Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R00200001 0006-4
patter'n
indicating point stimulation further on
in
the nervous system.
The phenomenon
of
trans-temporal
inhibition,
then,
suggests that a
generally useful
information
processing, procedure
is also operative for
psychoenergetics.
In order to investigate this conjecture,
the results of experimentation
under way
for other purposes would
be analyzed for the displacement
phenomenon
as
a function of inter-experiment temporal
spacing.
2.
Analysi
In
remote viewing experiments,
the
final
output
is typically a tape
recording and
a written
transcript,
in which
the subject relates his
perceptions
and experiences with respect
to
the remote site that he
is attempting
to describe.
It
is becoming apparent that some portions
of
a
subject's output are more reliable
than others.
For example, when
a
subject describes
something at the site
as being very surprising to
him,
it can usually be found at
the
site.
When
the subject assigns a
name
to
the
site,
or
a
specific
function,
it
is usually incorrect.
Similarly, when motion
is perceived at
the
site,
this perception is
usually correct.
In some instances,
a change
in the tone of voice of
the subject
is
an indicator that the material
being described is more
(or
less)
likely
to
be correct.
In addition,
certain descriptive aspects of remote sites are
usually described correctly,
such
as whether they are indoors or
outdoors, whether the
light
is
bright or dim,
or whether the outbound
experimenters
at
the
site are active or passive.
These dichotomies
have already been codified
in preliminary attempts
to quantify remote
viewing for the purpose of sending messages.
Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R00200001 0006-4
Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R002000010006-4
A systematic analysis
of transcripts'and
tapes
could greatly
increase
the accuracy of information obtainable from this type of
experiment,
and
therefore extensive
transcript analysis could profitably
be carried out on
the
data
base generated
to date.
This could include
such speculative procedures
as
voice
stress analysis of the tapes.
3.
Mechanisms
a
•
Theoretical
Studies
To
date,
three
basic physical
models
have
been proposed to describe
paranormal
functioning
on
the
basis of present theory or reasonable
extensions
of same.
These are
the ELF
(extremely low frequency)
electromagnetic hypothesis,
the quantum correlation hypothesis,
and
the extradimensional
hypothesis.
The ELF hypothesis
suggests
that psychoenergetic processes are
carried
by electromagnetic waves
in
the frequency region below
kHz. 2 ” 5
Experimental
support for this
hypothesis
is claimed on the basis of
lower-than-lnverse-square attenuation,
low bit rates, and ineffectiveness
of ordinary electromagnetic shielding;
factors
(among others)
apparently
common
to both ELF and psychoenergetic processes.
The quantum
correlation hypothesis
stems
from the recognition that a theory
of reality compatible with quantum theory cannot require spatially
separated events
to
be independent,
6 " e
but must permit interconnectedness
of distant events
in
a manner that
is contrary to ordinary experience. 9 ’ 10
The extradimensional
hypothesis
is
based on the
ideas of Targ,
Puthoff,
and May
(SRI),
G.
Feinberg
(Columbia University),
and
E. Rauscher
(University of California
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory) pertaining
to
the
use of extra
spatial
and
temporal
dimensions,
to provide a space-
Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R00200001 0006-4
Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R00200001 0006-4
thne metric especially suitable
for describing psychoenergetic processes .. 11
set
stuct
'ies
W1’^
be
formulated
to provide
a series of predictions
i -
1 ,,jno
which
expet intents
can
be
designed.,
and
thus provide for the
necessary differentiation
among competing models for psychoenergetic
mechanisms.
Such work would
be pursued by both SRI
personnel
and by
consultant
theoretical
physicists;
it will
be collated by SRI.
b.
ELF Experiments
The objective of these experiments
to determine the extent to which
the demonstrated remote viewing ability of an experienced subject
is
degraded
by placing
him
in electrically shielded environments such as
mu-mutal
chambers or submersibles.
c
-
Subject-Induced Equipment Perturbation Effects
The study of human/machine interactions
as
a psychoenergetic
process
has posed great difficulties
for serious
investigators.
Among
these difficulties
are
the combined facts
that the reported effects tend
to
be
small
and
that
the
local
environment has
rarely been monitored for
causes other than
the proposed psychoenergetic
ones.
In addition, one
finds that the strongest effects are reported as occurring with the most
controversial
and/or suspect subjects.
Out of this collection of
questionable experimentation
(and often poor reporting) emerge/however,
d
Pew provocative experimental
results
that suggest that further careful
examination may be worthwhile and possibly rewarding.
Such studies would
provide valuable data
for assessing whether the area of subject-induced
equipment perturbations constitutes
a
useful
area for inquiry.
(1)
Strain
Gauge Experiments
Professor John Hasted,
Birkbeck College,
University of London,
has
observed inelastic and elestic deformations of metal
bars by some kind
Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R00200001 0006-4
Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R00200001 0006-4
or
remote
human
interaction.
