ENHANCED HUMAN PERFORMANCE INVESTIGATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: STARGATE
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP96-00789R002200670001-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 36
• Document Creation Date: November 4, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 14, 1998
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: December 1, 1988
• Content Type: REPORT

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FJnaJ TechnJcal Report December 1988
Covering the PerJod i October 1987 to 30 September 1988
ENHANCED HUMAN PERFORMANCE
INVESTIGATION (U)
SRI~Project 1291
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This document consists of 10 pages
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(Ln TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES ................... .................................... iii
I INTRODUCTION ............................................... 1
A. Overview ................................................. 1
B. Definitions ................................................ 1
C. Program Scope ............................................ 1
D. Program Objectives ...................... ................. 1
E. Program Resources ......................................... 2
II PROGRESS TO DATE ........................................... 3
A. Status of Subcontracts ................................... 3
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B. Status of ConsulCants .....................................'~ .. 3
C. Progress to Date for Each Objective/Task ....................... 4
III PROBLEM AREAS .............................................. 8
IV PROJECT MILESTONE CHART ............ ..................... 9
V COST SUMMARY .............................................. 10
APPEI~TDIX--A POSTERIORI ASSESSMENTS OF THE
COMMITTEE........' .........................................
............. A-1
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(U) LIST OF TABLES
1.
Status of Consultants for FY 1988 .........................................
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2.
Enhanced Human Performance Investigation--FY 1988 .......................
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3.
Summary of Finances--FY 1988 .???.????????????????????????????????????? 10
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I INTRODUCTION (U)
`In accordance with the requirements set forth under the
program, "Enhance-'d~'"~~Human Performance Investigations"~
Jthis document provides a progress update for work
performed by SRI International and its subcontractors during Fiscal Year
1987. The aim of the five-year program (FY 1986-1990) is to provide
research and development in the area of psychoenergetics as a means to
enhancing human performances `" "
(U) Psychoenergetic phenomena are defined here as direct interactions between Duman
consciousness and the environment, which, although the mechanism is unexplained, can be
observed and recorded. These human capabilities fall into two main categories: (1) the
acquisition of information, and (2) the production of physical effects. These can be furt}ier
defined as:
~ Remote Viewing (R V)/Extrasensory Perception (ESP) - The ability to gain
access, by mental means alone, to concealed data or remote sites.
e Remote Action (RA)/Psychokinesis (PK) - The ability to influence, by mental
means alone, physical or biological systems.
C. (U) Program Scope
----~
This program is designed to provide the necessary foundation
to assess various aspects of psychoenergetics' ~~
~~,, The program is highly diverse and interdisciplinary; it spans many
fields and involves academic and research facilities, subcontractors, and
consultants. Furthermore, it initiates an in-depth investigation into the
life sciences aspects of psychoenergetic phenomena.
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D. (U) Program Objectives
(U) There are three basic program objectives: (1) to document that psychoenergetic
phenomena are real and reproducible; (2) to determine the mechanism(s) underlying these
phenomena; and (3) to bring the field of psychoenergetics into the mainstream of human
performance research, by providing a scientific foundation equivalent to that of the rest of the
performance research field. In the minds of some, there is no doubt that psychoenergetic
phenomena are real and reproducible. In the minds of many others, both scientific professionals
and informed lay persons, this is not the case.
T
c The categories of research interest under consideration form a
hierarchy ranging from basic research on fundamental mechanisms to
methodologies for applications including:
? Identifying explanatory mechanisms (e.g., electromagnetic
effects, neurophysiological mechanisms).
? Specifying phenomenological properties (e.g., the effects of
distance and shielding).
? Determining physical, physiological, and psychological
correlates (e.g., geophysical environment, EEG and GSR
measures, and personality profiling).
? Developing optimal strategies for use in applications (e.g.,
statistical averaging).
