PSI PHENOMENA IN SEARCH OF A NEURAL FOOTHOLD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: STARGATE
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP96-00787R000200080039-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 4, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 5, 1998
• Sequence Number: 39
• Publication Date: July 1, 1976
• Content Type: MAGAZINE

Approved For Release 2001/03/26 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000200080039-j
ASPR NEWSLETTER
()1976 AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH, INC., 5 West 73rd St., New York, N - 10023. 212-799-5050
JULY 1976
PSI PHENOMENA IN SEARCH OF A
NEURAL FOOTHOLD
In neurological language "cerebral localization" means
assigning certain mental functions to a specific area in the
grain. I submit that our attempts to "localize" psi phc-
a)Inena have until recently been bogged down because
we were asking the wrong questions. Instead of trying to
pinpoint the origin of FSP or PK in a given brain region,
we must ask what it is that prevents our svstem from being
flooded by the steady influx of psi stimuli from the past,
the present and the future all the time.
i believe, furthermore, that we must not throw two dis-
parate classes of psi into one basket: namely, (I) spon-
taneous incidents of, the type seen in crises, dreams,
trance states or the psychoanalytic situation-I would
describe these as recd determined-and, (2) experi-
rnental, forced-choice incidents of the card-guessing type.
They are of trivial, indifferent nature, possess no survival
advantagc, and I would describe them as Jluw-detcr-
mined.
Focusing on flaw-determined phenomena, we can take
It. Bergson's filter theory as our point of departure. This
leads us to the reticular formation in the brain stem as the
structure which protects the organism from being flooded
by excessive stimulation from both inside and outside:
from sensory as well as extrasensory overload--including
subliminal perceptions. I suggest that the same regulatory
function acts as it brake on the uncontrolled and indis-
crinrinatc release of motor impulses that, if unchecked,
would wreak havoc in our social and physical environment.
fo the end, it would exhaust the person's energy supply
like it Roman candle. Two clinical examples illustrate the
point. One is a paranoid schizophrenic's delusion of
drowning in a sea of social hostility; the other is a polter-
geist child's explosive acting-out of his pent-up destruc-
tive impulses.
How then do these considerations apply to typical
FSPcard tests-the forced-choice type of psi phenomena?
They suggest that the capriciousness of correct hits in
such experiments is due to the random occurrence of
minor flaws in the reticular formation's screening or in-
hibitory functions. 'these random flaws permit it few
equally capricious bursts of psi to intrude into the
subject's scoring pattern. This is why I describe these psi
effects as !law-del crnrI'll c?cl.
However, this hypothesis cannot account for the emer-
gence and central brain processing of those major,
need-determined psi experiences which occur in dreams,
crises, in the psychoanalytic situation or in telepathic
drawin s S-4, ;-;J(-,I, involve meat rl events ()I' it hi %hly
''olun v 11 Number 3
random tiring of it few reti lar-formation neurons caught
napping on their jobs. point is illustralcd by the
much-quoted Warcollici -1 Upton Sinclair telepathic
drawing tests, and the i'l Juan-Krippncr dream cxperr
rneuts. Here the emci re of psi requires spccibc
selection and elaborate pr -'sing; in higher bran centers.
Turning to such need 11 rmirred phcnomcna gives u'
an added clue about the r~l, ation of psi in gcncral. Lit us
put telepathic drawings I by "ide with drawing',' ni,rric
by brain-injured patients itcring from lesions in the left
hemisphere. We are str k by it close rescnrblance
between the two. Both sh,! a marked distortion and dis-
organization of the picture indeed skeptics, for this very
reason. tenet to scuff at t' poor quality of the average
telepathic drawing. }hn ~r, it is just this distortion
which sheds new light E;: the telepathic process itself.
The disorganization cha~' h.teristic of psi phenomena
suggests that the tclepatF percipient functions in much
the same way as does it IHr rr-injured patient with a lesion
in the left paricto-occipir
ing, he suffers froni optic-:
unimpaired, lie is unahh
region. Neurologically speak
Ignosia: although his vision is
make sense of his visual per-
ceptions. The best such patient can do is to process
them, however poorly, v ir his (intact) right hcmisphcrc.
If this is true, the cony "ion is at hand that the k-1c-
palhic percipient's grupin &'tforts to make sense of the
ESP target likewise car the imprints of the right
hemisphere--the intcllcci illy "interior," but intuitivtIv
more perceptive side of w brain. In his drawing;' or
other ESP productions, tie normal subject shows the satire
tendency to distortion, isor-ganization and right-left
reversal as does the patio with disturbances of the Iclt
paricto-occipital region
This fact lends added ,u ;,port to the proposition that it is
F 1nplex latei#~traotmerclrtFQr, elease t 0A1J0N,26 : CIA-RDP96-007ffRbob~bti'0180039-2
 Ihr r ' t ; h l In nusphere which presides over tI iroces.
t tiiotiApproV~ed,dFor Releaseii2()01tL((~ l Ae:
stonuli. ci hi c the reticular formation serves as a screen
ptoi 'c lIile the person from hemp' flooded and
over- by either need- or flawdetermined ex-
prriences or by hots.
