[COMMITTEE SURVIY OF SCIENCE AND TECTINOLOGY TSSUES PRESENT AND FUTURE STAEFF REPORT OF THE COMMITTER ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY US. TIOUSK OF REPRESK NTATIVE NINETY-SEVENTI (¢ (ONGRESS FIRST SESSION Serial G the use of the Committee on Science and Technology 18) GOVERNMENT Pi TING OF MICE 77-194 O ) WASITTINGTON : 1981 te em I or aah ye pretreat Some a eee eeepc ee, For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S, Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 cer erent tag ing ers
| eut- etion- able ant to wosh- id to ment Heal 2008, OxA- eral meer wuld 59 Researcii on tim Pirysics ov Consciousness (Paravsycuoroey) (ARUE DEFINTTION Recent experiments in remote vie wing and other studies in purapsy- chology suggest that there exists an “interconnect iveness” of the human mind with other minds and with matter, Phis interconnective- ness would appear to be functional in nature anc auiplified by intent and emotion, BUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF TIE ISSUE Research on the physics of consciousness goes under the various titles of “Parapsychology”, “Mind-Being Research”, Mental Telep- athy”, Psychokinesis”, ete. Attempts in history to obtain insights into the ability of the human mind to funetion in as-yet misunderstead ways goes back thousands of years. Onl Jy recently, serious and scienti- fically-based attempts have been made to understand and tneasure the functional nature of mind-mind and mind-matter interconnectivencss. Beperiments on-nind-aind interconnectiveness have yielded some enenuraging vesulis, Experiments on mind matte r interconnectiveness (psychokinesis) havo yielded less compelling and more enigmatic results. Fhe implieation of these experiments is thal the human mind nay be able to obtain information independent. of geography and SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IMPLICATIONS See summary and background of the issue. IMPORTANCE AND IMMINENCE OF TILE IgsuE There is no certainty as to what results will emerge from basie and exploratory research on the physies of consciousness now underway. Therefore the potential importance of such research and its implica- tions for the United States and the world at la rge ean only be spec- ulated upon, Tnitial results appear to have a bearing upon a mumber of areas. In tho area of health, the coupling of traditional modical eures to the use of mind-initiated cures could be advanced. In the area of investigative work, “emotional imprints” have been used by skilled sensitives to trace past events in archacological and police in- vestigations, Tn the area of educat ion, the ability of the human mind to obtain information at. various levels has heen indicated as an important factor in snecessful decisionmaking by executives. In the arca of national defense, there are the obvious ipleations of one’s ability to identify distant sites and affect sensitive inat ruments or other humans. A general recognition of the degree. of interconnec- tiveness of minds could have far-reaching social and political iipli- cations for this Nation and the world. QUESTIONS FOR CONGRESSIONAL CON STDERATION Research’ on ‘the physics of consciousness has received relatively lowsfindiuig largely:-hecanss the credibility and potential yiold of such tesearch is widely questioned, although less today than ever before. “Thus tar, the quality of resoarch, thet even the strongest pro-
60 ponents of such research believe is necessary, has been lacking due in part to low funding. Given the potentially powerful and farreaching implications of knowledge in this field, and given that the Sovict Union is widely acknowledged to be supporting such research at a far higher and more official level, Congress may wish to utdertake a serious assessment of the research effort in this country. Quéstions for congressional consideration include: Is funding for such research adequate? What is the credibility of such research in the sciences, humanities, and religions¢ [ow docs the public pereeive the credi- bility of research in this field from hoth a subjective and objective pout of view # What shonid the K’ederal role in such research be and what agencies are or should be in volved in such research ¢ SELECTED INFORMATION SOURCES Targ, Ro and HE, Pathol. Mind-Reach: scientists look at psychic ability. Delacourt. Press/Eleanor Friede. 1977. 280 p. Gough, WC. et al. ‘The statis of research on the physics of con- sciousness; Working models and experiments. Foundation. for Mind- Being Research, Cupertino, California, Sept. 15, 1980, 44 p. Tne In thas. COOP ELE Ing ! aller fram seria hanes Crane past revel ha ve ing i for : Tuarict nolo the 3 veloy RYTON. BONA 4 in for the co optic bill ¢ by yr the a techn renk : UAT techa curity char th datio prom