SRI TRIP REPORT 17-18 JUNE 1974

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: STARGATE
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP96-00787R000700110011-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: November 4, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 5, 2003
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: June 24, 1974
• Content Type: MFR

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SG1I
1. lack?^round and Sri:=:ary.
1.8 June 19711, principally for the purposes of: examining the criteria used in the
selection of paranormal subjects and controls; determining precisely what arran,
~e-
ments had been made for examining the subjects in the 'basic research' context;
establishing procedures for the reporting of all relevant data to us; and discussi.g
such other 'basic' and 'applied' research issues as seemed appropriate. We met for
about eight hours with bissrs Jones, Puthoff and Targ on 17 June and for one hour
with the latter two on 18 June. Despite what appeared to be conceptual problems
on the part of. Puthoff and Targ, relating largely to the kinds of rigorous research
disciplines ,.,hich we were espousing as essential for the project, the discussions
were business-like and well-focused and seemed to be useful for all concerned.
2. Selection and Categorization of Subjects. After five months of effort SRI
has selected only five of the nine subjects: the three super-stars, one of the three
mid-stars and one of. the three controls. We stressed that significant and useful
the basis of
ra_careh could commence only after they'd made definitive selections on/specific
and consistent criteria. One of the problems here. seems to be the fact that Puthoff
and Targ have been more interested in the testing and enhancing of psychic powers
than in the establishment of rigorous research procedures--:rith the consequence tha;,
as they've perceived ostensible improvements in the psychic powers of their 'contre_s',
they've tended to slide them up into the psychic categories. Given their basic belief
that everyone has psychic abilities, this could be a nearer-ending process. We stressed
that we'd like to see all nine subjects designated by the end of July and they undertook
to do so. We then spent several hours defining the three categories and specifying
the pre-selection tests and criteria used in screening the subjects.
a. Screening Tests and Criteria. All subjects will have been testes on
five 'paranormal' tasks. Those tasks, together with the related protocols and
(1) The Random Cumbers, Machine (testing; 'clairvoyance') : The
basic
screenin,; tcsC will consist of 1000 trials (5 trials per run, 8 rims per day
for 5 dc:;t?^) and, ti:ouph many subje1_t?s have gone well. t?oyond 1000 trials alrc_ol ,
:RI will, report to u: data and 'p' values on our nine r:ubjcet:; iuet on the
1000 In t,!-,c contort of 1,7dlA project" over 15n p^o;?l.e~ have b^cn
tooted uri this setchi.a.(:; th,; data (copies oi' which will he cen" to no) arc nr.;
hcitir; r.tr. l; .,:,1 rutcl iii criteria for
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'iii. ;soon be usLutbli:;hed on the basis of this anal'sis. The present gross
is that criteria will be on the order of 10-
(2) OO0 or Remote Viewing (te tinfr for telepathy and or clairvoyance):
The basic screening test will consist of 6 trials (lasting about one-half .car
each), one per day; criteria for psychic perfo-manco level will soon be estab-
lished but, in any case, it was agreed that results would have to be at least
at the .01 level. It was also agreed that a pool of 20 new sites would be used
for each subject; we also discussed the desirability of replacing used sites in
subsequent trials for each given subject and, while no definite agreement was
reached, it may be that SRI will do so. We spent considerable time discussing
the judging procedures, the salient points being: the same five judges (all
chosen by Mr Cox and representing a 'hosti.le' to 'friendly' spread with respect
to paranormal research) will be used on a permanent basis; each judge works
independently, is given a list of the sites which were randomly selected for
the subject and copies of his transcripts; he visits each site and selects the
best matching transcript; at the present time a plurality vote (i.e., 2 or more)
of the judges, accurately matching 4 (or 5) of the 6 sites, is considered signif-
icant--but, as noted, precise criteria will be specified by SRI in the near
future.
(3) EEG-Remote Stimulus (Strobe Light)(testing for telepathy via psych o_
physiologic indicators): The basic screening test will consist of 8 runs, 20
trials per run. A 'sending' subject is exposed to randomly selected stimulus
(a 16 herz light for 10 seconds) or non-stimulus, with one minute inter-trial.
intervals; the 'test' subject is in a shielded room and, upon hearing a 'blip'
signal on the intercom, has to call stimulus or non-stimulus; both subjects are
being EEG-monitored and (aside from his calls) they are watching for alpha
reduction in the test subject during the stimulus periods. Heretofore SRI
had been averaging only the "S" and "PIS" alpha production for comparison
purposes but they ;.rill now also average the inter-trial alpha for use as the
subject's base-line. Criteria for psychic level pcrfonnance is now set at
the .01 level and will be confirmed by SRI.
(4) Cards in Fnvel.oras (testing, for clairvoyance): One run of 10 trials,
with the stimulus cards (simple line drawings of ordinary objects;) selected
randomly and double-blind from a pool of 50; the subject draws his responses
and may, if he wishes, supplement the dra::ing by written cosmenl.ary; his
respon2(r.a are .cored independently by two judges. The criteria for psychic
level will be set by Pi;I but i:; I1o1-1 tcfLuI.ivejy at the .01 level.
(';) I.?
