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II INTRODUCTION (U)
|
One of the ultimate applications goals of psychoenergetic phenomena
is the
cjetermination of whether psychoenergetic intrusion can be detected, and whether counter-
iheasures exist against such intrusion.
From a phenomenological perspective, the term
psychoenergetic intrusion can entail what appears to be either energetic or informational
processes, or both, as indicated by the following set of operative definitions:
•
The direct perturbation of physical systems that appear to be well shielded
against, or otherwise inaccessible to, human influence
(energetic).
•
The psychoenergetic acquisition of information thought to be secure against
access (informational)
.
•
The perturbation of a physical system that occurs indirectly as a result of an
individual’s attempts to acquire information through psychoenergetic means
(energetic and informational).
Only those intrusions that entail causal interactions with physical systems are likely to be
detected. A physical system
will not be considered a candidate intrusion detector, therefore,
linless
it registers energetic effects directly
(as a result of intentional perturbation), or
indirectly
(as a result of concomitant acquisition of information).
i In the parapsychological literature, the energetic manifestations of psycho-
energetic intrusion are variously referred to as remote action (RA), remote perturbation (RP),
psychokinesis (PK), telekinesis (TK), and so forth; informational processes are most often
referred to as remote viewing (RV), clairvoyance, precognition, and the
like.
The term
Countermeasures may be defined as the shielding or jamming of psychoenergetic intrusion by
Either physical or mental processes.
|
_
Before the higher-order problem of countermeasures can be addressed,
experimental verification of the existence of psychoenergetic intrusion must
first be obtained.
Detection of the putative energetic aspects of psychoenergetic intrusion can be accomplished
most directly by designing experiments in which an individual’s primary task
is to actively
attempt to cause perturbations in various types of physical systems.
Numerous RA
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experiments of this type, using a wide variety of physical systems, have been cited in the
parapsychological literature.
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One category of candidate target physical systems
is biological systems; the
precedent for using these in RA experiments has been well established.
Of particular interest
(because of
its similarity to the experiment detailed in this document)
Is Carroll B. Nash’s
experiment involving the psychokinetic control of bacterial mutation.-
The published abstract
of the Nash experiment
is provided here:
Three experimenters each tested 20 subjects not known
to be psychically
gifted.
Because of procedural errors,
results were obtained for only 52
subjects.
Each subject was tested in a single run with a separate set of
nine tubes of a mixed culture of lac-negative and lac-positive strains of
Escherichia coli.
Mutation of lac-negative
to lac-positive was mentally
promoted in three of the tubes, mentally inhibited in three, and three of
the tubes served as controls.
The mutant ratio of lac-positive to total
bacteria was greater in the promoted than
in the inhibited tubes,
with
two-tailed p < 0.005;
less in the inhibited tubes than in the controls,
with
two-tailed p < 0.02; and greater in the promoted tubes than
in the
controls, although not significantly so.
The results are interpreted to
suggest that the rate of bacterial mutation was psychokinetically affected.
'
The experiment described in this report also undertook to investigate
psychoirinetic influence on bacterial mutagenicity, but
it differs significantly from the Nash
experiment in certain of
its experimental protocols and underlying-theoretical assumptions.
The overall objective was also different than that of the Nash experiment in that the SRI
study
is Concerned with providing a
“first order" examination of the existence of psycho-
energetic intrusion detection with biological systems,
(U) Nash, C.
B., “Psychokinetic Control of Bacterial Growth,
Journal of the Society fo
Psychical Research, Vol. 51, pp- 217-226 (1982).
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with medium containing histidine), and selective minimal glucose plates
(i.e., plates with medium lacking histidine)
to allow for the growth and
appearance of bacterial colonies.
2.
(U)
Procedural Terms
S
*
The following are the most common procedural terms:
•
Subject
One of seven volunteers who undertook to psychoenergetically
influence the mutagenicity of the bacterial samples.
•
Monitor—The individual recording the events that transpired during an
experimental session, and supervised the subject s
activities.
