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Appendix C:
Interviewer Material
TASKINGS:
The viewers were presented with a number of different types co taskings.
The
targets included people, locations, intentions, and sites.
The concerns m initiating taskings
included locating people, counter intelligence, locating objects, and identifying the activities at
various sites.
With regard to these taskings, viewers differed in the amount of background information they
preferred to have before producing viewing.
Some viewers preferred substantial background
information while others wanted minimal information about the target.
The viewers noted,
however, that when they had background information
it sometimes distorted the process.
More specifically, the viewers indicated that they sometimes changed the content of
eir
reports to bring the information presented into line with the known characteristics of the
target
They noted that reports tended to be more specific when substantial background
information was available.
Typically, each viewer generated independent rep°m for a target
These reports presented into line with the known characteristics of the target.
They noted that
reports tended to be more specific when substantial background information was available.
Typically, each viewer generated independent reports for a target.
These reports presented
both verbal descriptions and drawings.
Frequently, different viewers produced rather different
reports.
This result was attributed in part to the use of different techniques, and, in part, to
the tendency of viewers to focus on different aspects of the target.
CONDITIONS PROMOTING ACCURACY:
The viewers noted a number of conditions
that influenced the accuracy and quality of the information contained in their reports.
Generally, they felt that the quality of viewing suffered when they were presented with a
large number of repetitive taskings over a short period of time.
They also noted the quality
suffered when the targets lacked intrinsic interest and when external evaluations placed too
much pressure on the viewers.
The viewers noted that it was particularly difficult to produce
accurate viewings for some types of targets.
It also was unclear exactly what characteristics
of targets influenced accuracy.
The viewers also identified a number of organizational factors that influenced accuracy.
First,
they field that knowledge supportive users contributed to accuracy and effective use of the
reported information.
Second, they felt more judicious use of background information might
contribute to the preparation of more accurate reports, less biased by logical cues.
Third, they
pointed out that earlier program managers had edited or changed viewers' reports.
The
viewers felt that this could lead to the loss of important of potential significant to the users.
MANAGEMENT:
The viewers noted a number of actions that could be taken to improve the
success of the program.
To begin with, they indicated that
it was important to have a
manager who understood the process, the demands
it made on people, and the need for a
supportive work environment.
Along related lines, they indicated that more balanced work-
load management, rather than periods of boom and bust, would contribute to program success.
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Appendix C:
Interviewer Material
In addition to these issues bearing on management style and management strategy,
viewers made a number of other suggestions.
One involved the research program.
Here they
suggested that research be more focused on the work rather than on narrow technical
demonstrations of the existence of the phenomenon.
They also suggested that consistent
organizational support would play a key role in the long-term success of the program.
ATTACHMENT 5
INTERVIEW REPORT
STAR GATE OPERATIONAL MANAGER INTERVIEW
DATE: AUGUST 4, 1995
CONTEXT:
This interview was conducted with the last manager of the remote viewing
program. The manager become responsible for this program in 1991 when the previous
program manager retired. He was tasked, in accordance with accordance with congressional
guidelines, with initiating and managing operational use of the remote viewing service while
addressing the two other major program elements.
Foreign assessment and research and
development.
The manager's background before accepting this position was in human
.
_
intelligence. He did not specifically have a background in parapsychology or remote viewing.
CLIENTS:
In accordance with his charter, the manager explicitly sought to expand
operational use of remote viewing services. He primarily accomplished this through the use
of personal contacts and his own background in intelligence.
The manager established contact
with ten potential user groups.
Of these ten groups, two used the service one time while five
used the service multiple times.
Typically, groups who used the service had at one time or
another employed viewers early on in the program's history.
The users or clients typically requested viewings on an experimental basis.
More specifically,
they were interested in seeing whether there was any potential operational payoff from the
program.
It was noted that one especially attractive feature of the service was that
information could very rapidly be obtained in a concise form.
TASKINGS:
In general, users presented four major types of taskings.
The viewers were
asked to provide information about:
1) people, 2) objects, 3) locations, and 4) intentions.
The
amount of background information viewers had about the nature of the targets varied.
In
some cases, particularly when there were multiple sequential taskings, the viewers might have
a great deal of information.
In most cases, however, the viewers had the name of the
sponsoring organization and a one or two-word description of the target.
It is of note that
the viewers also differed in the amount of background information requested.
