datamatters24/research-document-archive huggingface dataset:
Approved
rH
ryT
~
Release 2001/1
726
: CIA-EDP96-OOBSRQ00200080025-7^
'ormer Top Administrator Reveals:
CIA Secretly Uses Psydmi &
Mediums
By EDWARD TROPEANO
In
a
secret
program
more
incredible than
the
wildest James Bond mov-
ie, the Central Intelligence
1 Agency (CIA) has been us-
ing mediums to try to con-
tact dead agents from both
sides
of the Iron Curtain,
says a former top CIA ad-
ministrator.
.
And in other mind-boggling
2SSI experiments,
he
says,
the
agency
has
also
used
psy-
chics to try to probe the minds
of Russian leaders.
Victor Marchetti, a 14-year
former CIA official, told The
' ENQUIRER that the bizarre
story
of
the
CIA’s
involve
d
i-VltfK
2Z?
^.
* ,fo%'
ment
with
the
supernatural
began
15 years ago —
after
the
agency’s
best
double
agent had been
caught and
killed by the Russians.
"The CIA had a very suc-
cessful but short-lived agent
named
Olag
Penkovsky,
a
Russian KGB
colonel,"
re-
called Marchetti, who served
as executive assistant
to the
deputy director of the CIA be-
fore retiring in 1969.
The
Russian
agent
lasted
little more than a year before
he was arrested, tried and ex-
ecuted by the Soviets.
'‘After he was killed, some-
body said, ‘Why don’t we try
and contact him?’ That's how
they got involved with medi-
ums," Marchetti revealed,
The success or failure of ef-
forts to contact Penkovsky is
still a closely guarded secret.
But
it is believed that the ex-
periment
expanded
into
a
full-scale program.
'They began to contact our
own dead agents, as well as
dead
agents from
the
other
side,” said Marchetti.
Marchetti said that at one
point
word
flashed
through
the agency
that contact had
been made with the famous
Major Popov, a Russian agent
who disappeared in the 1950s.
As far back as the 1950s, the
agency was using psychics to
try to find out what Kremlin
leaders
were
thinking
and
planning, Marchetti said.
Once, the CIA "even looked
for
sets of identical twins
in
Russia — because they sup-
posedly had the power to read
each other’s minds," claimed
Marchetti.
“To the best of my knowl-
edge,
they
did,
in
fact,
stumble across a set of twins
where
one
defected —
al-
though
I
don’t
know
what
happened.”
The CIA
refuses
to com-
ment
on
the
alleged
pro-
grams, but Marchetti says:
“There is no indication that
they
have
stopped,
and
no
reason why they would.
"
o
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TO: 4 ROOM NO. BUILDING REMARKS: a SG1l “eeerg hh be / SG1I FROM: ROOM NO. BUILDING EXTENSION UUETIniZb.. CIA-RDP96-007,87R000200080028-4
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written by the news media for popular consumption.
It could identify
potential areas
for future research emphasis and replication.
A
systematic investigation of psychic phenomena research would also
identify potentially productive research personnel entering the field.
It
is important that
such a review be done without either threatening
research personnel nor raising their hopes for more "respectable”
funding
than they have been able to find in the past.
Obviously such a review
should help eliminate
some of the myths associated with this devilishly
attractive and yet disappointing area of investigation.
At the
same time
potentially important leads regardless of their approaches or implications
could be carefully evaluated.
Approach
Such a study must be conducted at a reasonably personal but objective
level.
It must be low-key* but thorough.
(1)
a literature
survey of
domestic and selected foreign sources should be examined and recorded
as an annotated bibliography;
(2)
interviews with both domestic and
foreign investigators
should be conducted to identify important ongoing
projects;
(3) major meetings of parapsychological association and other
associations
should be attended and reported;
(4)
appropriate visits
should be arranged to examine procedures and methodologies being used
by ESP and psychic phenomena investigators;
(5)
a report of these
findings should be submitted at
the end of the project.
'
*A recent article in the New York Times
(20 August 1974)
best
illustrates the need for the low key and personal approach.
The
story
discusses the exposure of Dr.
Levy,
a well respected parapsychologist
as
a data manipulator.
In few "scientific fields"
is this type of event a
reasonably common experience.
Only through personal contact and trust
can any hopefully effective study be made of these phenomena avoiding
the morass of personal enthusiam and lifetime commitment.
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Contributions of the Study
The value of the study generally appear in the text above.