•
Technician—The microbiologist who was responsible for
all aspects of the
pre— and post—session preparation of the biological samples.
•
Session—A single
sitting in which the subject attempted to
(1) increase the
mutation rate of bacteria placed in three test tubes,
(2) decrease the
mutation rate of those placed in three different test tubes, and
(3) leave yet
a different group of three uninfluenced as “controls.”
Each of the seven
subjects contributed six such sessions.
•
Trial—An attempt by a subject to psychoenergetically influence
(or not
influence, as in the case of control test tubes) the bacterial culture in a
single test tube.
There were nine such
trials in each experimental session.
•
Controls—Two types of controls were employed in this experiment:
intrasession and extrasession.
Intrasession control test tubes consisted of
three bacterial test tubes, which the subject was instructed not to attempt to
actively influence, from among the set of nine session test tubes.
Extra-
session controls consisted of two tubes per session that were prepared by the
technician in exactly the same manner as the session test tubes, but were
not used as part of the experimental session set of nine tubes.
The
extrasession controls remained at
all times in the Microbial Genetics
Laboratory, and provided the requisite data for establishing an independent
measure of mutation rate.
•
Feedback—A drawing presented to the subject that indicated his/her
performance on a given session.
Feedback for a given session was typically
administered prior to the start of the subject s next session.
B,
(U)
Biological Background
\
*1
ln
this section, we
will give a general overview of the Ames Salmonella assay
that
is used routinely by SRI’s Microbial Genetics Department, and that was adapted for use
in this experiment to study psychoenergetic effects on mutation frequency.
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however, the
*
8en6i^ * a genetic entity with Us own specific end producr.
auers t
e ac um
^ „ut each ^
,B own spontaneous mutation
protein.
^ a
mutaM cel, wii, he obtained every time a
cel,
requency
d ^ environmental conditions are unchanged.
Changes in
t
e
divides
,s const
,
P
^
,requency.
such changes include the
aiince „
— <•*.— pius
° [ phvsicai
or chemical agents (mutagens).
l
Bacteria provide a convenient way to study mutations because millions of cells
i
Bactena p
.
.
few years, several bactenal assays
can be^rown in a very short period of tin,.
Over die pa, fe^^ ^^
- - - -^To (r^
mammals (rodents).
One of
Bruce Ames at the
•
=omP histidine reverse mutation assay developed by Dr. Bruce Ames
mammalian microtome
^ Mlcrobial Genelics Department at SRI International
University of California
•
M agencies and commercial clients to
-— - -
--- a
period of more than 10 years.
.
f«tPr strains of Salmonella typhimurium,
(j t\
The salmonella assay employs several tester strains oi o
r
(U)
The salmon"
milta 2ens.
The Salmonella strains, under
eaCh Wi ‘hI^
S^“g^er“^ less than 30 minutes.
The bacteria, strains are
optimum conditions,
amino acid
histidine because o, a mutation ,n
r;r"
ri
r
absence o, histidineU
“cl to gJ and divide.
Because a mutation
is
“nherited.
all progeny of the mutated ceiis retain the
ability to grow in the absence of
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histidine.
Distinct individual colonies will appear on the solid selective growth medium, with
each colony containing billions of progeny of the spontaneously mutated cells.
Exposure of
the bacteria to a chemical mutagen will result in an increased number of colonies appearing
on the solid selective growth medium, due to an increase in mutation induction.
(U)
In the Ames Salmonella assay, a small amount of histidine
is added to the growth
medium to allow for a few cell divisions of all the plated histidine requiring mutants (~10*).
Such growth
is often necessary for chemical mutagenesis to occur.
The results of the
Saln\onella assay are usually expressed in terms of the number of revertant colonies per
amoiint of chemical added to the selective growth medium, which
is usually delivered to the
plate in 25-ml volumes.
Because of the presence of limited histidine in the selective medium,
the results of the Ames Salmonella are considered “semiquantitative,” since residual growth
on
all plates (control as well as chemical treated) does not allow for quantitative survival
determination.
