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I  FIELD  MEASUREMENTS  PROGRAM,  TASKS  1,  2,  AND  3 
A.  Introduction 
Following  is  a   summary  of  work  carried  out  under  Field 
Measurements  Contract  No.  1471(S)73,  Tasks  1,  2,  and  3.  Tasks  1  and 
2  cover  a   two-week  field  measurement  program  (14-28  August  1972)  with 
consultant  Ingo  Swann;  Task  3  covers  a   nine-day  field  measurement 
program  within  the  time  period  1  December  1972  to  15  January  1973 
with  consultant  Uri  Geller. 
B.  Background 
A   program  in  biofield  measurements  was  initiated  in  July  1972 
with  a   preliminary  experiment  with  Mr.  Swann.  In  this  work  using 
a   shielded  magnetometer,  Mr.  Swann  apparently  demonstrated  an  ability 
to  increase  and  decrease  at  will  the  magnetic  field  within  a   super- 
conducting magnetic  shield.  This  experiment  made  use  of  an  existing 
facility  and  we  have  confidence  that  Mr.  Swann  had  no  prior  knowledge 
of  either  the  apparatus  or  of  our  intended  experiment.  The  experimental 
results  were  carefully  scrutinized  and  were  unlike  any  data  previously 
produced  with  this  apparatus.  That  observation  is  summarized  in 
Proposal  for  Research  SRI  No.  ISU  72-134  (Biofield  Measurements  Program) 
in  your  possession.  Based  on  that  observation,  Tasks  1  and  2  were 
initiated  to  carry  out  further  experimentation  with  Mr.  Swann  in  the 
field  measurements  area,  and,  later,  Task  3  was  added  to  carry  out 
similar  experimentation  with  Mr.  Geller. 
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C.  Protocol 
A   rigid  protocol  for  experimentation  in  the  area  of  psycho- 
energetic  research  has  been  instituted  in  order  to  carry  out  the 
assigned  tasks. 
1.  Because  of  the  history  of  charlatanism  in  this  area,  one 
of  our  basic  operating  assumptions  has  to  be  that  we  cannot  exclude 
the  possibility  that  a   subject  will  hoax  if  given- an  opportunity.  To 
handle  this,  we  consider  it  important  to  design  experiments  a)  which 
are  totally  under  the  design  and  control  of  the  experimenter  rather 
than  the  subject,  and  b)  which  are  considered  in  their  basic  design 
to  be  cheatproof.  Specifically,  if  in  the  performance  of  an  experiment 
or  in  the  evaluation  afterwards  it  is  found  that  the  results  could 
in  principle  be  duplicated  by  cheating  or  stage  magic,  then  that 
experiment  is  to  be  considered  void,  even  when  there  is  no  evidence 
of  cheating. 
2.  Given  the  nature  of  the  phenomena,  any  pre judgment  or  bias 
on  the  part  of  the  experimenter,  whether  "pro"  or  "con",  is  more  likely 
to  affect  the  experimentation,  results,  and  their  evaluation  in  this 
area  than  in  any  other  area  of  behavioral  research.  Therefore,  we 
consider  it  important  to  design  experiments  which  a)  can  be  carried 
out  using  double  blind  procedures  and  b)  can  be  evaluated  by  objective 
measures  independent  of  experimenter  belief  structures. 
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II  TASKS  1  AM)  2;  EXPERIMENTATION  WITH  INGO  SWANN 
The  magnetometer  observation  of  July  1972  indicated  at  least  two 
forms  of  biofield  functioning:  1)  the  passive  perception  of  information 
through  some  as  yet  unidentified  communication  channel,  and  2)  the 
active  perturbation  of  the  functioning  of  a   laboratory  device.  The 
initial  experiments  were  designed  to  test  each  of  these  functions 
separately. 
A.  Probability  1/3  Target  Location 
The  first  experiment  to  be  carried  out  under  Tasks  1  and  2 
had  as  its  goal  the  testing  of  the  hypothesis  that  information  can  be 
obtained  from  locations  inaccessible  to  ordinary  viewing. 
In  order  to  place  the  experiment  on  a   quantitative  basis, 
a   procedure  was  followed  in  which  a   target  object  was  placed  in  one  of 
three  identical  containers,  the  task  of  Swann  being  to  enter  the 
experimental  area  after  placement  and  indicate  the  target  container. 
