LOCATION OF TARGET MATERIAL IN SPACE AND TIME

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: STARGATE
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP96-00787R000300020001-8
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: November 4, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 11, 1998
• Sequence Number: 1
• Content Type: REPORT

interim Report-
the Period 7 October 199i to 30 September 1986
Covering
LOCATION OF TARGET MATERIAL
IN SPACE AND TIME (U)
 UNCLASSIFIED
ABSTRACT (U)
ne reported psychoenergetic skill, known to the general public as "dowsing," is
locate lost or hidden items of interest. In an effort to bring this putative ability
search" into the laboratory, we conducted a computer-assisted-search (CAS)
Participants scanned a computer graphics display and attempted to locate a
r-generated target. We explored two conditions: (1) the target was fixed in
o dition, and (2) the target was randomly shifting, locations each
condition. Eight of 36 participants showed an above chance ability (p <
W
mputer-generated targets in our laboratory simulation of dowsing. This
fir..
ends the results of work done in FY 1984, and provides a pool of
rmal study of search techniques.
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I INTRODUCTION (U)
A continuing 1?ee ( is
determining the location of targets of
interest, whose positions are not known or are known only approximately.
It has been claimed by the parapsychological community that
r
individuals can search for and locate water, oil, minerals, objects,
individuals, sites of archaeological significance, and so forth. If this
can be demonstrated to be a. genuine ability, and if it can be applied,
then we may have a potential match to the
This ability can be contrasted to the related psychoenergetic
ability "remote viewing," in the following manner. In remote viewing, the
viewer is given location information (e.g., coordinates, a "beacon" agent,
or a picture), then asked to provide data on target content A
In "search," the viewer is given information on target content,
then asked to provide location data (e.g., position on a map). The two
functions thus compliment each other.
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(U) The ability to locate targets is most often referred to as "dowsing" in the Western
literature, and "biophysical effect (BPE)" in the Soviet/East Bloc literature. In this report,"
we shall refer to such techniques simply as "search." Although much of the literature is
anecdotal,tt attempts to quantify the ability and to determine its mechanisms have been
pursued. t
The goal of the present effort is to research the literature,
then perform laboratory experimentation to determine whether, and to what
degree, such functioning is a viable candidate for application9
This includes determining (1) the best
methods and efficiencies of various search techniques, and (2) the
appropriate statistical analyses for evaluating results.
(U) In attempting to determine if this putative ability can be brought under laboratory
control, we have simulated "field conditions" with a computer-assisted-search (CAS)
experiment.
(U) Our CAS experiments generally contain the following basic elements:
(1)
A finite matrix of possible target locations (e.g., a 20 x 20 graphics
matrix grid) from which one cell is randomly selected by the computer
as the target.
(2) An individual whose task is to "scan" the graphics display area, and
(3)
indicate, by pressing a button, his/her choice as to the target location.
A feedback mechanism that displays the response and actual target
location.
(4) An a priori defined analysis procedure.
(U) Using this general procedure, we conducted an experiment during FY 1984 in
which two conditions were tested simultaneously: 1?
? Searching for a target that remains fixed in space for the duration of the
trial (space condition).
;(U) This report constitutes Objective E, Task 2: Develop methodologies to locate target material in space
and/or time.
t(U) For the most comprehensive and authoritative survey of the claims for dowsing, see Christopher Bird,
The Divining Hand, E. P. Dutton, New York, New York (1979).
$(U) See, for example, papers published by Z. V. Harvalik, beginning 1970, in The American Dowser,
The Journal of the American Society of Dowsers (Harvalik is the ex-director of the basic research group
at the U.S. Army Engineering Laboratories, Fort Belvoir, Virginia).
? (U) References are listed at the end of this document.
2
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UNCLASSIFIED
. Searching for a target that is rapidly moving in space (time condition) .
Seven individuals, who were blind to the space/time condition, were asked to contribute 50 hree trials (25 space, 25 time). Five of them produced independently
our earlier resultsistthat no
time only and two in space only. The most interesting aspect
participant was successful at both space and time conditions.
(U) During FY 1986, our effort was to replicate the previous findings and provide
additional information on possible personality correlations using the Personality Assessment
System (PAS).2 Although locating computer-generated targets is academically interesting, it
may not assist in locating objects in the "real world." This premise is of paramount interest
and will be addressed during FY 1987.
3
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II METHOD OF APPROACH (U)
A. (U) Selection of Subjects
(U) A pilot study was conducted to select participants for a formal test, and to refine
the protocol. From the overall subject pool amassed for our FY 1986 experiments,
participants were selected on the basis of availability and interest. This pool currently contains
both "novice" subjects (persons who have never participated in psychoenergetic experiments)
and "experienced" subjects (those who have).
B. (U) Procedure
(U) A Sun Microsystems work-station computer was used to conduct all aspects of the
pilot experiment. This computer system is noted for its high- resolution graphics display and
graphics input device.
(U) The approach chosen here was a modification of a procedure originally developed
by Dr. Dean 1. Radin at Bell Laboratories for evaluating geometric-distance scores in a
perceptual task.3 In this approach, we begin by constructing the target area of interest in the
form of a square. A grid system is then laid down over the square in the form of an n x n
matrix, to yield n2 separate grid cells (e.g., 400 for a 20 x 20 grid). The computer randomly
selects one of the grid cells as the target for a particular trial. The subject's task is to
"locate" the target cell. After the subject responds, both the choice and the target are
displayed A trial is defined as a single response (button press) associated with a single target
(U) In our experiment, a bounded area representing the perimeter of a 20 x 20 cell
matrix was shown to the participant, who could "search" for the target by moving a graphics
pointing device (mouse) which controlled a cursor. By pressing a button on the mouse the
participant could indicate his/her response. Each participant was told (1) the target could be
any place within the display boundary, (2) move the cursor around the bounded area, and (3)
when the moment "seemed right," to register his/her choice by pressing the button on the
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LU) immaflinYA feedback to the participant
several seconds of the feedback display, the compute y
mouse. L LL -...r--- and the
ollowing each trial by automatically displaying the target cell as a filled square
1
participant's choice as a shaded square with a line connecting the two (see Figure 1) . After
r rec cled to the next trial.
-
UNCLASSIFIED
p (d)
Probability of d < r
FIGURE 1 (U) SEARCH MATRIX
(U) To test a participant in the space condition, the target location was fixed
the target location was changed once each
throughout the trial. To test the time condition,
millisecond. During the screening phase of the experiment, the computer sndcted one of the
experimenter
conditions for each trial by a balanced random protocol. The participant
were blind as to which condition was being presented on any given trial. Participant choices
versus computer selections were stored for future analysis. Each
trials--25 trials
completed
produce 10 trials per session. In the pilot phase, 36 individuals
in each of the two conditions studied.
(U) In summary, our experimental design includes:
? Hypothesis-=In the absence of known sensory information, it is possible
to determine a "hidden," computer-derived target location to a
significant degree.
55cc nn
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Independent Variable--Target location is on a 20 x 20 matrix grid.
? Dependent Variable--Geometric distance (d) is between choice and
target:
d = yt-yc)2+(Xt-Xc)2
(U) Using the grid as an approximation to a continuum, we can calculate exactly the a
priori chance distribution that any given search response would lie at any given distance from
a particular target location. From this, an evaluation can be made as to the quality of a single
response (see Figure 1).
(U) To estimate the probability of observing a distance (d), the following calculations
are performed:
? For the actual target position used in the trial, a distribution consistin4of
all possible (400) distances is constructed.
? The probability (p-value) of observing the distance (d) or less is given
by
r