Approved For Release seooyoerad -cin-nopss.on7ieeo07200290001- \ ~~ | If the problems of forced-choice remote viewing (i.e., remote viewing of a limited and known set of target alternatives) could be solved, a number of potential applications come to mind. First and foremost, standard redundancy coding techniques could be employed to improve the hit rate further. This is not a new idea. In 1964, Ryzl demonstrated the psychoenergetic transmission of 50 binary bits without a single error,* and in 1985 SRI published a white paper describing a program to determine optimum coding parameters.t In that report, SRI showed that if psychoenergetic functioning were stable over time, it would be possible to trade number of trials for reliability. Using techniques similar to the ones described in SRI’s white paper, it is possible to increase the single-bit hit rate for a binary experiment from a nominal 60% to over 99%. With such a low initial hit Tate, the efficiency (i.e., one divided by the number of trials required to obtain the desired certainty) is of the order of 0.002 or lower. Such a low efficiency might be problematical in an{_ Environment. ; aC LA. \ One solution to this problem is to increase the single-bit hit rate. To do this, however, requires that longstanding problems with the forced-choice psychoenergetic . { experiments be solved. As part of the { “Enhanced Human Performance Investigation,” (Contract DAMD17-85-C-5130), SRI initiated a pilot investigation of forced-choice remote viewing to address the problem of low efficiency. Since a binary search Strategy is one of the most likely applications if an increased single-bit hit rate could be realized, the effort to increase the rate was included as part of the FY 1986 Objective E, Task 2, Search. In FY 1987 and FY 1988, this effort was under Objective F, Task 10, and Objective E, Task 4, respectively. (U) This report summarizes the work performed from FY 1986 through FY 1988.+ *  (U) Ryzl, M., “A Model of Parapsychological Communication,” Journal of Parapsychology, Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 18-30, (March 1966) UNCLASSIFIED. t (U) Humphrey, B. S., “Psi Communications Experiments (U),” White Paper, SRI Interna- tional, Menlo Park, California, (November 1985)‘ + (U) This report constitutes the deliverable for Objective EK, Task 4, FY 1988. 2 Approved For Release soonnbos. cu roregortronzor00
i a eo a . om ues i] i] Uy Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : 1902200290001-6 II METHOD OF APPROACH (U) A. (U) Objectives (U) The primary long-term objective of this effort is to improve the single—bit hit rate in binary psychoenergetic experiments significantly beyond baseline or fiducial values. One secondary and one tertiary objective are of interest as well. « ty—To track the various internal mental techniques used, in order to develop hypotheses for later testing. ® ‘Tertiary—To determine if the binary remote viewing techniques can be expanded to choices greater than two (i.e., for between 3 and 6 possible targets). (U) The specified objective for FY 1988 was set forth under Objective E, Task 4 of the SOW for that year, “Determine the source of ‘mental noise’ in binary psychoenergetic tasks.” B. (U) Viewer Selection i In discussions, one of SRI’s longstanding remote viewers V(002), reported a desire to renew his/her interest in this area and to address the general problem of single-bit hit rate enhancement. Since V002 had demonstrated a willingness to address difficult psychoenergetic research problems in the past, SRI decided that he/she would be an appropriate candidate for this effort. C. (U) General Approach . ~ (U) A number of problems arise in studying internal mental processes. It is not yet possible to determine the neurological sources of such processes, so we must rely upon subjective techniques in order to begin to understand them. Progress has been made in understanding one area of subjective experience: internal mental imagery. Kosslyn describes successful techniques involving relative internal versus relative external imagery measures to begin to understand this robust mental process.* However, even those techniques cannot yet be applied to remote viewing research, because much of the subjective impressions are reported to precede imagery. c (U) Kosslyn, S. M., Ghosts in the Mind’s Machine—Creating and Using Images in the Brain, W. W. Norton & Company, New York and London (1983) UNCLASSIFIED. Approved For Release zoodrosif : CIA-ROPSE- 0789 002200290001-6
WAAR ARRAintti ete wd $$$ nner entee aah a 2 Approved For Release UNCEASSIFIED Onn” (U) To meet the specific objective for FY 1988, SRI adopted a wait-and-see approach. This differs from the usual procedure of hypothesis formulation, test, and reformulation. Rather than asking V002 in the beginning to speculate upon a given hypothesis that might describe his/her own internal processes, we requested that he/she describe recognizable changes whenever they were occurring in a current strategy. In addition, V002 was asked to keep notes on current strategy at hand. Noting those change points on the accumulated data might yield information about the efficacy of the changes. It was hoped that changes of Strategy might be easier to recognize than the Steady state. (U) One aspect of this approach is to lessen the need for a baseline, because inherent in the procedure is a differential measure (i.e., choose any fiducial point and determine if a meaningful statistical change has occurred since then). D. (U) General Protocol (U) The general binary protocol is as follows: During the course of the investigation, V002 remained in New York and all target material and experimental records remained at SKI in Menlo Park. All communication with V002 was by telephone. All single~trial protocols have the following common elements: @ The range of target material was selected by V002 (i.e., which pair for binary or which set of three for one~in-three). . © The internal strategy to be used was noted. © A target was selected from within the above set by a computer-based random algorithm. , © No verbal communication was allowed after a target had been selected, but the research assistant struck a bell to indicate that the viewing could begin immediately. ® V002 responded verbally, and the result was entered in a data log. ® Immediate feedback was provided. (U) There were variations on this basic theme depending upon the number of targets in a Single trial. In the training phase, the research assistant had control of the target material and scoring. However, potential cuing could exist, because the assistant was knowledgeable about the target material. Since there was no obvious evidence to support a cuing hypothesis, SRI allowed the assistant to know the target material in this phase in order to expedite training, and any results from this portion of the effort were considered as preliminary and used in hypothesis formulation. (U) All formal results,however, had to be collected under flawless conditions. For any formal tests, an experiment coordinator determined the target material and signaled the assistant 4 UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789R002200290001-6
Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789R002200290001-6 UNCLASSIFIED (U) | via a computer link, that a target had been chosen. In this way, all potential inadvertent cuing was eliminated. During the formal tests, the experiment was under the complete control of the experiment coordinator, and the quantitative result was computed as a hit rate, p-value, and effect size regardless of any different internal strategies that may have been used. To determine whether improvement had occurred, significant changes in effect size had to be observed either from a baseline or from a fiducial point (e.g., the formal study in FY 1986). 5 Approved For Release 2000s GLAS SIBIEB 02200290001-6