‘ _ December 1982 investigators working with them. During our visit, five formal technical meetings were held with the scientists, physicians, and journal editors working in the field. The first was at the Friendship Hotel in Beijing; the second at the Beijing Medical College; the third, at Beijing Univer- sity; the fourth at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of High Energy Physics in Beijing; and the fifth at the Yanan Hotel in Shanghai with the editors and staff of Nature. ~~~"Gur first discussions, held at the Friendship Hotel in Beijing, brought us together with researchers and educators from the following institutions: (1) Beijing University physicists and biologists (2) Institute of High Energy Physics (Ch. Acad. Sci.) (3) Institute of Biophysics (Ch. Acad. Sei.) (4) Institute of Automation (Ch. Acad. Sci.) (5) Beijing Astronomical Observatory (Ch. Acad. Sci.) (6) Institute of Semiconductors (Ch. Acad. Sci.) (7) Institute of Physics (Ch. Acad. Sci.) (8) Physics Dept. of Beijing Teachers’ College (9) Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Beijing This was followed by visits to Beijing Medical College, Beijing University, and the Chinese Academy of Science’s Institute of High Energy Physics. It was at this latter institute that we had our first opportunity for somewhat in- depth discussions of specific experiments. Their basic experiment, apparently replicated many times under widely varying conditions, consisted of the remote viewing of Chinese characters or numbers sealed in an opaque bakelite container, inside of which was also some form of detector to register possible physical effects associated with the perceptions. The detectors used in this format included X-ray, nuclear emulsion and photographic films, photoelectric tubes, thermoluminescent dosimeters, and biological detectors. The claim made (supported by raw data materials shown us, a motion picture film of the experiments, and published papers) was that physical effects were registered during perception, and absent in the absence of perception. These included fogging of the film, and , D Approved For ReteaSé"2060/08/11 : CIA-RDP96-00792R000300420002-7 Approved For Release 2000/08/11 : CIA-RDP96-00792R000300420002-7 ecember 1982 PSL. RESEARCH pulses on electrical output devices of the various detectors. The individuals carrying out the experiments were physicists, well respected in their own fields, using standard techniques and procedures familiar to them, as far as apparatus and analysis are concerned. It also appears that their work has some degree of official sanction, in that work in this area is considered part of their official work schedule, and in our visit we were cordially received by two of the Institute’s Deputy Directors. These factors lend de facto credibility to their claims. Later in the trip we met at length over a two-day period with the staff and Editor-in-Chief (Mr. He Chongyin) of Nature journal (Ziran Zazhi), and from him obtained an overview of the experimentation, results, conferences, and publication of the Chinese efforts. It is impossible, of course, for one to evaluate accurately a nation’s progress in the scientific study of exceptional human functioning on the basis of a visit of less than two weeks, and the exchange of a few publications. As in the West, the study of exceptional human functioning is an endeavor which has provided many questions and few answers. Since this type of research continues to be in a state of flux throughout the world, one can say, however, that it represents an area where China has the opportunity to make important contributions. Those of us who visited China were particularly impressed by their scientists’ efforts to correlate research findings with their ancient and distinctively national Chinese concepts (especially those of their non-Western medical traditions) on the one hand, and the contemporary perspective of modern science on the other hand. A well-known example is the search for electrophysilological correlates of acupuncture points and meridians; less well known (in the West) are the Chinese studies on the possible relationship between EHBF and Qigong, an ancient discipline, involving movement and deep breathing, said to promote health and well being. Through exploring this rich historical tradition scientifically, the Chinese scientists may well contribute fresh ideas to the study of exceptional human functioning.
