Approved For Release 2000/08/08
: CIA-RDP96-00789R002200600001-1
a.
Viewers
Eight viewers were selected for this experiment.
Four were known to be good remote
viewers, and four were staff members with unknown viewing ability.
Each viewer contributed a
minimum of one and a maximum of three independent sessions.
b.
Senders
The senders in all sessions were either various staff members who were well known to
the viewers or they were viewer’s spouses.
c.
Dependent Variable
The dependent variable is the RMS phase shift of the primary alpha activity as a result
averaged over
all RS.
2.
Specific Protocol Details
a.
Stimuli
Remote stimuli consisted of an NTSC encoded blank screen with a 5-cm square, linear,
vertical, sinusoidal grating lasting about 100 ms.
These stimuli (DS to the sender) subtended 2
degrees in the lower left visual field of the sender.
This was maintained by asking the sender to
focus his visual attention on a permanent mark on the monitor.
Pseudo stimuli consisted of the
blank screen without the superimposed grating, and were included as a putative within-run control.
b.
Run Timing
Figure 1 shows a schematic timing diagram for one run. No two stimuli of any type were
allowed to occur within a 3-second period of each other. A stimulus may occur, however, any time
within a 4.5-second window thereafter.
The sender was presented with a minimum of 9 and a
maximum of 15 DS occurring at random intervals within a 120-second period.
In all but the first
session,
a random number of pseudo stimuli
(i.e., random time markers with no concomitant
stimuli—PS) were added as a within-run control. A viewer was never presented with direct stimuli
except in locating the maximal response to the visual areas (see Section 2.c).
Approved For Release 2000/08/08
: CIA-RDP96-00789R002200600001-1
Approved For Release 2000/08/08
: CIA-RDP96-00789R002200600001-1
Pseudo Stimuli
11FT
L
Remote Stimuli
120 sec
Figure
1.
Schematic Timing Protocol—Single Run
c.
Instructions to Viewers
In
all
sessions,
the
viewers
were
completely
informed
about
the
details
of
the
experiments.
Prior to their placement on the MEG table, they were shown the location of the RS
display monitor, and were instructed to place their attention upon
it or the sender during the
session.
For some sessions, the viewer was instructed to press a fiber-optic-coupled button
when he felt that he perceived stimuli. Each button press was marked in the data record.
Button
pressing was retained in this protocol as part of the conceptual replication.
d.
Sensor-array Placement and Calibration
We selected the location for the sensor array by optimizing the viewer’s response to
direct visual stimuli.
Inherent in this choice is an assumption that may not be valid: namely, that
neurons participating in a reaction to RS are the same as those that respond to DS.
The sensor
locations were then marked on an acetate transparency to allow for accurate repositioning of the
sensors in later sessions. One such placement (right occipital) is shown for viewer 002 in Figure 2.
Approved For Release 2000/08/08
: CIA-RDP96-00789R002200600001-1
Approved For Release 2000/08/08
: CIA-RDP96-00789R002200600001-1
'
•
Distance
}
(cm)
-1
•
—2
i
-1
-2
I
I
I
I
f
T
-3
-4
-5
-6
-7
-8
-9 -10
Distance (cm)
Figure
2.
Sensor Position Relative to the Inion
(0,0)
for Viewer 002
For a calibration, the viewer was fitted with a spandex cap with grid marks aligned with
his inion, nasion, and earlobes
(i.e, head-centered coordinate system).
The viewer was then
placed as comfortably as possible on an observation table beneath the MEG.
He must lie face
down and look though a hole in the table to view the DS via a system of mirrors. These stimuli were
displayed by a projector located outside the entrance to the shielded room.
The sensors of the
MEG were lowered from above
to touch
his head
over the
right
occipital
lobe.
In
this
configuration, the sensor array was moved at the end of 30 DS to a position that optimized his
response to the DS.
Once found, the array position was marked on the cap
for subsequent
repositioning.
e.
Sequence of Events for a Session
The following is the schedule of events for a session:
•
Collect approximately 10 minutes of background data with no viewer or sender
present and the MEG in
full operation.
•
Isolate the sender with the stimulus display device.
•
With the viewer on the table, position the sensor array at the calibration point.
•
At time = 0, start the monitoring of data with computer-generated trigger. Data are
collected the entire 120 seconds at a rate of 200 samples per second.
•
At time < 120 seconds, present 9 to 15 remote and 9 to 15 PS to the sender.
•
At time > 120 seconds, allow the viewer to relax for about 2 to 5 minutes without
leaving the table.
This break generally consists of the sender entering the shielded
room to engage the viewer in conversation.
•
Collect nine additional runs with the same procedure while the viewer remains
positioned on the table under the MEG.
Approved For Release 2000/08/08
: CIA-RDP96-00789R002200600001-1