EXPERIMENTAL PSI RESEARCH: IMPLICATIONS FOR PHYSICS

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• Document Creation Date: November 4, 2016
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• Publication Date: July 1, 1979
• Content Type: REPORT

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EXPERIMENTAL- PSI RESEARCH: IMPLICATIONS FOR
PHYSICS
By: HAROLD E. PUTHOFF RUSSELL TARG EDWIN C. MAY
Radio Physics Laboratory
SRI International
333 Ravenswood Avenue
Menlo Park, California 94025
Session on "The Role of Consciousness in the Physical World"
145th National Meeting
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Houston, Texas
January 3-8, 1979
333 Ravenswood Ave. ? Menlo Park, California 94025
[phone] ? Cable: SRI INTL MPK ? TWX: 910-373-1246
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EXPERIMENTAL PSI RESEARCH: IMPLICATIONS FOR PHYSICS
H. E. Puthoff, R. Targ, E. C. May
Radio Physics Laboratory
SRI International
Menlo Park, California
Experimental laboratory work continues to provide evidence for the
existence of so-called psi processes, a class of interactions between
consciousness and the physical world as yet unexplained. These include
(1) the acquisition of information not presented to any obvious sense,
and (2) the production of physical effects not mediated by any obvious
mechanism. At SRI we have concentrated primarily on the former, inves-
tigating a phenomenon we call "remote viewing," the ability of certain
individuals to access and describe, by means of m3ntal processes, infor-
mation blocked from ordinary perception by distance or shielding. 1-6
Our data base consists of more than 100 experiments in the remote viewing
of targets ranging from objects in nearby light-tight cannisters to
geographic sites at transcontinental distances, viewed from locations
which include shielded Faraday cages and a submerged submarine. Data
from these observations indicate that models put forward to explain psi
processes must account for bit rates on the order of 0.1 bits/s, resolu-
tion of approximately 1 mm, apparent ineffectiveness of ordinary electrical
shielding, and relative insensitivity to distance up to at least 10,000 km.
Although such phenomena might appear to be in conflict with the laws
of physics, we anticipate that with further work much of the data will
be accounted for either within the framework of physics as presently
understood, or on the basis of extrapolations that have been proposed
to account for other (non-psi) data, and that, conversely, the psi data
base may shed light on some of the current problems in physics, e.g.,
with regards to the foundations of quantum theory.
For the past seven years we have been investigating aspects of human
perception that appear to fall outside the range of well-understood
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perceptual/processing capabilities. Of particular interest is a human
information-accessing capability that we call "remote viewing." This
phenomenon pertains to the ability of certain individuals to access and
describe, by means of mental processes, remote geographical locations up
to several thousand km distant from their physical location given only a
known person on whom to target. These abilities are developed in several
individuals sufficiently to allow them to describe--often in considerable
detail--geographical or technical material such as buildings, roads,
natural formations, interior laboratory apparatus, and sealed targets,
along with the real-time activities of persons at the target site.
The experimental evidence indicates that (1) although the information
channel is imperfect, the data generated by the remote viewing process
exceeds any reasonable bounds of chance correlation, and (2) the extent
of physical distance separating the subject from the target site up to
transcontinental distances does not appear to significantly affect the
accuracy of perception.
As observed in the laboratory, the basic phenomenon appears to cover
a range of subjective experiences variously referred to in the literature
as autoscopy (in the medical literature); exteriorization or disassociation
(psychological literature); simple clairvoyance, traveling clairvoyance,
or out-of-body experience (parapsychological literature); or astral pro-
jection (occult literature). We choose the term "remote viewing" as a
neutral descriptive term free from prior associations and bias as to
mechanisms.
Since the initial publication of our investigations of this remarkable
phenomenon, a number of replication studies have been carried out in other
laboratories, the bulk of which have been successful. 7-16 Thus, it appears
that the remote viewing function can be elicited under a wide variety of
laboratory conditions.
We begin with a synopsis of our basic data base of more than fifty
local remote viewing trials with nine subjects.2 The general protocol
is to closet a subject with an experimenter at SRI, and at a prearranged
time to obtain from the subject a description of an undisclosed, remote
site being visited by a target team, one of whose members is known to the
subject and who thereby constitutes a target person.
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A. Experimental Procedure
At the beginning of a trial", a subject is closeted with an
experimenter at SRI to await an agreed-upon start time. At the same time
a target team is sent, without communication with the subject or experi-
menter remaining at SRI, to a target location somewhere in the San Francisco
Bay Area ("500 square km). The target is determined by random-number
access to a target pool of sealed travelling orders previously prepared
by an independent experimenter and kept locked in a secure safe. The
target pool consists of more than 100 target locations chosen from a
target-rich environment.
During a predetermined viewing period, typically of 15 minutes
duration, the subject is asked to render drawings and describe into a tape
recorder his impressions of the target site being visited by the outbound
target team. The experimenter with the subject is kept ignorant of the
target, and is therefore free to question the subject to clarify his
descriptions without fear of cueing, overt or subliminal. The experiment
is thus of the double-blind type.
When the target team returns to SRI following the remote viewing
period, the subject is then taken to the target site so that he may obtain
direct feedback. Following a series of such trials over a several-day
period, a formal blind judging procedure (described below) is used to
evaluate the data and quantify the results.
B. Initial Experimental Series
To give a concrete example, we summarize the results obtained
with the first subject in the local remote viewing series. This subject
(designated here as Sl) participated in nine trials. Subject Si came to
our experiments with a reported history of spontaneous remote viewing
experiences. In general, the subject's ability in these trials to describe
correctly buildings, docks, roads, gardens, and the like, including
structural materials, color, ambience, and activity--sometimes in great
detail--indicated the functioning of a remote perceptual ability. A
landmark Hoover Tower target, for example, was recognized and correctly
named; a boat marina was described in a consistent narrative that began
with "what I'm looking at is a little boat jetty or boat dock along the
bay ...," and so forth.
Nonetheless, the descriptions generally contained inaccuracies
as well as correct statements. A typical example is indicated by the
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drawing shown in Figure 1. First, the subject correctly described a park-
like area containing two pools of water: one rectangular, 60 X 89 ft (actual
dimensions 75 X 100 ft); the other circular, diameter 120 ft (actual
diameter 110 ft). However, as can be seen from his drawing, the subject
also included some elements, such as the tanks shown in the upper right,
that are not present at the target site. We also note an apparent left-
right reversal, often observed in paranormal perception experiments.
