Psychometry

In clairvoyance, psychometry is the practice of perceiving information about a person or a place by holding an object connected to them: a piece of jewelry, a watch, a letter, a photograph. The term was coined in 1842 by the American physician Joseph Rodes Buchanan, who was convinced that objects retained an imprint of those who had touched them. It should not be confused with psychometrics, the psychologists’ measurement of abilities through testing. No study has validated the divinatory practice.