The Man with Six Senses

'''Jaeger, Muriel. The Man with Six Senses.''' London: Hogarth Press, 1927.

Discussed in Susan Stratton's "Psi and Technology in Science Fiction," in the section "Psi Allied With Technology," our major source for this entry (consulting also Mark Kingwell's on-line Introduction to the HiLoBooks reissue of 2013, posting dated 6 Oct. 2018 [this edition was withdrawn when it was pointed out the text was not public domain]).

Michael Bristowe, the man with the 6th sense — an ability to detect objects at a distance — "begins research on himself with electromagnetic equipment and finds in the 'architectural structure of matter' (93) a theoretical basis for his ability" (Stratton, p. 326). Stratton assets that even though Jaeger "goes to some length to place herself and her characters in line with modern technology by means of Michael's experimentation with electromagnetic equipment, Jaeger condemns an emphasis on technology that precludes human evolutionary development," such as developing additional senses. "For Jaeger, the barrier to improved humanity through evolution is not devotion to technology, but failure to recognize the significance of a new ability and the need to encourage its development. Jaeger does not challenge the supremacy of twentieth-century technology; she just asks for recognition that human development is also important" (Stratton 327), hence using this novel to illustrate "Psi Allied With Technology."