Approved For Release 2003/09/10 : CIA-RDP96-00792R000700620001-2 number of years, at the University of Toulouses however, the laboratory’s existence has never been officially approved from the top, and the university’s president openly denies its legitimacy. The survival of this lab would appear to be a paranormal feat, but can perhaps be explained by Lignon’s extensive relations in the media anda tacit threat of a scandal, should anything happen to him. What about less “formal”, privately funded efforts? Although tax-break measures have been instituted to encourage contributions to non-profit organisations, they are still not truly exploited; the French are not as advanced as the Americans in the fine tradition of donations and humanitarian foundations. Thus, research has been largely self-funded, and, invariably, short-term. Christian Moreau, who had been keenly interested in dream telepathy and psi in psychoanalysis, has long since abandoned parapsychology in favor of psychiatry. Pierre Janin, the inventor of the tychoscope, also Jeft the field to pursue his clinical interests full time. Rene Peoch, who conducted a series of successful anpsi studies with Janin’s moving-RNG (the tyvchoscope), has been progressively forced to abandon the field, and return to his medical practice. Christine Hardy and T, having established a modest laboratory dedicated to computer-RNG research, are feeling the financial pinch, and are wondering how long we can finance our research, Remy Chauvin has managed to get research done, over the years, but he remains quite isolated, and is now forced to act as his own subject in his experiments, due to his remoteness from major centers. Besides lacking opportunities for conducting research, either within the system or independently of it, French parapsychology also lacks cohesiveness}; there is no single organization which well represents the field. The “Institute Metapsychique International” (IMI), once the well-funded and internationally recognized center of psychical research, is broke, and plays practically no role in the field today. GERP, an interdisciplinary reflection group which sustained lively interest in parapsychology throughout the seventies, had to fold. Its livelihood was too closely tied to a couple of individuals and thus could not be sustained once they decided to move on. Recently, a new effort toward organizing the field has been undertaken by Marc Michel, a co-worker of Yves Lignon. His “Urganisation pour la Recherche en Psychotronique” (OQRP) is publishing a scientific parapsychological journal, and has organised a research congress and a number of work sessions. But while these activities are enhancing inter -researcher cooperation and exchange, they largely depend, once again, upon the good will and work of a single individual; they are not sure to survive shifts in his life-situation. 320 Approved For Release 2003/09/10 : CIA-RDP96-00792R000700620001-2
0620001-2 Approved For Release 2003/09/10 : CIA-RDP96-00792R00070 The upper class and all the Rest Tn general, then, the 80Cio-economic Conditions in France render Parapsycholagy a marginal, Poorly organized activity, with researchers facing Great difficulties Conducting research, or even establishing the legitimacy and desirability Of such research, This, in turn, means small budgets, limited Pportunity for Cooperation and exchange with others in the field, and, given the language barrier, little exposure to contemporary Anglo-Saxon Parapsychology. By Comparison to this Situation, the SOC i0-economic Conditions for American Parapsychologists are quite favorable: the field is well Organized, Enjoys a growing recognition (even by the skeptics), holds regular national and local conventions, involves research activites both in universitias and in independent centers, and has concrete, if sometimes Shaky, funding Opportunities, Similarly - though to a lesser extent - Parapsychologists in northern European Countries 9e@herally have better S0C10-economic "status" than those in Latin Countries, CF COURSE, French researchers welcome the relative Success Of American Parapsychology; it is a Source of hope and encouragement for them, and constitutes ¢g Conveniant argu- ment for the legitimacy Of their own research. At the Same time, the higher. "Social Status" of American Parapsycholo-~ gists indirectly introduces Communication and Collaboration Problems, insofar as it encourages hierarchical, rather thar Ppeer-like relationships, The dynamic Sens reminiscent of that between Our field, as a whole, and "establishment Science*® - Only that in the present Case it is American Parapsychology Which is acting as the guardian of Scientific Purity. Thus the Americans tend to define the field’s nature, methods and Objectives; inasmuch as they control the PA and the most important Journals in the field, they are also in the Position of enforcing their POint of view, 4s a result, the French seem forced to Choose between adopting the American Style of Parapsychology, being ignored, orf. being labeled “marginal®, I’ve discovered that some French Prefer to follow their. instincts rather than to feel like subordinates ty Anerican Parapsychology. As Mentioned, the GRP of the Toulouse group has been attempting to promote Cooperation and exchange between researchers through a Series of “WwOrk-Sessions", Ore Of the first topics discussed in these Sessions was the Organization of & European Congress (Euro-Psi), which would Serve as a4 launching Point’) for Subsequent Cooperative research Prajects. The abjective was to eventually establish a trans-European 4aS5o0ciation of psi researchers, which could legitimatize Parapsychology after 1992, 321 0620001-2 Approved For Release 2003/09/10 : CIA-RDP96-00792R00070