A quantitative mutation frequency, however, can be determined.
It
is more
labqr intensive than the standard Ames assay, because survival determination requires diluting
of the cell cultures, and a different growth medium
is needed for determining
(1) the mutant
fraction and survivors for each of the controls, and
(2) the different exposure concentrations
of
tihe
test chemical.
The mutation frequency
is defined in terms of number of mutants per
given number of surviving cells, usually per 106
cells.
Because of
its simplicity and the rapid response time of about two days, the
Anjies Salmonella assay can readily be adapted to study the effect of RA on the mutation
frequency.
Such an adaptation was established by SRI's Microbial Genetics Department for
use
in this experiment; a detailed discussion of the specific biological procedures that were
followed can be found in Section D, Protocols.
C.
(U)
Experimental Design
1.
(U)
Conceptual Replication
The experiment undertaken in
this study represents a conceptual replication
of the Nash experiment described in our Introduction chapter.
The replication presented here
is termed conceptual, because several of the experimental details of the Nash experiment
have been changed and improved.
First, two potential mechanisms have been postulated that
could account for the acquisition of a statistically significant effect—that
is, an IDS hypothesis
has been advanced,
in addition to the more established RA hypothesis.
Second, Salmonella
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typhimlrium rather than Escherichia coll were used as the target bacterial cultures.
Because
this particular species ol Salmonella
is used most frequently by SRI's Microbial Genetics
Department in toxicity studies,
its behavior is particularly well understood in terms of assay
conditions and experimental protocols.
Finally, the Nash analysis was extended to include
multiple analyses of variance.
! As in the Nash experiment, nine test tubes
filled with dilute bacterial
culture were used per session.
Mutation from histidine dependence to histidine independence
was mentally promoted by the subject in three of the tubes, mentally inhibited in three, and
the remaining three tubes served as controls.
For the purposes of obtaining baseline data, two
additional control test tubes
(for a total of eleven altogether per session) were prepared in the
same manner as the session test tubes, but were kept in the Microbial Genetics Laboratory.
2.
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Model Testing Criteria
a.
(U)
The IDS Model
(U)
As mentioned previously, there were two primary models under
investigation in this experiment. A pivotal concept to the
first, or IDS favorable model,
is
freedom of choice: namely, that by using some type of psi-mediated informational processes,
subjects have the opportunity to select out locally-deviant subsequences from a larger random
sequence.
For example,
in half of the sessions, the subjects were allowed to select the three
test tubes in which they wished to promote mutation, and the three test tubes in which they
wished to inhibit mutation.
A
statistically significant deviation from mean chance expectation
(MCE)
in this condition, therefore, could be interpreted theoretically in two ways:
(1) the
subjects somehow mentally “forced”
genetic changes to occur in die bacteria in accordance
with their desires to either promote or inhibit mutation rates
(the RA hypothesis); or
(2) given
the natural spread of mutation rates in a biological system, the subject was able to psycho-
energetically sort those test tubes containing bacteria with high mutation rates from those
tubes containing bacteria with low mutation rates
(a session-by-session IDS hypothesis).
b.
(U)
The RA or IDSU Model
(U)
The second model under investigation has been termed the Remote
Action (RA) or Intuitive Data Sorting Unfavorable (IDSU) model.
In this condition, the
conduits by which either the subject or experimenter are able to select test tubes are rendered
“
"I
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t^e seven had been participants in previous psychoenergetic experiments—i.e.,
all four had
demonstrated some ability in remote viewing.
One of these four subjects also scored
significantly in an earlier SRI random number generator PK experiment, and another had
demonstrated some
ability previously in Computer—Assisted Search (CAS)
tasks.
All of the
participants were SRI employees: one was a statistician, two were secretaries, and the
remainder were research professionals in either physics or computer science.
b.
(U)
Experiment Site Locations
i For reasons stated in Section C.2.a,
it was determined that the
a
I
biological technician should be kept entirely blind as to
all facets of the experiment, and that,
ip order to
facilitate
this situation, the psychoenergetic testing should occur in a location that
Was different from the one used
for the biological preparations.