E. (U) Program Resources
(U) To meet the above objectives, the SRI program is using both in-house and external
expertise. For over a decade, a core group of researchers at SR[ has been studying a wide variety
of subjects in psychoenergetics--augmented by access to specialty centers such as our
neurosciences and our microbial genetics laboratories:
(U) Some of the work is being subcontracted to institutions, groups, and consultants wt~o
have a demonstrated track record in this research area. Other subcontractors may have toad no
association with this field but, because of their specific area of expertise, can make valuable
contributions to our program goals. Thus, the widest possible interdisciplinary viewpoints are
available to tI[e program, and the mixture of resources will ensure that peer group revietiv and
scientific interactions are maximized. Subcontractors and consultants curren[ly include
personnel from Princeton University, Syracuse University, John F. Kennedy University, the Palo
Alto Medical Clinic, MARS Measurements Associates, Psychophysical Research Laboratories.
the Parapsychology Sources of Information Center, Mind Science Foundation, and tt~e
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II PROGRESS TO DATE (U)
(U) During this reporting period (1 October 1987 to 30 September 1988), our primary
progress was made in the areas of RV screening, neurophysiological correlates, and binary RV.
A. (U) Status of Subcontracts
(U) During FY 1987, we let one purchase order subcontract to Psychophysical Physical
Research Laboratories. This contract concluded 31 July 1988.
B? (U) Status of Consultants
(U) Table 1 shows the contractual status of the consultants for FY 1988.
(U) STATUS OF CONSULTANTS FOR FY 1988
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C. (U) Progress to Date for Each Objective/Task
(U) The progress to date for each Objective and Task in the Statement of Work is
described below.
1. (U) Objective A, Task 1--Statistical Protocols and Research Design
(U) In June, we sent four separate protocols to the Scientific Oversight Committee
(SOC) for review. They were:
(1) An RV experiment to be conducted at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
(2) A hypnosis experiment to be conducted at SRI.
(3) Amass screening procedure.
(4) A neurophysiological investigation using magnetoelectroencepholography
techniques.
Because we did not receive any comments back from the SOC on these protocols, we proceeded
with the various experiments as stated.
2. (U) Objective A, Task 2--Access to Ongoing Experiments
(U) During the year, three members of the SOC, Dr. M. VVartell, Dr. B. Skyrms,
and Dr. R. Morris, paid site visits.
3.. (U) Objective A, Task 3--Critical Review.
(U) In order to review the year's work, SRI International hosted a two-day
conference for the SOC on November 3 and 4, 1988. Their comments and SRI's responses can
be found in the Appendix.
4. (U) Objective B, Task 1--Identify Ne~v and "Excellent" Remote Viewers
(U) During FY 1988, SRI screened a total of 196 individuals from SRI,
the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Society for Scientific Exploration for remote
viewing ability. The video disk technology and protocol that were developed during FY 1987
were used in this effort.
Of the 196 individuals who participated in the first-level screening, 16 ~i?ere
selected for asecond-stage screening that involved $ trials under SRI's normal remote viewing
protocol. Of these, 2 produced excellent results and have subsequently been invited to join the
research effort as part-time viewers.
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5. (U) Objective C, Task 1--Obtain Successful Replications Of RV
(U) This task was abandoned by agreement with the sponsor in order to focus more
attention on Objective D, Task 1.
6, (U) Objective D, Task 1--Determine Physiological Indicators Of RV
(U) A contract was let to Los Alamos I~'ational Laboratory in order to determine
whether there are neurophysiological indicators of remote viewing. Two protocols were designed
that represented replications of earlier work. One was aremote-conditioning design where a
viewer received a direct stimulus (light) after a remote light had flashed. The second was a
replicatian of earlier SRI work in which it was found that one individual exhibited significant
alpha blocking as the result of a remote stimulus (light).
Six individuals participated in experiments conducted at Los Alamos. Some
of them exhibited a response to a remote stimulus approximately 100 ms after the onset of the
stimulus. Given the shielding environment, it remains possible that the central nervous systems
of these individuals are sensitive to high-frequency electromagnetic radiation. High-frequency
radiation should be shielded in any further investigations.
All of the three individuals who participated in the SRI replication attempt
demonstrated significant changes in alpha power across the remote stimulus boundary.