December 1982 References 1. Romains, Jules. Eyeless Sight (Secaucus, NJ: Citadel Press, 1978). , Goldberg, IM. "On Whether Tactile Sensitivity Can be Improved by Exercise," Soviet Psychology and Psychiatry, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Fall 1963). ee Nature Journal (Selected Articles), Document No. FTD- IMRS)T-1766-80, 26 January 1981, Translation Division, Foreign Technology Division, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio 45433. 4, Psi Research, Vol. 1, No. 1 (March 1982), pp. 77-83; Vol. 1, No. 2 (June 1982), pp- 4-25, 5. Shum, J.C. "Reading Without the Eyes ~ Report from China," Bull. Brit. Psych. Soc, Vol. 34 (1981), pp. 125- 126. 2 . a . Study of the Extraordinary Function of the Human Body in China Chen Xin, Mei Lei Inst itute—of Aerospace Medico=Engineering.. oe Beijing, China Qn March 11, 1979, it was reported for the first time in Sichuan Ribao that a 12-year-old boy, Tang Yu, in Dazu County, Sichuan Province, had been discovered to be able to "recognize the characters (Chinese ideograms) with his ears.’ This evoked strong repercussions at home and abroad. Subsequently, more than ten teenagers who also had this kind of function were discovered one after another in Beijing, Anhui, Hubei and other places. In September, 1979, Nature Journal (Ziran Zazhi) carried a report on "Non-visual Pattern Recognition," written by a correspondent of the journal on the basis of his personal observations. In this article it was confirmed that the exceptional function of the human body, or, as it was depicted in the newspapers, "recognizing characters with the ears," actually existed and is worth studying. The Journal then, in its Nos. 10-12 Approved For Release 2000/08/11 December 1982 PSI RESEARCH : CIA-RDP96-00792R000300420002-7 issues, carried in succession other experimental observa— tions [1-4] by scientists of Beijing University, Anhui Teachers University and other units, which verified the authenticity of the function. In February 1980, in Shanghai, the Nature Journal editorial department presided over the First Science Symposium on the Extraordinary Function of the Human Body,” attended by representatives from eight provinces and three municipalities. After this the various exceptional functions of the human body, including "recognizing characters with the ears," became generally known as the “extraordinary function of the human body," which is now the general term being used in the Chinese literature. With the impetus of the symposium, the research work tias developed further in various places, and in May 1981 the “second Science Symposium on the Extraordinary Function of the Human Body" was held in Chongqing. Some famous scientists submitted their papers [5] and many others read their research reports at the symposium. Diverse thoughts from different schools were incorporated, but no conclusion was drawn at the symposium. Prior to the conclusion of the symposium the Preparatory Committee of the Chinese Iuman Body Science Institute was established after deliberation and consultation. Afterward, in January 1982 the prepara- —-tory-committee_convened_a_special.discussion in physics. The China Encyclopedic Almanac of 1981, published by the China Great Encyclopedia Press, has the vocabulary entry “extraordinary function of the human body" in its column on science and technology, which introduces the development of the study of the extraordinary function of the human body in China [6], and also points out that “there are still some people holding skeptical attitudes with respect to the authenticity of the extraordinary function of the human body." The Chinese scientists have carried out experimental studies on the following aspects during the past three years: Under strictly controlled experimental conditions, the authenticity of the special inductive funetion of the human body, such as "recognizing characters with the ears” was Approved For Release 2000/08/11 : CIA-RDP96-00792R000300420002-7 dee
December 1982 verified. In order to rule out possible artifacts as well as false results, and to ensure the level of scientific rigor while continually improving the experimental methods, the tests have been designed in keeping with the following requirements: (1) A specimen (“target" for recognition and its package) has to possess certain character- istics of "uniqueness" to ensure that it not be duplicated and exchanged in designed experimental conditions. (2) The "target" for recognition has to be sealed in "opaque" and “irreversible” forms, so. that, under the designed experimental condi- tions, if the package is opened it will be destroyed and cannot be completely restored; if it is not opened, the "target" in it cannot be recognized with ordinary sight. (3) Both the experimenters and the subject should be unaware of the content of the "target" to ensure "double blind" conditions and to avoid hints (cues). , (4) Reliable on-the-spot observation by more than one person and/or by a video recorder, the latter of which can be replayed for examination. (5) The possibility of "guess by chance” should be ruled out statistically from the experi~ mental results; in other words, the results should have "statistical significance." Under these experimental conditions, some subjects whose functions were stronger were tested with dozens of specimens. The rate of absolutely correct identification was more than 80 percent [1,7], which indicated that one of the special inductive functions, the so called "recognizing characters with the ears," existed objectively. December 1982 Approved For Release 2000/08/11 : CIA-RDP96-00792R000300420002-7 PSI RESEARCH Scientists in Beijing University further found in ex- periments that among over 70 children, approximately 10 old, there was a considerable proportion of subjects who had the special inductive function of "recognizing characters with the ears" [8,9]. They concluded that this kind of function may be a general phenomenon to a certain extent among child- ren in the relevant age-group, and inferred that this func- tion was probably a potential physiological function of the human body. The "universality" discovered thus far also verified the authenticity of the extraordinary