SI AND H EXPERIMENTATION (25 SEPTEMBER 1951)

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00428886
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: January 23, 2025
• Document Release Date: August 23, 2000
• Publication Date: September 25, 1951

To: Files
....Subject: SI and H Experimentation (25 September 1951)
APPROVED FOR RELEASE
DATE: 6,A
On 25 September 1951, and the writer conducted
Si M H experimentation wi and
as subjects.
In view of the
September 1951 with
to continue experime along more or his related lines during
this session. However, prior to actually beginning the more corn
plex experiments, several simple post H were worked with both of
the girls participatin . In this connection, it is interesting
was canable each test tried
of producing the desi e ect, was unable to do
so. No explanation was for this u it should be noted -
for the record that and the writer did not make con-
tinuous and serious or s o produce the desired effect for these
simple post H tests. .
to note that whereas
The first major experiment of the evenin
ithout previous explanation to either
Both subjects were placed in a very rance s a e
e in this state, the following instruCtions were given:
(A) 1111111011w instructed that when she awakened,
she was toproce e to room. She was told that while
there, she would receive a e ephone call from an individual
VIM
�
whom she would know only as "Joe". This individual would en-
gage her it a normal telephone conversation. During this
� conversation, this individual would give.her a code word and
upon mentioning the code word, would go into a deep
SI trance s'but iould be "��'rma11fl.� appearance with her
eyes open. was then told that upon the conclusion
of the telep one conversation, she would procede to the ladies
room where she would meet a girl who was unknown to her. She
was told that she would strike up a conversation with this
� girl and during the conversation she would mention the code
� word "New York" to this other girl who, in turn,'would' give
her a device nd further instructions which were to be carried
out by . She was told that after she carried out the
i9struc ions, she was to return to the Operations Room, sit on
the sofa and go immediately-into a deep sleep state.
(B) instructed that upon awakening,
she would proce e to a oom where she would wait at the
desk for a telephone c . _ pon receiving the call, a person
known as "Jim" would engage her in normal conversation. During
the course of the conversatio this individual would mention
a code word to When she heard this code word
- -----$*1
Tuesday, 18
it was decided
1
,
she would pass into an SI trance state, but would not close her
eyes and remain perfectly normal and continue the telephone con-
versation. She was told, that thereafter upon conclusion of the
telephone conversation, she would then carry out the following
instructions:
IIIII
- being.in a complete SI state at this
� time�IIII IPO
was en o to open her eyes and was shown an electric
timing device. She was informed that this timing device
was an incendiary bomb and ias then insticted how to attach� -
'and.set the device.. After had indicated that -
she had learned how to set and�ah th&.device, she was
told to return to a sleep state and further instructed
that upon concluding the aforementioned conversation; ,she
would take the timing device which was in a briefcase and
procede to the ladies room. In the ladies room, she would
be met by a girl whom "she had never seen who would identify
herself b the code womd "New York". After identifying
herself, as then to-show this individual"
how to aVt.arand set the timing device and
structions would be given the individual by
th .- 'ng device was to be carried in the bri�se
to oam, placed in the nearest empty electric-
11.111101 -.d concealed in the bottom, left-hand drawer.
of .- . .
device set for 82 seconds and
tur e on.
as further instructed to tell
this Other girl that as soon- as the device had bee
Pand t ned'on, she was td'take the briefcase; leave 'a-deep sleep state. as further.
, enter�
()Om, go to the' Operation rooM and to. the s
-. instructed that after completii'oiinstructing the other
girl and the transferring to the other girl Of the incen-
diary bomb, she was to return-atonce*to the .operations .
room, sit on the sofa, and go into-a deep Sleep state.
For a Matter of record,' mmediately after the operation was be-
gun it was noted that a member of the Charforcewas'-clea in the oor
the ladies room and subsequently; both
had to be placed at once again in a'tr
. ns.ruc changed'froM:the ladies roOmtO-ROom 3.;
.It should be' noted that even With the change of locale in the
transfer point, the experiment was' carried off perfectly without any....
difficulty or hesitation on' the' part of either of the girls. :Each '
girl. acted out her part perfectly, the device' was planted and set .
as directed and both girls returned to the Operations room, sat on
the sofa and entered a:deep. sleep state. -ThroughoUt, their meove--
ments'were easy and natural and the riember of the charforce and the
guard were, -CO all intents and purposes, completely unaware 'of what,
was taking lace-althou h the could clearly observe the- movements
of
Before the girls were awakene
for absolute amnesia of the ina
ey were given instructions
In this connection,
stf
as unable to recall any of: the 'incident, except going to
The desk in room before ,the experiment was completely under.
way. _However, had partial recall of some of the incidents
that 'transpire
The entire experiment from original instructions to conclusion
consumed twenty-seven minutes and it should be noted f the record
that at the conclusion of the experiment, did not
completely respond to instructions to awak ) nce was re-
turned to .a. sleep state and reawakened. Both subjects were, of
course, "cleared" of-all post H words, etc. in the experiment be-
fore awakening.
Th's long and rather complex experiment was reg ded b
� and the writer as being successful, although
la recall of some of the incidents was not or ng o
structions, but it should be remembered that memory in
such matters has continually been remarkable as remem-
,
bered from week to week, numbers which she had memorized consid-
erable time before.
The second major experiment of the evening concerned the
proposition of whether or not individuals of normal and proper
training, background; and teaching would commit an act which they
would not, under normal circumstances, do. This experiment was
jcarried on as follows:
Both subjects were placed in a deep SI state and were
instructed that they were to procede� when awakened, to the
laboratory and sit at the desk and wait for a telephone call.
Each girl would be called in turn and would be given a code
word. Upon completion of the telephone call, the girls were
told that they would procede to the operations room where
they would find a man lying on the sofa who had passed 'out
from drinking or was drugged and was possibly asleep. It
was further explained to them that this man had been picked
up in'a local bar and brought here to this room. They, were
instructed that they were to enter the room as quietly as
. possible, approach the individual, Making certain they did
not awaken him, and examine his clothing and determine if
he carried a wallet. They were told that if the individual
carried a wallet, they were to remove the wallet from this
person and immediately and quietly leave the room.
r that they were to deliver the wallet to
ho would be waiting in the darkroom and aTFter
a ey were told that-they would return to the desk,
put their heads down, and go into a deep sleep. In each
case, after the girls were called on the phone and given
the designated code word, they went_ta the opei,tionroom
and removed a wallet" first from md then ho
acted as bodies in the instant c . Both girls were under
observation at all times in the act of removal: and both Moved
very cautiously in a very deft manner and removed the item as .
instructed.
RUM
This experiment is regarded by and the writer as
being successful, although as in all these experiments, it must be
borne in mind that a_possibility exists that the subjects realize
that the experiments are nothing more than this and are not in fact
actual operations, although by instructing and by wording, every
effort has been made to convince the subjects when_they are in the
SI state that these are actual operations. The word experiment or
�
test is never used under any circumstances when the operations are
-being carried out.
For a matter of record and of interest is the fact that at the
conclusion of this experiment, which ran about twenty-two minutes,
efused to awakened as instructed and it was necessary to�
urn er to a trance state and again awaken her before she became
fully awake.: Furthermore, for
'noted that again in this case,
nesia for 'the activity whereas
have complete amnesia, had a par
�
matter r�, it Should be. .
had -a complete am-
IUiough instructed to
recall. of events.