PROCEDURE 18, DOD REGULATION 5240.1-R

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP96-00788R001100170001-2
Release Decision: 
RIFPUB
Original Classification: 
S
Document Page Count: 
2
Document Creation Date: 
November 4, 2016
Sequence Number: 
1
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
February 20, 1981
Content Type: 
MF
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PDF icon CIA-RDP96-00788R001100170001-2.pdf166.28 KB
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roved For Release 2003/09/115ECIA-R6~~-00788R0011vOT017000 I-ZNSE 20FEB1981 MEMORANDUM FOR THE DIRECTOR, DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY SUBJECT: Procedure 18, DOD Regulation 5240.1--R (U) (S) This is in response to an inquiry from the DIA, General Counsel*/ as to whether a proposed contract with Stanford Research Institute (SRI) to analyze the capabilities of psychics requires prior approval of the Secretary of Defense pursuant to Procedure 18 of DOD Regulation 5240.1-R. (U) Procedure 18 is applicable if the activity to be undertaken constitutes "experimentation" on human subjects. Experimentation is defined to mean: research, development, or related activity that may expose an individual to the possibility of injury (including physical, psychological or social injury) that increases the ordinary risks of daily life for the subject (including the recognized risks inherent'in a chosen occupation or field of service), or that temporarily ad- versely affects a person's mental or physical condition. While this definition is quite broad in scope, it stops short of potentially stressful situations created and within the control of the subject, not the analyst. It is concluded for this reason that the limited activity described herein does not fall within the definition of "experimentation."**/ (S) SRI will assist persons with psyshic ability to use and improve that skill, for remote viewing of targets, including some with practical intelligence value to DIA. The analyst will attempt to define the mental process of the psychic. The proce- dure will be strictly limited to a dialogue between the analyst and the psychic. It will take place in a quiet setting such as a (S) This request was made following Army advise that its participation with DIA in a project (codename GRILL FLAME) described in your 2 Feb 1981 memorandum to the Secretary of Defense would have to await further review. **/ (U) This opinion does not address other activities discussed in your 2 Feb 1981 memorandum. For example, no opinion is expressed as to whether involvement of persons with no history of psychic experiences would constitute human experimentation. Classified by DIA Review on 29 Sep 2000 Approved For..Release 2003/09/11: CIA-RDP96-00788R001100170001-2 Approved For Release 2003/09/11 : CIA-RDPg6-00788R001100170001-2 room with limited access and noise levels. The analyst will provide the psychic with map coordinates or other data identifying a remote geographic location. He will then ask the psychic to mentally visit the location and describe events or things on the scene in the past, present or future. The psychic will be advised in advance that the scene en- countered could be an explosion or other event that would be extremely unpleasant or dangerous if a person were physically present. The analyst will ask the psychic questions about his remote viewing experience and provide the psychic with encouragement and suggestions for improvement of the process. The psychic will be provided with no internal or external assistance such as drugs or electrical shock. Nor will any physical devices be used in the process. The psychic will not be deprived of sleep, food, or an opportunity to exercise normal body functions. Also, the activity will be strictly limited to volunteers who have previously used their psychic ability to have remote viewing experiences on behalf of others without adverse effect, either temporary or permanent, on his or her mental or physical condition. (S) There is no medical evidence that the activity described above would be harmful to the psychics involved. To the contrary, we are advised by DIA representatives that there were no reports of ill effects during the course of SRI's prior encouragement of psychics to have remote viewing experiences. While a successful remote viewing experience could be unpleasant, it appears that the stress would be within the control of the psychic, particularly since the subjects have previously had remote viewing experiences without any adverse effect. (S) In essence, the voluntary activity of analysts working with practicing psychics to have and improve the clarity of remote viewing experiences is analogous to a coach prompting an athlete to voluntarily perform feats of increasing difficulty and to explain in the process how he is able to achieve the concentration necessary for positive results. While this type of effort may be stressful, the stress is created and controlled by the psychic, not the analyst. Bence, the activity described above is not ex- perimentation on human subjects within the meaning of procedure 16. L. Niederlehner Acting General Counsel Concurrence: ASD/HA j 1 $ECR i Approved For Release 2003/09/11 : CIA-RDP96-00788RO01100170001-2