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ignorant of the machine* s
state until
the subject has made his
choice;
thus,
the experiment
is
of
the double-blind type.
Because
the user obtains
immediate information feedback as
to the correct answer,
he may be able
to recognize his mental state
at those times when he has made
a correct response.
If
the information
feedback
to
the user were not imnediate,
we hypothesize
as much learning
would not take place and
less
or no enhancement would be achieved.
The machine operated
in
a mode
in which
a
run of
trials
continued until
20 misses were accumulated.
At that point
the run
was
terminated and
the number of hits/run
(excess
trials over 20)
were recorded.
Data with this machine were obtained on seven separate
occasions,
resulting
in the plot
of Figure
4.
Total scoring was
at
the p = 0.35
level and therefore did not differ from chance significantly
(due perhaps
to Mr.
Swann’s expressed distaste for working with machines).
However,
the general increase
in
the number of hits/run over the seven-
run period indicated
a
learning trend as
in
the
target location experiment
of Section A.
A least-squares
fit linear regression curve
(learning
curve)
indicates
a
learning rate of 0.7/run
(p m 0,07 significance
level)
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D,
Additional Areas
Indicating Further
Investigation
Of further significance,
hut difficult
to evaluate quantitatively
at
this
point,
was
a number of subjective observations reported by
Mr.
Swann during the course
of
experimentation.
Mr.
Swann
is extremely
articulate about
subjective
impressions,
visualizations,
etc.,
which
leads
to
the possibility of building up
a coherent picture over
a
long
period of experimentation which can then be
tested objectively.
Examples
include his inner perception of helium gas
as yellow
(perhaps related
to the known resonance
in the yellow portion of
the spectrum),
his
use of visualizations
of scanning beams
in perception experiments,
his reported subjective impression of scanning beam diffraction into
a
rainbow when
a quartz prism was
the
target,
observations
that extra-
normal vision
is weakest
in the visible portion of
the spectrum where
dependence on ordinary human vision predominates,
etc.
If such observa-
tions can be brought into
a pattern and correlated with objective measure-
ments,
significant insight
into extraordinary human functioning could
be expected.
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III
TASK
3;
EXPERIMENTATION WITH URI GELLER
The experiments conducted with Geller in November-December
,
1972,
fell into two broad categories:
1,
Perception experiments
in which he was asked
to identify and
draw the contents
of opaque sealed envelopes,
to identify
a die face
concealed
in
a metal box,
and
to find objects hidden in one of ten
identical film cans.
2.
Experiments involving physical effects
in which he was asked
to interact with laboratory equipment by perturbing the experimental
apparatus without physical contact.
All experiments were monitored by simultaneous
filming,
video-
taping,
sound recording,
and, where appropriate,
laboratory instrumenta-
tion.
The experiments performed with Mr.
Geller are summarized below
in writing and
a film covering the experimentation
is
in progress.
A.
Probability
1/6 Double-Blind Dice Box Experiment
A double-blind experiment was performed
in which
a single
die was placed
in
a closed metal box.
The box was vigorously shaken
by one of
the experimenters and placed on
a
table.
The orientation
of the die inside the box was unknown
to the experimenters
at
that
time.
Mr.
Geller would then look at the box without touching
it and
call out which die face he believed was uppermost.
He gave the correct
answer each of
8 times
the experiment was performed.
The probability
that
this could have occurred by chance alone
is approximately one
in
a million.
The experiment was actually performed ten
times,
but on
two occasions
the subject said his perception was not clear and he
was allowed to pass.
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B.
Probability
1/10 Hidden Object Experiment
For this experiment ten identical aluminum film cans with
stainless
steel
tops were placed
in
a
row*
An outside assistant not
associated with the research would place
the cans
in
a
random position
and put
the target object into one of
them*
He would
then put caps on
all
the cans and
leave
the experimental area,
notifying the experimenters
that
the experiment was
ready*
The
experimenters-, who were not aware
which can contained
the object,
would then enter the room with Geller
(i*e*,
the experiment was carried out
in
a double-blind fashion).
The
subject would either pass his
hand over the row of cans
or simply
look at
them*
He would
then call out the cans he
felt confident were
empty,
and
the experimenter would remove
them from the row,
When
only
two or three cans
remained,
Geller would announce which one he
thought contained
the
target object.
He had no difficulty identifying
the location of water,
steel ball bearings
and small magnets.
This
task was performed
twelve times
, without error.
The probability that
this could have occurred by chance alone
is
about one
in
a
trillion.
On
two occasions
he declined
to answer.
One
of
the
targets
that
apparently "stumped" him was
a paper-wrapped metal ball bearing.
The
other was
a
sugar
cube.
C.
Picture Drawing Experiment
In
this experiment simple pictures were drawn on 3x5 file
cards.
The field
of possibilities
of target materials was
at no
time revealed
to Mr.
Geller.
The pictures were put
into double-sealed
envelopes by an outside assistant not associated with the experiment
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and placed
in
a
safe for which the experimenters did not have the
combination.
To conduct
the experiment,
the experimenters
,
two of
which had
to be present,
were permitted
to select an envelope at
random from the
safe,
open
it
to identify
the picture,
seal
it again
and enter the experimental
room.
Geller made seven almost exact
reproductions
of
the seven chosen target pictures,
with no errors
(see Fig.
5).
Video and audio monitoring did not reveal any cueing
possibilities.
