POLICY FOR SRI'S ESP RESEARCH PROGRAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: STARGATE
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP96-00788R001100040009-8
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: November 4, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 18, 1998
• Sequence Number: 9
• Content Type: REGULATION

Approved For Release 2000/08/07 CIA-RDP96-00788R001100.040009-8
POLICY FOR SRI'S ESP RESEARCH PROGRAM
SRI International pursues research deemed of significance, relevance
and leadership. Such research problems are often controversial by their
Very nature. SRI International has stated in its policy concerning contro-
.versial issues that it is appropriate to be involved in significant and
relevant research even though it may be controversial, provided the research
is conducted professionally in all respects.
A presently ongoing controversial SRI research activity is the ESP
(extrasensory perception) work currently headed by Dr. Harold Puthoff and
Mr. Russell Targ. SRI recognizes that some people feel the apparent ESP
phenomena under study are the result of improperly designed experimental
protocol. or outright trickery or fraud. Others feel there are documented
experimental manifestations of possible ESP phenomena which they believe are
not experimental artifacts, fraud, or trickery and thus warrant careful
research provided the studies are conducted in a scientifically sound manner.
ESP research is controversial in that it deals with a concept which many
find difficult to believe or impossible to quantify in terms of known physical
laws and hence hard to understand as credible. As a matter of policy, SRI
will design and conduct only those ESP experiments which will aid in developing
an understanding of the causal relationships of the phenomena and their re-
lationship with known or postulated physical laws.
One purpose of this policy is to define the framework for conducting ESP
research at SRI. SRI will rely upon its line organization to manage the ESP
research. activities, as it does for any other research project. Project leaders.
and project supervisors will be assigned the responsibility for individual
projects and. these, in turn, will report to their appropriate line management..
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Recognizing the sensationalism that ESP activities sometimes generate, it
is particularly important that all levels_of the management team, from
project leader up through all levels of research management, be particularly
careful in following established SRI research management procedures.
In this regard, in order to safeguard that all important nuances of
proper research protocol will always stand up to peer scrutiny from both
within and outside SRI, a special ESP Program Oversight Committee will be
established. This committee will be appointed by the Senior Vice President,
Research Operations, and will have four members from SRI's senior scientific,
or management staff, and two or more appropriate, knowledgeable individuals
from outside SRI. To ensure that the possibility of trickery is obviated,
SRI will try to retain a responsible professional magician as a consultant
to the program and to serve on or to advise the ESP Committee. Appropriate
members of line management will serve as ex officio members of the committee.
The ESP Committee will review the ESP research program in depth quarterly,
paying particular attention to the quality of the research protocols being
used by the ESP research staff and the way SRI's research management is cducti
the program for SRI and its clients: The committee will report its findings to
SRI management.
It is believed essential that the SRI ESP research activity have critical
peer review in order to ensure its credibility and integrity. For this reason
the ESP research staff will, after prior approval by SRI management, be per-
mitted to seek to publish results that may be significant in appropriate,,
refereed, professional journals or to offer to present their research results
at appropriate professional society symposia and meetings. From time to, time
it is expected that they will present their results at internal SRI functions.
In addition, their research results will be published in the form of reports
which are carefully reviewed by the appropriate SRI research management and
issued as required by contract research agreements and current policy covering
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Research concerning ESP is-being undertaken to attempt to find-facts-
to to present to the peer community for scientific review and confirmation,
and not for speculation or publicity.
SRI, therefore, will provide minimal
media publicity of this ESP research activity. The ESP research staff or
any other SRI staff member will not grant. interviews or release statements
fcr ge:zeral publication about the research without prior management approval.
Th.'.s 'bight control is believed vital to ensure that a proper, objective and
disciplined (not sensational) environment is maintained for the conduct of
ESP research at SRI.
There is nothing in this policy to restrict its distribution; in fact,.
its distribution in response to official public enquiries is encouraged.
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