Approved For Release 2003/09/10
: CIA-RDP96-00787RP00200090019-3
AN OVERVIEW OF EXTRASENSORY PERCEPTION
January 27, 1975
SGI
I
The following brief summary presents some conclusions and
observations derived from an independent, and somewhat critical,
study of extrasensory perception over the past several months^
These
opinions are Teased upon study of the literature, material presented
at the Geneva Conference of the Parapsychology- Foundation in August
1974 and, in particular,
the work of Puthoff and Targ at SRI as
reflected in their publications as well as their oral presentation
in Washington.
First some general observations and recommendations
in this area are presented,
then a brief comment on the SRI work,
and finally some remarks about practical applications.
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
1 .
2.
A large body of reliable experimental evidence points to the
inescapable-' conclusion that extrasensory perception does exist
as a real phenomenon, albeit characterized by rarity and lack
of reliability.
It appears as a low-capacity, high-noise
information channel exhibiting data rates orders of magnitude
less than normal perceptive processes.
Almost by definition
extra-sensory perception must involve in an essential way the
operation of the human mind.
There- exists no satisfactory theoretical understanding of
these phenomena.
Present theories, of which there are many,
are both speculative and unsubstantiated.
They range in content
from, the physical through the psychological to the metaphysical.
One theory- that of the French physicist,
Costa de Beaureprd-
offers the possibility of interpreting psi phenomena within
a modest extension- of established physical theory, but in general
these efforts appear premature.
At this stage of knowledge
the most meaningful basic research consists of a search for
correlates- physical, physiological, and psychological- to
^
which the phenomena may be quantitatively related.
Guidance
must consist of general ideas which are not dependent upon
possibly overspecific theoretical assumptions.
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Approved Fo^lelease 2003/09/10
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3.
All the experimental evidence to date is consistent with the
assumption that paranormal perception behaves as an information
channel in the conventional sense of information theory.
The
information theoretic approach to investigation in this area
has probably not been adequately exploited but offers definite
possibilities of aiding understanding as well as practical
advantages.
The success of enhancement techniques such as
redundancy, majority vote,
etc.
is indicative of the efficacy
of even simple applications of information theory in parapsychological
a.
Information theory in itself makes no assumptions of specific
mechanism, but contains a body of concepts
( bit rate, redundancy
,
equivocation,
etc.) by which experimental results may be
quantitatively presented and analysed*.
Moreover these quantities
have direct meaning in terms of applications.
b. Although problems of coding are of central concern in information
theoiy,
it is innately an input-output theory.
Experiments can
be devised to measure information rates in comparatively unstructured
situations,
independently of coding assumptions.
c.
The very low information rates
l 0.01 to 0.1 bits/sec
) measured
in extrasensory perception may explain the failure to detect
physical energy or correlated physical variables associated with
the phenomena.
A' signal lower in strength than thermal noise and
only detectable through its high redundancy would exhibit a similar
low rate- of information transmission.
Physical energy less than
thermal noise would be yery difficult to detect.
4.
The complete ESP channel may or may not involve a detectable
physical link, but it most certainly does involve a psychological
one.
Although difficult to quantify there do appear to exist some
genuine psychological correlates of paranormal perception.
Rather
than detail these, mention is made of only one aspect which seems
especially significant, namely the striking similarity between
many psychological features of paranormal perception and normal,
though mibl Irnlnal perception.
Clearly this suggests that similar
processes may be operative in both cases and that studies of
subliminal perception below the 'conscious threshold may be of
relevance to the psychological part of paranormal perception.
5..
The physiological correlates of extrasensory perception which have
been measured are autonomic responses and therefore somewhat related
to emotional responses.
Variations of EEG alpha rhythm,
galvanic
skin resistance and blood capillary volume have all been identified
in relation to extrasensory activity.
There is some experimental
evidence for believing that these physiological responses
may be
Approved For Release 2003/09/10
: CIA-RDP96-00787R000200090019-3