MSI&RAHBUII FOB:
Deputy Director for Science and Technology
SUBJECT
:
Office of Research and Development and
Office of Technical Service Paranormal
Perception Research Project
1.
It is recommended that a research and developnent
investigation of paranormal perception phenomena be initi-
ated with Stanford Research Institute
(SRI),
A proposal
for such an investigation is attached.
Since this
is a
tightly directed advanced research project,
it
is further
recommended that the effort be jointly funded and monitored
by the Office of Research and Development and the Office
of Technical Service.
The estimated cost
for the proposed
effort
is $149, §55.
2.
The objectives of the proposed effort are twofold.
The initial emphasis of the Investigation will be to char-
acterize and develop paranormal remote perception abilities
which appear to have been demonstrated under controlled
laboratory conditions by SRI.
Since these phenomena are
unexplained and largely unexplored,
the second objective
would be to collect sufficient data and information to
guide
the development and assess the value of a more com-
prehensive program.
3.
A previous OTS project, summarized in the attached
proposal,
Indicated the existence of paranormal perception
phenomena .
The phenomena
include remote perception of docu-
ments ,
objects,
activities and
locations.
The demonstrated
reproducibility of such remote perception under controlled
conditions strongly suggests these phenomena are and will
continue to be interesting to the Intelligence community
for
either offensive operational exploitation or defensive threat
assessment
4.
The proposed effort will be concentrated in the
areas described in the Statement of Work section of
the
attached proposal.
In summary these are:
a) Characteriza-
tion of the remote perception abilities of gifted subjects.
Approved For Release
£2 1MPBET
SGI
I
P96-00787RI >00200200031-6
Approved For Release 2003/0
787R000200200031 -6
SUBJECT:
Office of Research and Development and
Office of Technical Service Paranormal
Perception Research Project
with emphasis on those characteristics of most importance
to intelligence matters such as resolution,
information
transfer rate and accuracy;
b) Correlation of physiolog-
ical responses to reliability and accuracy of paranormal
perception;
c) Enhancement of those abilities which seem
to be most useful
to the intelligence community;
and d)
Exploration of new avenues of research discovered during
the course of the program.
$.
The proposed project
is well suited to a joint
effort by the Office of Besearch and Development and the
Office of Technical Service.
The proposed investigation
is a tightly directed advanced research project.
It
involves the exploration of a demonstrated phenomena
to
determine
the significance and limitations of remote
perception abilities of "gifted" individuals
for intel-
ligence collections.
Necessarily
a parallel effort
elucidating the fundamental nature of
the paranormal
perception phenomena
is proposed.
This fundamental
in-
formation is required in order to develop on orderly
comprehensive program which would lead to the basic
understanding essential for the full exploitation of
the phenomena
for intelligence activities.
It is ex-
pected that
the combination of attitudes and experiences
represented by OTS and OBD will produce timely relevant
results and Insure an objective assessment of
the signif-
icance of those results.
6.
The recommended project should be completed by
Stanford Besearch Institute.
SRI has produced some of
the most significant investigations in paranormal phe-
nomena.
This has occurred because of the philosophies
and abilities of the principal investigators.
These
investigators have established competence in the physical
sciences and in paranormal phenomena research.
They have
been responsive to past OTS directives and are willing to
investigate intelligence related applications.
SRI has
given these investigators the institutional integrity and
facilities necessary to achieve creditable research in
both the public and a more restrictive private domain.
Approved For Release 2003/04/18
: CIA-RDP96-00787R000200200031-6
CONFIDENTIAL
Approved For Release 2003/oif#:®A^Ml|^fla787R000200200031 -6
SUBJECT:
Office of Research sod Development sod
Office of Technical Service ft ra normal
Perception Research Project
7.
Although the controversy associated with para-
normal research may create some unique security problems
,
they are not insurmountable .
These problems include
embarrassment of being involved in an assumed fraud;
the
potential adverse propaganda associated with the use of
psychic mind altering or control techniques , and the
fact that some subjects may he of questionable stability.
These potential problems can be controlled because of
the motivation and integrity of the principal investi-
gators.
Both the investigators and the Institute have
solid reputations and derive much of their support from
government projects.
Involvement with fraudulent experi-
ments, publication of poor experimentation and open
association with CIA would be deleterious to the careers
of the investigators and the creditability of the Institute.
Ibr this effort, we recommend a secret level contract but
remain flexible to other security arrangements which could
be implemented as deemed necessary.
John H.
McMahon
Director
Office of Technical Service
Sayre Stevens
Director
Office of Research and Development
Enclosure
:
Proposal
APPROVED:
Sate
Carl
1,
Duckett
Deputy Director
for
Science and Technology
Approved For Release 2003/04/1,|
: CIA-RDP96-00787R000200200031-6