Approved For Release 2000/08/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R001300140001-3
SECRET
III
PROGRESS DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD
The primary objective of this program
is
to provide
a basis
for
evaluating the RV capability.
This
is
done specifically to assess
the
potential threat
from Soviet research and application in this area.
Of particular interest with regard to application
is
the use of an
abstract
targeting procedure known as
coordinate remote viewing
(CRV),
a procedure we have had under investigation at
SRI since
1972.
In this
procedure the
target
site coordinates
(latitude and longitude
in e.g.,
degrees,
minutes, and seconds)
are relayed with
no further information
to the individual who is
to view the
site.
The remote viewer
is asked
simply to proceed on the basis of the
coordinates
alone.
Admittedly,
such an abstract targeting procedure
seems without basis,
at
least with regard to the present scientific paradigm.
As
a result we
can make no claim for the technique other than the purely pragmatic one
that
it appears
to work.
It
can only be pointed out that
in psychoenergetics
research in general,
the possibility of success
in such a protocol
is
in
accord with an observed "goal-oriented" nature of
the
laws
that appear to
govern psychoenergetic functioning.*
In this section we discuss
the
findings
of an investigation into CRV
reliability,
the factors
that affect
it,
the development
of procedures
to
improve
it,
and the results
of application challenges
to test
it.
An investigation into the general problem of target acquisition has been
carried out an reported.
See
R.
Targ
,
H.
E.
Puthoff
,
B.
S.
Humphrey,
and
C.
T.
Tart,
"Investigations
of
Target Acquisition," Research in
Parapsychology 1979
,
Scarecrow Press,
Inc., Metuchen,
NJ,
1980.
SECRET
Approved For Release 2000/08/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R001 3001 40001 -3
Approved For Release 2000/0^^ aA-RDP96-00788R001 3001 40001 -3
Advances
in Development
of CRV Potentials
1 .
Background
SG1A
SG1A
Since the introduction of
coordinate remote viewing
(CRV)
several
years
ago,
it
has been apparent
that
CRV is often capable
of
yielding
There are, however, several instances of failures,
in which the
CRV description did
not
correspond to ground truth reality.
Since
one
of
the program tasks
is
to
"continue the
investigations
of methods
to improve
the phenomena,” a special
study program was
set up
to attempt
to determine
the
factors
that
affect CRV reliability,
and,
to the degree possible,
to
develop procedures
to minimize the deleterious effects
of such factors.
It was recognized at
the outset
that there were two
facets
of
the reliability problem that were of interest and would therefore have
to
be addressed:
(]
)
Vertical Potential
.
Given that
an individual exhibits
a demonstrable CRV ability,
is
it possible
to develop
that ability beyond
a neophyte status,
that
is,
increase
the signal-to-noise ratio?
(2)
Horizontal Potential
.
Does
the CRV process possess
a structure sufficiently definable to imply a
meaningful construct
for transfer/trainability
across
a broad base
of individuals,
potentially
providing increased reliability on the basis
of
cross
correlation of multiple CRV responses?
H.
Puthoff and
R.
Targ
,
"Advanced Threat Technique Assessment
(U)
,
Final Report,
SRI Project
5309,
SRI
International, Menlo Park,
CA
(October
1978),
SECRET,
t
Task 2.4, DIA(DT)
Statement
of Work dated 28 March 1979
(SECRET
DNA-79-
04633).
’
SECRET
Approved For Release 2000/08/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R001 3001 40001 -3
Approved For Release 2000/08/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R001 3001 40001 -3
SECRET
Results
of
the study program to date,
described below,
indicate progress
in both areas
,
^ •
Si gnal/Noi se Characteristics
The anatomy of
the CRV phenomenon has been under intense scrutiny
at SRI in an effort
spearheaded by remote viewer #002.
These explorations
have
centered about
two areas:
(1)
Observing and understanding the
characteristics
of
the
noise.
(2)
Observing and categorizing
the characteristics
of
the signals.
With regard to the noise aspect
of
the CRV channel,
the process
of mapping out
its
characteristics has
consumed
a
large part
of
a two-year
effort
to isolate
the factors
involved.
Four major categories of noise
have been delineated in this process.
They are:
^
Ana 1 yt
i
ca 1 Over lay
.