11 o suns up: psi phenoincrna have their neural foothold on
l o levels of the central nervous system: one in the brain
"tens, the odor ill the brain cortcx. The enlergence of a
given psi incident depends oil minor irregularities in the
functioning of the reticular formation, coupled with the
compensatory functioning of the right hemisphere.
Nob': A previous version of this article appeared in the
.lnurnul n_/Neri'ou.s uud A9eni(d 1)is'use, Vol. 161, No. 6,
1975. A fuller statement will also be included in Dr.
1 hr( nwald's fiulhrominp' book, 1'A11;f1'Sy(11147RY A
S T UD y Ol.' PS/ i'1 TN('TIONS AN/) I) YS/'IUNCTiONS.
ASPR HELPS
WITH AN INTERSESSION SYMPOSIUM
During January 1976 an Interses.sion symposium on
parapsychology was held at Ladycliff College, Highland
Falls, N.Y. for undergraduates there. It was initiated and
Coordinated by Timothy Revers of the Psychology
Department. Several people connected with the ASPR
participated as lecturers and consultants. ,Since this was
the first time parapsychology had been extensively
Covered in a course at Ladycliff, we asked Mr. Revers to
make some continents.
It'hat ii'ere tour major purposes in making this course
(rvurluble?
Partly to respond 1o the students' ?;reat interest and
curiosity. Also I believe that such programs, if handled
well, can help get parapsychology into mainstream higher
I,ducation, where it has for too long been slighted.
How (lid you go about getting it included on the
Iutersession program?
Many colleges use the .January Intersession (a short terns
between Fall and Spring terms) to introduce innovative
,ind experimental programs. Ladycliff's program is very
?llexible; so there was no problem introducing a two-credit
course entitled -1-he Psychic Scene: An Introduction to
Parapsychology. "
1)i(1 the /uculty show interest? The administration."
to illy delight the announcement of the course was met
with genuine excitement by many people in the College
community, including members of the psychology, philo-
sophy, history and art departments. While many ex-
pressed only slight familiarity with the research being
done, they were receptive to broadening our knowledge in
this dimension of man. Our president, Dr. Francis J.
IIrcidenback, especially encouraged me by his continuing
interest in the program's progress.
What point (IJ' view did you stress?
Both an experiential and a research approach were taken.
Ill discussing each topic we usually began by presenting
several case studies and then progressed to a review of the
research in that area. At midpoint in the two weeks, sonic
tassroonr ESP experiments were conducted, with results
ggestive of marked psychic ability in one student at
rt. At the end of the pro rain, Dr. Parim? I s
Approved Fortelease 2001031 6
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DP96-00787Rt,Q0p2,( Q"PRAj 2
EDUCA 'ON DEPARTMENT
?"I:XPI ORiNG V S1
key introductory arty-
wide range of pas
S,:
New edition, ('our;
in Pcrrul)s)'cholo v
early in August.)
envelope, stamped
'VOLUME I (Issu '.
ND PK"--. a new Collation of 27
.s from this NI WSLI:'FThll, on a
chological subjects.
by mail, 5350
and Other ,1iiuifj, Opportrurities
vised as of .June 1970. (Ready
nd $2 with self-addressed #I()
?4) to Education Department.
27) of NFSVSLE7?I'[R.
il:Ml ITAN('f WI I'll 0RI)VU.
informally encouraged students to share their personal
psychic N ' All the cour';e background behind
them, this proved be a successful session In
collaboration with lit SPR, I put together an exhibit of
photos with captions: ?,howed various aspects of recent
research, and drew cur +derable attention when displayed
in one of the collep'e ! ,llwavs.
Hair di(1 the struh 'r react
Though, when the coui was announced, many students
apparently weren't c(u, . sure what to expect of it, they
showed such interest fiat we had to close registration
early. A questionnaire ehich students filled out on the
linal day showed sure Lse at the extensiveness of the
research; a wish, bs me, that there had been some
"demonstrations" of I chic phenomena in class; and a
feeling that they had It, : reed to distinguish better between
parapsychology and III
''occult.''
Some said they now
realized that this is
I,,
important
dimension of human
nature to be taken sci
'iisly.
1)o yon plan to re/lt. ' this another year?
Definitely. Eventually hope to offer it as an elective
during the regular schri~ year. I believe this can be done if
the quality of such exp . mental programs is maintained
at a high level. This i7. A be the best way to dispel the
skepticism of parapsy(. 'logy's opponents.
The success of the i, 's'cans cncourag ed me to offer a
summer fourweek es' ug seminar at Ladycliff in June
entitled "Current Issu' in Psvchot)gy," for laymen. It
dealt primarily with p., ipsychology, altered states and
death and dying.
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