AH viewers worked on all taskings although they were allowed to opt out of certain taskings.
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Interviewer Material
For each tasking, the viewers produced a three- or four-page report which included Pict^es
and a verbal description.
The accuracy and usefulness of viewings was assessed by customers
and this evaluative information was provided as feedback to the viewers by the program
manager who instituted this formal evaluation procedure.
In managing the group and responding to the taskings, the manager, although familiar with
the research literature, did not explicitly consider the findings obitamed m this re:3earch
;
noted that the research was more useful for general background, establishing the existence of
the phenomenon, and foreign assessment, than in managing the viewers’ activities.
INFORMATION ACCURACY AND UTILITY:
The manager necessarily relied on users to
evaluate the accuracy and utility of the viewings provided in response to a specific tasking.
He generally recommended that clients use viewings provided in response to a specific
tasking. He generally recommended that clients use viewings as supplemental information.
In the manager’s experience, no viewings served as the primary input into an operational
decision.
Principally, the viewings were used to validate or extend the accuracy of already
available information or, alternatively, as a vehicle to stimulate further intelligence gathering.
Application of this information depended on the function of the sponsoring organization.
ORGANIZATIONAL INFLUENCES:
In the manager's view, the original Congressional
directive along with support of the designated organization were crucial to the successes of
the program.
However, prior controversy surrounding the program and the existence ot the
phenomenon set constraints on the success of the program.
With regard to potential improvements in program management, a number of points were
mentioned.
First, the manager noted that the program should not necessarily reside m the
intelligence community.
Instead, he recommended that the program be declassified and
moved to a more appropriate "open source" sponsor such as the Department of Justice or the
National Science Foundation.
It was noted that this kind of move would not hurt and indeed
might help the foreign assessment component of the program.
Further,
it was suggested that
the program involve research and foreign assessment, with viewer services being obtained
only, as needed on a contractual basis.
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APPENDIX D
SUMMARY REPORT
STAR GATE OPERATIONAL TASKING AND EVALUATION
1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
>
,
,
,
rp„,ved
From 1986 to the first quarter of FY 1995, the DoD paranormal psychology program received
more than 200 tasks from operational military organizations requesting that the program statt
apply a paranormal psychological technique know as "remote viewing" (RV) to attain
^
information unavailable from other sources.
The operational tasking comprised
targets
identified with as little specificity as possible to avoid "telegraphing” the desired response.
In 1994, the DIA Star Gate program office created a methodology for obtaining numerical
evaluations from the operational tasking organizations of the accuracy and value of the
products provided by the Star Gate program.
By May
1, 1995, the three remote viewers
assigned to the program office had responded,
i.e., provided RV product, to 40 tasks from
five operational organizations.
Normally, RV product was provided by at least two viewers
for each task.
Ninety-nine accuracy scores and 100 value scores resulted from these product evaluations by
the operational users. On a 6-point basis where "1"
is the most accurate, accuracy scores
cluster around "2's" and "3's" (55 of the entries) with 13 scores of ”1".
Value scores, on a 5-
point basis with "1" the highest, cluster around "3’s" and "4's" (80 of the entries); there are no
"l's" and
1 scores of "2”.
After careful study of the RV products and detailed analysis of the resulting product
evaluations for the 40 operational tasks, we conclude that the utility of RV for operational
intelligence collection cannot be substantiated.
The conclusion results from the fact that the
operational utility to the Intelligence Community of the information provided by this
paranormal RV process simply cannot be discerned.
Furthermore, this conclusion is
supported by the results of interviews conducted with representatives of the operational
organizations that provided tasking to the program.
The ambiguous and subjective nature ot
the process actually creates a need for additional efforts of questionable operational return on
the part of the intelligence analyst.
Assuming that the subjective nature of the psychic
process cannot be eliminated, one must determine whether the information provided justifies
the required resource investment.
2.0 GENERIC DESCRIPTION OF OPERATIONAL TASKING
Over the period from 1986 to first quarter of FY 1995, the Star Gate program received more
than 200 tasks from operational military organizations.
These tasks requested that the
^
program staff apply their paranormal psychological technique know as "remote viewing
(R
)
in the hope of attaining information unavailable from other sources.
The operational tasking
comprised "targets" which were "identified" in some manner, normally with as
little
specificity as possible (see discussion below) to avoid excessively
telegraphing
the desire
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