Domu: A Child's Dream/WMG

Old Cho is actually the psychic monk the professor mentions.
Buddhist monks are said to develop incredible mental powers when they've attained the level of enlightenment where they never feel the need to use them for personal gain. Old Cho achieved this state, but as he began to suffer from the effects of senile dementia, his mind regressed to that of a spoiled child while the part of his brain that held his powers remained relatively untouched.