Approved For Release 2003/09/10 : CIA-RDP96-00792R000700620001-2 Political influence of the U.S. in post-war Europe. But along with other Ewropean Civilizations, the French have increasingl» Sought to distance themselves from complete Iovalty to the U.S., and reaffirm their distinct identity. This tendency has been reinforced by the anti-conformist and anti-authoritarian sentiments described above, since the U.S. has often been perceived as an Over-dominating economic and military force, What dees all thic have to do with communication and cooperation problems in parapsychology? I think that & nurber of our problems within the field may have little to do with parapsychology per se, and be strictly related to such cultural issues. The traits of our culture rub Dff on all of us, and, inevitably, affect the kinds of relation- Shins we sustain with those from other Cultures. Fo» eyample, the individualist and anti-conformist traits of the French imply a desire to remain free, distinct, and unclassifiable - and, hence, a resistance toward invitations to join groups and Organizations. Such cultural traits may have been one of the main reasons why the French have had difficulty organizing Parapsychology in their own country, Coupled with the Slightly paranoid sentiments vis-a-vis American chauvinism (or imperialism), these traits probably : induce considerable Psychological blocks vis-a-vis organiza- } tions such as the PA, But additionally, individualist and “ anti-conformist feelings could also lead to resistance toward methods, rules and standards "imported" ¢rom American parapsychology ~ especially when these seem out of sync with Latin values and traits, ° Americar Pparapsychologists spend much energy organizing the field, defining its subject matter and standardizing research methods and reporting styles. 4 good chunk of their time may alsa be spent on formal budget Proposals, annual reports, or Public-relations activities (including, respording to irresponsible critics). All these activities wove the field toward Planned and Systematic, rather than Spontaneous or improvisational research programmes. It is a trend which is entirely justified, inasmuch as the g0a1 is to render Parapsychology more "professional", and thus more apt to be welcomed by the scientific establishment. But it is a trend which has its price, as wells in other cultures, YeSearchers may see Jittle reason to orient themselves in the same direction. Tha contingencies and constraints are not the same for those who work in isolation, without Budget Proposals, annual reports, or Csicops axing the doors down. There may therefore be little concern with standardization, replicability, or other marks of professionalism. The feeling might be that, when it comes to psi research, the top mriority is tp Creatively explore new directions - even at the risk of committing errors or wandering down some blind paths, 324 Approved For Release 2003/09/10 : CIA-RDP96-00792R000700620001-2
0700620001-2 ; Approved For Release 2003/09/10 : CIA-RDP96-00792R00 a+ Course, to the extent to which American "calling the Shots", the French (or Latin) Par apsychalogist ig bound to be Penalized for not following; inevitably, this ; leads to a widening of the communication gap. Ar example here igs Provided by Remy Chauvin, WhO Several years back Submitted an article to the JP, reporting apparent PK effects UPONM water COongeélation. Given the centrality of water tq living Organisms, Chauvin Considered this = Potentially important finding, worthy of further investigation, However, it seems that the gp did not appreciate the "Manual ” measurement techniques USed, and wondered why cComputer-control led data EGllection and data Processing had hot beer adopted instead. Tp Chauvin, who had Spent many months devising his apparatus and Collecting results, this demand for computer -contro} seemed excessive and irrelevant; hot Everybody is equally able to utilize Computers, and the latter are by no means Necessary for 900d research. He ended up Publishing the article in the JSPR, Parapsycholagy is In my intervieus with Chauvin and some Other Frenchy researchers, T had the impression that there isa 9Fowing rebel liousness ViS-a-vis the Américan Criteria for. 900d psi research, ar acceptable reporting Styles} there iS a desire to find &Pproaches involving romplementary Values and Priorities, These feelings were of interest ty Mé, because they reminded me Of similar feelings which underlie a movement called "Latin Wanagement", As described ta me by a Well-known business Consultant, it is an attempt to gear French Managerial Styles away from the dominant Anglo-Saxon Dr American models, and to Cultivate Styles which are more Consistent with mediterranean values a nd traditions, I thus wonder whether some Of the Communication issues itt Parapsychology are part of & larger development - the EMergence of 3 "Latin Science", emphasizing individuality expressiveness, Personal implication, and human interaction, rather than standardization, detachment, Objectivity, and forma} Means for regulating exchanges, A Paradigm Conflict? Since the Writings oF Kuhn, we have SenSitized to the central role of tacit Conceptual frameworks if SCientific re factors define the questions we Consider Meaningful op Significant, the tools and Procedures we Utilize to address them, and the responses we are likely to find, When frameworks With different Ontologica} or fpistemological Premisas Collide, then the Minitnum we Can expect is g lack of ComMunication and Collaboration Between the 3roups involved. become increasingly motives, beliefs and Search. Such tacit Che of the most Obvious Obstacles to COllabor-at ia, in Parapsychology ig the metaphysical] "“Solite 5 sh 700626002 Approved For Release 2003/09/10 : CIA-RDP96-00792R000
