LETTER TO JAMES S. VAN WAGENEN FROM MARTIN HURWITZ

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84G00457R000200270015-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 8, 2008
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: February 22, 1982
• Content Type: LETTER

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DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WASHINGTON. D.C. 20301
General Defense
Intelligence Programs
S-025/DG
tor. James S. Van Wagenen
House Committee on Appropriations
Subcommittee on Defense
Room H-144, Capitol Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
DCI/ic 5 3 3 `1 ' 8 ~-
22 February 1982
(U) Because it's so important, I've asked DIA to consider
reprogramming to maintain the level of effort. If funds can be found,
we will come to the authorization and appropriations committees with a
formal request.
ARMY review completed.
, R.,
T
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DIA review completed.
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Letter to Mr. James S. Van Wagenen, S-025/DG, 22 Feb 82
45043/22Feb82/dlr
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USSR AND CHINESE PSYCHOENERGETICS INVESTIGATIONS
INFOPu,iP_iIG 1 By !,J,;D IiY ORIGINATC':
SOURCES AND METHOD,"). INVOLVED
CLASSIFIED BY: NOT RELEASA3LE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS
REVIEW ON 18 FEBRUARY 1988
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SECRET
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DIA/DT-lA
18 Feb 82
A. INTRODUCTION
is paper summarizes recent intelligence assessments of USSR
psychoenergetics investigations, and includes a brief review of new psycho-
energetics research in China. Issues that have a direct relationship to the
are highlighted.
Main aspects) are also reviewed,
B. USSR PSYCHOENERGETICS INVESTIGATIONS
1. Definitions
(U) In traditional parapsychology research (psychoenergetics), the phen-
omena under study can be generally described as two types: (1) forms of
perception that cannot be explained by known physical or sensory mechanisms
(i.e., extrasensory perception (ESP), telepathy, remote viewing); and (2)
physical actions, via mental volition (conscious or subconscious), that take
place outside the biological organism that cannot be explained by known physi-
cal mechanisms (i.e., psychokinesis (PK)).
(U) There are terminology variations used in describing these general
classes of phenomena, depending on the orientation of the research or the
viewpoint of the researchers. In the USSR, there are investigators that prefer
traditional parapsychological concepts (ESP, etc.),. and those that prefer terms
and concepts that imply physical or biological mechanisms. The term "psycho-
energetics" seems to be preferred by most USSR researchers, at least those from
a physical science background.
(U) In the USSR, there is an implicit assumption among psychoenergetics
researchers that parapsychological phenomena can eventually be explained in
terms of known (or modified) physical mechanisms.
2. USSR Psychoenergetics Program - An Integrated Effort
(U) In 1975, a high-level commission was officially established in the USSR
to review psychoenergetics research. The commission was under the direction of
the vice president of the USSR Academy of Sciences and included several insti-
tute directors and deputy directors, and Party officials.
(C) After a three year review period, this commission's recommendations led
to an integrated approach to the study of psychoenergetics in the USSR. A cen-
tralized coordinating and review group was identified which had several Ministry
of Defense (MOD) representatives. A new psychoenergetics laboratory (Bioelectron-
ics Laboratory) was established which reviews and integrates psychoenergetics
research performed at other laboratories and also performs its own research.
This laboratory has access to many specialists in biological, physical, and
psychological fields. In addition, this laboratory also serves a screening
function for identifying people from the general population, throughout the USSR,
who can perform well on psychoenergetic tasks.
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(U) This commission also identified many problems on how psychoenergetics
had been conducted in the USSR. These problems appear to have been resolved
with this new integrated research approach, as a result of impelmenting new
procedures for disseminating research data, and for tightening control over
people who might access this data. Some of these issues had also been addres-
sed by previous commissions.
(C)_ This new effort has MOD backing and support, and for some aspects,
appears to have KGB support. There is also backing from high-level officials
in the Communist Party, probably at the Council of Ministers level.
(U) During this three year review period, this commission took an active
part in psychoenergetics investigations. Numerous experiments were set up at
various laboratories for their observation and control. As a result of these
direct observations', the chairman of the commission affirmed the reality of
psychoenergetic phenomena and issued public statements with that conclusion.
3. USSR Research Facilities
(S) Psychoenergetics investigations have a long history in the USSR,
starting with the early work of L. L. Vasiliev at the Institute of Brain
Research in Leningrad (V.M. Bekhterev) in the period 1921-1938. This research
was resumed in 1960 by Vasiliev and continued until his death in 1965. Sub-
sequently other laboratories began psychoenergetics research, the main open
one being the Popov Societies' Laboratory for Bioinformation (1965). Research
was also initiated at some of the biophysical and psychological facilities
during this period.