During
these experiments the subjects are
reported
to cause effects without any physical
contact with the metal.
In
an effort
to replicate Professor Hasted' s
results,
an electrically
shielded enclosure
has
been constructed having more than 135 dB RF
attenuation from
kHz
to
10 MHz and plexiglass sides
(to shield against
air currents).
Within
this enclosure
is
an experimental
system of
resistive strain gauges attached
to
a
thin metal
bar.
These are wired
as
a
temperature-compensating bridge and connected to battery-operated
amplifiers
and recording
instruments.
Detection can be made of changes
in
the
length of the
bar on
the order of 500 angstroms and applied
transverse
forces of approximately
100 mg.
To date, SRI has been
successful
in isolating and correcting several
sources of artifact,
and
have obtained hours
of artifact-free baseline operation.
All
of
the data will
be magnetically recorded for later computer analysis,
and
a
simple stripchart
record will
provide immediate feedback to the subject
of any changes
in
the
bar.
Experiments are proposed to task subjects
to attempt to perturb
the isolated metal
bar.
Should experimentation
reveal
genuine subject-induced perturbations,
determinations will
be made
as
to whether such effects can be used as
a
message-transmission device
(remote telegraph).
(2)
Random Number Generator Experiments
Another class of experiments
that
have been extensively reported
are
those
that involve alleged human/machine interaction with electronic
random-number generators.
In
these experiments,
digital
electronic noise
derived from
a
thermal
noise source of from the decay of a radioactive
material
is monitored while
a subject
is attempting to alter the
Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R00200001 0006-4
Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R00200001 0006-4
statistical
properties
of
the noise distribution.
The usual
protocol
involves providing
visual
and audio feedback
signals,
proportional
to
various
statistical
parameters,
to
a
subject who
is asked in
a
biofeedback scenario
to concentrate upon
the feedback signals and to
alter them
in
a prescribed way.
To date,
there have been 54 such
experiments reported
in
the
literature, 12
of which
35 report statistically
significant effects, while none of these
studies show similar departures
from radomness during control
runs without intended influence.
SRI
is
presently
in
the design
stage of
a micro-processor-based
random-number generator.
Plans
are
to
use
three fundamentally
different
sources of random events
to derive
the digital
electronic
noise
signal.
The first of these
is
a
diode designed by
R.
H.
Haitz, 13
that
is completely understood from both
the quantum mechanical
and
solid state construction
point of view.
A second fundamentally
different source of random events
is
to
be derived
from the decay
of
a single-transi tion
beta emitter.
Lastly,
the entire system can
be checked against
a pseudorandom shift register,
that constitutes
a
third source of random events.
This
latter has
the property that
a
long
string of bits appears
random, yet once the shift register
is reinitialized
it produces
the identical
random sequence once again.
The
instrument
is
under control
of
a microprocessor that records
data
cn magnetic tape for later analysis,
and controls
a printing I/O
statistical
calculator that provides
immediate results for feedback.
Once
the instrument
is
complete,
it will
be exhaustively tested for
possible artifacts
resulting from environmental
conditions.
Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R00200001 0006-4
Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R00200001 0006-4
ihis
instrument. wi 1
be used first
to attempt
to confirm the
existence of
the claimed phenomenon,
and,
if
it
is confirmed,, to
investigate
theoretical
implications with
regard
to various modes
of human/machine
interaction.
Assuming
that an effect can be
stabi
1 i zed , thi s microprocessor-based system can easily be reprogrammed
to utilize coding techniques
(described earlier)
to construct a
" remote”
telegraph communication
system.
( 3 )
Magnetometer Experiments
One of the first intentionally induced physical
perturbation
effects observed
by SRI
personnel
was
the apparent perturbation of
a
superconductor-shielded Josephson effect magnetometer by two
subjects who performed successfully
in
remote viewing experiments
.
Intentions are
to carry out further experimentation with a sensitive
Josephson junction cryomagnetometer,
a commercial
instrument manufactured
by Superconducting Technology,
Inc.,
Mountain View, California (Model
A201 magnetometer,
employing
an A401 SQUID sensor, A31Q RF amplifier,
and
removable superconducting
shield).
Experimentation with
such
instrumentation requires the following
steps:
(1)
Obtain calibration data
in
control
runs
to establish baseline
runs
to'establish baseline performance of the magnetometer in the
absence of any subject.
(2)
Repeat above with various
subjects present, but passive,
to establish background of perturbation effects in the presence of
Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R00200001 0006-4
Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R00200001 0006-4
subjects
not engaging
in volitional
efforts
to perturb magnetometer
system.
(3)
Carry out controlled experimental
runs
based
on effort/
non-effort periods
being determined
by random number generator to
provide statistical
control.