Its
principal contribution explicitly would be the
status report and an
objective evaluation of where the investigators
in the ESP and psychic
phenomena area have been, where they are now,
and what
is predicted to
be general trends
in the
future.
These findings obviously would apply
to potential utilization of such research for practical application by
a variety of public and private organizations.
-4-
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Approved For Release 2000/08/10 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000200090001-2 STANFORD RESEARCH INSTITUTE MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA 94025 (415) 326-6200 Life Sciences - Building 100 November 5, 1974 SG1l SGFOIA3 With the recent world-wide publicity of the so-called paranormal research at SRI (see enclosed), several of us in the Life Sciences Division have felt it appropriate to develop a facility under our operation and control whose primary function would be to attempt to replicate research reported anywhere in the world in this generally nebulous and poorly controlled area of research. Internally, we have been as critical (if not more so) as Nature and The New Scientist of the quality of the paranormal research that has been in progress at SRI. Almost all of the research reported in this area is conducted by "believers" and they tend to consider those who are more neutral, but open, as inimical to and prejudiced against the demonstration of paranormal phenomena. For example, we were permitted to run one experiment with Geller (see blocked portion on page 180 of The New Scientist article) which had the appropriate controls and which Geller failed on each of three different occasions. Targ interpreted this failure as illustrating that Geller's powers can be thwarted by experimenters who "disbelieve" in his powers (personal communication). This, of course, is an empirical question and could easily be subject to test. For example, using the appropriate suite of adjacent rooms, one of the rooms could be packed with believers, disbelievers, or neutral subjects on different days (scheduled at random) and the per- formance of the paranormal subject (in an adjacent room) could be moni- tored. The procedure would be kept blind from the subject and, preferably, from the principal investigators as well. Such phenomena, if they can be reliably demonstrated, can, most probably, be explained by natural psychophysiological laws. The assumption that they are "paranormal" is more a confession of our ignorance of human abilities at this stage of our knowledge than any~ thing else, At any rate, I suggest that a neutral group, such as our own, should be available to attempt to replicate the reported phenomena (e.g., the dream transport phenomena reported from the Maimonides Laboratory; some of Rhine's studies; the SRI studies by Targ and Puthoff, etc.). My Approved For Release 2000/08/10 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000200090001-2 CABLE: STANRES, MENLO PARK / TWX 910-373-1246
- Approved For Release 2000/08/10 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000200090861-2 SGI Page 2 November 5, 1974 question to you is, would the agency be interested in supporting such a group on an "on-call" basis? We would attempt replication of experi-~ ments of interest to the agency. If the agency is interested, please advise me and I will go into detail regarding the design, control pro- cedures that would be used, etc., of any experiments we might undertake. Sincerely yours, Leon S. Otis, Ph. D, Director Psychobiology and Physiology LSO:mm Enclosures Approved For Release 2000/08/10 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000200090001-2
-
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STANFORD RESEARCH INSTITUTE
MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA 94025
(415) 326-6200
Life Sciences
- Building 100
<ORD M
November
5,
1974
SGI
I
SGI
I
SGFOIA3
With the recent world-wide publicity
of
the so-called paranormal
research at SRI
(see enclosed ),
several
of us
in the Life Sciences
Division have
felt
it appropriate
to develop
a facility under our
operation and control whose primary
function would be
to attempt
to
replicate research reported anywhere
in the world
in
this
generally
nebulous and poorly controlled area
of
research.
Internally,
we have been as critical
(if not more
so) as Nature and
The New Scientist
of
the quality of
the paranormal
research that has
been
in progress
at SRI
.
Almost
all
of
the research reported
in this
area
is
conducted by
"believers" and they
tend
to consider those who
are more neutral,
but open,
as
inimical
to and prejudiced against
the
demonstration of paranormal phenomena.
For example,
we were permitted
to run one experiment with Geller
(see blocked portion on page 180 of
The New Scientist article) which had the appropriate controls
and which
Geller failed on each of three different occasions,
Targ interpreted
this
failure
as illustrating that Geller' s powers
can be thwarted
by
experimenters who
"disbelieve"
in his powers
(personal communication).
This,
of
course,
is an empirical question and could easily be subject
to test.
For example, using the appropriate suite of adjacent
rooms,
one of
the
rooms
could be packed with believers,
disbelievers,
or
neutral
subjects
on different
days
(scheduled at
random) and
the per-
formance of the paranormal
subject
(in an adjacent
room) could
be moni-
tored.