As
the remote viewer becomes
aware
of the first few data
bits,
there appears
to
be
a largely sponteneous and undisciplined rational
effort
to extrapolate and
"fill in the blanks."
This
is presumably driven by a need to resolve the
ambiguity associated with the fragmentary nature
of
the emerging perception.
The result
is premature
internal analysis and interpretation on the part
of the remote viewer.
Example:
An impression of
an island
is immediately interpreted as Hawaii.
To
circumvent
this
,
a procedure for disciplined
rejection
of premature interpretations and conclusions
is
called for.
(2)
Associational Overlay .
In addition to provoking-
premature interpretation,
the incoming data bits
appear
to stimulate pre-existing mental formations
that are associationally related to the target
material.
Example:
An impression of a round object
triggers
an image
of
a favorite childhood ball.
The
triggering of such associational overlays
leads
to
imaginative
images
that
divert or embellish the picture
Approved For Release 2000/08/07
DP96-00788R001 300140001 -3
Approved For Release 2000/08/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R001300140001-3
SECRET
being built up from the
incoming data bits.
To
overcome the effects
of
this
type of overlay,
training to recognize and discriminate against
associational
images
is required.
(3)
Monitor Overlay .
This
is
comprised of noise
intruding
into the remote viewer's awareness
inadvertently as
a result of undisciplined talk
or actions
on the part
of the session monitor.
Examples
cover a broad spectrum,
ranging
from,
e.g.,
stimulation of sailboat
images by
a
casual
pre-session discussion on sailing,
to the subtle
reinforcement
(e.g.,
by body language)
of
certain
responses
that match the monitor's
biases and
preconceptions
as
to the nature of
target;
in
short, any action on the part
of
the monitor
that degrades
the remote viewer's attentiveness
to
the task at hand.
To bring this under
control,
a standardized monitor behavior must be introduced
in which,
for example,
the monitor
is restricted
to
the use
of certain standard phrases
during his
monitoring
of
a CRV session.
(4)
Environmental Overlay .
This
type
of overlay has
its
source
in the physical surroundings
of the CRV
session.
Specifically,
conditions
of the session
chamber
(e.g.,
obtrusive shapes,
sounds, visual
highlights) are found to insinuate themselves
into
the CRV response.
A mundane example:
an after-
image produced by
a strong vertical
line in the
session chamber can lead to
a predominant vertical
line
in the
"target"
image.
More esoteric examples
involve peripheral and subliminal perception of
environmental
features,
since,
as
is known from the
study of subliminal perception,
information not
processed at
a conscious
level can nonetheless
infiltrate perceptual and thought processes.
Environmental overlay can be minimized by judicious
control of environmental factors,
such
as by providing
a quiet,
dimly lit, relatively homogeneous monochrome
visual field absent
of strong features
and peripheral
clutter
.
Although the
latter overlays can be dealt with by controlling
elements
in the environment
of the remote viewer,
the analytical and
SECRET
Approved For Release 2000/08/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R001300140001-3
Approved For Release 2000/08/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R001300140001-3
SECRET
associational
f i 11-in-the-blanks’’ overlays stem directly from cognitive
processes within the remote
viewer.
Our investigation of
these overlay
patterns
leads to a model
of RV functioning shown schematically in
Figure
1.
With the application of
the "stimulus"
(e.g.,
the reading of
a coordinate) there appears
to be a momentary burst
of "signal"
that enters
into awareness
for
a few seconds,
and then fades
away.
The overlays
appear to
be triggered at this point
to fill
in the void.
Success
in
handling these complex processes apparently requires that
a remote viewer
learn to "grab" incoming data bits while simultaneously attempting to
control
the overlays.
A strict and disciplined methodology to perform
this delicate and difficult
task,
involving repeated coordinate presenta-
tion and quick-reaction response,
has
been developed and is presently
being confirmed with four remote viewers;
#002 who was primarily responsible
for developing the basic concept,
and Nos.
009,
131,
and 504 who are
in
the role
of trainees with regard to this particular methodology.
The
procedure designed to minimize overlays
coupled with use
of
a specifically
designed acoustic-tiled featureless
minimize environmental overlay, and
room with homogeneous
adopti on of
a uniform,
coloring to
limited monitor
behavior role to minimize monitor overlay,
constitute
the basic methodology
^ or noise reduction in our newly-developed approach
to
CRV.
