US ARMY'S INTEREST IN PSYCHOENERGETICS

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP96-00788R001100370005-6
Release Decision: 
RIFPUB
Original Classification: 
S
Document Page Count: 
2
Document Creation Date: 
November 4, 2016
Document Release Date: 
June 18, 1998
Sequence Number: 
5
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
October 15, 1984
Content Type: 
MEMO
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PDF icon CIA-RDP96-00788R001100370005-6.pdf119.04 KB
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IS 1 't Y Approved For Release 2091/04/02 :CIA-RDP96-00788R00'~' 0~ ? rQQQ$r. The US Army's interest in psychoenergetics goes back to 1972, when the Surgeon General through the Medical Intelligence Information Agency (MIIA), together with DIA, published studies of Soviet Block work. In 1976, the Missile Intelligence Agency (MIA) informally expressed interest in US replication of claimed Soviet experiments in psychokenesis. SRI developed a small program for them and in August 1977, MIA awarded SRI an $80K one-year R&D contract. During the same time, another DARCOM Agency, the Army Material Systems Analysis Agency was involved in the investigation of Remote Viewing concepts with SRI. These efforts continued through FY 1980. In March 1980, William J. Perry, then Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, ordered curtailment of all P6 monies supporting the program, but posed no objection to continuance of non-R&D intelligence applications efforts. This action eventually caused DARCOM to cease all activity. The US Army Intelligence and Security Command's involvement with psychoenergetics began in September 1977. At that time, an INSCOM element implemented the GONDOLA WISH Program which was designed to integrate the Soviet and East European psychoenergetic intelligence collection threat into the all-source Operations Security (OPSEC) support scenario. By Spring of 1978, the Army ACSI concluded there was sufficient evidence to warrant the development of a comprehensive program to explore military applications of psychoenergetics. He cancelled the GONDOLA WISH effort, placed a complete security envelope over Army's interest in psychoenergetics, and implemented a new program directed towards intelligence collection using Remote Viewing. The new effort was given the unclassified nickname GRILL FLAME. In October 1978, ACSI tasked INSCOM to establish a program using psychoenergetics for intelligence applications utilizing Remote Viewing. By Spring 1979, project personnel had been selected and training initiated. The March 1980 Perry Memorandum withdrew the Program 6 monies supporting psychoenergetic R&D efforts, but it did not put us out of business. In 1981, the ACSI transferred total management responsibility for the project to INSCOM. Also in 1981, a Joint Services GRILL FLAME Committee, consisting of DIA, the Air Force and Army was formed. The Navy expressed no interest in participating in any discussions, and later the Air Force Chief of Staff directed that the Air Force withdraw from the committee and all psychoenergetic programs. This joint services effort was formed to implement a 3-year comprehensive program designed to determine the operational parameters and usefulness of psychoenergetics, and assess the threat these phenomena posed to national security. Within this joint services program, the roles of DIA and Army were distinct. DIA was R&D oriented and INSCOM's GRILL FLAME Project was to use Approved For Release 2001/04/02: CIA-RDP96-00788RO01100370005-6 Approved For Release 2001/04/b2 CIf-RDP96-00788RO01100370005-6 Remote Viewing as an operational technique to collect intelligence and to determine if Remote Viewing could be learned by professional intelligence personnel who were not "established psychics." INSCOM participated in this joint services effort until the end of FY 82 when the budget subcommittee of the Senate Select Committee on intelligence (Senator Wallop) curtailed all psychoenergetic operational activities conducted by the Army in the National Foreign Intelligence Program (NFIP). The congressional conferees agreed, however, to let DIA complete the third year of their effort and directed that future funding -- if any -- of this psychoenergetic activity be budgeted outside the NFIP. So in the Fall of 1982, in keeping with these congressional desires and wishing to maintain the momentum of effort already established, the CG, INSCOM decided to continue INSCOM's project and provide funding with Security and Investigative Activities (S&IA) monies. INSCOM terminated formal involvement with GRILL FLAME at the end of FY 82, and continued its efforts under a provisional special access program nicknamed CENTER LANE. Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP96-00788RO01100370005-6