[PAGE 1]
A

Since the international situation is in its present state, I feel the need for positive action in the military application of hypnotism is imperative. In a field such as this you need an individual, such as myself, who has lived with the problems of hypnotism and its military implications for many years.

I am very fortunate in havinp.with me, this yea s man. recei verl hits

He is thoroughly familiar with hypnotism at thie theoretical level and has, above all things, the imagination and energy to carry on research work in this ficld.

Please look over the enclosed proposal and give me your reaction. The hypnotic messenger techniquc is relatively uncomplicated. There are several other projccts which I could submit to you . for considcration which are, in my opinion, even :more important than this but involve much more complicated techniques.

Since the time is short between now and this summer, we certainly appreciate your immcdiate consideration of this matter.

Cordially yours,

A/B 5, 90/8

February 6, 1957

H-B/6

FEOEA Washington, D. C.

[PAGE 2]
STUDIES IN THE MILITARY APPLICATION OF HYPNOTISM: I. The llypnotic Messenger

Introduction

llypnotism is now a recognized branch of the sciencc of psychology operating under known laws producing known phcnomena. The proposals we are about to-make can be verified by means of the scientiiic method. In deep hypnotism or somnambulism, the subject has complete amnesia; he remembers nothing of what has happened. One out of every fivc persons can reach this depth in the hypnotic trance. With this subject, we can, remove from him all knowledge of ever having been hypnotized and make it impossible for anyone else to hypnotise him except a person who has been designated by the hypnotist.

it is our contention that a long and involved message given to a subject could be rccovered irom the unconscious mind oniy by one specific operator, who alonc would be able to hypnotize the subject and recover the "secret", message. In the waking state, the subject would have no knowledge of this message. lle would deny his ever having been hypnotized, and the secoud hypnotist would be the only person able to re-hypnotize him. lie would go to this gecond operator as a result of the post-hypnotic suggestion of an ordinary military transfer. He would not "talk" because he has nothing'to talk about. Furthermore, it is our contention that alcohol, drugs, and/or physicnl duress would not be successlul in recovering this mcggage.

[PAGE 3]
METHOOLOGY

Subjects:

Twenty somnambulits who mighl. tc obtained in a military establishment will be used. College students cannot be used in this experiment for quite obvious reasons. The criteria for somnambulism are definitive and clear-cut. The so-callod disguised technique will be used so that the personnel will be in ignorance of thc reason for béing contacted.

Equipment:

We will need facilities for doing hypmotic work under conditions which give maximal security.

The -actual apparatus involved will be: (i) dictaphone, (2) an apparatus to test hypnotic anesthesia by mcans of the application of a graduated electric current, or the use of an elcctroencephalograph.

Procedure:

The twenty subjects selccted for their ability to enter the somnambulist; state will be carefully trained for the specific task in mind. As mentioned. previously, we will remove irom each subject all knowlcdge of ever having been hypnotized and make it impossible for anyone except the person designated by the hypnotist to re-hypnotize him, lle would then be instructed as to the nature of his assignment, namely, that he would be givcn material which is "secret" and which could not be divulged to anyone, cither in the waking state or any type of unconscious state. The exception to this would be a second hypnotist (specifically named) who wouid be able to re-hypnotize him and recover the 1 "secrct"information.

Thc "aecret" material would then bc prescnted to the subject. This would be given by tape recording ior the sake of controlling human voice variablos and would bc repcated five times in five separate hypnotic sessions

[PAGE 4]
the subject out of the trance and send him to his desitnation (in this casc, the address of the second hypnotist) by means of a post-hypnotic suggestion. In the waking state, owledge of the second hypnotist. At this point, over-a which under normal circumstances would give him ample time art of -the world, we would apply different methods to elicit ation, by use of his wife, girl friend, alcohol, amytal or en physical duress.

: project, approximately \$10,000.

lat a thorough investigation of this proposal would require ng the summer when the principle investigator and his associatc m academic duties.