DATA FROM PSYCHIC SOURCES.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: STARGATE
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP96-00788R000100340001-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: November 4, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 5, 2000
• Sequence Number: 1
• Content Type: REPORT

DATA FROM PSYCHIC SOURCES (S)
1. (S) DIA continues to receive information from psychic sources
regarding BG Dozier. Some of these reports are from people who
have demonstrated statistical significance in controlled
parapsychological laboratory experiments; other reports are from
people previously unknown to the parapsychological research
community. It is difficult to interpret such data, even from
tested psychics, since laboratory investigations usually do not
simulate an operational problem such as locating missing people.
It is even more difficult to assess data from an unsolicited
unevaluated source where no laboratory data or operational track
record exists.
2. (S) Nevertheless, the potential of such data, especially when
information from conventional sources is not available, should be
considered for possible leads or clues. This judgement is based on
review of laboratory results with specific individuals who have
demonstrated consistent statistical significance, and on reports of
psychic data providing meaningful clues in police work. Some of
these accounts appear to be credible and are reasonably well
documented. Consequently, such data cannot be dismissed out-of-
hand. In the case of a search problem, such data may have the
potential of narrowing down search possibilities and possibly
providing additional ideas for the investigation.
3. (S) while an initial assessment of the reliability or
credibility of the person providing the data may be possible, based
on previous laboratory testing and/or operational track record,
there still remains the major problem of assessing or interpreting
the raw data. Laboratory experiments in free-response type
experiments using pictorial targets (e.g., describing concealed
drawings, unknown geographic locations,) indicate that the
descriptive elements, such as shape or form, are generally of
higher reliability than judgments or analysis (labels) given by the
psychic to what is being perceived. For example, an aircraft
fuselage may be identified as a "submarine", or a natural cave as
an "underground facility" of some sort. It also seems that scale
judgements (distances, height of mountains,) are of low
reliability. The data often contain gaps and not all the elements
of the intended target are perceived. For example, only one or two
buildings may be described in a 3-building complex, or only one
tower may be perceived when several are in the area. There are
also erroneous additions, possibly from memory associations to a
similar place or from a tendency to fill-in via imagination. For
example, an airport might be added to a train station target, since
rail lines may suggest "long runways" or "parking aprons".
4. (S) Another major source of error in this type of data is with
verbal responses. Laboratory results to date suggest very low
reliability in direct correlation between concealed words and
psychic impressions of them. In some cases, possibly depending on
the individuals background, training, and personal preferences,
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some target words are more likely to be perceived then others. In
most cases (with proven psychics) there may only be a partial
correspondence between target words and impressions. for example,
the first few letter may correlate, or the perceived word may be a
"sound alike". Sometimes the similarity is only symbolic or very
indirect. This seems to be even more of a problem if the target
words are in a language foreign to the psychic.
5. (S) Therefore, a degree of finesse must be exercised in
attempting to apply data from a psychic source. Some aspects may
be literal and direct, other may be incomplete, mislabeled, or
totally incorrect. Only repeated work with a proven psychic source
can help evaluate the individuals various biases and types of
error, and to identify the individuals strengths and weaknesses.
Usually, the psychic person is likely to make most errors in
analytical judgements regarding his or her own perceptions; whereas
people accustomed to work in pattern recognition type tasks appear
to be better suited to interpret such data.
6. (S) In order to help assess reliability of psychic data,
specific feedback is required on initial data inputs. Therefore it
is important to know what aspects of a perception were reasonably
correct, only partially correct, or totally incorrect. With this
information, efforts of the source might be re-directed along more
fruitful lines of query, and the data accumulated can be
reevaluated, perhaps with additional (and possibly more reliable)
interpretations. The importance of specific feedback on initial
inputs cannot be overemphasized. In addition, details such as the
thoroughness of the search and the actual area covered are also
important. It may be the correct area was actually searched,
perhaps not at the right time (person moved) or not thoroughly
enough. It may be the search concentrated in one specific area,
and was not expanded to cover other likely possibilities in the
same general vicinity.
7. (S) In addition, data from several independent psychic sources
may prove to have common elements that form into an overall
pattern. Should this be observed,, new interpretations of
previously obtained data, regardless of thoroughness of feedback,
may become possible. This "data integration" approach would
examine new possibilities that fit the majority of the data and
maybe help narrow down or identify new search options.
Additionally, data analysts might be able to list options in a
most-to-least likely order. This approach is believed to be a
fruitful one for search cases where the target area has much
terrain redundancy, is large, and where the target may be moved
frequently.
8. (S) Therefore, an integrated assessment step should be taken
with the possibility that higher confidence can be given to the
various search possibilities. This would not exclude previously
identified areas, if they were not searched thoroughly enough, or
if a move into this area may have subsequently occurred. In
addition to these assessments, specific new raw data could also be
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supplied for information to field users, since some aspects of the
data might be of more significance to people on the scene than
analyst far-removed.
9. (S) Consequently, it is anticipated that, such an integrated
approach in use and interpretations of data from psychic sources
might provide more reliable inputs for field use. Specific
feedback and some search details would continue to be required,
however, for continuing evaluation. An interactive process between
psychic sources, data analysts, and field users would lead to
better utility of such data, especially in the event no direct data
regarding location of the subject of search becomes available.
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