With regard to mapping the signal
characteristics
of
the CRV
channel,
a progressive multistage target acquisition process appears
to
be emerging.
The stages outlined in Table
1 appear to track an increasing
contact with the target
site
that
takes place during the CRV process.
An example of these
stages
of elaboration in
a completely successful
remote viewing would
be
the series:
(1)
Recognition and decoding of
major gestalts
Land surrounded by water,
an island
(2)
Achieving sensory contact
with target
Humid sensation,
tropical
feeling
SECRET
Approved For Release 2000/08/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R001300140001-3
Approved For Release 2000/08/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R001 3001 40001 -3
SECRET
(3)
Experiencing motion and
mobility within target
Rising up,
a panoramic
view
(4)
Recognition and decoding
of
minor signals while sustaining
major gestalts
Mountains
on the island,
a
small port
city on the
water’s edge
(5)
Decoding special characteristics
of
target
Large areas
devoted to
agriculture
(6)
Analytical recognition and
decoding of significant aspects
of the target
Some tourism,
agriculture
devoted primarily to sugar
cane,
main island in Fiji
islands
Table
CRV STAGES OF TARGET ACQUISITION
i.
Recognition and decoding of gestalts
2.
Achieving sensory contact with target
.
Experiencing motion and mobility within target
4.
Recognition and decoding of minor signals while
sustaining
gestalts
major
5,
Decoding special
characteristics
of target
6.
Analytical recognition and decoding
of significant aspects
target
of
the
Knowledge of
the above multistage process
of target acquisition
appears
also to provide
a filtering function,
in that apparent
data
that
does
not
emerge somewhat
in this order tends
to be overlay
(e
.
g
#
,
immediate
recognized image
of
the
St,
Louis Arch
[Stage
6]
as
first response
to
coordinate presentation).
For the
training procedure,
in which feedback plays
an essential
role,
a pool
of several hundred target
locations was
prepared using
SECRET
Approved For Release 2000/08/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R001300140001-3
Approved For Release 2000/08/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R001300140001-3
SECRET
material from a
large
library of National Geographic magazines.
The
coordinates
for
the
chosen sites were obtained from the Second Edition
(Revised)
of the Times
Atlas
of
the World— Comprehensive Edition
,
Houghton
Miflin Co.,
Boston
(1971).
In
a
typical
training
session,
a
half
dozen targets
are
chosen
at random for use.
In the early stages
of
the process
the monitor makes
himself aware of
the
target material he
is using so that
he can provide
running feedback during
the
session.
(We
call
this
a Class
C target
protocol.)
During this
phase
the monitor
is allowed only
a
few stock
phrases
("correct,”
’’near
the target,” etc.)
so as
to minimize
cueing
and
leading.
Once
some degree
of apparent
competence
has been reached,
the
monitor
is
given targets
to which he
is
blind
(a
Class
B target
protocol)
so as
to eliminate confounding
of
the results
by potential cueing.
In
this
case feedback information
is accessed by both monitor and remote viewer
only at termination of
the CRV session.
A training series with
a given
remote viewer generally consists
of roughly a hundred of these
trials
spread out
over
a two-month period.
The output
of
a sample successful
trial
is
shown in Figure
2.
In detail,
the training procedure
is
as
follows:
(1)
The remote viewer and monitor seat themselves
at opposite
ends
of a table,
the former with
a supply of paper and
a
pen,
the
latter with target
folders
(contents initially
unknown) and reference atlases.
(2)
The remote viewer
is
instructed that
the monitor will begin
the CRV process
by selecting
a folder and reading aloud
target
coordinates printed on the outside.
The remote
viewer
is
to note
down on paper any immediate impressions
(which
he may also express aloud*)
and then,
rather than
embellishing
on his first
impressions,
to ask
for the
coordinates
to
be read aloud again so that
the original
process may be repeated,
etc,,
until
a
coherent picture
of
the
site emerges.
*
The session is
tape recorded.
