SRI TRIP REPORT 17-18 JUNE 1974

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Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP96-00787R000700110011-3
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RIPPUB
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S
Document Page Count: 
6
Document Creation Date: 
November 4, 2016
Document Release Date: 
September 5, 2003
Sequence Number: 
11
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Publication Date: 
June 24, 1974
Content Type: 
MFR
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PDF icon CIA-RDP96-00787R000700110011-3.pdf332.33 KB
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Approved For Release 2003/09/09 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000700110011-3 SG1I 1. lack?^round and Sri:=:ary. 1.8 June 19711, principally for the purposes of: examining the criteria used in the selection of paranormal subjects and controls; determining precisely what arran, ~e- ments had been made for examining the subjects in the 'basic research' context; establishing procedures for the reporting of all relevant data to us; and discussi.g such other 'basic' and 'applied' research issues as seemed appropriate. We met for about eight hours with bissrs Jones, Puthoff and Targ on 17 June and for one hour with the latter two on 18 June. Despite what appeared to be conceptual problems on the part of. Puthoff and Targ, relating largely to the kinds of rigorous research disciplines ,.,hich we were espousing as essential for the project, the discussions were business-like and well-focused and seemed to be useful for all concerned. 2. Selection and Categorization of Subjects. After five months of effort SRI has selected only five of the nine subjects: the three super-stars, one of the three mid-stars and one of. the three controls. We stressed that significant and useful the basis of ra_careh could commence only after they'd made definitive selections on/specific and consistent criteria. One of the problems here. seems to be the fact that Puthoff and Targ have been more interested in the testing and enhancing of psychic powers than in the establishment of rigorous research procedures--:rith the consequence tha;, as they've perceived ostensible improvements in the psychic powers of their 'contre_s', they've tended to slide them up into the psychic categories. Given their basic belief that everyone has psychic abilities, this could be a nearer-ending process. We stressed that we'd like to see all nine subjects designated by the end of July and they undertook to do so. We then spent several hours defining the three categories and specifying the pre-selection tests and criteria used in screening the subjects. a. Screening Tests and Criteria. All subjects will have been testes on five 'paranormal' tasks. Those tasks, together with the related protocols and (1) The Random Cumbers, Machine (testing; 'clairvoyance') : The basic screenin,; tcsC will consist of 1000 trials (5 trials per run, 8 rims per day for 5 dc:;t?^) and, ti:ouph many subje1_t?s have gone well. t?oyond 1000 trials alrc_ol , :RI will, report to u: data and 'p' values on our nine r:ubjcet:; iuet on the 1000 In t,!-,c contort of 1,7dlA project" over 15n p^o;?l.e~ have b^cn tooted uri this setchi.a.(:; th,; data (copies oi' which will he cen" to no) arc nr.; hcitir; r.tr. l; .,:,1 rutcl iii criteria for Approved For Release 2003/09/09 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000700110011-3 l Approved For Release 2003/09/09 : CIA-RDP96-007878000700110011-3 'iii. ;soon be usLutbli:;hed on the basis of this anal'sis. The present gross is that criteria will be on the order of 10- (2) OO0 or Remote Viewing (te tinfr for telepathy and or clairvoyance): The basic screening test will consist of 6 trials (lasting about one-half .car each), one per day; criteria for psychic perfo-manco level will soon be estab- lished but, in any case, it was agreed that results would have to be at least at the .01 level. It was also agreed that a pool of 20 new sites would be used for each subject; we also discussed the desirability of replacing used sites in subsequent trials for each given subject and, while no definite agreement was reached, it may be that SRI will do so. We spent considerable time discussing the judging procedures, the salient points being: the same five judges (all chosen by Mr Cox and representing a 'hosti.le' to 'friendly' spread with respect to paranormal research) will be used on a permanent basis; each judge works independently, is given a list of the sites which were randomly selected for the subject and copies of his transcripts; he visits each site and selects the best matching transcript; at the present time a plurality vote (i.e., 2 or more) of the judges, accurately matching 4 (or 5) of the 6 sites, is considered signif- icant--but, as noted, precise criteria will be specified by SRI in the near future. (3) EEG-Remote Stimulus (Strobe Light)(testing for telepathy via psych o_ physiologic indicators): The basic screening test will consist of 8 runs, 20 trials per run. A 'sending' subject is exposed to randomly selected stimulus (a 16 herz light for 10 seconds) or non-stimulus, with one minute inter-trial. intervals; the 'test' subject is in a shielded room and, upon hearing a 'blip' signal on the intercom, has to call stimulus or non-stimulus; both subjects are being EEG-monitored and (aside from his calls) they are watching for alpha reduction in the test subject during the stimulus periods. Heretofore SRI had been averaging only the "S" and "PIS" alpha production for comparison purposes but they ;.rill now also average the inter-trial alpha for use as the subject's base-line. Criteria for psychic level pcrfonnance is now set at the .01 level and will be confirmed by SRI. (4) Cards in Fnvel.oras (testing, for clairvoyance): One run of 10 trials, with the stimulus cards (simple line drawings of ordinary objects;) selected randomly and double-blind from a pool of 50; the subject draws his responses and may, if he wishes, supplement the dra::ing by written cosmenl.ary; his respon2(r.a are .cored independently by two judges. The criteria for psychic level will be set by Pi;I but i:; I1o1-1 tcfLuI.ivejy at the .01 level. (';) I.? Approved For Release 2003/09/09 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000700110011-3 Approved For Release 2003/09/09 : CIA-RDP96-007878000700110011-3 scree niIli; LC:JL `.Jill conei:t o2 a c'nc-boil l' I'LU I, with al erIIt" I-.g five-:::inute 'work' and 'rest' cycle;.; during the six 'work' periods the subject is instructed, on a randomly-selected basis, to increase or decrease the amplitude (not the frequency) of the pendulum's state. Considerable time was spent discussing the protocol in terms of how one could most accurately measure states and effects-- with the consensus being that it would be best to compare the last 6 cycles of the 'work' period with the last 6 cycles of the preceding 'rest' period. The tentative criteria for psychic level performance, to be confirmed by SRI, is two standard deviations on It out of the 6 'work' periods. SRI ,.,as quite impressed by the gradiometer's sensitivity and found it a sufficiently useful adjunct to the pendulum experiment to investigate the possibility of acquiring one of their own; barring that, they might try to use SRI's magnetometer. They had several anecdotes about two of their subjects' prowess with this device (one of them allegedly having sent the scale soaring off the paper by telephone) but, not wanting to be exposed to the subjects, we declined invitations to observe experiments. (Note: With respect to all of the above testing, SRI was informed that--as far as our nine ultimate subjects were concerned--we wanted to see all the raw test scores and not merely probability statements on the results.) b. Definition of Subject Categories. All nine subjects will be submitted to all five of the above tests. Their placement as super-stars, mid-stars or controls will be determined on the following basis. (1) Super Stars: Those who "consciously" perform at high 'p' values (e.g., 10-6) on at least one of the five tasks. (2) Mid Stars: Those who are only at chance on the "conscious" level but are at high 'p' value on the "unconscious" physiological dimension--i.e., on the EEG (and/or GSR, plethysmograph) test described in a(3), above. (3) Controls: Those who did not exceed chance within the prescribed number of trials on any of the tasks. (Note: We stressed, and SRI agreed, that once a subject is placed in a given category he is to remain in that category for the duration of the project--no matter what apparent increase or decline of powers they might observe.) 3. Status of Arranremcntn for Exemi.ninc Subjects. We discussed the critical need to finalize all the arrangements and bei.6n processing; at least their 'controls' t?:rough the enti.re battery of Lents within the next month. Phi app'?c:red to concur fully and, as a matter of, fact, mo^t of the a,ranf;cmonl? do now .need to be well in hand; it is now a qu,::;tion of how U1 ,Y 1'ol.lo?s-up by cr,'p]ut a tic ir; nt..iticeticn of Approved For Release 2003/09/09 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000700110011-3 Approved For Release 2003/09/09 : CIA-RDP96-007878000700110011-3 their ::ubje,cts and by sott.i.ng on and i~'bo or?:inr so_n.I hroc: lures for their It could appear that the will is there (`hey are, ,pcrhaps, even too ortinisi;c ab ou; the significance of the evidence that might accrue from the physical and psycholoic-_= examinations) but the organization and discipline might still be lacking. In any case, the status is as follows. a. Psychological and Behavioral Exa:;ainati.ons. Under the white tab (attscae is a chart SRI had prepared on the psychological testing g to be ng performed- -sho;ai. ~ for each subject the status with respect to all tests. Color-coded to reflect the entity responsible for administering each test, the lower circle in each box (when filled in) signifies that the arrangements have been made--while the upper circle (when filled '_n) signifies that. the test has already been administered to that subject. On 17 June Dr Puthoff visited the Palo Alto Medical Clinic and came back with the report that, in the psych-behavioral field, they will also be able to administer the following: Iuscher Color Test, Rorschach, 1,24PI, Omnibus (we confirmed that we wanted both i'ufPI and the Omnibus), Witkins Field Dependency, In-Depth Intervie,.,s--and that all the psych testing done at PAMC will be administered by one individual and scored blind by another. Further SRI will administer: Suggestibility Tests, Flicker-Fusion and, possibly, a Signal Detection Test. We asked them to prepare a new Psych-Behavioral matrix sheet--snowing all of the tests definitively agreed upon--and to use that format in reporting progress with each monthly report. We also confirmed for them (which they seemed not to have realized) that F:ould not be doing the PATS in the future--but that we would be content with the WAIS administered by PAP:_C, All in all, although there area few its on our original list which have not been satisfied, this battery of tests and interv_e-.,-s should be adequate for our purposes--particularly since, after studying all of the evidence on all subjects, there's no reason why we couldn't call for a limited number of specific and more discriminating tests on all of them. Also (see the blue tab) SRI has adopted Mood Adjective & Semantic Differential Checklists for use on each testing day. b. Medical-Physical-Sensory Exaiinaticas. The PAMC will handle virtual. all of these examinations, including: in-depth medical history interviews; a thorcugh EEG medical examination of the and ( periodic check-LLp type); a complete/CNIS work-up; full bled and urine analysis; chromosome count and analysis; protein break-down analysis; eye and ear examinations, testing to each subject's extreme capability; plotting of entire visual response field, with different colors; and they will farm-out the CIN res_anse testing to Stanford (SRI undertook to determine for us the details on Stanford's procedures and conditions). Further, P,"t1:C is able to perform an E.M.I. brain-sc