My Library

It was at this time that I first encountered the idea of getting the money under any pretense possible -- and then utilizing it for entirely different things. Buell Mullen, and the two lovable Bennitts, were not ones to gloat. But they couldn’t resist telling me "I told you so" -- that the venerable Society was a cesspool of pointless intrigue and backbiting, and expert in shooting itself in its feet. In private, Buell asked: "Well, you still want to give the pledged donor fund to the ASPR?" At this point, the covert pledges amounted to just over $350,000. I, of course, was completely embarrassed. I explained that I had volunteered to leave the ASPR so I could get on with my own life. But Osis, Mitchell, Schmeidler, Ehrenwald, the Wingates and Arthur Twitchell had asked me to stay in order to complete outstanding experiments. It was even thought we might do another fresh set of formal OOB experiments all of which would be filmed on camera this time. "I would like to support Osis," I told Buell. "But right now it’s not at all clear how to do it." Indeed, NOTHING was clear any more. Chapter 31 RECEPTION FOR INGO SWANN AT THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH