SPECIAL ORIENTATION TECHNIQUES S-I, S-II, S-III

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP96-00788R001800310001-9
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
U
Document Page Count: 
27
Document Creation Date: 
November 4, 2016
Document Release Date: 
June 22, 1998
Sequence Number: 
1
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
December 1, 1984
Content Type: 
REPORT
File: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon CIA-RDP96-00788R001800310001-9.pdf966.5 KB
Body: 
A r ved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA- DP96-00788RO018003100 1-9 i t r r T SRI Project 6600 December 1984 Final Report d 15 November 1983 to 15 December 1984 covering the Perio SPECIAL ORIENTATION TECHNIQUES: S-I, S-II, S-III (U) Copy No. .............. This document consists of 27 pages. 941/CL-0024 333 Ravenswood Avenue ? Memo 3-373-2046 ^,)r-1;200 ? (7,;1)" SRI IN. Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800310001-9 UNCLASSIFIED CONTENTS (U) LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii LIST OF TABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv I OBJECTIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 II INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 A. General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 B. Description of Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1. Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2. Stage I (Major Gestalt) . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 3. Stage II (Sensory Contact) . . . . . . . . . . . 6 4. Stage III (Dimension, Motion, and Mobility) . . . 6 5. Summary S-I Through S-III . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 III TRAINING ACTIVITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 A. Method of Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 1. General Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 2. Target Site Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . 8 3. Session Protocol (Training) . . . . . . . . . . . 9 B. Trainee Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 1. Task Scheduling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 2. Baseline Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 3. Stage-by-Stage Training Rates . . . . . . . . . . 10 a. Stage I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 b. Stage II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 C. Stage III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 4. S-III Proficiency Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 IV TRAINING EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS . . . . . . . . . . 19 A. Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 B. Recommendations for Follow-On Actions . . . . . . . . 19 APPENDIX DESCRIPTOR LIST FORMAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Approved For Release 2000/08/08 UNCLASSIFIED 9 0 88E 800310001-9 Approved For Release 2000/08MfXtr00310001-9 Y1 I ED ILLUSTRATIONS (U) 1 Schematic Representation of Remote Viewer Response to CRV Situation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2 Idealized Performance-Over-Time Curve . . . . . . . . . . . 5 3 Devils Tower, Wyoming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 4 Lamasery of Tikse, Tibet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 5 Washington Monument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 6 Temples of Pagan, Burma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 7 Tower No. 2 Radar Station, Georges Bank . . . . . . . . . . 18 UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800310001-9 Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800310001-9 UNCLASSIFIED TABLES (U) 1 Stages in Remote Viewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2 Training Sites for Proficiency in Stage I Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 3 Training Sites for Proficiency in Stage II Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 4 Training Sites for Proficiency in Stage III Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800310001-9 Approved For Release 2090/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788ROO18003TOOj01-9 I OBJECTIVE (U) viewing (RV)* enhancement techniques ` SRI International is tasked with developing remote Of par- ticular interest is the development of procedures that have potential application, and that can be transmitted to others in a structured fashion (i.e., "training" procedures). I ` Under particular study in this effort is whether a Coordinate Remote Viewing (CRV) technology, a technique that utilizes coordinates to facilitate acquisition of a remote-viewing target, can be successfully transferred (U) RV is the acquisition and description, by mental means, of infor- mation blocked from ordinary perception by distance or shielding. Approved For Release 2 00/08/08 : clA-RDP96-00788RO01800310p01-9 Approved For Release 2900/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800810Q01-9 II INTRODUCTION (U) A. (U) General At the beginning of FY 1981, SRI International made a decision to develop and codify a promising RV enhancement proc- edure that had emerged from earlier work--a multistage coordinate remote-viewing training procedure developed in