function of the human body and provided more subjects for research. Qur experimental resuktts indicated that although the subjects who had the extraordinary function were not rare, there were few who had a strong stable function over the long term. In some conditions, the experimental results could be reproduced, but they were not as repeatable on demand as in ordinary physical and chemical experimentation. They often showed apparent individual differences, and an vacillating "instability" in the case of one subject, As some researchers reported, apart from "recognizing characters with the ears," the human body may possess many other extraordinary functions. The researchers have searched after and observed such functions as psychokinesis, teleportation and so forth. Recording the equivalence—time curve ‘of -moving:-the -hands. of a watch by. the extraordinary function of the human body, and observing the possibility of transferring a specimen out of a container from a hole smaller than the specimen itself by this kind of function are two examples. Some researchers have also carried out experimental investigations to determine the mechanism of the human body extraordinary function. The main efforts in this respect include the study of special properties of the information carrier and human body radiation. The "target" was initially sealed into a container which was made of different materials and in which there were different sized slits. Tests were then carried out so as to discover the effect of differences in shielding materials and the size of slits on the test results, thereby distinguishing some special properties of the information carrier. On the other hand, the human body radiation of a subject in an Apppoved For Release 2000/08/11 : CIA-RDP96-00792R000300420002-7
‘ December 1982 extraordinary functional state was tested by the use of modern technology. The published papers on this subject include the effect of human body radiation on biodetectors and photon counters [12,13] and on some photosensitive detectors [14], as well as the determination of the magnetic field distribution over an individual subject’s body ‘surface [15]. Experiments were also conducted involving individuals with extraordinary functions being irradiated on the ears, hands and other sites with weak monochromatic light from a spectrometer. They confirmed that in these sites there existed an ability to perceive and distinguish the color of visible light [16], and that persons who have extraordinary functions could perceive near-infrared light [17]. Experiments also confirmed that such persons could distinguish the north pole from the south pole of a magnet [15] and could tell north from south by their extraordinary functions [18,19]. Some researchers have also carried out experiments to investigate the image transfer function under bright-contrast stimulus conditions [20], the perceptibility of an optical image in space [21], and the sensitivity to different light waves [22]. Published studies of the property of information processing and display [23-27] have shown that during the process of recognizing targets by means of the special inductive function of the human body the following characteristics of perception are experienced by the subjects: unfolding, enlarging, recognizing layer by layer, selecting by contrast, displaying step by step, and adjusting directions automatically. We consider, however, that experimental studies on the extraordinary function mechanism are preliminary, and that they need further replication and deepening. On the basis of the experimental investigations, some researchers in China have made preliminary inquiries into the extraordinary function mechanism of the human body from a theoretical Standpoint. Information concerning extraordinary function of the human body as recorded in the ancient Chinese Literature is now beginning to be collected for evaluation [28]. In China, research on the extraordinary function of the human December 1982 PSI RESEARCH Approved For Release22600/08/11 : CIA-RDP96-00792R000300420002-7 body has already attracted the interest of many scientists specializing in biology, physics, psychology, etc. Special attention, dynamic support, and specific direction have also been gained from certain famous scientists. Professor Qian Xuesen published special papers [5,29] covering the relationship between the extraordinary function of the human body, qigong, and Chinese traditional medicine, and emphasized the importance of developing the potential capacity of the human being and exploring and developing a fundamental discipline of human body science. In his "fundamental Research for Developing the Human Body Science" he pointed out that Chinege traditional medical theory, qigong, and extraordinary function as centered around the qigong state are keys to research in the human body sciences, which include the basic principles of extra~ ordinary human body function. Based on systems sciences, he also proposed the theory of functional states of the human body. These theoretical viewpoints have been playing an important directive role in launching fundamental research in the human body sciences. We consider that, in the future study of extraordinary functions of the human body in China, special attention should be paid to the integration of the cream of Chinese traditional culture with the principles of modern science and technology, and the integration of qigong and Chinese traditional medical theory with the research of extra~ ordinary function. This approach will bring the research work on the human body function into the orbit of modern science and technology. Research into extraordinary functions of the human body is of great importance, both theoretically and practically. We firmly believe that there is nothing that cannot be understood in the world; there are only things that have not yet been understood. We are full of confidence as to the prospect of the study of the extraordinary function of the human body in China. References 1. Shouliang, Chen, & Muyan, He. [Beijing University] "Findings Concerning One Type of Extraordinary Functton 13 Approved For Release 2000/08/11 : CIA-RDP96-00792R000300420002-7