7. (U) Objective E, Tasks I and 2--Determine The Effects Of Robust Feedback On
RV Quality
(U) We have used the data from the second-level screening screening task
(Objective B, Task 1) to examine the role of robust feedback on RV performance.
The data from 85 second-level screening remote viewings were used in the
analysis. One of the target categories, Natural, showed a significant tendency over the other
categories ~ ~ Science/Industrial, and Projects} to produce better remote viewing. One
single target in the Projects category (Deep Quest-an underwater scene and submersible) also
showed a significant tendency to be "visible."
We have examined the possibility that such results could arise because of a
judging preference for more interesting targets. In one case, there was bias against one of the
less interesting targets, but judging biases are unable to account for the target preferences. As
was found in other laboratories, it appears that moving targets with complete (video and audio)
feedback provide the best RV targets, static images with no audio feedback the worst.
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8. (U) Objective E, Task 3--Determine The Effects Of Hypnosis On RV Quality
(U) During FY 1987, we found that significant remote viewing was observed after a
hypnotic recall of an earlier viewing against the same target. In FY 1988, remote viewing sessions
were conducted while the viewers remained in trance. The idea was to determine if factors that
lead to noise in the response could be reduced or eliminated using hypnosis.
~ _~ Two viewers (one experienced and one not) participated in the experiment.
The results failed to meet statistical significance, and the qualitative assessment of the viewings
was in agreement with the statistical resu]t. We conclude that conducting remote viewing
experiments with the viewers in trance does not decrease or eliminate the confounding noise.
9. (U) Objective E, Task 4--Determine The Source Of "Mental Noise" In Binary
Psychoenergetic Tasks
` , During the FY 1986 effort we conducted a formal series of 50 binary trials
using aforced-choice protocol. One selected viewer (V002) produced a hitting rate of 64%
(p < 0.033) and an effect size of r = 0.26. These data were collected after a number of
exploratory trials that were conducted earlier in that year, but this forma] result was declared to
be a fiducial point (i.e., relative baseline) with which to measure any future progress.
sense it he were in psychoenergetic contact with the intended target, and 13-11 trials were
conducted to if V002 could predict in advance his hitting rate. V002 was unable to accomplish
the latter task, but but he was able to sense contact with the target in the former task. The effect
sizes (i.e., a measure of psychoenergetic magnitude) that were observed for the in-contact and
not-in-contact conditions were identical (r = 0.2), while for the uncertain case chance hitting
was observed (r = 0.09).
During FY 1988, 477 binary trials were conducted with the same viewer, in
order to determine (subjectively) the source of mental noise in binary remote viewing. The
excess hitting rate involved periods of growth followed by periods of consolidation. One period
(68 trials) showed a marked decline. This was the only period during which V002 attempted a
large number of trials at one sitting. V002's hitting rate (computed in trial increments) showed a
strong, but not significant, increase. According to V002's subjective impression of his own
internal mental processes, the sources of noise include (but are not limited to) beliefs about the
target, imagination, and comparison with past experiences.
1 At the end of FY 1988, V002 participated in another formal series of 50
trials each. He produced a hitting rate of 76% (p C 1.53 X 10-4) for an effect size of 0.51.
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Assuming that the fiducial value of 64% hitting rate was the true rate in FY 1986, then the FY
1988 result is significantly greater (p < 0.038).
Given that there was a significant enhancement in hitting rate during the
formal trials, and that in FY 1988 there was a strong improvement in hitting rate during the
exploratory phase, it is possible, then, to conclude that some of the sources of noise Found by
V002 might be valid. Although it is unlikely (because of the decline effect) that practice can
account for the improvement, we are unable to rule it out with the current protocol. The
challenge for future research is to develop a protocol to test specific sources of noise.
