INFORMATION TRANSMISSION UNDER CONDITIONS OF SENSORY SHIELDING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: STARGATE
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79-00999A000200010006-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: November 4, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 9, 2014
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: October 18, 1974
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified and Approved For Release 2014/01/09: CIA-RDP79-00999A000200010006-9
Information transmission under
conditions of sensory shielding
WE present results of experiments ,suggesting the existence of
one or more perceptual modalities through which individuals
obtain information about their environment, although this
information is not presented to any known sense. The litera-
ture-3 and our observations lead us to 'conclude that such
abilities can be studied under laboratory conditions.
We have investigated the ability of certain people to describe
graphical material or remote scenes shielded against ordinary
perception. In addition, we performed pilot studies to determine
if electroencephalographic (EEG). recordings might indicate
perception of remote happenings even in the absence of correct
overt responses.
We concentrated on what we consider to be our primary
responsibility?to resolve under conditions as unambiguous
as possible the basic issue of whether a certain class of para-
normal perception phenomena exists. So we conducted our
experiments with sufficient control, utilising "visual, acoustic
and electrical shielding, to_ensure that all conventional paths of
sensory input were blocked: At all times we took measures to
prevent sensory leakage and to prevent deception, whether
intentional or unintentional.
Our goal is not just to catalogue .interesting events, but to
uncover patterns of cause-effect relationships that lend them-
selves to analysis and hypothesis in the forms with which
we are familiar in scientific study. The results presented here
constitute a first step towards that goal; we have established
under known conditions a data base from which departures as a
function of physical and psychological variables can be studied
in future work. ?
REMOTE PERCEPTION OF GRAPHIC MATERIAL
First, we conducted experiments with Mr Uri Geller in
which we examined his ability, while located in an electrically
shielded room, to reproduce target pictures drawn by experi-
menters located at remote locations. Second, we conducted
double-blind ' experiments ' with Mr Pat Price, in which we
measured his ability to describe remote outdoor scenes many
miles from his physical location. Finally, we conducted pre-
Declassified and Approved For Release 2014/01/09: CIA-RDP79-00999A000200010006-9
Declassified and Approved For Release 2014/01/09: CIA-RDP79-00999A000200010006-9
C.)
Nature Vol. 251 October 18 1974
liminary tests using EEGs, in which subjects were asked to
perceive whether a remote light was flashing, and to determine
whether a subject could perceive the presence of the light,
even if only at a noncognitive level of awareness.
In preliminary testing Geller apparently demonstrated an
ability to reproduce simple pictures (line drawings) which had
been drawn and placed in opaque sealed envelopes which he
was not permitted to handle. But since each of the targets was
known to at least one experimenter in the room with Geller,
it was not possible on the basis of the preliminary testing to
discriminate between Geller's direct perception of envelope
contents and perception through some mechanism involving
the experimenters, whether paranormal or subliminal.
So we examined the phenomenon under conditions designed
to eliminate all conventional information channels, overt or
subliminal. Geller was separated from both the target material
and anyone knowledgeable of the material, as in the experiments
of ref. 4.
In the first part of the study a series of 13 separate drawing
?experiments were carried out over 7 days.--No-experiments
are deleted from the results presented here.
At the beginning of the experiment either Geller or the
experimenters entered a shielded room so that from that time
forward Geller was at all times visually, acoustically and
electrically ,shielded from personnel and material at the target
location. Only following Geller's isolation from the experi-
menters was a target chosen and drawn, a procedure designed
to eliminate pre-experiment cueing. Furthermore, to eliminate
the possibility of pre-experiment target forcing, Geller was kept
ignorant as to the identity of the person selecting the target
and as to the method of target selection. This was accomplished
by the use of three different techniques: (I) pseudo-random
technique of opening a dictionary arbitrarily and choosing the
first word that could be drawn (Experiments 1-4); (2) targets,
blind to experimenters and subject, prepared independently by