page 2 fathom October 19, 1979
Psychic potential instrument for medical use
By Deb Shanahan
man was suffering from lung cancer and one lung
wasn't functioning. A woman had a tumor and a hernia
was the reason for a little boy's pain.
These were the diagnoses made by a woman who had
no medical training and had only casually observed the
patients. Tests by a physician later confirmed the findings,
and started "the world's first palm analysis and medical
team."
Team members include Greta Alexander, a psychic
from Delevan, 111., and Leon Curry, a family practitioner
from Metter, Ga.
Curry said data from two years of experimentation is
being analyzed and readied for publication.
The team's special interest, Curry said, is diagnosing
kyperkinesia, a condition of abnormal muscular move
ment in children. Experiments have expanded to include
adults and all kinds of illnesses.
Although not 100 percent successful. Curry said the re
sults are encouraging.
Tor example, in the first phase of the study, she was
able to pick up that something was wrong with a person's
pituitary gland, and indeed, the person had a tumor in
that area," Curry said. "That's a hard and rare diagnosis."
CURRY SAID Alexander is prone to pick up on de
pression, anxiety, drug- and alcohol-related diseases and
she also seems to be good at diagnosing diseases of the
kidneys and intenstines. he said.
Alexander gives her analysis after meeting with the
patient and studying his palm print, although Curry said
she has successfully diagnosed over the telephone.
Alexander explained that a palm print is made by
spreading ink on the palm and placing it on white paper.
She said she looks at the texture, size, shape, color, skin
ridges, lines, creases and overall condition of the hand.
Palm reading is something anyone can learn, Alexander
said, adding that she learned by dreaming she was reading
palms.
Curry and Alexander said they arc hoping their work
will lead to a method of early diagnosis so doctors can
intervene and prevent complications.
The resulting, treatment. Curry and Alexander agree
should use the concepts of traditional medicine. Both said
they do not believe in faith healing.
WHILE AGREEING on the team's success, the two
do not agree on one thing: how much of the diagnosis is
by reading the palm print, and how much is through Alex
ander's psychic abilities. ,
"1 can't tell that there is any special line, crease or
wrinkle that is common in hyperactive children but Greta
seems to be able to determine those children right away."
Curry said. .
"I believe the palm prints are incidental to her knowing
about a patient. They are a vehicle for her to tunc in on
patients.
Alexander said palm analysis may some day be done by
a computer, although she admits, "if I can't find the
problem (by looking at the print). I allow it to flow
through my mind."
She said allowing things to "flow through" her mind
has enabled her . to answer questions ranging from "Where
is my three-year-old lost child?" to "Should I marry the
boy I'm dating?" to "What is the best investment for my
money?"
She said she gets about 250 calls and 70 to 80 pieces of
mail a day requesting her help. The mother of nine said
site answers as many inquiries she can. She said she
operates on a donation basis and makes her living by giv
ing speeches at universities and conventions.
ALEXANDER CANNOT explain what she calls "a
sensitivity," but relates it to being struck by lightning 18
years ago. She said she doesn't know if she received the
sensitivity at that point or just became more aware of it
then. ,
No matter, when she received it, she said she considers
the sensitivity a gift from God, She said she is able to tell
about a person's past or future just by knowing the name
and age because of "God's law." -
"You see. God has a law: eveiy action has a reaction.
Everything you do today is reflected tomorrow,"
, Curry said religious faith is common among the six
psychics he has met. none can relate the ability to any
particular thing he did-it just occurred.
His long-time interest in psychic phenomena is what
led to the formation of the Curry-Alexander team.
Curry said "a friend of a friend" told him of Alex
ander's successful work with law enforcement agencies in
crime solving. Through curiosity, he said he called her
and, several conversations later, they formed their unique
team. -
Not everyone is as comfortable as Curry about the un
explained aspects of psychic phenomena, Alexander said,
but Curry said the patients' responses have been good,
"THE PATIENTS were asked to volunteer and so were
willfcp, but nervous." he said. "Immediately after coining
into contact with her. they were overjoyed.