10. (U) Objective F, Task 1--Determine Appropriate Parameters For Fuzzy Set RV
Analysis
' ,All of the remote viewings conducted during FY 1987 that used National
Geographic magazine have been reanalyzed during FY 1988. The analysis of these data used a
subjective rank-order technique. For each RV response, the intended target and 6 decoys were
ranked in order from most to least correspondence. The combined average sum-of-ranks was
3.781 where the expected average was 4.00 (z = 1.87; p < 0.031). Thus, even including the
real-time versus precognition experiment which failed to reach independent statistical
significance, the total RV effort for FY 19$7 showed statistical evidence for remote viewing.
(U) One of the most pressing problems in remote viewing is to determine the
quantitative amount of information that is transferred. Before any basic ph}?sics model of remote
viewing can be developed, it is critical to know the amount of information. There have been a
number of attempts to quantify the information content in natural scenes in the past, but none of
them appeared to work as a description of even that target portion of the remote viewing. It is an
even more difficult problem to codify the information content in. natural, language (i.e, the
response) .
(U) A number of attempts were made during FY 1988 eo use various entropy
encodings in order to discover what is required for more precise determinations. hTone of the
attempts produced satisfactory results. We speculate that there may by a fundamental limit to
information encoding of an RV experiment. The limit arises in that is appears impossible to tell
whether a particular target element is sensed by RV techniques or is simply due to a natural bias
on the part of the viewer. It may be possible, however, to construct an information encoding
based on a measure of average response bias. Much more work is needed before an accurate
encoding is passible.
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III PROBLEM AREAS (U)
(U) There have been no major problems during FY 1988. We encountered a minor
problem with the contract to Los Alamos. We were delayed in starting until April, 1988, because
of administrative problems. We also encountered one technical problem in that one visit to Los
Alamos produced no data because there was a computer failure. Throughout the year we
encountered some difficulty in scheduling large groups of individuals for the mass screening task.
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IV PROJECT MILESTONE CHART (U)
(U) Table 2 is the overall project milestone chart for FY 1988.
(U) ENHANCED HUMAN PERFORMANCE INVESTIGATION--FY 1988
Objective D--Physiology Task 1
Objective E--RV Parameters Task 1
Task 2
Task 3
Task 4
Objective F--RV Analysis Task 1
Objective G--Support Task 1
UNCLASSIFIED
Task 2
Task 3
Task 4
- Begin Key
End With Deliverable
? Deliverable
o End w/o Deliverable
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V COST SUMMARY (U)
(U) Table 3 shows the project financial status as of 1 October 1988. There were no
substantial ffinancial difficulties during this reporting period.
Table 3
(U) SUMMARY OF FINANCES--FY 1988
Oct I~Tov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
Date
Total
Expenditures
This Period ($K)
Total
Expenditures
To Date ($K)
31-Oct-87
78.563
78.563
28-Nov-87
84.622
163.185
26-Dec-87
112.803
275.988
23-Jan-88
53.971
329.959
20-Feb-88
108.667
438.626
19-Mar-88
97.594
536.220
16-Apr-88
82.215.
618.435
14-May-88
92.767
711.202
11-Jun-88
87.6$9
798.891
09-Jul-88
81.397
880.288
06-Aug-88
99.325
979.613
03-Sep-88
68.299
1,047.912
O1-oct-88
69.322
1,117.234
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4. (U) Objective A, Task 4--Gross Physiological Correlates to RV
pne of the persistent problems in deploying RV ,
pis the lack of an a priori method for assessing the
quality of a particular RV session. The present exploratory investigation
was an attempt to discover whether external physiological cues could be
used to discriminate accurate from inaccurate sessions.
(U) In an exploratory attempt to learn more about this aspect of the RV process, 20
RV sessions, comprising the output of one subject from a separate experiment, were videotaped
and analyzed by a behavioral psychologist to discover if accurate sessions could be blindly
separated from inaccurate sessions by gross external physiological changes which occurred during
t}ie RV session. Behaviors defined and coded included latency to first response, head
movements, hand gestures, and interactive and descriptive verbalizations. Frequency counts of
each behavior were made and correlated with a measure of the quality of the RV.