Finally, the subject incorrectly indicated the function of the site as water
purification rather than recreational swimming. Thus we observe essentially
a correct description of certain basic elements and patterns coupled with
incomplete or erroneous analysis of function.
This latter theme emerged as a thread which continued throughout
our work and eventually led to uncovering a possible relationship between
paranormal perception and cerebral functioning, namely: that paranormal
functioning may involve specialization characteristic of the nonanalytic
part of the brain's cognitive apparatus, which predominates in spatial and
other holistic processing, in contrast to that part which predominates in
verbal and other analytical functioning. 17- 19
C. Judging of Results
To obtain a numerical evaluation of the accuracy of the remote
viewing experiment, the experimental results were subjected to independent
judging on a blind basis by an SRI consultant not otherwise associated with
this series. The response packets, which contained the nine typed unedited
transcripts of the tape-recorded narratives and associated drawings, were
unlabeled and presented to the judge in a randomly-numbered order. Working
alone, the judge's task was to visit each target location in turn and to
blind rank order, on a scale 1 to 9 (best to worst match), each of the nine
transcripts against each target, generating a 9 X 9 matrix (see Table 1).
As a first-order evaluation of the matrix we consider simply the
number of direct matches (ones on the diagonal), in this case seven out of
nine. The appropriate statistic is derived assuming nonindependent assign-
ment of transcripts to target sites (as in guessing the order of a random
sequence of the digits one through nine, each used once).20 The result
(seven out of nine correctly matched) is significant at p = 10-4.
A more precise measure of the statistical significance of the
matrix of target/transcript ratings is given by a direct-count-of-
permutations method of great generality.21 It is an exact calculation
method requiring no approximations such as normality assumptions. Further-
more, the judging process that went into generating the matrix is not required
to be independent transcript-to-transcript nor target-to-target. Finally,
numerical estimates of target/transcript correspondences can be made on the
basis of either rank-order or rating scales (e.g., rank ordering 1 - n, best
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DISTRIBUTION OF RANKINGS ASSIGNED TO TRANSCRIPTS
ASSOCIATED WITH EACH TARGET LOCATION
(SUBJECT 1)
Transcripts
Trial
Targets
5
3
1
8
2
9
4
7
6
1
Hoover Tower
0
6
.
5
2
6,5
3
6.5
6,5
6.5
6.5
,
~
.~
2
Baylands Nature Preserve
5
( 1 )
7.5
2
7.5
3
7.5
7.5
4
3
Radio Telescope
2
7
O
7
3
7
7
7
4
4
Marina
3
2
6.5
0
6.5
6.5
6.5
6.5
6.5
~~
5
Bridge Toll Plaza
8
5
7
4
( 6)
2
3
1
9
~~
//
6
Drive-in Theater
6
6
6
6
2
( 1)
6
6
6
7
Arts and Crafts Plaza
6
2
8.5
8.5
5
4
G
3
7
8
Catholic Church
4
7.5
7.5
7.5
1
7.5
2
(D )
5
9
Swimming Pool Complex
3
2
7
7
4
7
7
7
Ol
Note: Transcripts blind rank ordered 1-9 (best to worst match). Non-differentiable
transcripts at end of rank ordering are all assigned mean of remaining
rank order numbers.
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1) 0 1 0
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to worst match; rating 0-100, zero to complete correspondence; arbitrary
scale rating arrived at by some complex procedure involving many factors
such as occurs in multiple-judge voting, etc.) The argument is as follows.
In the absence of knowledge as to which transcript was generated
in response to which target, one observes that in setting up the matrix there
are n! possible ways to label the columns (transcripts), given any particular
order of the rows (targets), and vice versa. Thus, there are n: possible
matrices which could be constructed from the raw judging data, all of them
equally likely a priori. Each has its associated sum on the diagonal
corresponding to a possible alignment of targets and transcripts.
The significance level for the experiment is then determined by
counting the number of possible matrices that would yield a result (diagonal
sum) equal to or better (i.e., lower'sum of ranks in the rank-order case,
higher sum of scores in the correspondence-rating case, etc.) than that
obtained for the matrix corresponding to the key, and dividing by n: This
ratio gives the probability of obtaining by chance a result equal to or
better than that obtained in the actual judging process.
The calculation method just outlined has in common with the
previous approach (the direct-match statistic) that the various judging
steps are not required to be independent. It is more precise, however,
in that it takes into account measures of transcript quality represented
by the whole range of rank-order numbers, not just the number of direct
matches. For the 9 X 9 matrix under consideration we have by direct count
p = 32/9: = 8.8 X 10-5, a result which in this case is essentially the
same as that obtained by the direct-match statistic.
Finally we note, as an item of interest to be discussed later,
that in trials 3, 4, and 6 through 9, the subject was secured in a
double-walled copper screen Faraday cage, which provides 120-dB attenua-
tion for plane-wave radio-frequency radiation over the range of 15 kHz
to 1 GHz. The results of the judging indicate that the use of such
shielding does not prevent high-quality descriptions from being obtained.
D. Replication Series
Having completed this initial series of trials with Si, we
concluded that remote viewing appeared to be both a real and a robust
phenomenon. We then carried out replication experiments with other sub-
jects (the results of which are given in detail in Reference 2) until we
had established a data base of over 50 trials. A summary tabulation of
the statistical evaluations of these trials (with nine subjects) is
presented in Table 2. Of the six studies, involving remote viewing of
natural targets or laboratory apparatus, five reached statistical sig-
nificance. The overall results, evaluated conservatively on the basis
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Subject
Number of
Experiments
p-Value, Rank
Order Judging
With natural targets
S1
9
8.8X105
S2 and S3 (four each)
8
5.2 X 10-4
S4
9
1.7 X 10-3
S5 and S6 (four each)
8
0.08 (NS)
V1 and V2 (three; two)
5
0.033
With technology targets
S2, S3, S4, V2, V3
12
0.044
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of a judging procedure that ignored transcript quality beyond that
necessary to rank order the data packets (vastly underestimating the
statistical significance of individual descriptions), clearly indicated
the presence of an information channel of useful bit rate. The descrip-
tions supplied by the subjects, although containing inaccuracies, were
sufficiently accurate to permit the judges to differentiate (blind) among
various targets to the degree that roughly 50% of the transcripts were
directly matched.2
Three major criticisms have been raised with regard to this work.
