*
Approved For Release^p(^33/07
: «pWn*BW6-00787R^0^0p1 00001-8
30 March 1973
MEMO FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT
:
SRI /Paranormal Trip Report,
- 29 March 1973
SGI
I
Summary . Arriving in S, F.
at 113 0 hrs on 27 March,
I was met by Mr.
I^^^^^JofT^SDand we spent the rest of the day (until 2400 hrs) discussing the aims
and mechanic^Hhe proposed expanded program with Mssrs Cox,
Jones, Targ and
Puthoff, m|^^^^|departed early the following morning and I spent the entire day
going over the results of earlier research,
reviewing films of GELLER and nailing
down the specifics of the agreement for expanded FY 73 research.
See attached for
SRI
s draft proposal which will be sent formally to TSD once we have called them(SRI)
to state that the proposal is acceptable in principle to ORD
(i, e.
,
that we are willing
to transfer the $18,474 to TSD).
Background.
2./SRI accepted without reservation the need to validate the phenomena with
Agency- controlled test materials, understanding that a Besious program of longer-
range research could be supported only if our management was persuaded of the
existence of the phenomena via testing which incorporated techniques & devices
(e. g.
,
trapped envelopes,
etc) which they understood and respected;
I made
it clear to
them, however,
that things were in such a state of flux that there could be no guaran-
tee of a follow-on program no matter what kind of validation might be obtained.
It
was agreed to test our materials with GELLER (rather than SWANN) and at SRI
(rather than in D.C.
) for a variety of reasons:
Swann's reliability appears to be much
less than Gellers (thus far, at leasl^but they haven't yet begun to test him on those
feats which he seemed most effective with; they start him on re -tests with the magne-
tometer in a week or so); the things which Geller appears to do best are most suscep-
tible to double -blind testing;
Geller,
they found out while
I was there,
is willing to
return to SRI for further testing on 15 April--and he seems,
now,
to be more inter-
ested than before in 'understanding* the phenomena.
But,
since Geller ostensibly
has no inkling of government support for the research,
there is simply no plausible
way of explaining to him a change of venue to D. C,
Nonetheless,
the procedures
outlined below seem to be iron-clad as far as validation is concerned.
3. Proposed Testing Procedures .
They will begin re -testing G with their own
materials on 15 April and will work in our materials as soon as they are available.
In the meantime, however,
they will try to get him accustomed to the lack of immed-
iate feedback.
In this context,
they have just negotiated a one year contract with
NASA and have permission from them eventually to publicize their support.
As soon
f\ as this is done
( it: may be several weeks) they will be able to allude to NASA as the
reason for the no feedback or,
at least,
delayed feedback routine.
They urged me to
be present during all tests using our material but (though we worked out a plausible
cover for me to use in the event it becomes necessary- -see below)
I suggested that
it would be much simpler for us to pouch our test materials to our S.F.
office and
let our local man be present during the tests; this is acceptable to SRI.
Out test
materials will consist of the following --with,
in each instance except for the last
category,
the stimuli material being written or drawn on unlined 3x5 cards with a
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Approved For ReJfias^O0 1/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00j*7^00400100001-8
»
trapped envelopes:
no
(a) five exemplars containing simple line-drawings, with/3-D effect
(b)
"
"
"
three-digit numbers
(using the 'European' seven)
(c)
"
"
block letters
(d)
five unsealed blank sheets of paper on which they will tell G that someone
has implanted a strong mental image but which,
in reality, will have been drawn
on with various kinds of S/W.
4.
If we wish, we can also use S/W for one or two of the exemplars in the
first three categories.
On the testing date our S. F.
rep will bring one batch to
SRI, hand the envelopes to the investigators just before the test begins and watch
the entire proceedings on TV monitor from the next room.
After G has made his
drawings they will be stapled to the appropriate envelope and all will be returned
to our rep who will ship them back here to TSD for testing.
(NOTE: The sealer
8z
tr^per should be designated by C/TSD and should be someone (unknown to
SG1I
SGI
I
myself) who is in no way associated with the project; he should also
prepare the stimuli cards and/or S/W material, having been briefed by C/TSD on
this score, and should keep in his own safe a record of what he put on each card-
keyed to numbers on the sealed envelopes.
)
The SRI reps suggested that G be
told the general category of each batch (e. g.
,
'drawings',
'numbers',
etc) but I
believe that they will accept the counter- par opo sal that he first attempt to give
readings without that advantage
.
They had also suggested that at the end of each
series they call us to describe his
fy&frSlo rendition of each test so that we could give
them (and they, him) specific feedback; again,
they might agree to being given
spefcific feedback only after all the testing is completed- -with only the number
'right' and 'wrong' at the end of each day.
5.
IF there should be early validation on the basis of these tests SRI will use
the rest of the time and funds in further
testing of G--to include (as they also plan
for Swann) detailed physical/lab examinations and sense-acuity testing, as well as
©St telekinesis tests and,
if we wish, long-range (telephonic) double-blind tests--in
which, for instance, we do the die -in -the -box bit.
They were also eager to try
validation with some of our other devices (electronic switches,
etc) but,
since
there was no way that that could be performed on a double -blind basis,
I told them
to try it with their own electronic gear.
Should there be success re validation they
will bring G to NY or DC for low-key demonstrations for a few key people (under
appropriate cover).
Also they are sending me two TV tapes of G philo sophyzing
during his interview by "Psychic" magazine on 27 March.
6.
Miscellaneous:;
a. Also met Hugh Crane of SRI (inventor of the nuerister( ?)) who is to be
added to the paranormal research team;
b. Should I ever have to meet G or S,
tentatively agreed I'd pose as a former
govt employee & now SRI consultant in DC for govt contracts;
c. Also saw a quite impressive film on their new ultrasonic camera (real-
time X-Ray effect) which might be of interest to $.$ someone in the Agency
d.
Finally,
got to know Cox, Jones,
Puthoff & Targ reasonably well- -and
all went up in my estimation,
especially Targ about whon^*^^eei^rathe^^ary.
Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96ft$^8sHHHiiifl