(U) Unfortunately for this analysis, the measure of RV quality showed no significant
RV function. Thus, correlation between RV quality and the behaviors rated could not be
expected to show a significant relationship. Results matched. this expectation; there were no
significant correlations between the measure of RV quality and the behaviors noted. T}lere was a
non-significant trend in the positive direction for latency to first response which is similar to the
measurement of latency from stimulus to response time measured in another pilot experiment
(see Task F-3). It should also be noted that two behaviors of particular interest, namely eye
movement and facial expression, were not analyzed in this study because facial expression was
considered too subjective without multiple observers while the quality of the video recordings did
not permit accurate observation of eye movement.
(U) In conclusion, this study does not rule out the possibility that external
physiological cues may give important clues to the quality of RV. It would be necessary to
conduct a similar study with a sample of known high-quality remote viewing.
5. (U) Objective B, Task I--Resource Library
(U) The Parapsychology Sources of Information Center (PSIC, Rhea A. Wf~ite,
Director) has completed two years of a multi-year effort intended to provide and maintain an
extensive data base facility for parapsychological literature, described in a separate report. The
overall goal is to have the data base, called PsiLine, include bibliographic information and
abstracts of the entire literature of parapsychology and related disciplines. During the first ~?ear
of a multi-year effort, PSIC .purchased the necessary hardware and software, and then
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13? (U) Objective F, Task 1--Fundamental Parameters of RV
,Two different precognition experiments were conducted
during FY 1987. The first of these involved a well-calibrated viewer
(Viewer 372} and used natural Bay Area sites as targets. Ten real-time
and ten precognitive trials (counterbalanced) yielded no statistical
evidence for remote viewing. In the second experiment, 4 viewers
contributed approximately 30 trials each in a similar counterbalanced
real-time versus precognition protocol. In this experiment, however, the
target material was photographs from a national magazine. No statistical
evidence for remote viewing was observed in this experiment. In a third
experiment designed to explore the role of feedback upon remote viewing
quality, two of four viewers produced independently highly significant
evidence for remote viewing. There was no correlation between the quality
of RV and the intensity of the feedback for either of the significant
viewers. These data do not generally support the precognition model. To
confirm this, we must examine the validity of the assumption that the
actual feedback is related to the consciously perceived feedback. In
other words, we question what constituted "enough" feedback to saturate
the RV signal.
la. (U) Objective F, Task 2--Video Disk Training Technology
(U) The FY 1987 effort was aimed at developing a technology For enhancing t}ie
acquisition of remote viewing skills. One important factor in the development of a new skill is the
ability to practice the skill under conditions similar to a test situation. Until now, practice was a
time-consuming effort that required the services of a monitor and an assistant in order to ensure
a double-blind protocol. With the advent of video disk technology coupled with the random
number capability of a personal computer, it has become possible to develop the capacity to do
multiple RV sessions at a single sitting as well as work on specific target features with the ease and
timeliness of a forced choice task.
(U) Assembling the components of the system involved the purchase of a video
camera, a video disk recorder, and a Macintosh computer. The heart of the system is the video
disk recorder, a specialized machine making possible the recording of both static and dynamic
targets from a variety of video inputs. Access to any target is on the order o[ one-half second.
Each 10-inch disk can store 2-3,000 still targets or up to 15 minutes of a motion target.
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(~) Cost effectiveness, i.e., individual subject session times should he
kept manageably brief to facilitate rapid turnover; this approach
would also tend to sustain the subject's interest in the task, thereby
maximizing the potential for success in the screening process.
(U) A preliminary survey of the extant technology for attaining these
objectives indicates that the most feasible option would include a video camera, a video disk
recorder, a video monitor, and a Macintosh computer. The video camera would he used to
photograph a variety of target materials for frame-by-Frame inclusion on the video disk.
