SUBJECT: BRIEFING FOR HOUSE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE RE OTS INVOLVEMENT IN ESP RESEARCH (Sanitized)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: STARGATE
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP96-00787R000500170001-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: November 4, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 27, 2004
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: November 17, 1977
• Content Type: MFR

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SECRET
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OTS/BAB MEMO #287-77
17 November 1977
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MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Briefing for House Permanent Select mittee
re OTS Involvement in ESP Research I
1.0 In response to a request from the House
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, OTS briefed
Committee staff personnel on its involvement in,ESP
research. The meeting was held in the Committee's
offices from approximately 1000 to 1100 hours on
16 November 1977 and was attended by:
David Brandwein
D /OTS
OLC
OTS /BAB
Committee Staff
it 11
Michael O'Neil
Dick Geza
Pat Long
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2 . [I The Committee's interest was occasioned* by.
the artic e "Psychic Spying" which appeared in the
Parade Section of the Washington Post on 7 August 1977.
The staffers wanted an informal background briefing on
Agency research efforts on ESP.
3. A short oral history of OTS efforts in the
field, data.ng back to 1961, was presented. All three
staffers asked very pertinent questions and were given
frank and in-depth replies.
4. Since the Agency representatives present could
SG1I speak only for OTS, was asked to find out
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OTS/BAB MEMO #287-77
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if any other Agency component was sponsoring ESP type
research.
5.1I A written outline of QTS work. on ESP
classifie SECRET --, the IEEE article covering the un-
classified portions of the work done by SRI and,.a brief
article on Mr. Pat Price were left with the Committee.
Additional information was offered but they declined.
QTS BAB
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 titer learn vi his instru ~vmqP
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rs presr envy, rice recently accom-
panied chairman of the board David L.
Francis and a group of company engi-
neers on an inspection tour of the prop-
ertiees and `"saw" beneath the surface
seven seams of coal in a mountain. His
analysis was corroborated by the engi-
neers.
Over the past year, Price has been
tested by. physicists at Stanford Re-
search Institute (SRI) in Menlo Park,
California, with positive results. In one
experiment he was able to mentally
change the electronically measured out-
put of a revolving clock pendulum at
which a laser was beamed. On com-
mand and for forty-five minutes, he al-
tered the output of the system below its
normal "at rest" level, seemingly an.
Patrick Price
impossible feat. in another experiment,
he exteriorized and correctly described
in detail a location several miles from.the
he newly appointed president of Prin- laboratory that not even the experiment-
:ess Coal Company in Huntington, West ers knew would be the target. This ex-
rirginia, refers to himself as, "One who periment was reported in Nature, the
perates with or without a body." Patrick prestigious English scientific journal.
rice is not playing word games with Yet another experiment with an SRI
cat statement. It has been scientifically physicist has convinced Price that he
hown that he can "exteriorize" his con- can change the genetic structure of
cious self to obtain data and informa- plant life. Thus, one of his. goals is to
in through ESP. develop hybrid seeds. He now is setting
Price's remarkable, ability is being put up a program at Kathys Farms to modify
use by Princess. to, develop its coal the genetic structure of food plants in
sources.in an expanding energy mar- order to build up their resistance to in-
ct. His talent will also be used in direct- sects, droughts, severe soil and weather
sg operations of Princess's sister'b6m7-_ conditions, and to reduce their growth
hies which include Sycamore Coal cycles. Asked about the success of
nd Kathys Farms, the group's agri- such a program, Price answers, ''The
ultural arm encompassing some 4,500. numerous experiments I have willingly
Ores of farmlands and game preserves, undergone under very stringent labora-
. wall as a showcase ranch for raising
ioroughbred horses. With a vast acre-
age that extends over several states,
rlnc.ess Coal is purchasing a helicopter
whisk Price around the group's wide-
; read holdings.
Excited about putting his abilities to
se in the coal industry, Price says, "I
!;ow that coal has certain properties
t if released and properly utilized
rould handle any energy needs we have
-r the next three to four hundred years."
A man of unwavering confidence with
cordial disposition and penetrating
lrue eyes. Price says he will also use his
naque ability to ascertain the company's
o~ploration and production reports. "I
nn't need to physically leave the office
do that," he asserts matter of.factly,
:recause the coal fields are only a cou-
e hundred miles away and distance is
problem mentally."
Nevertheless, he will go into the field
tory conditions over the past year at SRI
show that I can produce an effect at will
that is measureable and that gives posi-
tive results." Price was fifty when, as
he states, "I had an analytical awareness
as to the availability of abilities I already
had." He credits Scientology for "open-
ing new vistas and abilities of self to me
and which I now use as a matter of fact."
The unique businessman has oper-
ated across the business spectrum from
his family's construction and building
business to a packaging company he
once owned. He has also held various
posts in government ranging from com-
missioner of police and fire for the City
of Burbank, California, to city council-
man and board chairman.
From his own personal experiences,
and those with others in business and
government, Price now believes that
everyone can do what he does and that
such abilities are not extra-normal or
'riod!cally to consult wi ',s a fir Re1'e4d~sde''8Y0 '4ei b1 P96-b07~
',ra his impressions of areas eing uniquely displaying them," he agrees, II
"but the only, difference is that I have
knowingly assumed responsibility far
what I do and make the constant deci-
sion that it is perfectly okay to do it.'.