We now address each in turn.
(1) A statistical procedure used to evaluate the judging
matrices in earlier publications 2-6 has been criticized
on the basis that the judge's rank order assignments
for a given target may not be independent of his assign-
ments for other targets.22 This has been rectified
in this paper by the use of the direct-count-of-
permutations method (introduced in Section C) which
does not assume independence of assignments. The p-values
quoted in Table 2 are therefore the corrected ones.
As it turns out, the updated values do not differ
significantly from the previously published ones
(compare, for example, Table 2 here and Table VIII
of Ref. 2), and therefore interpretations as to the
significance of the data are unaffected.
(2) It has been suggested that post-trial feedback to the
subject during an experimental series may provide
information to the subject which helps him to narrow
down the field of target possibilities in later trials
("closed-deck" fallacy).23 The target pool was carefully
constructed, however, to contain several targets of any
given type--that is, several fountains, several churches,
several boathouses, and so forth--specifically to
circumvent the strategy of "I had a fountain yesterday,
so it can't be a fountain today." (In Ref. 2 see, for
example, fountain targets in tables IV and V and in
figures 7, 8, and 15; churches in tables II and III;
boat marinas in tables II and V and figure 14; and so
forth). Thus, the content of a given target, determined
by random entry into the target pool, is essentially
independent of the contents of other targets ("open-
deck" design).
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(3) The initial experimental series of 9 trials with Subject Si
(Section B) was criticized on the basis that extraneous
cues in the unedited subject transcripts might provide
additional information useful to judges attempting to
blind match transcripts to target sites (e.g., phrases
from which one might infer the temporal order of the
transcripts.) 24 To test this hypothesis, the entire data
set was turned over to an independent researcher,* who
set himself the task of reanalyzing the entire experiment,
taking into account this criticism. To execute this task,
he first edited the transcripts, removing all phrases
which had been suggested as possible cues, together with
any additional phrases for which even the weakest post-hoc
cue argument could be made. He then arranged to have the
set re-blind-judged by an individual unfamiliar with this
study. The result: the same seven out of nine were
directly matched as had been matched previously, and
the direct-count-of-permutations analysis of the matrix
yielded a result somewhat more significant than in the
original study (p = 8/9: = 2.2 X 10-5). Thus, the
hypothesis that the matches in the original study were
due to artifactual cues was soundly rejected, and the
paranormal interpretation upheld. 26-26
Given (1) the failure of the cueing-artifact hypothesis to account
for the success of the first study, (2) the inapplicability of that hypothe-
sis to our later replication studies (the judging protocols were carefully
checked prior to judging to insure absence of potential cues), (3) the open-
deck strategy in target pool design, (4) the refinement of the statistical
procedures without loss of significance, and (5) the continuing successful
replication of this work in our own and other laboratories, the remote
viewing data has withstood every attempt on the part of ourselves and
others over the years to find some alternate explanation. Thus, remote
viewing continues to be confirmed as a viable human perceptual ability.
*
Prof. Charles T. Tart, Dept. of Psychology, University of California,
Davis.
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IV PHYSICS PRINCIPLES POTENTIALLY APPLICABLE TO PSI PHENOMENA
One of the common objections to the psi hypothesis is that it would
seem to be in conflict with the laws of physics. In opposition to this
view, many workers in the field are of the opinion that the data will in
all probability be accounted for either within the framework of physics
as presently understood, or within the framework of extrapolations that
have been proposed to account for other (non-psi) data.
The areas of physics put forward for consideration as potentially
relevant to modeling psi phenomena include: the possibility that remote
viewing is mediated by extremely low-frequency (ELF) electromagnetic
waves; 27-33 the possible significance for remote viewing of Bell's theorem 24
in quantum theory which requires interconnectedness of distant events in
a manner that is contrary to ordinary experience 36-36 (experimentally
confirmed at the microscopic level); 317-38 the proper interpretation of the
41
effects of an observer (consciousness) on experimental measurement,39- 4
of possible significance in psychokinesis; the possibility that the
advanced-potential solutions in physics play a role in so-called precog-
nition; 42-44 and the potential relevance (for a general theory of psi
phenomena) of theories based on geometries which provide for a more
extended structure of the space-time metric. 46-46
Although little progress has been made toward a rapprochement between
psi and physics, physicists like ourselves are making an effort to design
and carry out experiments which can in principle shed light on the alterna-
tive models. As a conservative start, a reasonable first hypothesis would
be that remote viewing is mediated by extremely low-frequency (ELF) elec-
tromagnetic waves, a hypothesis that does not seem to be categorically
ruled out by any obvious physical or biological facts.
This hypothesis, discussed in some detail in a series of papers by
I. M. Kogan of the Soviet Union, suggests that information transfer under
conditions of sensory shielding is mediated by ELF waves with wavelengths
in the 300 to 1000-km region. 27-3c> Experimental support for the hypothesis
is claimed on the basis of: less than inverse square attenuation with
distance, compatible both with earth-ionosphere waveguide mode trapping,
and with source-percipient distances lying in the induction field range
as opposed to the radiation field range; observed low bit rates (0.005-0.1
bits/s) compatible with the information-carrying capacity of ELF waves;
apparent ineffectiveness of ordinary electromagnetic shielding as an
attenuator; and standard antenna calculations entailing biologically
generated currents yielding results compatible with observed signal-to-
noise ratios.
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On the negative side with regard to a straightforward ELF inter-
pretation as a blanket hypothesis are: (a) apparent high-resolution,
real-time descriptions of remote activities in sufficient detail to
require a channel capacity in all probability greater than that allowed
by a conventional modulation of an ELF signal; (b) lack of a proposed
mechanism for coding (and decoding) the information onto the proposed
ELF carrier; and (c) apparent precognition data. The hypothesis must
nonetheless remain open at this stage of research.
Experimentation to determine whether the ELF hypothesis is viable
can be carried out by the use of ELF sources as targets, by the study of
parametric dependence on propagational directions and diurnal timing, by
experimentation under unusual conditions of shielding (e.g., in a submarine),
by the exploration of distance and resolution (target size) effects, and
(in some forms of the model) by a study of differences between the
presence and absence of a human link who can act as a transmitter of the
target.
The experiments described in the following sections were designed to
address the above issues. To anticipate the results, the introduction of
factors which might be expected to degrade performance on the basis of an
ELF model did not in fact appear to affect the channel deleteriously.
V LONG-DISTANCE REMOTE VIEWING FROM A SUBMARINE
In July of 1977 we carried out two preliminary tests of remote viewing
from a submersible submerged in several hundred ft of seawater, approxi-
mately 500 miles from the target site. This provided an opportunity to
investigate the remote viewing phenomenon under conditions of increased
distance and shielding.
The submersible used in the experiment was the Taurus, a five-man
underwater vehicle (see Figure 2) manufactured by International Hydro-
dynamics Company Ltd. (HYCO) of Canada. Experimental time on the Taurus
was made available to SRI by Mr. Stephan Schwartz of the Philosophical
Research Society of Los Angeles, who, as Director of Project Deep Quest,
had arranged for its use in an underwater psi archaelogy experiment. 47
During the experimentation discussed here, the submersible operated
submerged in the waters near Santa Catalina Island, off the coast of
southern California.
The goal of the experiment was to provide data on the possible shielding
effects of several hundred feet of seawater, known to be a good shield
for all but the lowest frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum.
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y. W.
(a) PHOTOGRAPH
ar
t,, I
ICI'
(b) SECTIONAL VIEW
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The protocol for each of the two tests was as follows. Target pools
of six San Francisco Bay Area target locations each were assembled in
advance of the tests. During a test a pair of experimenters comprising
a target demarcation team went at a prearranged time to a randomly-
determined site and remained there for 15 minutes. During this period a
subject on board the submersible, monitored by an experimenter blind to
the target pool, registered his impressions as to where the target
demarcation team was, 500 miles away, as per standard remote viewing
protocol. When shown the target list (for the first time) after the
remote viewing trial was completed, the subject was asked to make a choice
as to which target of the set of six was viewed.
Two trials of this type were carried out, one each with two subjects.
(Four were planned in accordance with a prearranged time schedule, but
two were aborted because the submarine did not follow its diving schedule.)
For the first trial the submersible was at a depth of 170 m in water
340 m deep. Figure 3 shows the subject's response to the target demar-
cated by the outbound team, a large oak tree. The subject correctly
described a large tree, framed against a drop-off, and had no difficulty
choosing the correct target from the list of six potential targets.
For the second trial the submersible rested on the bottom in 78 m
of water. The outbound team again went at a prearranged time to one of six
possible locations (chosen from a new list by a random procedure), a
shopping mall shown in Figure 4. Figure 5 shows the subject's response
to the target. The subject correctly indicated the flat stone flooring,
small pool, reddish stone walk, and people walking around in an enclosed
space. When shown the target list, the subject chose the correct target
location.
Therefore, in the two trials that were carried out from the submersible,
the subject in each case selected the correct one out of six targets, events
whose combined probability of occurring by chance is p = 1/36 = 0.028.
To determine the significance of the success of the remote viewing
experiment with regard to the ELF hypothesis, we examine the shielding
effect of 170 m of seawater (for the first trial). The appropriate
calculations have been carried out by the authors; we quote the salient
features here.
Three modes of propagation have to be considered. They are the
TE, TM, and quasi-TEM modes of propagation. (The latter is generally
assumed in Project Sanguine/Seafarer calculations, where one considers
coupling into the spherical resonant cavity comprised of the earth's
surface as the inner radius, and the ionosphere as the outer radius.48)
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 4 4 4 4 4 4 % t
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FIGURE 3 SUBMERSIBLE EXPERIMENT NUMBER 1: 170 m DEEP IN
340 m OF WATER. 16 July 1977. Target was a giant oak
on a hilltop in Portola Valley, California. Subject's first words
were: "A very tall looming object. A very, very, hugh tall
tree and a lot of space behind them. There almost feels-like
there is a drop-off or a palisade or a cliff behind them."
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FIGURE 4 SHOPPING MALL TARGET USED IN SUBMERSIBLE EXPERIMENT NUMBER 2
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!~IS~we~I.~1~ao~Pr,
FIGURE 5 SUBMERSIBLE EXPERIMENT NUMBER 2: 78 m DEEP ON THE BOTTOM. Target was shopping mall in Mountain
View, California. Subject's drawing correctly identifies: "Flat stone flooring, walls, small pool, reddish stone walk,
large doors, walking around, an enclosed space."
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Table 3 shows the minimum attenuation results for the three cases,
assuming a depth of 170 m and a lower frequency limit of 10 Hz (alpha
brainwave frequency). (The attenuation is higher at higher frequencies.)
We see that in all cases there is greater than a 20 dB (factor of 100)
attenuation of a 10-Hz ELF signal. The results are therefore suggestive
that the postulated ELF electromagnetic radiation mechanism is not viable
as a mechanism for remote viewing. A definitive test, of course, requires
a lengthy series of experiments carried out at, say, 1000 m, where 10-Hz
attenuation reaches more than 100 dB.
Finally, we note that although the subjects indicated that they had
experienced some degree of stress due to cramped conditions and sea-
sickness, these environmental factors did not appear to affect the quality
of performance negatively.
After establishing the data base of more than 50 remote-viewing
experiments with local targets (sites within a few kilometers), we under-
took a series of five trials designed to provide an indication as to
whether an increase in subject-target separation to transcontinental
distances would degrade the quality or accuracy of perception. A major
motivation for this effort was the desire to accumulate further data
aimed at determining whether remote viewing might be mediated by extremely
low-frequency (ELF) electromagnetic waves. Under simple forms of this
hypothesis, one would expect a degradation in accuracy as the subject-
target distance is increased from a few kilometers to several thousand
kilometers.
As a secondary goal, we were interested in the real-time data rate,
another important factor in assessing the ELF hypothesis. Therefore, the
subjects were encouraged to describe real-time activity during the viewing
period.
The methodology with regard to experimental design again was designed
to eliminate possible cueing paths. The protocol was as follows. Arrange-
ments were made in advance of.each trial (via telephone or computer tele-
conferencing) as to the trial start time. The targets were then determined
(following disconnect) either by random-number generator entry into a
previously prepared target list unknown to subject and experimenters with
the subject, or in one case, on the basis of site selection by an inde-
pendent, skeptical challenger. The duration of each trial was fifteen
minutes.
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SUBMARINE EXPERIMENT
(ELF Hypothesis)
Maximum-Transmission TE Wave (normal incidence, 10 Hz)
R
surface
loss
R attn 18.6 dB
Maximum-Transmission TM Wave (grazing incidence, 10 Hz)
R
surface
loss
Rattn
18.6 dB
Maximum-Transmission Quasi-TEM Wave (grazing incidence, 10 Hz)
R surface
loss
R attn 18.6 dB
Under the least-loss case (near-grazing TM wave), the attenuation
for an ELF signal at 10 Hz is 18.6 dB at 170 m, to which must be
added the air/surface reflection loss. (The air/surface interface
adds another 3.4 dB.)
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A. Menlo Park to New York City (Grant's Tomb)
Two subjects, S7 and S8, both in California, participated
simultaneously in a trial with Grant's Tomb, the first of two New York
City targets. Both subjects independently provided computer-stored
records of their impressions, and one made the sketch shown in Figure 6.
Subject S8 said in his opening paragraph: "Outdoors, large open
area, standing on and then off asphalt (rough material), dark for a path.
A white building, like a ticket booth. Wooden structure, is white in
color, and has an arched look about it. There is a large shade tree close
to Russ (outbound experimenter)."
Subject S7, closeted in a separate SRI location, began with:
"I thought of a high place with a view." The subject continued with
"I saw a tree on your left in a brick plaza--it seemed to be in front of
a building you were entering." Later, "I could not clearly identify the
activity. A restaurant? A museum? A bookstore?" And, "You were looking
at coins in the palm of your hand, maybe giving some to Nicky (son of
outbound experimenter)." The coins were in fact given to the experimenter's
son to purchase the postcard from which Figure 6 was made. Both subjects
then went on for an additional paragraph to describe details of the
activities they imagined to be going on inside the building they saw,
details that were partly correct, partly incorrect.
B. Menlo Park to New York City (Washington Square Fountain)
In the second experiment, the target, again chosen by random
protocol, was the fountain in Washington Square Park. One subject, S7,
participated. The photos and the subject's drawing of the fountain are
shown in Figure 7. The subject began with the following: "The first image
I got at about the first minute was of a cement depression--as if a dry
fountain with a cement post in the center or inside. There seemed to be
pigeons off to the right, flying around the surface out of the depression ....
At one point I thought you were opening a cellophane bag ...." (The experi-
menters had in fact bought ice cream during the experimental period.) "There
was also a rectangular wooden frame, a window frame, but I wasn't sure if it
was on a building, or a similar structure with a different purpose."
(A possible correlation from a functional viewpoint to the Washington
Square Arch through which the outbound experimenters viewed the fountain
toward the end of the experimental period.) "All in all I thought you
were in Riverside Park ...." (Incorrect analysis.) Finally, the subject
described "cement steps going into the depression, like a stadium, and
the rounded edge of the top of the depression as you go up to ground level,"
a description which shows correct detail.
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FIGURE 6 IN COAST-TO-COAST REMOTE VIEWING EXPERIMENT, SUBJECT DESCRIBED:
"OUTDOORS, LARGE OPEN AREA.... SHADE TREES.... WHITE BUILDING WITH
ARCHES"
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COAST TO COAST REMOTE VIEWING EXPERIMENT
WITH TARGET AT WASHINGTON SQUARE IN NEW
YORK CITY. SUBJECT'S FIRST PERCEPTION WAS
OF A "CEMENT DEPRESSION - AS IF A DRY
FOUNTAIN - WITH A CEMENT POST IN THE
CENTER OR INSIDE".
FIGURE 7 WASHINGTON SQUARE IN NEW YORK CITY, USED AS TARGET IN COAST-TO-COAST REMOTE-VIEWING
EXPERIMENT, 6 JULY 1976
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C. New York City to Ohio (Ohio Caves)
A third long-distance remote-viewing experiment was carried out
under the control of an independent, skeptical scientist not known to the
subject. In this case SRI experimenters visiting in Ohio agreed to a
remote-viewing experiment in which the target would be selected by our
host.
Under the observation of our challenger, we telephoned Subject
S4 in New York City and obtained the subject's agreement to participate
in a long-distance remote viewing experiment. The subject was told only
that we were located somewhere between New York City and California and
that shortly we would be taken to a target. The time for the experiment
was set for 2:00 PM EDT. We also agreed to call again at 3:00 PM EDT to
obtain Subject S4's impressions and to provide feedback as to the actual
target.
The scientist chose as a target location the Ohio Caverns at
Springfield, Ohio (see Figure 8). We entered the grounds through an
entrance arch that opened onto an enormous expanse of lawn, perhaps 20
acres. The caves are located at a depth of sel50 ft and are entered
through a small building having a long flight of steep stairs. Once
underground, we walked through a maze of rock-lined tunnels that led
eventually into a series of rooms lined with calcite stalactites and
stalagmites, frosty white and beige crystals formed like icicles. The
entire cavern was illuminated by small electric light bulbs attached
to the walls. After a 45-minute walk, we exited the caves through a
large metal door giving access to a square cross-sectional shaft with
stairs leading to the surface.
Following the experimental period, the scientist-observer called
the subject in New York, 45 minutes after we left the caves. The opening
statements of the subject's transcript as dictated over the phone and
posted to the SRI experimenters was as follows:
"1:50 PM before starting--Flat semi-industrial
countryside with mountain range in background and
something to do with underground caves or mines or
deep shafts--half man made, half natural--some
electric humming going on--throbbing, inner throbbing.
Nuclear or some very far out and possibly secret
installation--corridor--mazes of them--whole under-
ground city almost--Don't like it at all-long for out-
doors and nature. 2:00 PM--(Experimenters) R and H
walking along sunny road--entering into arbor-like
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FIGURE 8 OHIO CAVES: DESCRIBED BY SUBJECT
IN NEW YORK AS, "UNDERGROUND
CAVES OR MINES.... DEEP SHAFTS....
DARKER, COOL, MOIST EARTH-SMELLING
PASSAGES"
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shaft--again looks like man helped nature--vines
(wisteria) growing in arch at entrance like to a wine
cellar--leading into underground world. Darker
earth-smelling cool moist passage with something
grey and of interest on left of them--musty--sudden
change to bank of elevators--a very man-made steel
wall--and shaft-like inverted silo going deep below
earth--brightly lit ...."
As is often the case, one observes that the basic gestalt of the
target site was cognized (the underground caves aspect) while a specific
interpretation (the labeling of the location as a nuclear installation)
was in error.
A second subject (S8) who had agreed in advance to participate
in the same experiment by date and time, was less successful with the
cavern target. This subject erroneously interpreted early impressions
as associated with a museum. As a result the majority of his transcript,
although containing some correct elements, reflects primarily this
incorrect analytical interpretation and cannot be said to constitute
evidence for paranormal functioning.
D. New Orleans to Palo Alto (Northern California Bank Plaza)
Two trials carried out between New Orleans and Menlo Park,
California, constitute the final tests of this long-distance series.
These last two were carried out with the two subjects who had participated
in the first two California-to-New York experiments.
The first experiment in this series required Subject S7 in
New Orleans to view the activities of a group of three people known to
the subject, at a location in a Palo Alto/Menlo Park area 2000 miles away.
The subject's principal impression was of an "overhang of a building over
their heads ... also a round gold rim around a sunken depression." The
target, a bank building, is shown in Figure 9. Principal features of the
target include a building overhang, and a rectangular concrete depression
with a fountain in which the water comes out of a circular gold rim. The
subject also reported "some kind of fake china flowers mushrooming out of
the depression," a possible correlation to four orange lamps mounted on the
gold rim. Finally, S7 reported "there was a projectile coming toward
(one of the outbound experimenters). Like a ball or frisbee, as if
(another experimenter) has tossed him a ball." The experimenters had in
fact found a paper airplane lying on the ground and had thrown it back and
forth several times; the photo of the site taken at the time of the
experiment shows the airplane between them.
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Circular Fountain in
Concrete Depression
FIGURE 9 REMOTE VIEWING EXPERIMENT - NEW ORLEANS TO PALO ALTO, 30 OCTOBER 1976.
Subject described: "The overhang of a building over their heads," also "A round gold rim around
a sunken depression" .... "In the surface of the depression there is some kind of fake china
flowers. It's like a Bonsai tree mushrooming out of the surface." Later in the transcript she
said "There was a projectile coming toward Dave. Some kind of a projectile, like a ball or
frisbee. As if Elizabeth tossed him a ball." (It was a paper airplane.)
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E. Menlo Park to New Orleans (Louisiana Superdome)
For the final experiment (subject in Menlo Park) it was agreed
that at 1200 CST on a particular day, the outbound experimenter would choose
a target location in his city by random protocol and remain there for the
required 15 minutes. During this time, Subject S8 in Menlo Park would
tape-record impressions and make any drawings that seemed appropriate.
The target chosen by randomized entry into a New Orleans guide
book list was the Louisiana Superdome. The outbound experimenter tape-
recorded the following description as he looked at the building: "It is
a bright sunshiny day. In front of me is a huge silvery building with a
white dome gleaming in the sun. It is a circular building with metal
sides. It looks like nothing so much as a flying saucer. The target is in
fact the 80,000-seat Louisiana Superdome stadium."
The subject in Menlo Park described the target as "a large
circular building with a white dome." The subject also expressed feelings
of wanting to reject what he saw because the dome looked "like a flying
saucer in the middle of a city." Some appreciation for this perception
can be obtained from Figure 10 in which the target is shown, together witn
the sketches that the subject made.
Due to the expense and distances involved, these five trials
were not evaluated by our usual double-blind matching procedure. None-
theless, on the basis of post-hoc content analysis it appears that the
results obtained in these five long-distance remote-viewing experiments
were roughly of the same accuracy with regard to site description as those
obtained in local remote-viewing experiments. (For more detail, including
samples of complete transcripts and associated content analysis, see
Ref. 46.) The descriptions not only contain correct general information,
but often show remarkable detail and resolution. Furthermore, in a number
of instances, real-time activities were observed and correctly described.
Similar data has been obtained by Bisaha and Dunne in a series
of successful long-distance remote viewing experiments carried out over
intercontinental distances (e.g., Chicago-Moscow). 13 The data from our
five trials taken together with their formally-judged experiments would
seem to indicate that there is little, if any, degradation in quality of
perception.as the subject-target distance is increased from a few km to
intercontinental distances. Therefore, any theory of paranormal function-
ing put forward at this time should take into account this apparent
insensitivity to distance, and any application of paranormal functioning
need not, to first order, consider distance as a barrier, at least to the
range examined. This conclusion admittedly is based on the long-distance data
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FIGURE 10 LONG DISTANCE REMOTE VIEWING EXPERIMENT - SRI, MENLO PARK,
TO LOUISIANA SUPERDOME. Subject described large circular building with a
white dome. 31 October 1976.
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obtained to date, which is not as extensive as that obtained for shorter
distances. Nonetheless, in our opinion the indications are strong that
this conclusion is correct.
VII RESOLUTION IN REMOTE VIEWING STUDIES: MINI-TARGETS
In order to obtain an estimate of the resolution capability of the
remote-viewing process, an experimental series was carried out in which
a subject (S4) was asked to render descriptions of objects hidden in
small light-tight metal containers (35 mm film cans). This was the first
experiment of this type in our laboratory. There were no previous trials
or pilot experiments with these or similar targets. In this series the
target can was not seen by the subject before or during the experiment;
the location of the target was known to the subject only as being on the
person of a known experimenter who had left the laboratory, obtained the
target from a previously prepared target pool by use of a random number
generator, and was now located at an unknown site away from SRI (about
1/8th mile distant). Furthermore, in order to test the "transmitter"
hypothesis, during the trials no experimenter, including the outbound
experimenter with the target, knew either the particular target, nor the
contents of the target pool. The experiment was thus of the double-blind
type. Statistically significant results, determined by blind judging,
was obtained for this series.
In preparation for the series, a target selector not known to the
subject and not otherwise associated with this study was asked to select
ten small objects and to place each in a separate 35 mm light-tight film
can. The target pool was constructed to contain a number of cylindrically
shaped objects, a number of metal objects, and so forth (that is, the
objects were not chosen to be particularly distinct from one another),
so as to circumvent subject strategies based on knowledge of previous
targets (by feedback) as the series progressed. The film cans were then
turned over to a second experimenter who, without opening them, numbered
the film cans 1 to 10 and placed them in a secure safe. At this point
all information as to film can contents and target can number was lost.
