oes Abproved FGF Relddsé 2991/03/26 : CIA-RDP96-00787R0Q9200080043-7' pag 6 Proceelings of 5 Be Apparently, "clairvoyance" scems to be viewed or interpreted aa some kind of non-sensory "seeing clearly" of an object not immediately available to sensory surveillance and scanning. It would seem, therefore, that for objective expert- mental purposes it may be operationally defined either by specifying instructions to a subject concerning his potential task of envisioning distant objects, or by controlling the very existence of a target to be seen "remotely" (or any cther way for that matter), Therefore, each. of these procedural details can serve as an IV in a well controlled 2=factor design. or the "target" ITV, we would seem to need only the two basic levels of this TV, namely, a condition in which a remote target is available for alloged "remote viewing," hypothetically facilitated in some inscrutable fashion by a “demarcation team" actively observing the target according to explicit, replicable directions, and a condition in which no such remote target or team exists. The former instance would theoretically permit clairvoyance to operate (if it exists), since one's reported imagery could be matched or compared to the actual selected target, as discussed in detail above; the latter control condition would not, since there would be no selected target to see clairvoyantly or otherwise. Furthermore, on the basis of an operational definition of remoterviewing in terms of the instructions to $ establishing his remote-viewing task, we can proceed “to require him to draw pictures or verbally deseribe anything he can imagine for, gay, a Seminute period (conmensing, and ending at our signal), but in the experie mental condition further telling him to attempt to view a remote target, whereas refraining from such a demand in the control condition, The overall deaign then would be; . . roo a . ea s ee eer Se ee ee ee ee Pe ne ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee Oe oe adel INSERT DIAGRAM HERE rt © fe Se ee oe 2 ee ee ee ee oe ee ee ee 2 ee ee ee ee el Procedurally, this would moan we begin by creating a large pool of nearby geographical sites to function ag potential “targeta" (This is an attempe to perserve the authors procedures wherever feasible, since it would hardly otherwise be very advisable to use such complex atimuli as chese targets when little is known of these effects with simple stinull), and then randomly assign targets to the 4 cellin of our experimental design until, say, each cell has five (5) targets (or perhapa more depending somewhat on resources and the type of statistical teat to be used). An for our “Snstruction" variable, we will basically require § to give a detailed phenomee nological report of his "stream of consclousnesse" experiences at designated momenta, but, for half of the targets (cells A and 3B) we would have in addition asked S toe attempt to "visualize" some geographical scone (we would provide our rendera in the later yeport with detailed, replicable, instructions so the reader could evaluate the degree to which we may have given our § any information about the type, condition or location of the target, all of which information may help diminish the population of total targets § thinks might be under consideration, thus significantly increaning the probability of making a hite=a circumatance that. may help account for auch outs standing "hita' in the authors! report ae that of White Plaza). Thea differential ‘ Approved For Release 2001/03/26 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000200080043-7
Approved For Reléase’ 2991/03/26 : CIA-RDP96-00787R0QQ200080043-7 eS fej ep: FQ < ce ON fx 4h ay fH EA v2 fx Py Approved For Release 2001/02/26% CIANRDR96106787R000200080043-7 REESE ORE ARORP ORIN SI YNT e, SIYOLNE IAAT IS AIOE LIT PRIOR I: TAL) Ly em Et (EXP RE A RAHN LO DN NT A GOERS: TES EMOTE RL TI VIEW TR ee | NTAL) AM) TRE Ty BRive XP Fe] Seat « <i i) =) pac ieee CAMERA ERI EOE Le APRA HY DARE PALE ERSTE MIE GIN BRL EIN a) eta PP TRL E CAEFPRLEVIA SIMRO SS ATE PEN DO NOT fe} re = { fr) G4 ro) bot in (% (CONTROL) Es © fr m CR to OF NUMBES DY:
“ey tiiya ieocchPRROVEed RSPR elsaS8 gg0 1/03/26 : CIA-RDP96-00787R0Q9200080043-7 © “aia 7 Proc presence of such infermation, varying with the "instruction" TV, would be an excellent cxample of a confounding variable in an experiment of this type. Tn any case, the use of these control conditions (no target, no remoterviewing demand {in various combinations designated by cells A, C and D) permits an empirical deter- mination of the extent to which such "hits" in matching may occur simply by virtue of the similarities judges may read into this matching material due to its inherent unstructured subjective quality, much as human observers of Rorschach ink blots see a map of Ireland or a bust of Caeser, an organization imposed on perceptual materiala that perceptual theorists refer to as "Gestalts," often reflecting unconscious needs of the observer (such as, "I have psychic powers I must demonstrate."), As for the sequence to be followed in actually running § through these different treatment combinations, a simple randomized arransyement would suffice, that is, assuming 20 targets, with numbers 1-5 in cell A, 6-10 in cell }} and so on, we simply run the treatment combination according to the next number in the random series (e.g., 1£ 13 is the first random number, we run S according, to the conditions obtaining for cell C), Later the judge can in random sequence consider one cell blocs of descriptions and targets after the other, until all four cella have been "matched, where naturally the judge is not in€orned of the treatment combination condition, Wit rates are determined, for example, and then appropriate satatiatical tests for vinple effects, main’ effects, and possible interactions determined, ‘The “"remote-view! ng" hypothesis would be confirmed 1£ cell "B" had significantly more hits than cell "A" (no target),cell "C" (target, no ReV instruction), and certainly than cell "Dp" (where both target and appropriate instructions are absent), ‘The present reported ftudy, by:the way, consists only in cell "B", making appropriate comparison impossible. In any case, lack of such significant differences will mevely disconfirm this para- psychological hypothesis (not "disprove"), thereby providing no ona with any empirical reason for affirming belief in the existence in this unusual phenomenon’a exiutencess at least, as evaluated in this suggested experimental design. Furthermore, the underlying logic should be clear, that the clairvoyant hypo- thesis cannot be evaluated when watches or hits (cell "A") are compared to nome hypothetical — "chance" level (no matter how accurate the statistical teat be according to individual statisticians, pronouncements of statistical assochations, or as found in statistics texte) that fails to vepresent the normal, or average number of hita eaten ie nm et that might be really expected under t these identical co conditions when clairvoyance docs not exist (as cella "D" especially, and also "A" and "CG" establishes, as explained above). The essential experimental invalidity of this parapsychological tactic of comparing their soecalled “experimental data" to some hypothetical "chance" level, expectally in the absence of experimental control conditions, is perhaps moat clearly illustrated in the psychokinetie ("mind over matter") literature. In those studies, classically championed by Rhine sonia years ago (c.%., 1947), a tumbler might toss out onto a table some 600 dice; the S being evaluated for his alleped “paychic'’ akilla makes some effort to mentally or "ysychically" influence each die and have, say, a4 many 58 turn up as he can, A tabulation is made, and it La found that, say, 25 Sshave indeed turned up*-a startling result, indeed, especially when it ie considered that only 100 should have so turned up by "chance," The problem of this interpretatio is the same as that in the present "remote-viewinge" study, This "chance level" le a theoretical, mathematical abstract model of tha behavior of 600 ideal dica, not Approved For Release 2001/03/26 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000200080043-7
‘Me. Robect W. ky, di ter: " Apeaa  eocoAnbroved ar Release 2901/03/26 : CIA-RDP96-00787ROQQ200080043-7 Pago a x » tifa necessarily related to the die actually being used in the atudy at all, not to mention te the procedures and physical conditions operating in actually uning and "crossing!" them, An empirical control condition ia necessary to obtain this "stan- dard" for comparison, one representing the actual conerete die used in the study, and accounting for such potentially confounding variables influencing the throw such as non-horizontal tables, loaded dice, etc, (all ag discuased above), This control condition would exactly duplicate the experimental condition, save only for the omission of some critical factor under’ study in the experiment, such as (in this case) psychokinesis itself! In other words, we run a non-PK condition, in which all. is done ag in the experimental