Price feels that most people refuse
to confront this aspect of themselves
.which is why they are unaware of it or
don't make proper use of it. Yet it does
function for successful businessmen:
whether they admit it or not, he adds.
"Those who really make a thing a suc-
themselves. They're 'not just following
books, procedures, computers, or ad:
visors because they innately understand
that most of the combined data was
gathered erroneously and, therefore,.
would lead them to false conclusions." .
He predicts that others like himseff
will follow him in business and that com-
panies will start utilizing such skills and:
abilities in their operations.
"By virtue of the fact that I have come
forward," states Price, "it can help un-
lock doors for those in business ... they
can either challenge what I say and do
or they can accept- it and apply it to
self."
Asked about how he sees his own
performance with Princess Coal and its
allied companies in the months ahead.
Price replied, "I have no reservations
about the positive results. Besides. I
am putting myself on the line and am wilt-
ing to be measured by the company's
performance under my guidance. As
any businessman knows, the final proof
of how valuable I may be will tell on the
bottom line,
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1961
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OTS Involvement in ESP Research
Monitoring only
U ORD/OTS are contacted by Targ and Puthoff of SRI.
Demonstrations by Ingo Swann appear to show ESP has
useful/practical Intel application (Swann apparently
caused a magnetometer to fluctuate).
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A
I Contract with SRI (OTS/ORD) -- a demon- SG1
stration of using ESP to describe hidden objects. The A
results are so good is provided to work up SG1
a more complete research plan. A
OTS funds contract with SRI to explore
e talents of two subjects., Both results and abili-
ties are inconsistent. One Subject can cause a change
of temperature while another can reproduce information
in a sealed envelope. But neither can duplicate the
work of the other.
ORD renews its interest in the project and it
becomes a joint OTS/ORD effort.
A third "sensitive" (Pat Price) is discovered with
an apparent ability for "remote viewing." The poten-
tial use of this technique for intelligence gathering
spurs all concerned to move ahead quickly.
A new contract to continue and expand the work at
is forwarded from OTS/ORD to the DDO (Mr. Colby)
for review and is'referred to the Executive Management
Committee because of its sensitivity.
who.decides to allow the existing contract to be
completed without a follow-on. OTS is told this work
is too sensitive and potentially embarrassing. At
this time OTS is in the midst of an investigation
The contract is finally sent to the DCI (Schlesinger)
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regarding its role in the Watergate affair.
I
An "informal" experiment at SRI with an OSI scientist
on remote viewing uncovers classified information
and renews Agency interest in ESP. Two "remote
viewers" provide a good description of a military
site by accident. They are then asked to describe
the interior of the building and produce physical
layout, code words and a list of personnel. The
names of the people prove to be incorrect but the
'description of the interior and the code names are
accurate enough to convince the new DCI (Colby) to
renew work on ESP.
A new joint OTS/ORD project is funded to develop and
utilize ESP. ORD is to concentrate ?n identifying
and measuring the phenomena while OTS is to evaluate
the operational usefulness of the people and techniques
without trying to "understand" them.
L Friction soon develops between ORD, OTS and the con-
ractor because of conflicting interests. ORD wants
very strict experimental procedures. OTS wants more
practical applications and the contractor wants less
security constraints. The Agency wants more research
while the contractor wants more time and money. ORD
and OTS come up with different interpretations of the
same data.
New directors are named to OTS and ORD. Neither
c. irector feels "comfortable" with the project.
The first real use of ESP for intelligence collec-
tion is a remote viewing attempt of a Soviet research
facility (URDF-3 or PNUTS). Results are frustrating
and inconclusive. Much of the information is simply
wrong. But some of it is so unusual and detailed
that it cannot be ignored. The results are des-
cribed as valid messages being transmitted over
noisy channels.
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OTS quickly looses its enthusiasm for ESP re--
search and directs the project officer to come up
with practical applications or abandon the project.
These results :,pare reviewed by other DDO components
and new requirements are generated. However, OTS
and ORD managements both decide' not to continue the
project. OTS believes the long range nature of the
research take it out of the purview of its charter
and ORD believes the work performed by SRI ?is unworthy
of further support.
In response to specific requests from DDO components
OTS does agree to maintain a very limited interest in
ESP. Responsibility for the work is turned over to
an OTS psychologist. He .:is told to conduct "opera-
tional" experiments but to devote no more than two
percent of his time to the work. The best of the SRI
Subjects agree to work -- on a part-time basis -- with
the psychologist, as do'. two OTS staff officers who
hove also demonstrated "remote viewing" ability.
One of the requests for operational support is a set
of geographic co-ordinates which one of the Area Desks
has submitted as a target for "remote viewing." The
two OTS engineers volunteer to "view" the site and
describe an installation under construction which they
believe to be The
customer is highly impressed with this information
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This same DDO office then provide new co-ordinates
which are in turn passed on to the "outside" Subject,
(Price). The results of this experiment are presented
to the customer in report form -- with a detailed
sketch-- for evaluation.
Before a meeting can be set up, however, Mr. Price
dies of a heart attack.
Subsequent attempts to have the area desk evaluate the
experiment -- in writing -- finally result. in a
somewhat confusing, but nevertheless official, report.
Mr. Price's death effectively ends all official OTS.
involvement in ESP research.
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