At the beginning of each trial the subject was closeted with an
experimenter in an isolated windowless room of the Radio Physics Laboratory
The film cans were tested for light-tightness by exposing the cans con-
taining 400 ASA Tri-X film to 30 flashes of a 1200 watt-second strobe
light at 11 inches; photodensitometer traces showed no light exposure as
compared with unexposed control film.
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in the SRI complex. A second experimenter then left the laboratory,
generated a random number by the use of the random-number function on
a Texas Instruments Model SR-51 hand calculator, obtained the associated
can from the target pool in the safe,* and took it to a convenient location
(not told to the subject) in a park nearby SRI (about 1/8th mile distant).
Thus the subject knew the location of the film can target only as being
on the person of an experimenter, known to her, outbound to an unknown
site. The outbound experimenter then remained at the remote location
for an agreed-upon ten-minute target period, with the film can still
unopened so that he remained ignorant of the target.
During the target period the subject was asked to locate the outbound
experimenter and to describe the contents of the film can in his possession.
Since the investigator with the subject was ignorant of both the particular
target and the contents of the target pool, he was free to question the
subject about her perceptions without fear of cueing. The entire inter-
action in the laboratory was tape recorded, and the subject was encouraged
to make drawings to accompany her verbal description of the film-can
contents.
Following the target period, the outbound experimenter returned to the
laboratory, at which time all concerned (subject and experimenters) learned
for the first time the contents of the target film can by opening it.
A sequence of ten trials was carried out. During the series the target
cans were used without replacement until the ten possibilities were exhausted.
To facilitate analysis, it was decided in advance of the experimental
series that the ten trials would be broken down into two subgroups of five
trials each. Thus, in the blind rank-order procedure used (described below),
a judge was asked to compare each target against five transcripts--one
generated during the target period of interest and four generated during
the other target periods of the subgroup.
In preparation for the judging of each subgroup, the subject's tapes
were transcribed. The resulting transcripts were then edited only to the
extent of deleting information which might act as artifactual cues to a
judge, such as references to other targets, or phrases which might indicate
the temporal order of the transcripts.
Because targets were used without replacement, when a previously used
number came up, the random-number generator was reactivated until an
unused number was obtained.
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The transcripts and film can targets, each in their own random order
different from the order of target usage, were then turned over to an
independent judge not otherwise associated with the experimental series.
The judge was instructed to blind rank order, on a scale 1-5 (best to
worst match), each of the five transcripts against each of the five film
can targets in each subgroup, generating the 5 X 5 matrices shown in
Table 4. In the two series of five each, four were directly matched in
the first series, two in the second. The resulting matrices were analyzed
using the direct-count-of-permutations method discussed earlier. The results
for the two matrices are, respectively, pl = 2/5; = 0.017, P2 = 35/5; _
0.292, one tailed. Combining the results of the 2 subgroups using the
conservative method devised by Eddington,49 we obtain an overall probability
of P = (Ep)N/N: = (pl + p2)2/2 = 0.047, one tailed. Thus the experimental
series as a whole reaches significance, with the bulk of the significance
being generated by the first subgroup which is independently significant.
As an example of the quality of descriptions obtained, the results
generated in the first subgroup of five are shown in Figure 11. The
captions contain quotes from the subject's first paragraph of each .
description. For a spool and a pin we have: "It's definitely something
thin and long ... with like a nail head at the end ... silver colored;"
for a curled up leaf: "a nautilus shape with a ta.il;" for a leather belt
keyring: "The strongest image I get is like a belt;" for a can of sand:
"like a miniature tower ... scalloped bottom ... light beige;" for a grey
and white quill: "like a penguin ... grey and black and white ... it's
organic and has been alive ... pointed or slightly rounded off at the
top ... open or pointed at the bottom."
In this series we thus obtained evidence that small objects can be dis-
criminated by psi processes, and that the channel functions down to at least
the order of a few millimeters spatial resolution.* Such resolution would
seem difficult if not impossible to accommodate under an ELF hypothesis,
unless an elaborate process for encoding target information onto a carrier
is invoked. Furthermore, given that all experimenters were blind as to
the target, it would appear that a potential transmitter hypothesis which
might in principle provide such an encoding, is not viable.
Finally, we note that either (1) the successful use of light-tight film
cans indicates that the light level required to illuminate the target can be
vanishingly small, or (2) the primary information channel is precognition of
the feedback. Further work will be required to differentiate between the two.
In a follow-on study with 1 mm X 1 mm "microdot" targets, photographically
prepared by reducing photos of ordinary objects and scenes, and secured
inside double envelopes at a remote location, evidence to date continues to
support this observation. 31
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Transcript Lett
er
Target
A
B
C
D
E
Belt keyring
(1
5
3
4
2
Quill
5
(D
2
4
3
Leaf
4
3
01
5
2
Spoon and pin
5
4
3
Q1
2
Can of sand
4
3
1
5
O
(a) First Five-Trial Subgroup
Transcript Letter
Target
A
B
C
D
E
Stamps
O
4
5
2
3
Doll
4
Q1
5
3
2
Pig
3
2
O
4
1
Metal spring
4
5
1
(3
3
Whistle
3
1
5
2
(b) Second Five-Trial Subgroup
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"IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THIN AND
SPOOL AND PIN
LONG. . . WITH A NAIL HEAD AT THE
END .. . SILVERED COLORED."
T -7-
CURLED UP LEAF
"A NAUTILUS SHAPE WITH A TAIL."
LEATHER BELT KEYRING
"THE STRONGEST IMAGE I GET IS LIKE A BELT."
"LIKE A MINIATURE TOWER .. . SCALLOPED
CAN OF SAND
BOTTOM . . . LIGHT BEIGE."
L:, r
-- -------------- ------------
"LIKE A PENGUIN . . . GREY AND BLACK AND
WHITE . . . POINTED OR SLIGHTLY ROUNDED
GREY AND WHITE QUILL
OFF AT THE TOP ... OPEN OR POINTED AT
THE BOTTOM."
FIGURE 11 TARGET OBJECTS IN METAL CONTAINERS. Captions under subject
drawings are quotes from first paragraph of transcript.