condition, but § does not "PK" when the dic fa thrown. ~ ~~ Would not such a comparison change our interpretation of this whole altuation £ it was found that again about 230 dice came up "Sa"? We would then obvieusly look for those other alternative, non=parapsychological explanations for the high 5'a count (such as the possibility of loaded dice). An excellent review. of the PK literature through 1962, and general critique of this "theoretical model", la that of Girden (1963). -~ Jt way be true, as the parapsychologists claim, that SP is real and represente a great latent power of the human mind, one day to emerge in full recognition by science as another momentous step in the evolution of man and hia mind; but tts truth remains to be demonstrated through use of the experimental method, and until it, ia, in the same way as Ohm's law or Pavlov's conditioned reflex paradigm has been so demonstrated, parapsychologists ought not consider psychologists and olher scientists and engineers calcified conservatives blindly refusing to see the obvious "fact" that ESP, etc., exists, because the parapsychologists themselves seem to virtually intentionally avoid using the only techniques which {in the long run will prove persuasive to the scientific commnity, and those are objective experimental proceduras, ee Perseverance of belief in HSP and related phenomena built upon such shabby and preposterous evidence as is usually offered as “sclentifie proof" on behalf of the ESP proponents (and the present study is to some extent an example) itself requires some explanation, since such perserverance is often cited as itself saonchow evidence for the existence of these "paranormal" phenomena (important people wouldn't believe it L£ tt wasnte trues). Te is not hard to find such an explanation in the literature of the social psychology of social movements and cults, sinee therein it ig well understood how organized groups of individuals may band topether with thety own ideologies, their own clubs, their own In-s,roup publications and aacred works, their own symbols, passwords and slogans, in the interest often of providing some sense to life, some direction, sone compensation for a nenne of personal less, insignificance, or inferiority, which ia previded by becoming a "true believer," as Hoffer (1951) put it, in some special and unique movement, Mupectally is this true of ideologies that persist despite virtually universal rejection on some rational grounds, suggesting, in contrast, that the belief in question answers to needs other than those that ave rational, The particular di€ficulty the para- psychologists seem to encounter in that (most Fortunately for humanity) the pelencific method represents one of the few really pristine exemplars of the rational-use of the human mind, thereby guarantecing a clash with their own vested frrational idceoloy;icad systems, Add to this the consideration that we are presently witnessing, a atrony, Yesurgence of popular interest in the occult and supernatural, with a proportionate increase in the volume of superstitutious behavior prevalent, wa can sce that the Approved For Release 2001/03/26 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000200080043-7
Approved For Release 2001/03/26 : CIA-RDP96-00787ROQ920008004357.1 26, 1976 MY, Robe . Cox proceedings of the TEEL Page 9 present atudy decidedly fits into che "roitgeist" of contemporary demantia,. This is especially unfortunate for psychology, since this also means considerable talent and potential expertise that could have pushed back frontiers of new understanding of the normal complex realities of human perception and its relation to the nervous system, and physical reality, should instead to diverted into inquiry into the bizarre circuitous vagaries of the so-called “para-normal". REFERENCES 1. Ebbinghaus, Tl. Memory! A Contribution to iixperimental Psychology, New York: re Dover Publications, 1964 (original; 1845) 2, Girden, E.. A Review of Psychokinesis (PK). psychological Bulletin, 1962, 59, 353=388. : 3. Hoffer, BE, The True Believer. New York; New American Library, 1964 (original 1951). 4&4 Puthof£, H.E., and Targ, R. A Pereeptual Channel for Information Transfer over Kilometer Distances: Historical Perspective and Recent Research, Proceedings of the TWEE, 1976, 64, 329-354, 5,. Rhine, J. B. The Reach of the Mind, New York: W. Sloane Associates, 1966 Sincerely yours, \ 1 Ofl . James L, Galkinas, Ph.D, Associate Profassor JLC:¢m . Approved For Release 2001/03/26 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000200080043-7