Random access to the target photographs would be computer-controlled and therefore very
rapid--i.e., on the order of 0.5-second display time. The disk, monitor, and computer would
comprise the equipment actually deployed to the screening site. Overall, this equipment is
relatively inexpensive, portable, and durable.
c. (U) Target Selection
t. A wide variety of target materials should be
incorporated onto the disk to exercise the full potential range of the
subject';; abilities. Candidate target materials would include photographs
drawn from the following categories: (1) natural scenes, (2)
alphanumerics, (3) technical sites, ~-~~
Zener cards, and (5) the Maimonides target set. A selection of dynamic
(i.e., moving video) targets has also been suggested.* A small subset of
approximately five targets would be selected from each category for
inclusion on the disk: this would tend to minimize the potential for
deviation. from prescribed screening procedures; it would also enable
greater standardization for RV performance across the screened population.
d. (U) Subject Populations
(U) Judicious selection of candidate subject populations is recommended over
the less-efficient and more labor-intensive "shotgun" approach. One possible guideline, which
has been derived primarily from the observations of RV monitors, is that a certain richness of the
subject's vocabulary may be important for a comprehensive debrief of the RV signal. This would
' (U) This is not intended to be a comprehensive list of target categories: some may be
deleted or others may be added as the mass screening protocol is developed, deployed,
and refined. The samecaveat applies to other research items mentioned in this discussion.
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tend to imply that subjects should be sought out from groups that have members with superior
verbal abilities.
(U) Other candidate populations might include groups whose members exhibit
superior skills in .drawing, draftsmanship, or other visual abilities. This approach is suggested
because pictorial representation is another rich modality for debriefing the RV signal.
~ ~ A third approach might center on drawing from
populat-ions whose members excel at pattern recognition or in the ability
to discern a tenuous signal line in a noisy background. ~
Also subsumed under this category are groups whose members show
an aptitude for institutional decision-making--i.e., what might be
referred to in the vernacular as "playing hunches." Such groups might
include, for example, police detectives, businessmen who make consistently
correct decisions in risky or problematical ventures, or individuals with
a special proclivity for locating oil.
(LJ) These are but a representative few of the kinds of populations that might
be targeted for screening initially. It is anticipated that other promising populations will emerge
empirically as the screening system is deployed on a pilot basis.
e. (U) Methodology and Deployment
(U) Research issues pertaining to screening methodology and deployment fall
into two principal categories: (1) manipulation of infra-session variables for arriving at the most
meaningful and efficient screening procedure, and (2) standardization of inter-session guidelines
for deploying that procedure in a variety of settings. The first area focuses primarily on the most
profitable use of the hardware, while the second area emphasizes standardization across
screening sessions.
(U) Primary research issues concerning the design of the optimal screening
package include (1) determination of feedback conditions (e.g., whether there should he a "no
feedback" target in each screening session), (2) identification of the optimal number of [arcets
per session and their randomization (e.g., whether targets should be presented on a gradient of
complexity, or whether they should be randomly selected), and (3) determination of the anal~~sis
techniques to be employed (e.g., Forced-choice guess by the subject versus detailed verbal and
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visual assessment by an independent analyst) . Recent developments in the uses of fuzzy set
theory and cluster analysis show promise for affording "on-line'? analysis of RV on National
Geographic Magazine targets.
(U) In the second major area of investigation, several preliminary guidelines
have emerged with respect to optimizing inter-session standardization. Firs[,. screening settings
must be chosen with the aim of mitigating a subject's performance anxiety: a one-on-one
private or semi-private session with a trained monitor is indicated. Second, a series of general
instructions must be devised that serve to inform the naive subject as to what the RV task entails.
-These instructions must be speci[ic enough to elicit RV performance without biasing the subject
towards any particular RV technology. Third, monitors must be thoroughly conversant with a
standard set of screening procedures, in order to minimize idiosyncratic variability in such areas
as feedback to the subject. Monitors may be required, for example, to memorize scripts that
dictate the nature of subject/monitor interactions for each target. Scripts might also serve the
function of providing the framework for tt~e systematic elicitation of RV data along a number of
predetermined dimensions--e.g., visual, conceptual, functional, depending on the nature of the
target material. Fourth, a standardized questionnaire must be devised to address psychological
parameters. It would include a section for standard biographical data and a section for questions
drawn from the MBTI and the Psychophysical Research Laboratory's PI F. The purpose of the
form would be to investigate, across a large population, whether psychological self-report
correlates with RV ability. [f such correlations were obtained, then the questionnaire might
profitably be used as an initial pre-screening device.
