EXPERIMENTS WITH HELLA HAMMID

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: STARGATE
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP96-00787R000200070006-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 58
• Document Creation Date: November 4, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 5, 2003
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: November 1, 1974
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2003/09/10 :CIA-RDP96-007878000200070006-9
1. Experiments ~1~ith Hella H~mrnid
illy assessment of}-fella, based on my reading of her earlier results
and an observation of those described here, is summarized by the following
points:
He(la is very alert and outgoing; although not insightful.
She is very concerned with her performance, although she
does not argue with the analysis of it. Her aim seems to be
pleasing the experimenters rather- than proving anything to herself.
Although the quality of her results varies greatly, she has
had same outstanding successes, including one which I witnessed.
Certain features of all her results may be goner?alized: She
does very badly on absolute size estimates. She does very well
on indicating lighting conditions, including the presence of steady
or pulsing lights. She does not often describe colors, but is very
accurate when she does. She apparently cannot assess her own
performance, although she is mor?e pessimistic when she knows the
target is technical.
She is very willing to try new experiments or to follow new
suggestions, including working along with someone else. In fact,
there are indications that she gets at feast a psychological boost
from such interaction.
There can be no question that f-lella can repeatably, although
not reliably, produce information not available through normal
means. As yet she has not shown an ability to assess or increase
that reliability.
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Scientific A.pp~i-atus
Experiment
! `vas to witness- F-lella's attempts to perform a remote viewing experiment
on some piece of technical equipment. The standard procedures were followed
except that 1 selected the target, which was not drawn from the safe but
selected arbitrarily by me at the last possible moment before she was to begin.
Hal Puthoff accompanied me, and Russell Targ remained with }-fella as
inquisitor.
The target selected was an electric typewriter. I sat at it for 10 minutes
typing the words "Hella", "Ctilustang", after which hlal sat and
typed "typing" . tiVe then returned and listened to Hella's tape and sativ her
dra4ving.
The results were disappointing. Although elements of the drawing and
certakn of her verbal descriptions were excellent, an overall analysis must
rate her results as a miss.
Critique
Hella is not conf}dent of her ability to perform an the apparatus tests;
and that attitude may be detrimental to her performance.
My presence may have had some effect on her. Also, the use of two
experimenters at the sending end had not previously been tried with her.
The most significant results of the experiment were the fact that Russell
gave a nearly perfect account of the target when I asked, although he had
been engaged in actively questioning Hella during the entire experiment.
This result brings into question the whole process of inter?rogatkon, with its
potential for? leading the subject.
In addition, the fact that Russell perceived only Hal and not me doing the
typing indicates the existence of a strong preferential bond between Puthoff
and Targ which must not be allowed to influence any further results. Later
experiments, described elsewhere, eliminated the use of the inquisitor, and
sent both Puthoff and Targ to the site. Results were quite good, and indicated
that the established link between those two is not responsible far the phenomena
involved in such experiments, although it may alter the specific results.
Hella's performance at the churcf~ is another- just}fication for that conclusion.
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SG11
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Background
Due to the sensitive nature of my attendance at this event, it is necessary
to justify that attendance and to assure anyone concer?ned that such attendance
was not offickally documented nor 4vas I specifically identified to the participants.
A major goal of my trip was the witnessing of Hella Hammid's performance,
and an assessment of that performance. Another goal was duplication of my
analysis efforts with her past remote viewings of technical targets.
It was important far me to establish a rapport with her, and I began that
when she arrived far the day at SR1 , I had been introduced to her merely as
an interested party who happened to be at SR1 and wanted to meet her. ~"Je
discussed the fact that I had listened to her tape of the drill press, and from
thase results we (meaning Hal, Russ, and I) were interested in whether or-
not such combined effort could work in general. She enjoys the experiments
and enjoyed talking with me about them. She is particularly impressec! that
they are not tiring to her, but quite the opposite.
I was attempting to establish a rapport with her, since she had done badly
when observed by he previous days. She was
disappointed in that performance, and talked (without provocation) about the
"two rnen from DOD" who had made her "tense" .
During the middle of those discussions., I accompanied Puthoff, Tar~g,
Hammid, and Police lieutenant IrJalt Itonar to Stanford chapel because it would
have appeared unusual for me to have left the group at this paint, and because
it presented a unique opportunity to observe Hefla in a totally unfamiliar task
and setting.
Experiment
Lt. I