The Microbial Genetics
Laboratory, therefore, was used for
all aspects of preparation of the biological cultures, and a
room
in another building at SRI was used for the psychoenergetic sessions.
c.
(U)
Hardware Construction
Once
it had been determined that two separate
facilities were
pecessary for conducting the experiment,
a container had to be constructed that was suitable
fpr transporting the biological samples from the Microbial Genetics Laboratory to the
psychoenergetics
facility.
There were three primary factors that dictated the design of the
Container:
(1) the biological samples had to be protected from extreme variations in
temperature ;
(2) the samples had to be protected from sunlight; and
(3) the container had to
be lockable.
^
i
To control against extreme variations in temperature, which can greatly
Effect the mutagenicity of Salmonella,
a Coleman® ice chest was chosen as the transport
(jontainer.
Triple-paned insulated glass windows were specially installed in the top and front
side of the ice chest to allow an unobstructed view of the experiment test tubes.
Because
Sunlight also affects the mutagenicity of the bacteria, a tarpaulin was used to completely cover
the cooler during transport between the biological laboratory and the psychoenergetics
facility.
A lock was installed; the key was retained exclusively by the biological technician, to preclude
the possibility of tampering with the biological samples once they had been removed from the
Microbial Genetics Laboratory.
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2.
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Presession Protocols
(U)
A series of activities took place prior to the
start of every experimental session.
First, the experiment monitor identified the session type from the fixed session sequence,
“aababb,”
(cf. Section C.2.b), to determine whether the session would be an IDS favorable or
an IDS unfavorable (RA or IDSU) condition.
I
Second, the technician in the Microbial Genetics Laboratory prepared the
bacterial cultures for the session
(see Appendix).
Eleven numerically-labelled,
sterile,
16-X-150-mm test tubes were aseptically
filled with 2.5 ml of glucose minimal broth.
Fifty
p.1 of a 37°C overnight culture of strain TA100 of Salmonella typhimurium was then added to
each tube. *
In a standardized manner, the
first nine tubes were arranged in a test-tube rack,
which was placed in the specially designed ice chest, and then locked.
The remaining two
control cultures were shielded from
visible light by a covering of aluminum
foil, and were
maintained at room temperature
in the Microbial Genetics Department laboratory.
(U)
The ice chest, with
its enclosed cultures, was placed on a cart and covered with
a tarpaulin to ensure that the mutation rate of the cultures was not affected by sunlight during
transportation from the laboratory to the experimental
facility.
(U)
Third, the experiment monitor transported the covered ice chest on the cart
from the biological laboratory to another
facility
at SRI, where the psychoenergelic portion of
the experiment was performed.
Prior to the arrival of the subject, the monitor wheeled the
ice chest into a room equipped with a table and two chairs.
The
ice chest was then
uncovered and positioned in such a way that a seated subject could readily view the nine
numbered test tubes through the
glass.
3.
(U)
Session Protocols
(U)
For other than the
first session
for each subject, a session usually commenced
with feedback to the subject of the previous session’s results
(to be discussed
in “Postsession
*(U)
It should be noted that there was no
visible evidence of “cloudiness” caused by the
bacterial culture
in any of the prepared test tube solutions.
The appearance of the liquid
was uniformly that of clear tap water.
Thus, there were no visual cues available to the
subject, as to which
test tubes might contain greater amounts of the bacterial culture.
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the appropriate test-tube-selection numbers.
The order of selection and an estimate of the
duration of effort per each test tube were noted
in the “Comments”
section.
Upon debriefing
the subject at the end of a session, the monitor also recorded any comments the subject
wished to make regarding possible strategies employed in the performance of the task, and
any personal statements the subjects wished to volunteer pertaining to their state-of-mind,
health, and so forth.
4.
(U)
Postsession Protocols
|
At the conclusion of the session, and after the departure of the subject
from the psychoenergetics
facility, the monitor once again covered the ice chest, then
transported
it on the cart back to the Microbial Genetics Laboratory.