' "They said they felt like at last someone really did
understand their problem."
Curry dismisses the idea that palm analysis is less
scientific than other methods of diagnosis.
"This is an extremely scientific method and the experi
ments were conducted only under the strictist scientific
conditions," he said.
Lincoln physician Greg Freed,-while not. sold on the
idea of palm reading and psychics in the doctor's office,
said doctors commonly look at every part of the body in
diagnosing illnesses.
"Whether reading palm prints is useful or not, I don't
know," he said. "But you can tell, for example, if a per
son is nervous if his fingernails arc all chewed off."
He said another clue the hands may give include red
palms, indicating chronic illness or alcoholism.
Skin color also may indicate anemia, and analysis of
fingertips can indicate how the cardiovascular system is
working, he said.
"But I can't tell anything by the creases, and that's all
you would see in a palm print," Freed said.
Knowing there arc doubts. Curry said he tries to get
people to have open minds about innovations in medicine"
and other sciences.'
"Everything is unexplainable in its early stages, but
that doesn't mean we can't use it." he said. "Medical
science today doesn't know how aspirin works, hut it re
lieves pain, reduces the likelihood of stroke-it docs a lot
of good things torus."
Area police investigations
don't include mind powers
SV(
sy chics, have become policemen
without uniforms and detectives without
badges, according to Greta Alexander, a
psychic from Delavan, 111.
Alexander said a growing share of in
quiries she's received during the last four
years have come from law enforcement
agencies.
She has aided authorities in finding
missing persons or solving homicides in
Illinois, Iowa, Ohio. New York. Florida.
California and New Mexico.
The increase in the practice of mixing
psychics with police work caused Te
Police Chief, the official magazine of the
International Association of Chiefs of
Police, to publish an article. "Managing the
Psychic in Criminal Investigations," lasi
May.
Authors Thomas Gordon and Jerry
Tobias concluded: "As with any potential
advance in technology or technique, ESP
(extrasensory perception) needs to be suf
ficiently field tested. Consequently, police
executives are encouraged not to ignore
this potential resource but rather place it
among their arsenals of investigative tools
for further experimentation and research."
Despite this encouragement, area law
officers say they would turn to a psychic
only in desperation or at the family's re
quest, if at all.
"I suppose we would use it (the help of
the psychic) if we had exhausted every
thing else and were up against a blank wall.
It couldn't hurt." said Capt. Glenn Allen of
the Lancaster County Sheriff s office.
"Fortunately, we haven't gotten to that
point yet," Allen added.
Lt. Jim Perry and Officer Anthony
lladley. both Omaha police officers, said in
their department had never been helped by
a psychic. '
"I'm from Missouri and you -have to
show me. I just don't believe in it." Perry
said. He added that although he wouldn t
refuse help, he would "just as soon stick to
old. realistic, factual methods." Perry
works in the homicide division.
lladley. who works in the missing per
sons division, said the department docs not
solicit outside help, but the family of the
victim could contact a psychic on its own.
"It's like if your child or husband is
missing, we wouldn't notify the media.
You have to ask for the outside help your
self." he said. "We can't get outside help in
that case, and we can't bring in a psychic,
cither."
Capt. Jim Wintle of the Douglas County
Sheriffs office, said he could think of one
local case where a psychic was called in but
was unable to help.
"I've read the articles and sometimes it
-appears to be very productive. But I don't
know enough about it to make a judg
ment," Wintle said. "I think you always
have to keep an open mind."
1
Photo by M. Billingsley
fathom
Magazine editor: Mary Fastcnau. Managing editor: Gail
Stork. Editor in chief: Amy Lenzen. Advertising manager:
Denise Jordan. Production manager: Kitty Policky. Bus
iness manager: Anne Shank.
Fathom is a magazine published by the Daily Nebras
kan.
Unless covered by another copyright, material may be
reprinted without permission if attributed to Fathom
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Cover photos by Mark Billingsley