Make multiple recordings
to investigate
"recorder only"
effects,
and conduct automated statistical
analysis
(FFT,
spike train analysis,
etc.)
of the magnetometer output to
determine
the signature of subject-produced effects.
(4)
If perturbation effects
are observed,
interposition of
distance and shielding
in
a systematic way
to determine dependence
of these factors.
In addition
to
the possible use of sensitive
Instrumentation as
targets
for active perturbation efforts
in,
for example,
a communication
link,
such study offers
the potential
for determining
the use of such
instrumentation
as passive detectors of remote viewing phenomena
("intrusion detection").
Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R00200001 0006-4
Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R00200001 0006-4
B -
Psyx.hophy siological
Correlates
1-
Physio log ical
Measures
of
Psi-Conductive States
In
recent years,
behavioristically oriented scientists
have
suggested that
in addition
to obtaining
overt responses such as
verbalizations or key presses
from
a
subject,
it should be possible
to obtain objective evidence of psychoenergetic activity by direct
measurement of some physiological
parameter of
a subject.
Experiments
will
be
formulated where
a
subject
is closeted
in
an electrically shielded room while
his
EEG
is
recorded.
Meanwhile,
i?i
another laboratory,
a
second person
is
stimulated from time to
time,
and
the
time of that stimulus
is marked
on
the magnetic tape
recording of the subject's
EEG.
The subject does
not know when the
remote stimulus periods
are,
as compared with
the nonstimulus periods.
Evidence
for systematic
changes
in
EEG correlated with the remote
stimuli
are then
sought.
These physiological
measures
will
be used
as
a potential
signaling
channel
for information
transfer,
but
a more important application of
this output would
be
as
feedback
to the subject,
so that he could
learn
to recognize his own optimal
state of mind
for success in a
psychoenergetic
task.
.
Environmental
Factors
a.
Altered States of Consciousness:
Special
Environments
For
the entire history of psychoenergetic research there has
been keen interest in optimizing
the physical
and psychological
conditions
for
a subject during an experiment.
Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R00200001 0006-4
Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R00200001 0006-4
iherefore,
it
is desirable
to conduct experiments with trained,
high-scoring
subjects
to examine
the effects
of other factors which
might provide psychological
conditions conducive
to high-quality
psychoenergetic functioning
(e.g.,
sensory isolation, free-fall
conditions
in
space,
etc.).
b .
Examine
the Part Played by the Experimenter
From the work of Professor Robert Rosenthal
at Harvard it
is
clear
that
there
is
a
strong difference
in
the outcome of some
psychology experiments
,
depending
on who conducts
the experiment.
This
so-called experimenter effect has
been
the subject of
investigation
for
the
past
15 years
in
an attempt
to find means
to
objectify some of
the principal
findings of conventional
perceptual
and behaviorial
psychology.
We are
not suggesting that this
experimenter effect
in psychology
is
due
to paranormal
influences,
but rather than
some of the inability
to replicate psychoenergetic
experiments
of one
laboratory,
when
the experiments are transferred
to another laboratory,
might be due
to subtle experimenter effects
of the
type known
to occur
in psychology and behavior experiments
in general.
It
is
important
to
find out if the
success or failure of
psychoenergetic experiments
relate
to
the experimenter effect
-
through
interpersonal
interaction,
subliminal
cueing, or some as-yet
uncataloged
factor.
Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R00200001 0006-4
Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R00200001 0006-4
^—
-•
3.
Educatio nal
Procedure s
a
Screening
Information
from East
Bloc
researchers,
and Soviet researcher
I.
M.
Kogan
indicate that
the USSR has established a significant
nationwide testing program to identify psychically gifted young
people.
It
is
now generally agreed that psychic functioning
is
an
innate or latent ability,
somewhat similar
to musical
talent.
That
is,
all
people
have
it
to
some degree,
but there
is
a wide
range of abilities
from the psychically
tone deaf,
to the
virtuoso performer.
It would
be
the
goal
of
a screening program
to
locate and
recruit
the most psychically talented individuals
available,
both
to obtain
a measure of the range of abilities that
exists,
and also
to make
use of these abilities
to further increase
our understanding of the phenomenon.
(1)
Explore Training Techniques with Children,
the Blind, and
Other Special
Su bjects
Although there
is
strong laboratory evidence for psychoenergetic
functioning
in
a great number of individuals,
psychic functioning
is
not yet widely accepted
arid utilized
in
the society at large.
One
conjecture
for
the reason that there
is
not more day-to-day evidence
of this ability
is
that
it
is
a forbidden activity,
largely suppressed
in our society.
It
is
further conjectured
that psychic functioning
may
be easier
to elicit from children,
who
have not yet "unlearned"
the
use of this otherwise natural
ability.
Therefore, we would
anticipate
that
part of any program effort would be directed toward
work with children
in order to
test
this
hypothesis.
Approved For Release 2001/03/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R00200001 0006-4