STANFORD RESEARCH INSTITUTE (SRI) INVESTIGATION INTO PARAPSYCHOLOGY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: STARGATE
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP96-00787R000200090006-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 4, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 5, 2003
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: February 4, 1976
• Content Type: MFR

Approved For Release 2003/090BPJU DP96-00787R000200090006-7
OTS/CB Memo #76-18
4 February 1976
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Stanford Research Institute (SRI)
Investigation into Parapsychology
1. Attached is the final report describing several
years of CIA (ORD F OTS) sponsored research in the area
popularly referred to as parapsychology. I believe the
SRI report will be a major benchmark in the field. Even
with its flaws the investigation is the most complete,
serious and scientific investigation into parapsychology
in general and its national security implications in
particular. The report establishes overwhelming scientific
evidence for the existence of human perceptual capabilities
which are as yet unexplained. The investigation, however,
resulted in nothing which adds to the understanding of the
mechanisms involved and little which increases the effective-
ness of national security applications. The SRI investi-
gation and internal CIAl-6 experiments do, nevertheless,
indicate potential applications of the phenomenon to intel-
ligence problems. For example, empirically useful techniques
can probably be developed for those intelligence problems
where noisy, flawed information can be used to limit known
alternatives which subsequently can be verified. It is my
opinion that an internal CIA program directed towards the
above mentioned and similar intelligence requirements should
be re-instated and continued within OTS.
2. Much interest has been generated by SRI's publications
in technical journals this past year, and consequent progress
is likely. The unclassified portion of the SRI investigation
is to be published in the IEEE Proceedings in March 1976.
The acceptance by this prestigi-'ous journal, is a significant
indicator of interest in this field within the scientific
community. Furthermore, a number of laboratories,7-9 in-
cluing that of Dr. R. W. Lucky, Vice Chairman of the IEEE
Publications Board and Division Director at Bell Laboratories,
have successfully replicated the SRI remote viewing tasks.
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Other groups such as the USIB's STIC study on "Emerging
Areas of Science and Technology of Importance to National
Security" have independently identified parapsychology
as an area worthy of support. The Department of the
Navy, the Office of Naval Research and Naval Electronics
System Command have also independently decided to support
SRI in extensions of the CIA sponsored investigations.
Releasing the SRI data for publication has already stimu-
lated additional investigations, and encouraged further
research into understanding and controlling the phenomena
involved. It is not premature for us to be now considering
the analysis and application of intelligence desired from
those techniques.
SG1I
OTS/CB
Attachment:
References
Final Report
Approved For Release 2003/092109 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000200090006-7