The procedure would
be kept blind from the
subject and,
preferably,
from the principal
investigators
as well.
Such phenomena,
if
they
can be reliably demonstrated,
can,
most
probably,
be explained by natural psychophysiological
laws.
The
assumption that
they are
"paranormal"
is more
a confession of our
ignorance
of human abilities at
this
stage of our knowledge than any-
thing else.
At any
rate,
I
suggest
that
a neutral
group,
such
as our own,
should be
available to attempt
to replicate the reported phenomena
(e.g.,
the
dream transport phenomena
reported from the Maimonides Laboratory;
some
of Rhine's
studies;
the SRI
studies by Targ and Puthoff,
etc.).
My
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CABLE;
STANRES, MENLO PARK
/ TWX 910-373-1246
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SGI
I
Page
November
5,
1974
qxiestion to you
is, would the agency be interested
in supporting such
a group
on an
on—call
basis?
We would attempt replication of
experi-
ments
of interest
to the agency.
If
the agency
is interested,
please
advise me and
I will
go into detail
regarding the design,
control pro-
cedures
that would be used,
etc.,
of any experiments we might undertake.
Sincerely yours,
Leon
S
. Otis, Ph. D
.
Director
Psychobiology and Physiology
LSO
: mm
Enclosures
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wl a etek epee ee ene acetate .'* Approved For Release 2003/09/09 : CIA-RDP96-00 7R00020009 4. DDA 76-0847 93 FEB 1976 MEMORANDUM FOR: . Associate Deputy Director for ' Science and Technology a SGi1Il FROM : John N. McMahon, Associate Deput SG1l Director for Administrati SUBJECT : SRI Report on Perceptual Augmentation SG 1. Because of my early interest stemming_from OTS days of keeping a finger in parapsychology, | SG1I dropped me a copy of the SRI report which in turn I read and then forwarded to Ld for his comments. SCI 2. Unfortunately, this subject brings out the best of charlatans, however, there is a serious side to it and one that we, as an intelligence agency, must not let slip by unnoticed. I call to your attention OMS's continued interest in parapsychology and the fact that we, as a Directorate, have a continuing interest. and requirement for research in this area. It does seem appropriate that ‘the Agency keep a continuing, albeit modest, effort in this area. Att: . Memo dtd 20 Feb 76 to ADDA fr DD/MS, same subj Distribution: Orig & 1 - Adse w/att 1 - DD/MS { Approved For Release 2003/09/09 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000200090009-4
Approved For Release 2003/09/09
CIA-RDP96-007jgm0^0020009^p^4.
?
DDA 76-0847
23 FEB 1976
MEMORANDUM FOR:
Associate Deputy Director
for
Science
and Technology
FROM
SUBJECT
John
N.
McMahon,
Associate Deputy
Director
for Administration-)
De]
i nn-
Duty
L.
U
SRI Report on Perceptual Augmentation
SGI
I
SGI
I
SGI
I
1.
Because
of my early interest stemming from OT S
days
of keeping
a finger
in parapsychology,
I
dropped me
a copy of the
SRI
report which
in turn
I read
and then forwarded
to
I
I for his
comments.
2.
Unfortunately,
this
subject brings
out
the best
of charlatans,
however,
there
is
a serious
side
to
it
and
one that we,
as
an intelligence
agency,
must not
let
slip
by unnoticed.
I
call
to your attention OMS's
continued
interest
in parapsychology and the
fact
that we,
as
a
Directorate,
have
a continuing
interest
and requirement
for research
in this
area.
It
does
seem appropriate
that
the Agency keep
a continuing,
albeit modest,
effort
in
this
area.