SECRET
Approved For Release 2000/08/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R001300140001-3
Approved For Release 2000/08/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R001 3001 40001 -3
UNCLASSIFIED
CPYRGHT
a? 3^5
SQ"
7?' Ul
?s° 3r's
5y"
l?'
d
2S°
3s’N
WO
2i' u)
tend*
‘Ant-
TlC&h-l
*1h-
—
fan tfau*
<r*4 1*4*400 «A
u^ _
^JhJJLouj
cT\
FIGURE
CRV RESPONSE TO IGUAZU FALLS, BRAZIL TARGET
(U)
UNCLASSIFIED
Approved For Release 2000/08/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R001300140001-3
Approved For Release 2000/08/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R001300140001-3
SECRET
(3)
Following
these instructions,
the monitor selects
a
folder and begins
the process described above.
(4)
After
one or more repetitions
of
the
coordinates
(each followed by a CRV response)
leads
to
recognizable target
characteristics,
the
folder
is accessed by the
monitor,
and
the atlas
consulted
(if necessary)
in order
to give
feedback.
In the
Class
B protocol
this
is
the termination of
the
session.
In the
Class
C protocol
a
line
is
drawn
on the remote viewer's
data
sheet
to separate
the
data
thus generated from further data
,
since up to
this
point
the
data were generated
in
a double-blind
protocol and
can be objectively evaluated
later
as
a test
of target
acquisition.
(5)
In the Class
C protocol,
having terminated the target
acquisition "test" phase,
feedback
can now be given
and/or further data solicited.
The
feedback given at
this point
is non-negative,
ranging from "correct,”
through
"near the target,” to
”you are
at another
target”
(giving the remote viewer
the benefit
of the
doubt).
The monitor then has
the option of terminating
the viewing, asking for more detail
('’there' s
something
ten miles
to the north that should
be visible”)
or
restarting
the process when the viewer's original
description did
not
correspond to the target
site.
(In the
latter
case the monitor
can,
of course,
guide
or
cue
the remote viewer into
a
correct response.
This
is acceptable in the
non-test
part
of
the sequence,
however,
and provides an opportunity to investigate
whether such cueing procedures
can
be useful in
operationally oriented applications
in which one
guides
the remote viewer onto the target
site with
cues
”a
, ”
”b,”
”f,” and then asks
for detail in
a nearby region,
or
concerning an unknown,
”g.”)
To give an example, we present here
a summary of results obtained
with
a remote viewer who was
a relative neophyte with regard to CRV.
He
was exposed
to this protocol,
a few targets
per session,
over
a several-
day period,
resulting
in
a data pool
of 26 CRV target viewings.
They
were:
Salt Lake Desert,
Utah;
Lake Erie;
Chicago;
Mono Lake;
Aruba
Island;
Lake Okeechobee;
Yount’s
Peak, Wyoming;
Pitcairn
Island;
Pike's
Peak;
1/
SECRET
Approved For Release 2000/08/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R001300140001-3
Approved For Release 2000/08/^g gl£-g[jP96-00788R001 3001 40001 -3
Los Angeles;
Atlantic Ocean;
Rio
de
Janeiro;
Kansas plains;
St.
Peter and
Paul
Islands;
Randall Dam,
South Dakota;
Lake Titicaca;
Cape May;
Niagara
Falls;
Munich;
Amazon River;
Midwestern plains;
Venezuelan Peninsula;
Sierra Blanca Mountain;
Oregon Desert;
Panama Canal;
Puerto Rico.
Following the
first pilot session of five,
in which essentially
immediate feedback was given
(Class
C protocol),
the remaining twenty-one
were
carried out with delayed feedback
(Class
B protocol) and
thus provided
material
that
could be assessed objectively.
As
a first
cut
the targets
can be categorized roughly into five groups
(mountains,
flats, water,
cities,
islands/peninsulas).
The target/response matrix obtained in the
series
is
as shown in Table
2.
The probability of such an alignment
Table
DISTRIBUTION OF CRY TARGET/RESPONSE MATCHINGS
Transcripts
Targets
Mountains
Flats
Water
Cities
Islands/
Peninsulas
Mountains
Flats
Water
Cities
Is lands /Peninsulas
occurring
by chance alone can be calculated by
a direct-count-of-
permutations method
(see Appendix),
and
leads
to p = 1/51
= 0.0083.
The
distribution of responses
is therefore statistically significant.
Further-
more,
beyond simple statistics,
certain individual responses were excep-
tionally accurate during the acquisition "test" phase.
In the
final trial
SECRET
Approved For Release 2000/08/07
: CIA-RDP96-00788R001300140001-3