or Release 2003/09/10 : CIA-RDP96-00792R000700620001 -2 In response to this, I suggested that the basis for European cooperation in parapsychology may already exist in the form of the EuroPaA. I proposed that the French coordinate their efforts with the members of the EuroPA, and added that, insofar as participation in the EuroPA was restricted ta PA members, this would be a good occasion for several French researchers to join the PA. As members of the PA, they could more effectively elicit the cooperation of other European parapsychologists, while at the same time establishing a more prominent French presence in the internationally recognized organization of scientific parapsychology. 1 proposed this during two different work sessions, and both times the reactions. ranged from coo! to hostile. The arguments against my suggestion were at no point clearly phrased or explicated. Rather, from a number of side comments and snide remarks, I gathered that these researchers simply had no desire to join the PA, to adhere to what they perceived as an American (rather than international) arganization. Surprisingly, the mast negative responses came not from the clinicians or anthropologists, but from thase whose work falls most clearly within the Rhinean tradition of experimental parapsychology. My initial interpretation of all this was that I had stumbted upon a clear cut case of territoriality. 1, &@ foreigner (worse, an American) had invaded the territory of French parapsychologists, and, by suggesting that they join tne PA and EuraPA, was challenging their claim to fame aS leaders im European parapsychology. I still think this interpretation is partly valid. However, I have since had -a rather personal taste of what it’s like to be in the shoes of a foreigner seeking to join the PA. This experience made me realize that some tacit criteria underlie the explicit PA admission policies, allowing for discrimination against candidates who come from another cultures and have published works outside the officially sanctioned Anglo-Saxon journals. Insofar as admission to the PA is controlled by a committee largely representative of American parapsychology, jt is easy to see how foreigners can come to the view that the PA is in fact an American, rather than international, organization. It is ajso quite understandable that they would react aggressively when asked to seek PA membership. Why should individuals who consider themselves prominent in their own country pisk a humiliating rejection? Of course, it is possibie to defend the need for strict criteria for PA membership, as well as the more general need for strong leadership (hence, "nierarchical” relationships) within the field. Given differences in recognition, in numbers, and in $unding, it could be argued that American parapsychology is, de facto, the leader in the field. Money trangliates into improved research conditions, better eqripment, more talent, mare extensive exchanges with oather Approved For Release 2003/09/10 : CIA-RDP96-60792R000700620001-2
700620001-2 Approved For Release 2003/09/10 : CIA-RDP96-00792RO000 SCientists, and so forth. Consequentiy, One® Could sa, that, Like it op not, the Americans have outstripped Other researchers if, Competence and authority, and have the responsibility of Promoting the field as they see Fit; in the interest Of the field's Progress they must exclude those wha don't M@asure up to the defined Standards, Needless ty Sey, these kind Of arguments are hardly apt ty Promote communication and collaboration. More importantly, the: underestimate the cultural relativity involved in our Perceptions af "competence" and "progress", The Criteria as ignificant psi research, and, hence, as to who is and who isn’t a "good" Parapsychologist, are not Universally agreed upon. To the extent to which French researchers view the Prisrities in away difterant from the Americans, they are bound ty resent the Message that the "American model” is tha Only one acceptable, But the issues here Clearly transcend S0C10-economic Considerations, and touch UpPOn much tharnier Cultural, PSy¥choOlogical and Philosophica} divergences, Cultural and PSychalogical issues I mentioned Parlier that heavy, Centralized bu; France May impede the evolution of Scientific research, However, Complementary to this bureaucracy, French saciety is Characterized by a tremendous individualism, People are in arn informal but Permanent struggle against the establishment, and will 39 to) great lengths to "beat the System", even when they don?t have to, eaucracies jr, inquiry and Thig anti-conformism is also SPParent in the SCENES passion and expressiveness Pervades the entire Culture, and hot just the arts. af COURSE, when it Comes tg ECience, much is necessarily built UPOR the modest and Persistent work of technicians and Specialists, And, as PVerywhere elee in the World, most SClentists are Conservative in Hhature and Suspicious a¢ Upstarts, Yet, the French Pride themselves above a)] aS Creators, not as technicians or Specialists; the image of the free thinker is far more o¢ an inspiration than that of the Systematic Scientist, This is Particularly true NOW, as the "New Age” VOSUe has pulled a number of Scientists from their Conven- tional tasks and thrust them into Kuhnian Shifts and Currents, intellectual Apart from the Centrality o¢ individualism and Creativity if French culture, also Of relevance is the trait of ethno- Centricism, Like ir Other mediterranear, Countries, hationalistic Pride is Pronounced; the French do not take kindly to the idea that they may be Playing Second fiddle tg Someone else, Of Course, their. self-image aS independent and Super ior Was Challenged by the EMOrMOUS economic Power and 323 700620001-2 Approved For Release 2003/09/10 : CIA-RDP96-00792R000