(Popov Society and the Institute for Radioengineering and Electronics (IRE) in
Moscow. Other psychoenergetics investigations occur at the Institute of Psy-
chology and at the Institute of Higher Nervous Activity, Moscow; at the Insti-
tute of Physiology, Baku; at Kazakh State University (Biophysics Dept), Alma-
Ata; and at several other facilities in the USSR.
Since 1978, major efforts occur at the Bioelectronics Laboratory
(S) Although much of the available data has a phenomena understanding orien-
tation, it is also known that applications-oriented psychoenergetics investi-
gation has been performed since the late 1960's or early 1970's. This early
work was probably rather fragmented. The recent integrated effort calls atten-
tion to a need, in the USSR, to integrate and coordinate this work both from a
phenomena understanding and an applications viewpoint.
4. Scope of USSR Research
(C) The scope of the new psychoenergetics effort includes both information
(i.e., ESP, remote viewing) and energetic (i.e., psychokinesis) aspects of the
phenomena. Although most.of the information available to date on USSR work
places psychoenergetics research in a theoretical or phenomena understanding
perspective, it is known through intelligence data that applications oriented
research is also being pursued. Application goals are probably of high interest
to MOD and Party officials who support and monitor this work.
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(U) Some of the phenomena understanding research involves facilities having
various physical measurement and sensing devices. This work emphasizes psycho-
kinetic tasks in an E.ttempt to identify energy transfer mechanisms.
work, there is evidence of a strong interest in applying ESP/remote viewing
phenomena in accessing secure data, in information transmission (i.e., long dis-
tance communication) and in locating lost or hidden material or people. Speci-
fic details on results of these USSR investigations are not yet available.
Although there is little known about the applied nature of this
implications, examines possible large scale psychokinetic influence on physical
devices and on biological systems. These include interference with sensitive
electronic devices, deformation of material samples, influence of growth rates
of plants, influence of chemical reactions, and influence of psychological and
physiological states of people. Although success is claimed by USSR researchers
on these effects, specific laboratory data is not yet available to evaluate
these claims.
Other USSR research, which may have both theoretical and applied
(S) Psychoenergetics work on ESP/remote viewing that is purely applications
oriented would probably not require an extensive research facility. A few high-
talent subjects might be all that is required for some initial application goals.
These people could be located most anywhere, and need not be associated with any
of the known psychoenergetics facilities, other than for initial screeing and
evaluation. Consequently, purely applications oriented work would not neces-
arily occur at the identified facilities; such effort would probably not be
possible to identify.
5. Potential Threat to US Security
(C) Even though the mechanism for an integrated psychoenergetics research
program now exists in the USSR, it is not clear what advances in phenomena
understanding and applications have actually occurred. These are major unknowns.
Research in free-world countries is of little help in evaluating application
potential since all open work does not address operational issues.
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C. CHINESE PSYCHOENERGETICS RESEARCH
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(S/NOFORN) In China there is currently a high level of academic interest
and government support for investigations into psychoenergetics phenomena.
There are at least seven scientific institutes involved in this work. Chinese
researchers refer to this phenomena as "exceptional human abilities." F
(S/NOFORN) The reported experimental investigations have concentrated on
recognition of concealed written material and objects. There is also recent
work involving psychokinetics. An experiment conducted at the Institute of
High Energy Physics, Peking,. indicated that various sensors secured in shielded
containers are activated during a remote viewing experiment. The target was
written material placed in the container with the sensors.
1. Background
(S/NF/WNINTEL/ORCON) In view of foreign research in psychoenergetics, it
was considered vital that these efforts be monitored and evaluated to determine
what, if any, threat they pose to national security.
(S/NOFORN) Remote viewing refers to a specific ability of some people, via
an as yet unexplained mental or psychic process, to access information pre-
viously unknown to them. This includes describing features and activities at
remote places thousands of miles distant. There is a steadily growing data
base from various free-world and USSR investigators that attest to the reality
of this phenomena, even though its specific physical mechanism cannot as yet
be identified.
(S/NOFORN) Psychokinetic (PK) investigations are not a major investigation
goal at this time, mainly due to funding limitations and to a judgment that
remote viewing phenomena would be more significant from a threat viewpoint.
:
.
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