I
*
Approved For Release 2003/09/16
: CIA-RDP96-00788R002000260(folC
15 April 1981
MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD
SUBJECT:
Trip Report 12-14 April
1981, Durham,
NC
i
nr,
AD r 81
LTC Watt and CPT Atwater visited
the School of Engineering,
Duke°Uniuer9ity^
,
Durhamt NC in an attest to learn more
abo;
J
t-omputerized
ST^uT
in°t fApril 1980 iLue of the Tournal of
the Society for Psychical Research.
(See Incl
1/
LTC Watt and CPT Atwater were received by Ed Kelly
(Experimental
Learning
Laboratory , Dept °f .Electrical Engineering, Duke Unrversrty) an^
^
room,
and controlled envir-
onment room as documented
in
the inclosure.
‘iSSlS
In^general^terma^there^has
been
no
C
sibstantive°progresa with
the ^computer projectt^app?oximrtely
since the publication of
the ““ached ar
.
nOT, operational
gram involving the indepth exploration of
oSta detected/
S'SE
ws-ffir
zi
project aPPeajs
to hold
valtiab
meaningfu^ robust program insuring
the'best ?elults today 'a science can offer.
The following areas
of
the
general discussion are noteworthy:
a
The long awaited funding for Dr.
Kelly’s proposed program is
.
a
*
^
ck
no.rt^fnr'i
from the McDonnell Douglas Foundation.
If funding
orrue ed state
of consciousness and ?ll.
Dr. Kelly was of the oprnron
that^Duke would also be open to the idea of government funding.
b.
When asked about the selection
b^
Dr. Kelly said that he would stay
a“ay
f"™
®UP®^“ts through simple PS1
of their eccentricities and endeavor to ecreen^sultjects^thr
testing
(zener
cards).
Mr.
Palm
J,
..
b asis
Q f
their ability
s-*-
^ PSX exper-
iences may be good subjects.
Approved For Release 2003/09/16
: CIA-RDP96-00788R002000260001-2
i
Approved For Release 2003/09/16
: CIA-RDP96-00788R002000260001-2
c.
When asked for references
on other people that LTC Watt and CPT
Atwater might want
to talk
to as to better understand
the current state-of-
the-art in PSI
research,
the following names were provided:
( 1 )
( 2 )
(3)
(4)
(3)
( 6 )
(7)
Robert Morris
- University
of Syracuse
Charles Honorton
- Princeton
Dr.
Jahn
- Princeton
Rex Stanford
-
St.
John's University
William Braud
- Mind Science Foundation,
Texas
Helmut Schmidt
- Mind Science Foundation,
Texas
Stanley Krippner
(Knowledgeable of Soviet work)
d.
In addition
to
the published "computer project",
Dr.
Kelly has
a
portable unit capable of recording brainwave frequencies in the "field"
using
a telemetry system in conjunction with
a conventional cassette recorder.
The cassette can
then be returned
to the laboratory for computer analysis.
With this system
a subject does not have
to go to the Duke
lab
to
take advan-
tage of their "computer project".
4.
Later in the afternoon of
13 Apr LTC Watt and CPT Atwater met with Dr.
William Roll, Project Director,
Psychical Research Foundation,
Chapel Hill,
NC.
Discussion with Dr.
Roll centered on
the areas of PSI
phenomena for which
Dr.
Roll is best known including OBE's,
PK and poltergeist effects.
Of
particular note was
the revelation by Dr.
Roll that he had been contacted
by
the Chief of Police
(not further identified)
from Atlanta through the FBI
concerning the current murder investigations in
the Atlanta child killings.
Roll stated that the police were initially
very enthusiastic and sent him
a computer printout of "crime impressions" provided by both professed psy-
chics and others.
Roll was
to conduct analysis of these impressions.
As
Roll was progressing it became necessary
to get some minor funding
(travel
and computer consultant fees)
from Atlanta.
As it turned out no one was
willing
to fund the effort and as
the news media picked up
the story
no
one wanted
to pursue
the effort.
At present Dr.
Roll
is wondering what
to
do with
the data he still has and feels that all are passing up
a unique
opportunity
for practical application/use of PSI
data.
5.
The trip
to
NC proved
to be very informative and valuable
to both LTC Watt
and CPT Atwater.
Dr.
Kelly,
Mr.
Palmer and Dr.
Roll are all serious minded
scientists with valuable contributions
to be made to
the current understand-
ing of PSI.
Special emphasis should be given
to
the impression made
by
Dr.
Kelly
and his proposed program.
Dr.
Kelly appears
to be
a straightfor-
ward,
highly professional investigator
of demonstrated expertise who has
proposed
a program
of research which must be pursued
if
the nature of PSI
is to ever be understood.
Continued contact with Dr.
Kelly
is highly
recommended.
.
In conclusion,
this trip is further evidence
of the serious research
being conducted
by credible individuals throughout the U.S.;
however,
each
group has its own special interest(s)
and as
a result we have
a somewhat
disjointed effort
(across
the board)
as far as centralized. research into
the field
of parapsychology.
Time and adequate funding levels appear
to be
two of
the leading deterrents in this field.
If we are
to settle
the
Approved For Release 2003/09/16
: CIA-RDP96-00788R002000260001-2
Approved For Release 2003/09/16
: CIA-RDP96-00788R002000260001-2
issues surrounding the field of parapsychology
then
u/e must put together
a program which seriously examines all aspects of the field and puts
forward,
once and for all,
a paper
on
the
value or non-value
of this
phenomena.
1 Incl
as
MURRAY
B.
WATT
LTC
MI
INSCOM GRILL FLAME
Project Manager
Approved For Release 2003/09/16
: CIA-RDP96-00788R002000260001-2