Approved Fongglease 2003/04/18 +-ClA- ROP96-00787Q900400070025-6 2 February 1973 MEMO FOR THE RECORD SUBJECT Paranormal Phenomena: Further Developments/Reflections /Suggestions 1, This memo : recapitulates briefly the substance of the 1 Feb meeting with TSD (para 2); supplements in a limited way earlier reflections on the phenomena (para 3); and suggests possible next steps for joint TSD/ORD action (para 4). The Attachment is a suggested draft memo for convening a low-key conference with other Agency elements having a legitimate interest in the topic, 2. The 1 Feb meeting was attended by of TSD and _SGIl SG1I of ORD; the®G'l meeting was held in the ORD conference room and lasted from 1400 to 1700 hrs. The salient subjects covered were as follows. a. TSD's Past & Present Project, Future Intentions. TSD first got into the paranormal field with SRI in summer 72, giving them a few thousand dollars to complete experiments they were then running (evidently largely on their own funds) with SWANN and, a bit later, with GELLER. It wasn't a controlled ‘project’ per se but, rather, a stop-gap measure~-the results of which were the recent presentation and film. TSD was sufficiently impressed by those results to invest 50K in a six month SRI project (JAN-JUNE 73), the purpose of which is to examine SWANN in considerably more detail and to see if findings of a nature similar to those in the GELLER experiments result. If they do, TSD will in all likelihood urge some follow-on by themselves, ORD and/or others (ec. g., the Natl Sci Foundation) but that is a matter which can be seriously dis- cussed only as the SWANN data begins to come in. TSD won't know the precise nature SG1I of the SRI design/intent with SWANN until [| next visit there; while the SRI people have been quite cooperative and willing to accept Agency suggestions as to design and procedures (we are the only sponsor they have as yet, although there have been some indications that minor funds have been provided by the Mind Science Foundation of L.A. ), the fact that neither SWANN nor GELLER know of Agency or USG involvement (and would, SG1| presumably, resent it) has precluded any direct involvement or close control by TSD., roo ee send ORD a copy of the current project. TSD has not as yet addressed itself seriously to the question of practical or immediate CS operational applications of the purported phenomena. b. TSD Impressions of SRI and GELLER-SWANN. TSD has no reason to doubt the motivation or credentials of SRI management and researchers and, on balance, believe that they have conducted themselves and the experiments with decent objectivity. SRI management was highly skeptical and reluctant to get involved at the outset but now most of them are 'believers'!--even though they still fear the possibility of a hoax and are rel- uctant to become publicly identified with the experiments; for this reason they have thus far refused to let PUTHOFF and TARG publish any of their data. Nonetheless, the latter two and possibly other SRI officials as well now believe that they are on toVscientific break- through of the century~-and are under standably eager to keep control over the Subjects and the experiments so that they won't be aced-out of the eventual credit, SRI's initial SG1B proposal to TSD (Dec 72) was for a one year project totalling es exhaustive testing of both GELLER & SWANN and research into transferabi ity/trainability of the SG1B Phenomena); TSD could underwrite only the or the phenomenological testing of SWANN (with some hopes of medical/behaviora testing as well) and told SRI that they could, naturally, try to interest other parties in the balance of their proposal. SRi has sent the proposal to NIH, ARPA, NSA, DOD (and possibly others) but, while considerable interest hrs been expressed, there are no other takers as yet. SRI is also interested in developing screening techniques to identify people with paranormal capacities but it | is not clear to what extent (if at all) this will be addressed in the current project. All | they really hope/expect to accomplish by June 73 is validation/verification of the fact that there are, indecd, phenomena worthy of our study; beyond that, as to whether SRI has theoretical physicists or others, for instance, who could actually get at the roots of the phenomena, TSD does not know but scems inclined to doubt it, SGi1Il (1) GELLER ; [met him once and only briefly and by accident; G struck him as a quite 'normal' person in superficial terms-~~-though obviously intense and alert, Though he doesn't talk much about himself or try to articulate his feelings/perceptions about his 'powers', some limited background data of unknown reliabili ty has emerged: Gs; Approved For Release 2003/04/18 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000400070025-6 Ah eee nee Ome p tp