take a few days break from each other. The day that happened, she felt ill – and had a horrible feeling that something bad was going to happen, but she didn’t know what. She went for a drive, and drove by a fatal automobile crash, witnessing the police covering the body. Soon after, the police notified her it was her boyfriend in the crash. He was killed and they gave her the pin he was wearing. Her boyfriend’s parents wouldn’t even speak with her at the funeral. To this day, she still feels his love. RESULT = +1 It was originally owned by a male (line 1), and hasn't been worn on a jacket for a long time, and the last jacket the pin was on also hadn't been worn in a long time (lines 18 and 19). But no further specific information on the object, circumstances, or owner's life came to light in this reading. OBJECT B - "GLASS BALL" WHAT PARTICIPANT SAID/WROTE 1 The owner is very open minded 2 He or she owns at least one cat but I do sense more or there used to be more cats 3 I sense burning incense: nag champa 4 Lots of books 5 Anti-establishment: does not believe in "the norm" 6 Plants 7 Loves nature 8 Someone named James OBJECT B - ACTUAL BACKGROUND OF OWNER/OBJECT This was a “control object” in the experiment, purchased by the experimenter, Chris Laursen, new from a shop that has good from around the world on Queen Street West in Toronto, Ontario. Once purchased, it was kept in the original bag and hidden away behind books in one of his bookshelves. It was only removed once the Psychometry Experiment commenced, at which point, it was stored on a shelf in boxes with all of the other objects used in the experiment. The idea was to see if those reading could perceive this was a control object in some way. RESULT = +3 The experimenter considers himself open minded (line 1), used to have a cat but no longer and loves them still (line 2), occasionally burns nag champa incense (line 3), owns a lot of books - hundreds of them (line 4), could certainly be considered anti-establishment or not believing in the "norm" (line 5), owns many plants (line 6), loves nature (line 7), but the name James does not resonate strongly, aside from the philosopher William James (often just referred to as James) who Laursen is significantly interested in as part of his historical research. This reading has elements of ambiguity (regarding beliefs and ideals) which nonetheless resonate with the experimenter as well as accurate physical descriptions (especially mentioning lots of books and plants). The "James" detail is curious, although ambiguous. Line 2 about cats is not accurate in that he currently does not have a cat, although he has had them in the past, and cats continue to resonate for the experimenter. OBJECT H - "BOY AND GIRL STATUETTES" WHAT PARTICIPANT SAID/WROTE 1 Handed down from parents or grandparents 2 European – Italian relatives 3 Girl statue broke due to something else falling or colliding with it 4 Possibly by a book tipping over 5 Yelling – lots of arguments – arms flailing – no real violence 6 Picture(s) of a city on the wall – one is on an angle 7 A box of old photographs someone stored 8 They’re meant to be organized – but keep putting that off 9 Someone close named Mary 10 Neat freak but a pack rat at the same time OBJECT H - ACTUAL BACKGROUND OF OWNER/OBJECT OWNER: This object was lent by a Roman Catholic housewife born in 1935. Originally from northern Italy, she has lived with her husband in Hamilton, Ontario since the late 1950s. She and her husband are retired, and own many rental properties for income. They are active in their cultural community, have three daughters and four grandchildren – three male and one female. They raise rabbits for food in their backyard, and have a garden. She is well-known in her family for her cooking, and serves very traditional rural, northern Italian dishes. She and her family have gone to resorts throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, but otherwise her travels have been limited to Canada and Italy. STORY OF THE OBJECT: She lent two small porcelain busts, one of a boy, the other of a girl. Made in Venice, they were given as a gift when her husband’s brother and his wife visited Canada in 1972. They are displayed on shelves in their living room with family photos and a few other mementos. The bust of the girl was broken when one of her grandchildren accidentally knocked it off a table where it was displayed in 1999. The woman interpreted this as a portent that her youngest daughter was dead – which never came true – and she was only relieved when her grandson confessed to breaking it. This story is a favourite in the family. RESULT = +3 This is another impressive reading. The object was a gift from relatives (although not as line 1 states from parents or grandparents, but rather a brother and sister-in-law) visiting from Italy (line 2). The girl statue broke when the grandson knocked it off the table, but not by a book (lines 3 and 4). Line 5 is interesting - this is an Italian family who speak loudly and are very expressive and argumentative. However, there are not pictures of a city on the wall (line 6). There is a box of old photographs in the household which never get organized (lines 7 and 8). The middle daughter is named Mary (line 9). It is generally neat in the household, but the woman and her husband are also pack rats (line 10). There are three inaccuracies (lines 1, 4 and 6) in this otherwise accurate reading with some very specific details revealed in the process. OBJECT E - "PIPE" WHAT PARTICIPANT SAID/WROTE 1 Hasn’t been used in a long time 2 Owner was born during or shortly after World War II 3 Loves to go for walks while smoking the pipe 4 Fishing too 5 Pipe hasn’t been used or owner hasn’t smoked it since the late 70s 6 Owner worked in sales at one point but changed careers 7 John comes to mind 8 Favorite blue sweater OBJECT E - ACTUAL BACKGROUND OF OWNER/OBJECT OWNER: This object was lent by a Caucasian male school teacher born in 1976, raised, and still living in the greater Toronto area. He was educated at Trent University, and then attended teacher’s college in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He lives with his girlfriend in a suburban house. He loves baseball, history and is a musician. He has not travelled much beyond Ontario. He has not had any paranormal experiences, although he has recently been active in volunteering to investigate them. STORY OF THE OBJECT: The object is a pipe that the man purchased at a novelty shop across from the Toronto Reference Library in 1996 or 1997. It was kept on top of a bookshelf, either beside or in a wooden case. The object is significant in its novelty. He and his friend, both smokers, each purchased the pipe as something different, thinking it would make them look sophisticated at bars and concerts. He used to relax and smoke the pipe while he was a student at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. His mother also enjoyed it when he smoked the pipe. He used Captain Black Tobacco when he smoked it. He even used the pipe as part of an attempt to stop smoking cigarettes. RESULT = 0 It is true that the pipe has not been used in some time, but only a few years, not since the 1970s. No further specific information on the object, circumstances, or owner's life came to light in this reading.