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VIII SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
Experimental laboratory work at SRI International and elsewhere
continues to provide evidence for the existence of so-called psi processes,
a class of interactions between consciousness and the physical environ-
ment as yet unexplained.
At SRI we have to date concentrated primarily on "remote viewing,"
the acquisition of information blocked from ordinary perception by distance
or shielding. Our data base now includes the remote viewing of targets
ranging from objects in nearby light-tight film cans to geographic sites
at transcontinental distances, and viewed from locations that include
shielded Faraday cages and a submerged submersible.
As is generally true of any subliminal perception process, the infor-
mation generated by the psi process is fragmentary and imperfect. None-
theless, the data generated by this process appear to exceed any reasonable
bounds of chance correlation or acquisition by ordinary means.
In Table 5 we summarize the key findings with regard to target acqui-
sition, resolution, shielding, and distance effects; factors that appear
to enhance or inhibit success in remote viewing; accuracy, reliability,
and robustness; screening and training of subjects; and technological and
theoretical considerations.
Data obtained in our research indicate that the phenomenon is charac-
terized by resolution on the order of at least millimeters, apparent
ineffectiveness of ordinary electrical shielding, and relative insensi-
tivity to distance up to and including transcontinental distances.
This work has gone forward in our laboratory under the assumption
that psi phenomena are not necessarily inconsistent with the framework
of a continually developing modern physics. It is clear, however, that
the marriage of physics and psi is still at an embryonic stage, somewhat
reminiscent of electrodynamics before the unification brought about by
the work of Ampere, Faraday, and Maxwell. Nonetheless, it is our view
that experiments can be designed to uncover patterns of relationships
that might in principle differentiate between alternative models that are
proposed. In pursuit of this goal we are endeavoring to define the level
of compatibility between paranormal phenomena and the laws of physics as
presently understood, and to examine the limits of specific physical
theories in modeling these phenomena. The data presented in this paper,
for example, derive from experiments designed to begin to test the ELF
electromagnetic hypothesis, an hypothesis whose viability has been called
into question by the results of our experiments. We plan to continue such
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research in the expectation that not only can we use physical principles
to help bring about an understanding of psi phenomena, but we can expect
that the psi data base will make a contribution toward the clarification
of certain problems in physics.
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Subject can acquire and describe
target site on the basis of presence
of cooperative experimenter at site
Descriptive aspects (shape, form,
color, material) are described
better than analytical concepts
(function, name), although at times,
the latter come through excellently;
written target material correct only
occasionally; alphabet targets
successful only statistically
Information access often appears to
be available in essentially
"real" time
Real-time activities at the target
site are often perceived; experi-
ments have included successful
real-time remote viewing to
within ten seconds; estimated bit
rate ^'10-1 bits/s; ephemeral,
rapid, or repetitive targets more
difficult
What is necessary for target acqui-
sition (names, maps, pictures, other
coordinate systems); whether person
unknown to subject can be tracked on
the basis of biographical information,
pictures, and so forth.
Whether analytical psi can be trained
to levels similar to descriptive
psi
Time-of-flight of psi mechanism
of propagation
Extent to which a subject can improve
temporal resolution, accuracy of the
process; upper limit to bit rate
and ability to track targets in
motion
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1 0 1 9 It 0
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Table 5 (continued)
Characteristic Known
Spatial resolution 1 millimeter (mm)
Sensory modalities
Extent to which subject can improve
spatial resolution
Accuracy and resolution not a sen- Whether, or at what range, distance
sitive function of subject-target effects become important
distance over intercontinental
distances
Faraday cage or seawater electrical Whether magnetic shielding
shielding not effective shield effective
In addition to visually observable The accuracy of nonvisual
detail, subjects sometimes report sensory modalities; other
sounds, smells, electromagnetic sensory modes available
fields, and so forth, which can be
verified as existing, at target
locations
Factors that appear to inhibit A priori subject knowledge of target Effects of environmental physical
success in remote viewing possibilities; absence of feedback; factors; electromagnetic jamming
application of ability to trivial
tasks (testing for the sake of
testing); use of repetitive target
sequences
Factors that appear to enhance Interest factor for subject; a priori Effects of environmental physical
success in remote viewing necessity and relevance for obtain- factors; electromagnetic
ing information (seriousness of generators for targeting
purpose); presence of a facilitating
monitor to ask questions and direct
the subject's attention; practice
with feedback
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Table 5 (continued)
Known
Accuracy and reliability Analysis of remote-viewing transcripts
generated by experienced subjects indicates
that for a given target site, roughly two-
thirds of the subject-generated material
constitutes an accurate description of the
site, while about one-third is ambiguous,
general, or incorrect
Use of redundancy to improve Redundancy, whereby more than one individual
signal-to-noise ratio attempts to collect data on a given target,
improves reliability by reducing the effect
of the biases of individual subjects
Robustness of phenomena Continuing demonstrations at SRI and repli-
cations in other laboratories indicate
that the capability known as "remote
viewing" is a robust human perceptual
ability
Distribution of psi capacity Abilities appear widespread, though latent;
in population; identifica- volunteers with no previous history of
tion of good subjects psi functioning exhibit ability
in screening experiments, indicating that
reliance on the availability of special
subjects may not be necessary
Improvement potential Subjects trained over a several-year period
have shown improved performance both with
regard to accuracy and reliability
Achievement levels to be
reasonably expected
Optimum number of subjects for
efficient utilization of this
approach
Percentage of population with
natural talent or trainable;
optimum screening procedures;
medical or psychological
profile of good subjects
Whether near-perfect results
as sometimes obtained can
become routine
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9 Is FP 10 9 It is a
 t 4 4 t !. k 4
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Characteristic Known
Technological considerations Low-level perturbation of equipment Degree to which phenomena can be
observable during remote viewing stabilized, mechanized, energy
(magnetometer, noise, and nuclear stored; to what extent psi
decay driven random event generator) processes can be ampli-
fied by technological means
Theoretical considerations Phenomena characteristics often appear Precise mechanisms responsible for
to be at variance with present the phenomena; relationship of
scientific models phenomena to electromagnetic,
quantum, and so forth bases of
present scientific understanding;
whether the data can be accounted
for within the framework of physics
as presently understood or on the
basis of conservative extrapola-
tions that have been proposed to
account for other (nonpsi) data
Source: Compiled by the authors
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