conjunction with an SRI consultant, . In this procedure, coordinates (latitude and longitude in degrees, minutes, and seconds) are utilized as the targeting method. The method is structured to proceed through a series of well- defined stages in a particular order--hypothesized to correspond to stages of increased contact with the target site (see Table 1). The basic hypotheses of the procedure have been investigated under strict double-blind testing conditions to document whether, and to what degree, the training approach can provide a viable vehicle for RV technology transfer, For this effort, selected four individuals to be trained in the techniques of the first three stages (S-I through S-III) of the procedure as it stands to date (six in all have been developed). B. (U) Description of Procedure 1. (U) Overview (U) We begin with the basic premise of the training procedure under study: the major problem with naive attempts to remote view is that the attempt to visualize a remote site tends to stimulate memory and imagination--usually in visual-image forms. As the RVer becomes aware of Approved For Release 000/08/08(: CIA-RDP96-00788R00180 Approved For Release 2000/08;0; CIa-[X!-gfaEfrf00310001-9 UNC (U) STAGES IN REMOTE VIEWING Example I Major gestalt II Sensory contact III Dimension, motion, mobility IV General qualitative analytical aspects V Specific analytical aspects (by interrogating signal line) VI Three-dimensional contact, modeling Land surrounded by water, an island Cold sensation, wind-swept feeling Rising up, panoramic view, island outline Scientific research, live organisms Biological warfare (BW), preparation site Layouts, details, further analytical contact UNCLASSIFIED (U) the first few data bits, there appears to be a largely spontaneous and undisciplined rational effort to extrapolate and "fill in the blanks." This is presumably driven by a need to resolve the ambiguity associated with the fragmentary nature of the emerging perception. The result is a premature internal analysis and interpretation on the part of the RVer. (For example, an impression of an island is immediately interpreted as Hawaii.) This we call analytical overlay (AOL). (U) Our investigation of these overlay patterns suggests a model of RV functioning shown schematically in Figure 1. With the application of a "stimulus" (e.g., the reading of a coordinate), there appears to be a momentary burst of "signal" that enters into awareness for a few seconds at most, and then fades away. The overlays appear to be triggered at this point to fill in the void. Success in handling this complex process requires that the RVer learn to "grab" incoming data bits while simultaneously attempting to identify the overlays as such. UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800310001-9 Approved For Release 2000/0V >RNPJ J 1 1-1 C V 00310001-9 SIGNAL, NOISE t It STIMULUS UNCLASSIFIED THRESHOLD OF AWARENESS FIGURE 1 (U) SCHEMATIC REPRESENTATION OF REMOTE VIEWER RESPONSE TO CRV SITUATION (U) Observation of this process in earlier development work suggests that the above behavior can be learned. Specifically, it appears that the RVer being trained in accordance with procedures devel- oped in that program can be expected to exhibit a performance curve of the type shown in Figure 2. In brief, after being exposed to the basic concepts of the training procedure, the RVer typically exhibits a short period of spontaneous "first-time effect" of very-high quality response (usually three or four sessions at most). This response cannot, however, be maintained, and is followed by a drop to a low level of performance-- at which point substantive learning can begin. If learning is to take place, it then proceeds forward from that point until saturation at some skill plateau is reached. (U) As indicated earlier, the RV training procedure is structured to proceed through a series of stages hypothesized to corre- spond to stages of increased contact with the target site. These stages (described in more detail below) are tutored in order, with presentation of theory followed by a series of practice sessions taking a few weeks per stage. The RVer thus moves up through the stages, concentrating on the elements to be mastered in each stage before proceeding to the next. UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800310001-9 Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800310001-9 UNCLASSIFIED (U) SPONTANEOUS "FIRST-TIME" EFFECTS In the development work that preceded this study, it was found that an experienced remote viewer applying the techniques that are learned in this procedure tends to recapitulate the stages in order. The contents of the stages (as evolved in the development work) are as shown in Table 1, and the techniques employed in the stages are described in the following paragraphs. 