interactionist-dualism and monism. Many, if not most American parapsychologists are tacitly or explicitly committed to dualism. Even recent theories, inspired by quantum physics, retain a distinction between the observing consciousness and matter. By contrast, the French, who have been struggling to rid themselves of their cartesian heritage, are generally hostile toward dualistic concepts, and much more prone toward monistic worldviews - whether materialistic or idealistic in nature. Thus, in seeking to axyplain psi phenomena, they are more likely than Americans to use concepts often found in the East or in Russian parapsychology (like "“bio-fields" or "bioplasma") and to exnlore the possibility of detecting "“psi-energies”. Inevitably, of course, the differing worldviews lead to clashes. To many Europeans and Russians, dualism seems reactionary, like a left-over from the days of spiritualism. Cn the other hand, to most American parapsychologists, concepts like "psi energies", and the work associated with these concepts, seem rather "marginal". But the two views do net have equal opportunities of expressions while research consistent with the dualistic viewpoint receives much coverage, some feel that the Americans are prone to ignore work which is more consistent with a monistic view. Yvonne Duplessis, for example, complains that her work on dermo- ‘optic perception did not receive the attention it deserved, even though it is conspicuously relevant to a substantial amount of psi research (i.e@., clairvoyance tasks with sealed envelapes). When Carroll Mash sought to explore protocols analogous to her own, he concluded that his results pointed to something other than psi phenomena; the results were "too good” to be based upon psi. Perhaps this is true. But to those who assume that psi is a subtle physical energy, rather than a "pure" mental phenomenon, this attitude seems incomprehensible. It translates to abandoning a promising research lead, in favor of pre-established assumptions about the nature of psij and it also implies the perpetuation of parapsychology’s isolation from *normal” science. Another issue which may act as a divisive force in the field is the very ancient and persistent confrontation between two eapistemclogial frameworks: empiricism and rationalism. The empiricist approximates truth by accumulating more and more data, relying upon these to diminish the "interference" of erroneous ideas and conceptions; his preoccupation with methodological purity and replication reflects this search for "hard facts". By contrast, the rationalist seeks to approximate truth by constructing increasingly compelling theoretical structures. His focus is upon formal systems or semantics, and he is preaccuppied far more with the coherence of thought than its correspondence with data. In the U.S., parapsychology is clearly rooted in the ABBiSvda Ebr RGBSSE bBS3/08/16" CR ASE SNOOP Gde 20087 2” °°
| 20001-2 a -00792R0007006 d For Release 2003/09/10 : CIA-RDP96-0 Approve largely by behaviorism, and thus, indirectly, by POSitivisn - both extreme Pxpressions Of the empiricist tradition, And Parapsychology jy, the U.S, COntinues to be NOdeled largely after. &*Perimenta} PSychology, Emphasizing SyStematic data Collection and Methodolagical Purity ang Showing restraint in mOde@lization and theorizing, Similarty, the trend toward atheoretical terminolagy, (e.g., references to “anomalies”, rather than Psi) reflect. the data-orientat ion of American Parapsycholagy, By Contrast, French tree PSYchologists, hHhile Certainly “MPiricists, are Néverthelags Operating Within 3g Culture With a long Fationalist tradition, Positivism has Never beer, Warmly received in France, and it is Unlikely that a Purely behavioristic 4aPProach to psi Phenomena COUuld ever really take roots thera, Not sUPPrisingly, the Concept Of an atheoretica} “anomaly is nearly intolerable; it Seens Préferable to start Out with some theoreticg Framework from the outset, 8nd view the facts AaB part of a Meanings yy] grid, The intellectual Climate is suck aS to encourage ambitious theories, and innovative Conceptual Gfforts; it is léss important that these be based On many facts, than that they be internarry Coherent and FOS isternt With their own Premises, This: divergence in SPistemological Outlooks between Americans and French Could help Clarify - though By no means Fesolve . some disagreements regarding Methods and researc}, Priorities, American PAPAPSYChOlagists: Preaccupation with POlisheg Experimental Protocols and near-perfect COntrols are Consistent With the EMpIricist GOal of Seeking Out error, Te is &85Sumed that Only SUCK hard data Can Persuade the skeptics Of the reality of Asi, On the Other hand, in the rationalist tradition, there Carn ba no SUCh thing as elementary data, independent af Premises poPhistication, assuring data Purity, though laudable in terms Of public r@lations fi.e., Skeptics), 1S not the nost important Priority, At this RPOint, those influenced by rationalist Perspectives feel that there is no Need for nore ©xperimental “hard data"; What is N@eded is the integration Of, al} RVai lable Clues jy, S@arch of¢ an “nderstanding Of the ‘WRture o¢ Psi, The Climate in the U.S. js SUCH as to frcourage SPECializa- fon, "Ell -control lag laboratory dat of "“solid#