(U) All of the research issues presented in this discussion will be most
profitably determined and refined from actually using the system. If possible, the optimal
approach would entail successive pilot deployments of the screening device in a variety of
settings.
20., (U) Objecti~?e F, Task 8--Host Physiology Conference
~~ _..., On 28 July 1987, SRI International hosted a~ ~
physiology conference. In attendance were D. Arthur, Ph.D., and E. Flynn,
Ph.D from Los Alamos National Laboratory; S. Kornguth, Ph.D. from the
Neurology Department of the University of Wisconsin; R. Murray, M.D.,
Chairman, the Department of Medicine, Michigan State University; R.
Dickhaut, Spectra Research Institute; M. Hecker, Ph.D., SRI International,
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7,'. Piantanida, Ph.D., SRI International, E. May, Ph.D., SRI International;
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~_~ The goal of the conference was to determine the proper
direction for investigating possible correlates to psychoenergetic
functioning, and to recommend specific experiments to search for
correlates. The primary emphasis was on neurophysiology. Attendee
comments are available upon request.
~ After an overview of the Enhanced Human Performance
Investigation project by May, the discussions centered upon metabolic
measurements (PET) and possible physiological indicators of
psychoenergetic.functioning with visual evoked response.
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Other topics that were discussed were other possible
physiological areas of investigation, including technical voice analysis.
It was generally decided, however, that except for PET, and certain
button-pressing experiments, physiological correlates to the subtle forms
of psychoenergetic functioning would be difficult to find.
1 As a direct result of the conference, the Los Alamos group
will use visual evoked response techniques with the MEG to replicate
earlier successful experiments demonstrating physiological responses to a
remote stimulus.
(U) A number of the participants responded to the conference in letter form. T}iese
letters are contained in Appendix B.
(U) Objective F, Task 9--Neuropsychological Assessment
(U) During FY 198b exploratory work was begun to attempt the discovery of
neuropsychological correlates of psychoenergetic function. As part of that effort, Dr. l~alp}1
Kiernan of the Stanford Medical Schoot developed a battery of tests designed to test the function
of the frontal lobes which he hypothesized to be involved in psychoenergetic function.. As a
follow-on to his theoretical formulation and hypothesis generation, Dr. Kiernan tested 37
subjects who had participated in previous RV and Search/Dowsing studies. His test battery ~~~as
composed mainly of scales from Guilford's measure of intelligence, and scales were combined to
give a score for productive ideation, a component directly related to positive frontal Cunction.
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(U)
placed it on a small empty table, and then rang a bell into the telephone, signaling to tl~e viewer
to perceive the target. The viewer than declared "yes," "no," or "?" and gave his response; he
then received immediate feedback from the experimenter. For every trial, the experimenter
made a written record of the possible targets, actual target, declared condition, and viewer
response, as well as date and time of the trial.
(U) The hypothesis being tested was whether Viewer 002 is able to recognize
"contact" with the target. If this hypothesis is true, we would expect above-chance,
below-chance, and chance results in the "yes," "no," and "?" conditions, respectively. The
reason that we would expect below-chance results in the "no" condition is that psychoenergetic
functioning is required by the viewer if he "knows" that he is not in contact with the target. In
other words, the viewer is willing to declare that he is likely to be wrong.
The trials took place at approximately the same time every
day between January 5 and February 20, 1987, with a varying number of
trials per day. Of 147 trials in the "yes" condition, 88 were hits, where
74 would be expected by chance. Of 59 trials in the "no" condition, 23
were hits, where 30 would be expected by chance. Of the 121 trials in the
"?" condition, 66 were hits, where 61 would be expected by chance. The
p-values for these three conditions are 0.01, 0.05, and 0.23,
respectively. From p-values alone, it appears that the hypothesis is
supported. The trend in the psychological sciences is to use some measure
of "effect size" in conjunction with p-values. The reason is that
p-values are sample-size dependent and, therefore, may mask important
results. The "effect size" for the three conditions is 0.20, 0.21, and
0.09, respectively. This result indicates that the equivalent amount of
psychoenergetic functioning was used by Viewer 002 to determine his degree
of contact with the target. We are encouraged by this result because it
represents a modest success toward the goal of recognizing the source of
"noise" in forced-choice experiments.