(U)
The microbiologist removed the nine bacterial cultures from the
ice chest and
plaqed them, together with the additional two extrasession control cultures,
in an incubator
(G24 Environmental Incubator Shaker, New Brunswick Scientific Company,
Inc., Edison,
New Jersey).
The bacterial cultures were shielded from visible
light by aluminum
foil, and
gro\yn with gentle shaking (100 rpm)
for about 24 hours.
(U)
Following the incubation period,
testing of the eleven bacterial cultures to
determine the extent of mutation induction was initiated.
The testing was divided into two
pans:
•
Quantitation of number of cells plated, which measures the number of
plated
cells that are able to form colonies (CFU) on medium containing
histidine
(yeast complete medium).
•
Quantitation of mutant
cells, which measures the number of cells that are
able to grow in the absence of histidine.
(U)
The quantitation of CFU was accomplished according to a standardized set of
laboratory procedures.
First, each of the eleven bacterial cultures
(i.e., the cultures contained
in the nine-session test tubes plus the two controls) was serially diluted by combining 0.20 ml
of the culture with
1.80 ml of sterile saline until an overall million-fold dilution was obtained
(10-®).
Complete medium plates were then divided into three sections with a marking pen,
and a
10-jil aliquot of the
10-4
,
10-5
, and
10-8 dilutions were then delivered in triplicate to
the appropriate sections on the plate.
The 10—p.1 spots were allowed to dry on the surface of
the solid medium in the plates.
The plates were then incubated at 37 °C for up to 24 hours
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(U)
.
.
e
however
that subjects are able to interact causally with
There was no compelling evidence,
this particular biological system.
.
h 8 display the data contained in Table
1 in a subject-by-subject
(U)
Tables 2 through 8 display
co„ditiom
his low-aim
format.
One subject ptO) produced strong effects in the IDS
low-aim
condition was significant, lower than his high-atm condu™
P ^0
i
i
the no-aim condition
tP
condition was also significantly lower th
,
rests
a multiway analysis of variance (ANOVA) was
(U)
In addition to the vanou
-
^ ^ no
and high) and condition
conducted as a second form of ana, ^ ^ ^ analysi.
When the ANOVA
(,DS and RA) were used as the w^
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ „lhe ,
.. main effects."
For example,
examines one
' main effec
,
AN0VA^ across aU aims.
Likewise, to
l0 examine the IDS and^
^ lhe 1DS and RA conditions.
No significance
examine an aim effect,
A
^^ wM observed .
slBni ficance was observed,
was anticipated in these two dim
•
condilion
(P < 0-05). which
however,
in the interaction
and RA conditions when
ma, indicate that there
is some d, ^ ^^^ IM Qr RA „
-more significant."
It
examined as a function of a,
.
interaction term has been traditional,
3hould be noted that the
^_
,han one "main effect" should
difficult, and Rosenthal has sugges
_
anal >sis has been included here merely
not be used
in the social/psychological science
.
for the sake of completeness.
.
--I
summary,
this experiment has produced a m^e, weak “ "ire
\
cunDorts the conclusion that subjects are aoie 10
significant effect, which most re
^
^
solmgnella. but are unable to
information, psychoenergetica
y,
reKerat. lhe
criteria set forth in the
cause physica, perturbations in
, ca„didale
in,rusion detector unless
it
— PhCC; - "tT o, intentional perturbation,, or indirect,
(as a
registers energetic effects
V
To
first order, therefore,
it must be
-p— - -
does not appear
to be a promising intrusion detector.
*(U)
R. Rosenthal and R. Rosnow,
Book Co., New York,
1984).
Essentials of Behavioral Research ,
p. 254 (McGraw
Hill
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Table 2
(U) NORMALIZED MUTATION RATES
X
10 “6
(Subject
164)
Condition
Aim
Low
No
High
Remote Action (RA)
3.00
2.76
3.54
Remote Action (RA)
3.69
2.90
2.59
Remote Action (RA)
3.06
3.09
3.09
Mean
3.25
2.92
3.07
t (Low < No)
= -1.430
n.s.
