Pauline Oehler

The mind can do some pretty amazing things, but can you imagine being able to take photographs merely by thinking? A Chicagoan named Ted Serios was said to be able to do just that. Serios would point an instant camera at himself, but instead of a self portrait, the camera would produce a photo of a place or object in a different location. This is called psychic photography, or "thoughtography," and it is a form of psychokinesis (the ability to affect objects by one's mind alone). Serios, the best—known "psychic photographer," has been extensively studied, in particular by Denver psychiatrist Jule Eisenbud, who is utterly convinced that Serios's powers are real.

Serios is not the first "thoughtographer," nor the last. However, he is probably the most thoroughly studied. He was poorly educated, shy, and an alcoholic, yet his...