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scree niIli; LC:JL `.Jill conei:t o2 a c'nc-boil l' I'LU I, with al erIIt" I-.g five-:::inute
'work' and 'rest' cycle;.; during the six 'work' periods the subject is instructed,
on a randomly-selected basis, to increase or decrease the amplitude (not the
frequency) of the pendulum's state. Considerable time was spent discussing
the protocol in terms of how one could most accurately measure states and effects--
with the consensus being that it would be best to compare the last 6 cycles of
the 'work' period with the last 6 cycles of the preceding 'rest' period. The
tentative criteria for psychic level performance, to be confirmed by SRI, is
two standard deviations on It out of the 6 'work' periods. SRI ,.,as quite impressed
by the gradiometer's sensitivity and found it a sufficiently useful adjunct to
the pendulum experiment to investigate the possibility of acquiring one of
their own; barring that, they might try to use SRI's magnetometer. They had
several anecdotes about two of their subjects' prowess with this device (one of
them allegedly having sent the scale soaring off the paper by telephone) but, not
wanting to be exposed to the subjects, we declined invitations to observe
experiments.
(Note: With respect to all of the above testing, SRI was informed that--as far
as our nine ultimate subjects were concerned--we wanted to see all the raw test
scores and not merely probability statements on the results.)
b. Definition of Subject Categories. All nine subjects will be submitted
to all five of the above tests. Their placement as super-stars, mid-stars or
controls will be determined on the following basis.
(1) Super Stars: Those who "consciously" perform at high 'p' values (e.g.,
10-6) on at least one of the five tasks.
(2) Mid Stars: Those who are only at chance on the "conscious" level but
are at high 'p' value on the "unconscious" physiological dimension--i.e., on the
EEG (and/or GSR, plethysmograph) test described in a(3), above.
(3) Controls: Those who did not exceed chance within the prescribed
number of trials on any of the tasks.
(Note: We stressed, and SRI agreed, that once a subject is placed in a given
category he is to remain in that category for the duration of the project--no
matter what apparent increase or decline of powers they might observe.)
3. Status of Arranremcntn for Exemi.ninc Subjects. We discussed the critical need
to finalize all the arrangements and bei.6n processing; at least their 'controls' t?:rough
the enti.re battery of Lents within the next month. Phi app'?c:red to concur fully and,
as a matter of, fact, mo^t of the a,ranf;cmonl? do now .need to be well in hand; it is
now a qu,::;tion of how U1 ,Y 1'ol.lo?s-up by cr,'p]ut a tic ir; nt..iticeticn of
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their ::ubje,cts and by sott.i.ng on and i~'bo or?:inr so_n.I hroc: lures for their
It could appear that the will is there (`hey are, ,pcrhaps, even too ortinisi;c ab ou;
the significance of the evidence that might accrue from the physical and
psycholoic-_=
examinations) but the organization and discipline might still be lacking. In any case,
the status is as follows.
a. Psychological and Behavioral Exa:;ainati.ons. Under the white tab (attscae
is a chart SRI had prepared on the psychological testing g to be ng
performed- -sho;ai. ~ for
each subject the status with respect to all tests. Color-coded to reflect the entity
responsible for administering each test, the lower circle in each box (when filled in)
signifies that the arrangements have been made--while the upper circle (when filled '_n)
signifies that. the test has already been administered to that subject. On 17 June Dr
Puthoff visited the Palo Alto Medical Clinic and came back with the report that, in
the psych-behavioral field, they will also be able to administer the following: Iuscher
Color Test, Rorschach, 1,24PI, Omnibus (we confirmed that we wanted both i'ufPI and the
Omnibus), Witkins Field Dependency, In-Depth Intervie,.,s--and that all the psych testing
done at PAMC will be administered by one individual and scored blind by another. Further
SRI will administer: Suggestibility Tests, Flicker-Fusion and, possibly, a Signal
Detection Test. We asked them to prepare a new Psych-Behavioral matrix sheet--snowing
all of the tests definitively agreed upon--and to use that format in reporting progress
with each monthly report. We also confirmed for them (which they seemed not to have
realized) that F:ould not be doing the PATS in the future--but that we would be
content with the WAIS administered by PAP:_C, All in all, although there area few its
on our original list which have not been satisfied, this battery of tests and interv_e-.,-s
should be adequate for our purposes--particularly since, after studying all of the
evidence on all subjects, there's no reason why we couldn't call for a limited number
of specific and more discriminating tests on all of them. Also (see the blue tab) SRI has
adopted Mood Adjective & Semantic Differential Checklists for use on each testing day.
b. Medical-Physical-Sensory Exaiinaticas. The PAMC will handle virtual.
all of these examinations, including: in-depth medical history interviews; a thorcugh
EEG
medical examination of the and
( periodic check-LLp type); a complete/CNIS work-up; full bled
and urine analysis; chromosome count and analysis; protein break-down analysis; eye and
ear examinations, testing to each subject's extreme capability; plotting of entire
visual response field, with different colors; and they will farm-out the CIN res_anse
testing to Stanford (SRI undertook to determine for us the details on Stanford's
procedures and conditions). Further, P,"t1:C is able to perform an E.M.I. brain-sc