Statistics*
t (No < High)
=
0.484
n.s.
t (Low < High) = -0.475
n.s.
Aim
Condition
Low
No
High
Intuitive Data Sorting (IDS)
2.99
2.89
3.26
Intuitive Data Sorting (IDS)
2.79
3.54
2.93
Intuitive Data Sorting (IDS)
3.57
2.68
2.83
Mean
3.11
3.04
3.01
t (Low < No)
= -0.310
n.s.
Statistics*
t (No < High)
=
-0.112
n.s.
t (Low < High) = -0.475
n.s *-•
* Degrees of freedom =
16.
UNCLASSIFIED
i
-)
Given the weak statistical nature of the effect and the potential t
importance of intrusion detection,
replication
is recommended for a variety of compelling
reasohs.
First, there are a number of proposed methodological changes to this experiment
(as
discussed in Chapter V) that would
in
all likelihood enhance the robustness of the
effect.
From this perspective, the experiment might legitimately be considered a pilot study.
Second,
this
is the
first experiment of
its kind that has used Salmonella as the target biological system;
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Table 3
(U) NORMALIZED MUTATION RATES X
“ 6
(Subject 240)
Condition
Aim
Low
No
High
Remote Action (RA)
2.91
3.45
2.87
Remote Action (RA)
3.48
3.09
2.68
Remote Action (RA)
3.45
2.58
3.16
Mean
3.28
3.04
2.90
t (Low < No)
= -0.809
n.s.
Statistics*
t (No < High)
=
-0.543
n.s.
t (Low < High) = -1.443
n.s.
S
Aim
Condition
Low
No
High
|
Intuitive Data Sorting (IDS)
2.59
3.23
3.40
Intuitive Data Sorting (IDS)
3.40
2.87
2.98
Intuitive Data Sorting (IDS)
2.98
3.20
2.92
Mean
2.99
3.10
3.10
t (Low < No)
=
0.345
n.s.
Statistics*
t (No < High)
=
-0.004
n.s.
t (Low < High)
=
0.317
n.s.
* Degrees of freedom =
UNCLASSIFIED
i
thus,
at least one attempt at replication would be appropriate, before any definitive statements
could be made regarding the efficacy of Salmonella as an intrusion detector.
Finally, the
statistically significant result in the IDS condition—the informational ability to obtain a desired
outcome using intuition—demonstrates the existence of a psychoenergetic ability that has
numerous ^
applications; replications could be designed to further explore and
enhance this potentially useful psi talent.
C
J
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Appmvpri For Release 2001/03i&H-G
D
GC3
Final
Technical
Report
Covering the Period
July
1986
to
15 November
1986
ENHANCED HUMAN PERFORMANCE
INVESTIGATION
(U)
December
1986
SRI
Project
1291
GopV~rt5..-oi
Copies.
This document consists of 78 pages.
SHI/(jl
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I INTRODUCTION (U)
A.
(U)
Overview
t
In accordance with the requirements set forth under the program, “Enhanced
ia
Human Performance Investigations”
^this document
provides a progress update for work performed by SRI International and
its subcontractors
during Fiscal Year 1986.
The aim of the five-year program (FY 1986-1990)
is to provide
research and development in the area of psychoenergetics as a means to enhance human
performance
B.
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Definitions
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Psychoenergetic phenomena are defined here as direct interactions between human
consciousness and the environment, which, although the mechanism
is unexplained, can be
observed and recorded.
These human capabilities
fall into two main categories:
(1) the
acquisition of information, and
(2) the production of physical effects.
These can be further
defined as
•
Remote Viewing (RV)/Extrasensory Perception (ESP)—The ability to
gain access, by mental means alone, to concealed data or remote sites.
•
Remote Action (RA) /Psychokinesis (PK)—The ability to influence, by
mental means alone, physical or biological systems.
C.
