The Report on the Barnhouse Effect by Kurt Vonnegut - Book Report/Review Example

The Report on the Barnhouse Effect “The report on the Barnhouse Effect” based upon Professor Barnhouse’s application of dynamopsychism reveals interesting facts about the professor’s activities and his role in Operation Barnhouse. The report deals with the lesson learnt in class about the powers hidden inside the human mind and the impact, which might be generated by the same. The report also shows how the psychic powers might generate energy, which set things in motion, thus explaining the science of psychology. Understanding the generation of information or sensation provided to the human mind leads to perception, which helps the professor in understand the phenomenon of Dynamopsychism. Dynamopsychism may be defined as the impact produced by the force of the human mind. It works with the help of energy released from the human mind. Firstly it requires a special talent or composition of the brain for a person to be potential to master this power of dynamopsychism. However every person with such talent needs at least ten years to master this art. Also this would require specific training about the technique used by the professor. As described in the report the professor initially began applying this power by trying to roll sevens with a dice. When he was successful he managed to roll ten sevens in a row. The professor realized that the same train of thought has occurred to him immediately before he managed to roll a seven. He focused on that thought train. The basic idea lies in concentration and deep thinking. When the focus is on a specific object or an action expected to be produced on the object, then human mind releases a train of energy, which finally executes the function as desired. I think such forces are possible but offcourse special kind of training might be required for that. For instance sometimes many of might have experienced that while thinking about rain very deeply, the weather might actually become cloudy and it starts raining. Again, when something negative pricks the mind for long the ill fate might actually take place. Many individuals believe a particular dress is lucky for his or her interviews or exams because it tends to produce the same good effect in a row. If such minor effects are possible in our daily life a larger concentration of energy might lead to a greater exertion of psychic power. Aligning one’s thoughts to focus on a single object or issue is most important aspect for which human mind needs to be self-trained for sometime. Several philosphical notions have been brought forth in the report by different characters. For instance, Mr. Cuthrell said “Whose going to be in charge of the world, our kind of people or theirs?” (Vonnegut, 164) Human beings have been classified according to race and ethnicity from time to time. The professor is trying to get rid of the economic and social problems faced by every nation such that war might come to an end. But Mr. Cuthrell rightly points out that it is all about power, which motivates the war instinct. When the general asked the professor to destroy the target ships and the V-1s through dynamopsychism the professor claimed that this would be “insanely expensive” (Vonnegut, 165). The underlying meaning indicates loss of human lives, cost of building ammunitions and this will be “insane” because all these were motivated by the struggle for power and could easily have been prevented if people wanted. Another remarkable mention of philosophical undertone is revealed in the professor’s last letter to the army when he retired to his hiding. He wrote “Setting a new precedent in the behavior of ordnance, I have humane reasons for going off” (Vonnegut, 166). Usually the behavior of armaments is that of destruction of humanity which humanity itself restrains. He seems to suggest that he has been a weapon with humanity and hence he is removing himself from the stock of weapons meant for the war, thus setting a unique example to the other arms. An instance of a philosophical question raised by the professor towards his student was “Think every new piece of scientific information is a good thing for humanity?” (Vonnegut, 161) This was a question to think upon on humanitarian ground. Though a scientific discovery makes things easier for us and helps a nation earn a good name, the finally ill fate is borne by the human race in general. The underlying meaning is a call for a destruction of national barriers and the game of power, which drives the war instinct. Therefore the answer to this question will be ‘no’. Human mind is inventive in nature but anything, which might cause disaster to his fellow human beings, should be destroyed before it is known to a second person. Marry Shelley in her novel Frankenstein has worked out a fine fiction, which shows how the scientist finally realizes his mistakes and sets out to destroy his own creation for the benefit of the masses. Every scientist who is constantly wrapped up in making the war efforts easier for the military needs to dote on this. The nuclear bomb dropped in Hiroshima raises several questions about the genius of human mind and the necessity to control it. The states did realize the danger of such an invention and hence this made the political structure more complicated by signing of pacts and agreements for restraining the use of nuclear power. Yet, every nation sleeps with the fear and apprehension of a nuclear assault everyday especially at wartime. If I were in the professor’s place I would have tried to control the minds of the people who made the decisions of war and tried to curb their war instinct. Then I would have moved forward to carry out actions which the professor had once planned, that is irrigate deserts, etc and solve the crisis of every nation. If power was behind a war then the problem lay in the minds of the human beings and not really in the problems of a nation. So, first that needed to be controlled and modulated. Work Cited Vonnegut, Kurt, The Report on the Barnhouse Effect, 1950. Read More