SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR DELINEATING THE TSD AND ORD ROLE AND AIMS IN A JOINT PARANORMAL INVESTIGATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: STARGATE
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP96-00787R000400070027-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 4, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 29, 2000
• Sequence Number: 27
• Publication Date: February 1, 1973
• Content Type: MFR

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1 Fe ruary 1973
MEMO FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT Some Suggestions for Delineating the TSD and ORD
Role and Aims in a Joint Paranormal Investigation
1. During today's meeting with the TSD representatives our purpose should
be to define with them the role ORD can most appropriately play in supplement-
ing their existing project, our respective functions/goals in the proposed joint
approach and how we can most effectively work together in achieving them.
2. Before we can address ourselves to these matters, however, there are
a number of practical questions which we should try to clarify with TSD--viz:
- the status of their current project with SRI: terms, timing, stated
goals, contractual commitments on both sides;
SG1 H
It may well be that the TSD representatives will have a number of equally searching
questions for us, questions which would have to be answered candidly before any
serious discussions could begin. I can only imagine that they might be in the foll-
owing general areas: Is ORD prepared to put money into the project and, if so, in
what general magnitude? What is ORD's present view on the legitimacy/ significance/
application of the phenomena? What would be ORD's goal/purpose in joining the
investigation? What (in addition to funds) could ORD contribute to the process--
e. g. , in the form of staff time and expertese, other contractual resources? What
is ORD's view on the ultimate feasibility of understanding/controlling/applying
the phenomena ?
3. Once the above and/or other questions are dealt with as franl4y and com-
pletely as possible, we can address ourselves to the broad outlines of our mutual
roles in the proposed joint project (NOTE: I believe that the detailed mechanics
should be discussed only after other action is taken, see para 4 below). AS a
point of departure on the basic issue, one which,seems consistent with our
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SG1 H
SG1I
respective charters, we might suggest that:
TSD's primary concern should be with the physical or,psychical manifes-
~a[,
tations of the phenomena themselves (what the Subjects arento do) and with the
question of immediate or mid-term practical operational exploitation of such
skills or talents (i. e, , loosely 'applied' research);
while ORD's primary concern should be to study the underlying dynamics
of the phenomena (and of the Subjects) in order to arrive at the kind of understanding
which might permit mid- to longgrange capacities for optimal exploitation by devel-
oping techniques for identifying the essential attributes in others and programs for
surfacing/ conmtroll ing/enhancing/applying the skills or powers (i. e. , loosely
'basic' research),
Obviously, at the outset at least, these two efforts would go hand-in-hand and the
project would be physically as well as conceptually a 'joint' one; but, should we
establish incontrovertible evidence of the existence of the phenomena, it is likely
that the activities and the paths of research would begin to diverge. By that time,
hopefully, we would be on a sounder footing with the original Subjects and may have
found other cooperative Subjects (from the point of view of 'basic' research it seems
that the widest possible Subject population will give us the best chance of identifying
the critical variables).
4. Once agreement is reached on the above, the logical next step would be for
TSD/ORD to host (at perhaps) a highly informal preliminary conference
with Agency personnel who have the most legitimate interest in the subject and the
t
b
mos
su
stantive contribution to make. (NOTE, the conferees might include: Mr
and representatives from OMS
the purpose of this conference would be to ensure that all legitimate interests and
ideas are considered before we address ourselves to project design. Each member
should be prepared to speak to a number of questions--e. g.: What significance do
you (your office) see in these phenomena for your special area of interest? What
practical (offensive and/or defensive) application can you envisage? What kinds of
questions would you want to see amaswered by our investigations ? What kinds of
experiments might be crucial from the point of view of your special interests ? *Iat
kinds of laboratory and/or analytical- statistdcal controls would you like to see
instituted? What kinds of non-phenomena (medical/beh%i oral, etc) testing of the
Subjects would you like to suggest? With the results of such a conference in hand
TSD and ORD could confidently proceed to structure the design and content of the
project. SG1I
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