2. (U) Stage I (Major Gestalt) (U) In Stage I, the RVer is trained to provide a quick-reaction response to the reading of site coordinates by a monitor. The response takes the form of an immediate, primitive "squiggle" on the paper (called an ideogram), which captures an overall motion/feeling of the gestalt of the site (e.g., wavy/fluid for water). Note that this response is essentially kinesthetic, rather than visual. UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800310001-9 Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800310001-9 UNCLASSIFIED 3. (U) Stage II (Sensory Contact) (U) In Stage II, the RVers are trained to become sensitive to physical sensations associated with the site, i.e., sensations they might experience if they were physically located at the site (heat, cold, wind, sounds, smells, tactile sensations, and the like). Again, this response is essentially nonvisual in nature (although color sensations may arise as a legitimate Stage II response). Of course, in both Stage I and Stage II, visual images may emerge spontaneously. In that case, they are not suppressed, but simply noted and labeled as AOLs. 4. (U) Stage III (Dimension, Motion, and Mobility) (U) Whereas in Stage I and Stage II viewing, data appear to emerge (typically) as fragmented data bits, in Stage III, we observe the emergence of a broader concept of the site. With Stage I and II data forming a foundation, contact with the site appears sufficiently strength- ened that the viewer begins to have an overall appreciation of the site as a whole (which we label "aesthetic impact"). Thus, there is an apparent increased contact with the site that constitutes a "widening of the aperture," as it were. Dimensional aspects such as size, distance, and motion begin to come into play, and emphasis is placed on generating configurational outlines and sketches (e.g., the outline of an island). Examples of Stage III-level viewing are provided in the footnoted reference* and later in this report. The final product of S-I through S-III training is directed toward recognition of the overall gestalt and physical configuration of the target site. 5. (U) Summary S-I Through S-III (U) In Stages I through III, information is collected in the form of ideograms, and their motion and feeling (S-I), sensations at the site (S-II), and sketches that result from expanded contact with the site * (U) Puthoff, H. E., "Special Orientation Techniques: S-IV (U)," Final Report 941/CL-0020, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (July 1984), SECRET/NOFORN. UNCLASSIFIED For Release 2000/08/08 8800310001-9 Approved For Release 2000/01UV(! W9ffM1600310001-9 (U) (S-III). These various "carrier" signals are individual in nature, and special techniques have been developed to handle each in turn, more or less in a serial fashion. To keep these separate signal lines on track requires exceptional control of session structure--an ability trained for in the lengthy S-I through S-III training period. Once stabilized, Stage III forms the platform upon which can be built the more refined techniques of succeeding stages. UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800310001-9 Approved For Release 2000/0 ( I'A-E[%1300310001-9 .0 1 A. (U) Method of Approach 1. (U) General Design (U) The purpose of this effort is to apply the RV procedures described in the previous section as a technology transfer/training methodology. Training consists of a series of lectures by a training instructor/monitor (Mr. I. Swann), interspersed with RV sessions. In the lectures, the principles of a particular stage under consideration are thoroughly discussed. In addition, a number of practical exercises are carried out, such as drills in sketching, exercises in listing possible sensations one could experience at a site, and so forth. In the overall design of the training effort, emphasis is placed on extended practice under close supervision of the training monitor. 2. (U) Target Site Preparation (U) Because the RV training procedure involved targeting on sites around the world, given only the geographical coordinates of those sites, an important preparation step is the generation of target materials. An SRI analyst charged with this responsibility prepares these materials (folders with site information). The primary use of these materials is to provide feedback at session end; for the purposes of training and evaluation, sites are chosen for which feedback information in some form is available. Sites/feedback materials consist of > 5000 map sites (U.S.G.S. Series E maps, G.N.I.S.; Army Map Agency maps; World Aero- nautical Charts; atlases), specially-obtained materials on various technological sites, and over 1500 National Geographic magazine sites. These materials are continually updated. UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800310001-9 Goa III TRAINING ACTIVITY (U) Approved For Release 2Q00108108 : CIA-RDP96-00788R0018003 3. (U) Session Protocol (Training) (U) At the beginning of the session, the monitor and the RVer enter the RV session chamber. The monitor has in his possession target- ing information in the form of a folder of feedback materials; coordi- nates are notated on the outside. The monitor reads the coordinates as a prompter (stimulus) for the RVer, takes notes for later discussion, and so forth. Unlike the protocols used in the documentation studies (see, for example, reference referred to in Introduction Section), the monitor here is not blind as to the target. Thus, the training sessions are not carried out in a double-blind protocol. As part of the beginning gradient of o lerrc'i