Figure
6 shows
the results obtained when
a drawing
was brought
in as
a
test by an outside consultant to
a potential
sponsor.
The inspiration of
the drawing was
a magazine cartoon
shown
in the upper right.
The drawing
itself
is shown in the upper
left,
and Geller' s version
is
shown
in the
lower right.
A double
blind version of the drawing experiment
is shown
in Fig.
7 where
an envelope chosen at random and unknown both
to experimenter and
Geller resulted in the reproduction shown.
Two experiments
to measure physical perturbation of
laboratory apparatus were also carried out.
One of
these involved
apparently exerting
a force on
a
laboratory balance,
and
the other
was
the generation of an apparent magnetic field recorded by
a
magnetometer.
Both of
these experiments were performed several
times with results improving with repetition,
showing apparent
evidence of
learning taking place.
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D.
Laboratory Balance
A precision laboratory balance measuring weights from one
milligram to fifty grams was placed under
a bell
jar.
This balance,
made by Scientech Corp.,
Boulder,
Colorado,
generated an electrical
output voltage in proportion to the force applied to
it.
The balance
had
a one-gram mass placed on its pan before
it was covered with
a
bell
jar.
A chart recorder then continuously monitored
the force
applied
to the pan of the balance.
On several occasions
the subject
caused the balance
to respond as though
a force were applied
to the
pan.
This was evidenced by
a corresponding displacement shown by
the
chart recorder.
These displacements
increased from 50 -
1500 milligrams
and were significantly different
in signature from those that could
be produced by striking the bell
jar or the
table
or jumping on
the
floor,
as indicated
in Fig.
8.
Efforts on our part
to debunk the
experiment by the use of magnets or discharge of
static electricity
against parts
of
the apparatus were unsuccessful.
Also,
day-long
control runs with no effort on Geller's part failed
to reveal noise
or artifacts resembling the signals produced by Geller’s efforts.
Therefore,
the experiment indicated an apparent ability of Geller
to
affect the apparatus by an as yet unidentified means.
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E.
Magnetometer Experiment
A Bell gaussmeter was used
to determine
if
Mr.
Geller could
perturb an instrument sensitive
to magnetic fields.
The instrument
was
set
to a full scale sensitivity
of 0.3 gauss.
The subject would
move his empty hands near the instrument in an effort
to cause
a
deflection of
the chart recorder monitoring the magnetometer output.
In carefully filmed experiments,
Geller was able
tp perturb
the
magnetometer causing full scale deflection without touching the
measuring head of
the instrument.
Geller was examined before,
during,
and after experimentation with the same magnetometer probe
to insure
against the presence
of artifact-producing materials.
F.
Further Observations
A number of other observations were made which for one
reason or another did not meet our rigorous protocol prerequisites
for
a
controlled experiment and therefore are not
to be included
in the category of experiments A through E which we consider well
controlled.
Perhaps
the most notable of
these were
a class of observations
associated with one
of Geller' s alleged attributes
that had been
reported
to us, which was that he was able
to bend or break metal
from a distance without touching
it.
In the
laboratory we did not
find him able
to do
so.
It was always necessary for him in the
experimental situation
to have physical contact with any metal he
bent.
In
a more relaxed protocol where he was permitted
to touch
the metal, metals were bent.
This
included SRI—manufactured and
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serialized rings
of brass and copper which were measured
to require
150
lbs.
force
to bend
them.
However,
it was not clear whether such
bending took place because Mr.
Geller has extraordinarily strong
fingers and good control
of micro-manipulatory movements,
or whether
the metal
"turns
to plastic"
in his hand
as he claims.
Our final
conclusion
in watching our films was
that simple photo interpretation
is insufficient to determine whether metals are being bent by normal or
paranormal means.
In summary,
the three perception experiments
(hidden drawings
in envelopes,
double-blind hidden object experiment,
double-blind
die-in-the-box experiment)
and the
two psychokinetic experiments
(depression or raising of
a weight on an electrical scale and
the
magnetometer indication)
do not admit of any ready counterhypothesis
to the concept of extraordinary human functioning.
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IV
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
The data gathered to date with the aid of consultants Swann and
Geller point
to the existence of an as yet unidentified mode of
extraordinary human functioning.
Efforts
to explain the phenomena
either within the framework of conventional concepts or by exposure
of outright fraud have both met with failure at
this point.
With
regard
to the latter possibility,
it might be mentioned that our
efforts
to detect fraud were quite sophisticated
(including the use
of consultant magicians
on our part) under the hypothesis
that
subjects skilled in trickery might be sent
to us
to test the
adequacy of our program to detect fraud.
The observations to date are sufficiently detailed and well
controlled
to indicate without doubt
that extraordinary human
functioning has been observed.
Further work
is
required,
however,
to obtain sufficient data
to permit
the emergence of patterns
of
cause-effect relationships and the elucidation
of the mechanisms and
agencies
involved.
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(p =
1/3
Per
Trial)
SA-2259-1
I FIGURE
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"0
RUN NUMBER
(10 TRIALS/RUN;
p =
1/3 PER TRIAL)
SA-2259-7
FIGURE
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TEMPERATURE
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I
FIGURE
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HITS
N/RUN
[OUT
OF
(20
+
N)
TRIALS/RUN]
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RUN NUMBER
[(20 +
N) TRIALS/RUN; p =
1/4 PER TRIAL]
|
SA-2259-6
|
FIGURE
'
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