(U) During the second half of FY 1987, we conducted another series of trials of t}ie
Forced-choice format, using the same protocol as described above but with slightly different
conditions and testing a slightly different hypothesis. These trials took place from 23 February
through 21 September 1987, a total of 82 sessions (one session per day at approximately the
same time every day), with a varying number of trials per session. Before each session the vie~~?er
declared how he felt, and he assessed how successfully he would contact the targets in the coming
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In FY 1987, an experiment was conducted which successfully
replicated this finding. Of eight participants (six experienced and two
novicesl, one scored significantly in the space condition, and none in the
time condition. However, the two subjects who scored the best in the
space condition had previously been successful in that condition, and the
subject who scored best in the time condition had previously been
successful in that condition. This suggests that participants are likely
to consistently do well in one condition or the other, but not both.
~~Since this is the third successful laboratory replication
1
of this experiment, it suggests that this technique for finding a hidden
target may be robust enough to use in.,applications for-which such
best subject in the FY 1987 experiment showed a reduction in the area that
would need to be searched in 72% of the trials in the space condition,
with an average reduction in area of 33%. Previous experiments showed
even greater reductions. In real-world applications, this could represent
a substantial savings in resources.
(U) A second search experiment was conducted in FY 1987 to see if self-proclaimed
dowsers could find a lost ship by searching a grid overlaid on a map. The object of the search
was a sunken Spanish galleon called The Atocha, which was actually found in 1985. Ttle
experiment was preceded by a real-world search in which one of the participants successfully
located another sunken ship by choosing the correct locations on an unmarked grid.
Accompanied by SRI personnel, the participant was in a vessel anchored over the site of tt~e
wreck at the time of the experiment. The Atocha experiment was carried out with two secs of 25
trials for each of five participants, but failed to produce a single significant result.
2S. (U) Objective H, Task 1--RA Effects on Single Alpha Particles
(U) Due to unforeseen circumstances, the alpha particle experiment never reached a
point where it was stable enough to collect data from human participants. After careful
consideration of [he cost to continue and the results of the other RA experiments for FY 1987, it
was decided to stop work on this task. What follows is an engineering summary of the state of
the system at close-out.
(U) During FY 1987, SR[ developed a novel, position-sensitive system to detect
alpha particles. In order to reduce the cost and complexity of the system, we elected to employ
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3Z~ (U) FY 1986 Objective E, Task 1--PMT Final
4We conducted a replication of work published in FY 1984 in
which we experimentally examined the possibility that light is emitted in
the vicinity of correctly identified remote viewing target material. In
that earlier experiment, a-state-of-the-art, ambient temperature,
photon-counting system was used to monitor the target material (35-mm
slides of National Geographic photographs). The statistical measure derived
from the photon counting apparatus in that study showed a significant
positive correlation with the RV results (p C 0.035). That is, when the
remote viewing was good, there was an increase in the signal detected by
the photon-counting system. In addition, we observed two anomalous pulses
having a signal-to-noise ratio of about 20 or 40:1. In the present
experiment (FY 1987), we improved all hardware aspects of the previous
work, substantially reducing the background noise level and improving
shielding against artifact. In addition, analysis of the remote viewing
indicates that three out of the four viewers produced independently
significant results.
`Our analysis of the PMT data shows no evidence of any
anomalous high-lcount-rate pulses, no evidence of any effect on the PMT
output during the RV session, and no evidence of any significant
correlation between RV performance and PMT output. We conclude that (1)
the effect proposed by the Chinese is artifactual in nature, and (2)
suggest that the significant correlation observed in our 1984 study is
either