Targets  consisted  of  a   range  of  organic  and  inorganic  materials  (e.g. , 
quartz  prism,  tomato,  flower,  etc.).  In  this  short  term  study 
insufficient  data  exists  for  discrimination  among  materials  as  to 
their  efficiency  as  target  material.  The  target  containers  were 
9-1/8"  x   4-5/8"  x   4-9/16"  x   1/4"  thick  wooden  boxes,  and  the  choice 
of  target  container  for  each  trial  was  determined  by  a   random  number 
generator. 
The  experiment  was  not  carried  out  in  a   double  blind  fashion 
in  this  particular  case  (i.e.,  the  experimenter  in  the  room  knew  of 
the  target  location).  However,  in  order  to  minimize  subliminal 
cueing,  the  experimenter  was  seated  behind  the  subject  in  such  a 
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position  that  he  could  not  observe  the  choosing  process  on  the  part 
of  the  subject  until  after  the  choice  was  made.  In  a   follow-on 
program  subsequent  successful  double  blind  experiments  with  this  subject 
further  indicate  that  the  experimenter  is  not  part  of  the  choice 
process . 
The  results  are  shown  in  Figures  1  and  2.  The  experiment 
was  repeated  ten  times  per  day  over  a   five-day  period  yielding  a 
total  run  of  fifty  trials.  With  an  a   priori  probability  of  p   =   1/3 
per  trial,  the  expected  number  of  hits  in  a   50— trial  run  is  given  by 
y   =   16.6.  The  observed  number  of  hits  was  26,  exceeding  chance 
expectation  by  ^3ct*;  the  a   priori  probability  of  such  a   result 
due  to  chance  alone  is  p   =   0.005. 
As  indicated  in  Figure  2,  an  additional  item  of 
significance  is  the  general  increase  in  the  number  of  hits/10-trial 
run  over  the  50-trial  period.  A   least-squares  fit  linear  regression 
curve  (learning  curve)  indicates  a   learning  rate  of  0.5/10- trial 
run.  The  a   priori  probability  of  obtaining  the  above  learning  curve 
by  chance  for  the  given  data  is  p   ss  0.1  (obtained  from  an  analysis 
of  the  slope  using  small  sample  Student's  t  distribution  statistics). 
Therefore,  the  indication  for  learning  is  weaker  than  the  indication 
of  ability,  but  nevertheless  positive. 
^Standard  deviation  ct  =   /npq  ,  where  n   is  the  number  of  trials, 
p   is  the  a   priori  probability  of  a   correct  choice,  and  q   is  the 
a   priori  probability  per  trial  of  an  incorrect  choice. 
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The  conclusion  to  be  drawn  from  this  experiment  is  that 
there  is  a   strong  indication  that  information  was  being  transferred 
from  one  location  to  another  through  some  as  yet  unidentified  communication 
channel . 
B.  Remote  Temperature  Control  Experiment 
A   second  experiment  was  initiated  to  examine  the  active 
perturbation  of  the  functioning  of  a   laboratory  device.  The  target 
chosen  was  a   copper-cons tantin  30  p,V/°F  thermocouple  sealed  in  a 
50  milliliter  flask  of  helium  gas  at  atmospheric  pressure.  (Helium 
was  chosen  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Swann  who  described  an  affinity  for 
helium  following  the  original  magnetometer  experiment  which  involved 
cooling  by  liquid  helium. ) 
Mr.  Swann's  task  was  to  learn  to  control  the  temperature 
registered  at  the  thermocouple  junction  as  it  was  being  monitored 
by  a   Hewlett-Packard  Model  425A  DC  microvoltmeter  and  displayed  on 
a   strip  chart  recorder.  The  use  of  feedback  in  an  experiment  of  this 
nature  is  considered  important  both  by  Mr.  Swann  and  by  the  experimenters. 
Following  a   learning  period  of  several  days'  effort,  an 
hour  or  so  a   day,  Mr.  Swann  expressed  confidence  in  his  ability  to 
perform  the  task..  A   rigid  protocol  was  then  followed  in  which  the 
experimenter  and  Mr.  Swann  sat  in  fixed  positions  in  the  laboratory, 
Mr.  Swann  two  feet  from  the  target,  experimenter  four  feet  behind 
Mr .  Swann . 
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