Approved ForaRelease 20007Q§KmtCIA-RDP9^0787R000400070029-2
ORD-413-73
24 January
1973
MEMORANDUM FOR:
C/IP&A/ORD
SUBJECT
Briefing by Stanford Research Institute
1.
On
23 January
1973,
Drs.
Russell Targ and
Harold Puthoff of Stanford Research Institute showed
a
film of their recent experiments with Uri Geller,
an
Israeli magician with claimed capabilities
in ESP.
The
SRI work with Geller has been supported by Edgar Mitchell's
foundation,
by something with
a name
like Mind Science
Institute
of Los Angeles,
and by TSD.
2.
The film depicted Geller
in
a number of task
situations.
These included reproduction of line drawings
from originals
sealed
in envelopes,
guessing which face
of
a die enclosed in
a container would be uppermost when
shaking of the container ceased,
guessing which one
of
twelve containers contained
a piece of metal or some water
(by successive elimination of
the empty containers)
f
and
bending spoons by touching them with apparently much
less force than would be required normally to bend them.
If
the experiments
as shown on the film are accepted at
face value there
is
strong indication that Geller possesses
uncommon abilities.
For except
in those cases where
Geller
'passed'
either because
of
fatigue,
of claimed
temporary diminution of ESP abilities,
or of claimed
interference from hostile onlookers »
Geller
is
said
to
have performed many
of these tasks repeatedly under
controlled conditions with no errors whatsoever
(although
some
of
. the
line drawings were reproduced by Geller
as
a
mirror image
of the out-of-sight originals)
.
Targ and
Puthoff presented themselves
as neutral physical scientists,
well aware
of
the hazards
of dealing with
a professional
magician whose avowed purpose at SRI
is
to obtain certifi-
cation as
an authentic psychic,
and willing
to accept
only experimental results that admit of no explanation
through fraud,
sleight—of—hand ,
or other trickery.
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3.
Nonetheless
on the basis
of meetings
I have
attended at ARPA,
whose Drs
. Austin Kibler and George
Lawrence have been
to SRI
to observe Geller,
Puthoff
and Targ
in action,
there
is
serious doubt that Geller'
s
accomplishment transcends the range
of activities
of
a
skillful magician can perform and much concern that
Puthoff 's and Targ's own experimental bias
in favor
of
successful outcomes
is undermining their objectivity
in designing properly controlled experimental procedures.
Geller
1 s connections with Dr.
A.
Puharich,
with whom
many unsavory reports have been linked,
also
is dis-
turbing.
However,
I personnally observed at yesterday's
briefing no unorthodox behavior by Puthoff
or Targ that
could
serve
to corroborate ARPA's
judgment.
Of course,
no film is
an unimpeachable record of
a behavioral
situation and though
I doubt that SRI would risk their
reputation by showing
a doctored film much stranger
things have happened
in the not very honorable history
of persons or groups claiming ESP powers.
4.
It strikes me that what
is
of interest to CIA
is not whether Geller 's perceptions
are sensory or extra-
sensory but rather whether his capabilities are exploit-
able by CIA
(not necessarily utilizing Geller personally:
possibly others
could be trained to do what he does)
.
And indeed some one who could reproduce blueprints
locked
in safes without looking at the blueprints,
or
some one
who could distinguish from a distance decov^froit^eal
missiles,
would be an undoubted asset. ^^^^^^^^|has
suggested
a controlled series
of experiments one could
undertake with Geller
to
see
to what extent,
e.g.,
he
could draw previously unseen blueprints.
(Dr.
Lawrence
reported that Geller balked at reproducing anything more
complex than
a simple
line drawing.)
It
is also true
that SRI
' s experiments with Geller to date have dealt
exclusively with behavioral tasks and not at all with
examination of Geller himself
(other than
a cursory EEG
examination which apparently revealed nothing abnormal)
and future activities with him could deal with an
examination
of his perceptual abilities
to learn whether,
e.g.,
his vision or hearing extends beyond normal
human limits.
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5.
I recommend that you discuss with appropriate
persons
in TSD their plans
for future research at SRI
both with Geller and with other subjects
such
as
Ingo Swann,
the New York artist who reportedly slowed
down
a Stanford University magnetometer.
It may
prove worth while
to explore pursuing some carefully
controlled experiments with Geller over and above
the
experiments TSD
is
funding.
I
think the following
factors
. should be considered carefully when reaching
a decision whether to commit ORD
funds
for such
exploratory research:
a.
The past history, within and without
ORD,
of endeavors to substantiate claims
of
persons with alleged ESP powers
is
a history
of repeated failures.
b.
However,
the future
in principle
cannot be foretold from the past.
a.
should
serve only to influence one's prior subjective
probability of the rewards
to be gained by
funding experiments
like this.
told me he was
humbled
oy the
film;
thus
at least at some
level of DD/S&T management there
is belief
that something of value may come from investing
m this
area.
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