Last time I asked A.I.: What was Tomokichi Fukurai's parapsychological orientation?
"Tomokichi Fukurai’s parapsychological orientation was a fusion of experimental psychology, mystical cosmology, and proto-spiritualist inquiry, deeply influenced by both Western psychical research and Japanese metaphysical traditions."
"🧠 Core Orientation
Experimental Parapsychology: Fukurai was one of Japan’s earliest psychologists to explore extra-sensory perception (ESP), clairvoyance, and thoughtography (nensha). He conducted empirical studies with psychic subjects like Chizuko Mifune and Ikuko Nagao, attempting to validate their abilities through controlled experiments.
Mesmerism and Hypnosis: His early work focused on mesmeric psychology, which he saw as a gateway to understanding altered states and psychic phenomena. He published Japan’s first systematic study of mesmerism in 1905.
Mystical Worldview: Fukurai’s later writings reveal a Buddhist-influenced metaphysics, where the self is divided into the shikisei (cognizing self) and seisei (living self). He proposed a filter theory of the brain, suggesting that psychic phenomena bypass ordinary cognition and access deeper layers of reality."
"🔮 Philosophical and Cultural Synthesis
"Fukurai’s orientation was not merely scientific—it was mythic and ritualistic:
- He believed psychic abilities were natural extensions of human consciousness, suppressed by materialist science.
- His work attempted to bridge the gap between science and spirit, positioning parapsychology as a sacred inquiry into the unseen.
- He saw nensha 念写 as a ritual act, where psychic trauma or symbolic truth could be imprinted onto matter—a precursor to the cursed tape in Ringu."
"Would you like to explore how Fukurai’s theories might inform symbolic dreamwork or how his filter theory parallels Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious?"
https://open-data.spr.ac.uk/articles/tomokichi-fukurai
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/islis/34/1/34_66/_article
Did Fukurai ever attempt to generate thought photographs via post-hypnotic suggestion?
"Yes, Gary—Tomokichi Fukurai did explore post-hypnotic suggestion as a method for generating nensha, or thought-photographs. This approach was part of his broader attempt to validate paranormal cognition through experimental psychology."
"🧠 Fukurai’s Hypnotic Experiments
"In his 1913 book Spiritism and Psychology, Fukurai describes working with psychic subjects—most notably Chizuko Mifune and Ikuko Nagao—to test whether mental images could be projected onto photographic plates. His methods included:
- Inducing hypnosis to access deeper psychic layers.
- Post-hypnotic suggestion to implant specific images or symbols in the subject’s mind.
- Attempting to capture these images on sensitized photographic plates, often in darkroom conditions."
"Fukurai believed that hypnosis could bypass the conscious mind’s filters, allowing the seisei (living self) to imprint directly onto matter. This aligns with his filter theory of the brain, which posited that ordinary cognition blocks access to psychic truth."
"🔮 Symbolic Implications
"Fukurai’s use of post-hypnotic suggestion transforms nensha into a ritual act:
- The subject becomes a medium, channeling symbolic content from the unconscious or spiritual realm.
- The photographic plate becomes a ritual container, akin to a magic circle—holding the psychic imprint in material form.
- The process echoes dream incubation, where symbolic images are seeded and retrieved through altered states."
"This technique anticipates the cursed tape in Ringu, where Sadako’s psychic trauma imprints itself onto magnetic media—not through hypnosis, but through uncontained psychic overflow."
"Would you like to explore how this method parallels dream seeding in expressive arts therapy or how it might inform a ritual protocol for symbolic mapping?"
What was Fukurai's filter theory of the brain? Was he aware of the research of Frederic Myers?
"Tomokichi Fukurai’s filter theory of the brain was a metaphysical model proposing that the human brain acts as a limiting device, filtering out psychic and spiritual perceptions that exist beyond ordinary consciousness. His theory shares conceptual resonance with Frederic Myers’ subliminal self, and while there’s no definitive proof that Fukurai directly cited Myers, the intellectual currents of the time suggest probable awareness or indirect influence."
"🧠 Fukurai’s Filter Theory of the Brain
"Fukurai believed the brain was not the source of consciousness, but a gatekeeper—a biological filter that restricts access to deeper layers of reality. Key ideas include:
Dual Self Model: Fukurai divided the psyche into:
- Shikisei (識性): the cognizing, rational self.
- Seisei (生性): the living, intuitive self—capable of ESP, clairvoyance, and thoughtography.
Filtering Mechanism: The brain blocks the seisei from expressing its full potential. Psychic phenomena occur when this filter is bypassed—through hypnosis, trance, or trauma.
Psychic Overflow: In moments of rupture, the seisei can imprint images onto physical media (e.g., photographic plates), as in nensha. This is not magic—it’s unfiltered consciousness manifesting materially."
"This theory reframes psychic ability not as anomaly, but as latent human capacity, suppressed by biological and cultural conditioning."
"🔍 Frederic Myers and the Subliminal Self
"Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, proposed that the mind consists of:
- Subliminal Self: A vast reservoir of unconscious psychic activity, including telepathy, precognition, and spiritual insight.
- Supraliminal Self: The conscious ego, limited and unaware of the deeper strata."
"Myers argued that psychic phenomena arise when the subliminal self pierces the veil of ordinary awareness—often through dreams, trance, or crisis."
"🔗 Comparative Resonance
| Concept | Fukurai | Myers |
|---|---|---|
| Dual psyche | Shikisei / Seisei | Supraliminal / Subliminal |
| Brain as filter | Yes | Implied |
| Psychic access via altered states | Hypnosis, trance | Dreams, crisis |
| Thought-imprinting | Nensha | Not explored directly |
| Spiritual worldview | Buddhist-inflected | Christian-mystical" |
"While Fukurai’s framework is more material-symbolic (focused on imprinting psychic images), Myers leaned toward psychic continuity and survival of consciousness. Both sought to legitimize the unseen through structured inquiry."
"Would you like to explore how Fukurai’s filter theory might inform ritual containment protocols or how it parallels Jung’s transcendent function in dreamwork?"
Where can one find Fukurai's books in Kanji and English?
"You can find Tomokichi Fukurai’s works in both Kanji (Japanese) and English through a few key sources:
"📚 English Editions
- Archive.org offers a free digital version of Clairvoyance & Thoughtography (1975 reprint of the 1931 edition), which explores Fukurai’s experiments with psychic photography and ESP. You can read or download it here.
- Open Library also lists multiple editions of Clairvoyance & Thoughtography, including the original 1931 publication and later reprints. Browse available formats here.
- Amazon US stocks English-language editions, including collectible reprints. Visit Fukurai’s author page here."
"📖 Japanese Editions (Kanji)
- Amazon Japan (amazon.co.jp) carries Japanese-language editions of Fukurai’s work, including Saimin Shinrigaku Gairon (An Introduction to Mesmeric Psychology) and other titles. You can find Clairvoyance and Thoughtography in Japanese here.
- Psi Encyclopedia offers a downloadable PDF overview of Fukurai’s life and work, including references to his Japanese publications. Access it here."
"If you're looking for original Kanji texts for scholarly use, university libraries in Japan or interlibrary loan services through institutions like the National Diet Library may be your best bet. Would you like help locating a specific title or edition for research or translation purposes?"
What was the resolution of the Hungry Ghost condition in Buddhism and in these two films?