SGI
I
SGI
I
.Att
:
Memo
dtd
Feb
to
ADDA fr DD/MS,
same
subj
Distribution:
Orig
-
Adse w/att
-
DD/MS
i
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Ne nner ~~ Approved For Release 2003/09/09 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000200090011-1 | DD/S4T-1381-76 MEMORANDUM FOR: Associste Deputy Director for Administration PROM: Associate Deputy Director for Science and Technology SUBJECT: Parapsychology Research REFERENCE: Memorandum from A/DDA te ADBD/S&T dated 23 February 1976, Subject: SRI Report on Perceptual Augmentation 1. Because you have expressed an interest, as 4 Directorate, in the subject of parapsychology, I would like te eutline our current research plans in this ares. 2. As you may know, we elected not to continue the SRI research project because of its substantial cost and because of the generally negative findings in the physiological por- tion of the research. For example, a promising earlier cor- relation between brain wave patterns and the on-off status of ea hidden light inside a screen roem was net substantiated by the most recent study. The operationally oriented portion of the SRI work did yield seme very interesting findings. Unfortunately, these were open to question because of pro-_ cedursl shortcomings, such as the lack of controls, Leck of predetermined criteria fer “hits," failure to follow aecepted double blind methodology, and the involvement of experimental team members themselves as subjects. 3. We do agree that the field requires close observation, however, until we can identify promising and potentially use- ful research alternatives. We have programmed a significant survey project for FY-77 and a follow-on fer FY-78, The FY~77 work will include an in-depth review of the recent literature, together with visits to laberatoriles deing sig- nificant research in the field. The contractor will be a Tebeetioe scientist whe holds neither ea pesition of flat rejection nor an outright espousal of paranormal phenomena SG1 B Approved For Release 2003/09/09 : CIA-RDP,96-00787R000200090011-1
DOL SG1I “SUBJECT: Parapsychology Research performance would be considered important to the Agency if Approved For Release 2003/09/09 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000200090011-1 Pee TY UU iviece WAL generally. At the same time we will attempt to determine | internal criteria as to what types and levels of paranormal they could be demonstrated. SGi1Il Distribution: Original - Addressee - D/OTS — ~ ADD/S&T - B/ORD - LSR/ORD - DD/S§&T Registry - ORD Registry LSR/ORD/DD/S&T:/ «FT :2902 - 16 March 1976 ped RS et bet ee Approved For Release 2003/09/09 :-CIA-RDP96-00787R000200090011-1
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s urif
2 l
..mK 1976
m/$$T-I$tl-76
MEMORANDUM FOR:
Associate Deputy Director for Administration
FROM:
Associate Deputy Director for Science and
Technology
SUBJECT:
Parapsychology Research
REFERENCE :
Memorandum from A/DDA to ADD/S6T dated
£3 February 1976,
Subject:
SRI Report
on Perceptual AugmentatIon
1,
Because you have expressed an interest,
as
a
Directorate ,
in the subject of parapsychology ,
I would like
to outline our current research plans
in this area.
2*
As you may know,
we elected not
to continue the SRI
research project because of its substantial cost and because
of the generally negative findings
in the physiological por-
tion of the research.
For example,
a promising earlier cor-
relation between brain wave patterns and the on-off status
•f a hidden light
inside
a screen room was not substantiated
by the west recent study ,
The operationally oriented portion
of the SRI work did yield sene very interesting findings.
Unfortunately, these were open to question because of pro-
cedural shortcomings,
such
as the lock of controls,
lack of
predetermined criteria for "hits,*
8 failure
to follow accepted
double blind methodology,
and the involvement of experimental
team members themselves as subjects.
S,
We do agree that the field requires close observation,
however, until we can identify promising and potentially use-
ful research alternatives.
We have programmed
a significant
survey project for FY-77 and a follow-on
for FY-71,
The
FT-?? work will include an in-depth review of the recent
literature,
together with visits to laboratories doing sig-
nificant research in the
field.
The contractor will be
a
reputable scientist who holds neither a position of flat
rejection nor an outright espousal of paranormal phenomena
.
.
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SGI
B
SGI
I
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SUBJECT
;
Parapsychology Research
generally.
At the same time we will attempt
d«ter«ine
Internal criteria as to what types and levels of P^anormal
performance would he considered important
to the Agency
if
they could he demonstrated.
Distribution:
Original
- Addressee
- D/OTS
- ADD/S ST
- B/ORD
- LSR/ORD
- DD/S^T Registry
- ORD Registry
LSR/ORD/BD/S^T:
:nrp:2B01
16 March 1976
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SGI
I
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STATUS of ESP RESEARCH
ORD #
Jfofcroduct j r>n
ESP and general psychic
r»
" COUCern
t0
and operat^
^ ^
#t
times
^ Potential contributions of thi
agenCleS
’ ^
^ pri^e.
t0 —- '-cause the inves£igat
.