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Program Scope
The program
is designed to provide the necessary foundation to assess various
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~
aspects of psychoenergetics*
The program
is highly diverse
and interdisciplinary;
it spans many
fields and involves academic and research
facilities,
subcontractors, and consultants.
Furthermore,
it initiates an in-depth investigation into the
life sciences aspects of psychoenergetic phenomena.
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D.
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Program Objectives
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Basically, there are three program objectives:
(1)
to document that
psychoenergetic phenomena are real and reproducible,
(2)
to determine the mechanism (s)
underlying these phenomena, and
(3)
to bring the
field of psychoenergetics into the
mainstream of human performance research, by providing a scientific foundation equivalent to
the rest of the performance research
field.
In the minds of some, there
is no doubt that
psychoenergetic phenomena are real and reproducible.
In the minds of many others, both
scientific professionals and informed lay persons,
this
is not the case.
The categories of research interest under consideration form a hierarchy ranging
from basic research on fundamental mechanisms to methodologies for applications, including
•
Identifying explanatory mechanisms
(e.g., electromagnetic effects,
neurophysiological mechanisms)
.
•
Specifying phenomenological properties
(e.g., the effects of distance and
shielding)
.
•
Determining physical, physiological, and psychological correlates
(e.g.,
geophysical environment, EEG and GSR measures, and personality
profiling)
.
•
Developing optimal strategies for use
in applications
(e.g.,
statistical
averaging).
E.
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Program Resources
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To meet the above objectives, the SRI program
is using both in-house and
external expertise.
For over a decade,
a core group of researchers at SRI has been studying
a wide variety of subjects in psychoenergetics—augmented by access to specialty centers such
as our neurosciences and our microbial genetics laboratories. -
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Some of the work
is being subcontracted to institutions, groups, and consultants
who have a demonstrated track record in this research area.
Other subcontractors may have
had no association with this
field but. because of their specific area of expertise, can make
valuable contributions to our program goals.
Thus, the widest possible interdisciplinary
viewpoints are available to the program, and the mixture of resources
will ensure that peer
group review and scientific interactions are maximized.
Subcontractors and consultants
currently include personnel from Princeton University, Syracuse University, John F. Kennedy
University, the Palo Alto Medical Clinic, MARS Measurements Associates, the Parapsychology
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III PROBLEM AREAS (U)
As a result of the SOC comments at the commencement of the FY 1986 program,
substantial criticism was directed toward the Time Research Institute (TRI) subcontract.
An
extensive review of TRI’s proposed Statement of Work,
facilities, techniques, and
qualifications was subsequently carried out by SRI, and three major problem areas were
revealed:
(1) tenuous overall scientific justification for pursuing this area of investigadon;
(2)
inaccurate measurement techniques employed by TRI; and
(3) questionable
statistical
approaches proposed by TRI for data analysis.
As a result of this review, the decision was made to terminate TRI’s subcontract.
This termination was effective
19 May
1986.
At the time of the termination, approximately
$25,000 remained in this subcontract.
TRI has provided an
initial estimate of approximately
$9j800 in termination expenses.
According to
,
however, TRI has until one year after the termination date to formalize
its claims.
In
addition,
a determination must be made as to the disposition of the equipment purchased by
the subcontractor under the present contract and the one immediately preceding.
Therefore,
a
final settlement on the TRI subcontract
is
still pending.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES
I
INTRODUCTION
A.
Overview
B.
Definitions
C.
Program Scope
D.
Program Objectives
E.
Program Resources
II
PROGRESS TO DATE
A.
Status of Subcontracts
B.
Status of Consultants
C.
Progress to Date
for Each Objective/Task
III
PROBLEM AREAS
IV
PROJECT MILESTONE CHART
V
COST SUMMARY
APPENDIX—A POSTERIORI ASSESSMENTS OF THE SCIENTIFIC OVERSIGHT
COMMITTEE
un 1
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LIST OF TABLES
1.
Status of Consultants for FY 1988
2.
Enhanced Human Performance Investigation—FY 1988
3.
Summary of Finances—FY 1988
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