^
- st diffy,
—
dr - «— been _uc;ed
the type ° f *-*» ««_:r
ad conditions n°r have they
IhUS the ESy ~ty tends to
evaluate.
m<,ra
inbred,
and difficult:
t0
ThiS investigator has had the
reasonably well
°PP°rtunity since 1961
to be
1 “*"*»« With major ESP Cent
opportunity resulted from Ms posit
.°
r ESP CenterS “d rese«chers.
ttls
f-ins and adviee to
the ESP^ ^
'*
^ to offer
Carolina
(formerly Pa^holo^l *T ^ ^— -th
Gaither Pratt of the University of
‘
° rat° ry ’ *** “**«*>;
to
attended the national and
-
“ «— in sood standi
^ ^
in the ESP and
n
S
r OVer 10 years
w
.
Psychic phenomena areas has
h
*
lnte rest
as an advocate rm
h
been that of an oh
cate nor a debunker.
Thla
u .,
311 °bserver not
known to the parapsychology reseat
° S°PhlCal P°Siti°n has ^en well
“ ^
* or Professional ; r: ^ ^^ ~
reiationship to evaluate
the trend
'
* «**»
trends
in this field.
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Study Objectives
To determine the status of ESP and psychic phenomena research
and studies and to evaluate potential application of published
and private
findings.
The general area of psychic phenomena gained tentative acceptance
in the late 60s and early 70s and
its investigators have been able to
publish in more journals of other disciplines than in the past.
Previously
their reports were principally restricted to journals of parapsychology
and psychic phenomena.
In addition,
parapsychology is now a division of the
AMS and some articles have appeared in their publication Science .
Articles
have appeared
in the public press
such as Newsweek. Time ,
and other
magazines describing the research efforts of such prestigeful groups
as
Stanford Research Institute on the psychic phenomena.
The Department of
Defense publicly commented on such research studies and attempted to
evaluate to
some degree the application of such findings.
Unfortunately
such critiques have been limited to only a few research efforts
in the
general field.
It
is suggested in this proposal that a more systematic review
be made not only by examination of published research but by inter-
views with researchers in the field.
Potential insights of such
individuals would give us much more understanding and comprehensive knowledge
of this field than just published reports.
It
is anticipated that this investigator, with his history as
an
observer in the
field, would have good access to
such populations.
Such a review written would be more objective,
less dramatic than those
- 2-
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more sensitive indicators of paranormal communication than
-
consciously controlled responses.
Presumably a large par
of the noise in the paranormal channel originates by the
interfering effect of conscious processes, and measurement
of autonomic responses could short circuit a noisy part of
the channel.
Also the physiological responses themselves
are directly accessible to physical,
instead of only psychological,
measurement.
THE RESEARCH AT STANFORD RESEARCH INSTITUTE
The work at SRI, using gifted individuals, has acheived some
convincing and striking demonstrations of the existence of paranormal
nerceotion, and has demonstrated perhaps less convincingly the
Possible existence of psychokinetic influences upon sophisticated
ptoslSl
me careful and systematic use of sweety
shielding in these experiments has excluded a large class of gross
SvScal correlates of paranormal perception.
less successful in showing unambiguous relations of inhibition
^VinneeTr
rit between paranormal performance and possible physical,
pWoScat aS pSchoXoScai cenditfona.
^enhancement method
.
used was selection of special individuals either through prior
reputation or through preliminary Boreening.
Blue the approach was
one
cif enhancement through selectWiJy rather than
r„„
_ inhibition) by deliberate manipulation of variables, ^i3 researcn
produced some information, measurement of alteration of alpha * J
amplitude and measurement Of neurological profiles, relevant to
ZstSn of correlates but was not aimed primarily in this direction.
„ contribution to fundamental understanding was a minor part of
Ztl Zt ?t produced manifestations of extrasensory perception
cud clear cut to Justify aertous cenalderatlou of
possible applications.
A separate point is that the high apparent bit rate of information
have high information content.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
No matter how gifted the paragnoet Hd-Sting ignorance of the basis
Ofparanormal
^SSnlSed"‘frTShia source
stand-alone Xd ™st 6e used with caution.
Extrasensory
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information should at best supplement normal information or pide its
collection, but should never serve in place of it.
Even such limited
use of this information channel would seemlio require much more detailed
investigation of its character and limitations.
A certaiu bare minimum
of understanding, or at least experience,
is required to establish
confidence.
Experimental tests guided by a thorough information theoretic
analysis,
as alluded to earlier, offer the closest
^
applications and the best prospect of usefully quantifying the capabilities
of this information channel.
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