THE ASPR AS MEDIATOR BETWEEN THE TWO CULTURES: THE PHYSICAL AND THE SPIRITUAL

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October 3, 1991
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Approved For Release 2003/09/09 :CIA-RDP96-007928000400300005-6 ILLEGIB University of Pittsburgh Robert McConnell Y 'I 6 Room A234, Langley Hall Biological Sciences Department University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA 15260, U.S.A. Office: (412) 624-4732 To: The Trustees of the American Society for Psychical Research: Dr. C.B. Scott Jones, President; Dr. Irvin L. Child; Ms. Emily W. Cook, Ms. Eleanor Frieder Mr. Eric C. Fruhstorfer; Dr. Robert Jahn; Dr. Edward F. Kelly; Dr. Stanley Krippner; Mr. Alan F. MacRobert; Ms. Marilyn Schutz; Dr. Nancy P. Sondow; Mr. Bret Suval Date: October 3, 1991 Subject: The ASPR as Mediator Between tb.: '?'we Cula;res: Thy P:~?, sical and the Spirit~.~al Please note: In lieu of an Abstract, I have underlined some key passages. BACKGROUND As a Voting Member of the American Society for Psychical Research. I have received from President Jones a letter dated 7 August 1991, transmitting, and requesting comment upon, a draft copy of proposed ASPR Bylaws together with six pages of criticism by Trustee Emily Cook. I am sending this letter of comment to each of the Trustees because they have the legal power to revise the Bylaws and thus determine the future of the Society. Because of the importance of the matters dis- cussed, I am sending this letter to the Voting Mem- bers also and to others who may value the ASPR as a means for advancing the scientific understanding of psychic phenomena. I hope that members of the ASPR who wish to express a viewpoint will write to the individual Trustees, "caze of ASPR," 5 West 73rd Street, New York, NY 10023, marking their letters "Please for- ward." I would be pleased to receive copies of such letters. Nonmembers of the ASPR who wish to ex- press agreement or disagreement with ideas in this letter may write directly to me. As most of you know, the ASPR has its 1884 roots in the British Society for Psychical Research and took its present legal form in 1904. The prin- cipal assets of the ASPR are two: A worldwide reputation for scientific integrity, principally established and maintained by the publi- cation of the Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, but dependent upon all of the activities of the Society. A net worth of about $3 million, one million of which is in its wholly-owned home building located in the Borough of Manhattan, New York City. The ASPR had an operating deficit of $205,000 in 1989 and $292,000 in 1990. Unless this trend is reversed, the ASPR will soon cease to exist. Sup- positional methods for eliminating operating deficits have been a cause of recent contention within the ASPR. I shall not discuss our financial problems in this letter except to say that stable solvency will re- quire increased membership, increased endowment, and decreased spending. The ASPR has a mixed scientific and lay mem- bership of about 1100. Ultimate control of the or- ganization rests with some 60 Voting Members whose only legal obligation is to elect the Trustees. The ASPR is the only sizable open-membership organization in the U.S. devoted to the furtherance of pazapsvchology as a science, and it is cleazly the most powerful such organization in the world. I am writing because I believe that the future of the ASPR as a scientific organization is in danger. I regard this as important because the ASPR is the major bridge between scientific parapsychology and the general uP bhc In a recent opinion survey of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences membership (JASPR, 85[ 1991], 333-365) it was found that even after 100 years of scientific parapsychological research our Approved For Release 2003/09~09t~~1~--RDP96-007928000400300005-6 Approved For Release 2003/09/09 :CIA-RDP96-007928000400300005-6 The ASPR as Mediator Between the Two Cultures Page 2 October 3. 1991 leading scientists will not examine the experimental evidence for psychic phenomena. For that reason, the ASPR remains in my opinion, the last best hope in our lifetimes of gaining recogmrion by our nation's civil leaders of the fact that parapsychology is a science and not a superstition. Now more than ever I view the ASPR as belong- ing collectively to all of us who have devoted a sub- stantial part of our lives to the study of psvcluc phenomena and not merely to the Votuzg Members who have accepted the responsibility for the well be- ing and productivity of the Society. In this letter I am speaking not only to the Trustees and other Voting Members but also to the larger cotnmumry of all those who believe in the potential importance of psychic phenonteris:. ADOPTION OF THE BYLAWS First, I must deal with a technical matter primarily of interest to the Voting Members. In his 7 August 1991 transmitting letter our Presi- dent proposed the following schedule far adopting his revision of the ASPR Bylaws: 15 August: Draft Bylaws completed and dis- tributed to Voting Members [including Trustees] for comment." [Distributed along with Trustee Emily Cook's criticisms.] 15 September: Closing date for receiving com- ments from Voting Members. Bylaws reviewed and revised on basis of comments." 10 October: "Final draft of Bylaws distributed to Board of Trustees." 26 October: "Board of Trustees meeting. Discus- sion and approval of Bylaws." This schedule allows little time for interaction among Voting lvlembers and between Voting Mam- bers and Trustees. According to the President's 7 August transmittine letter the 7 August Bylaws draft was created by the President with the assis- tance of his Executive Director but without input from other members of the Bylaws Committee (the other members being Trustee Emily Cook and Voting Member Michael Knudsen). As stated in his schedule, after the President has received the Voting Member comments, changes will be made as may be deemed desirable and a modified version, never seen by the Voting Mem- bers, will be submitted to the Boazd of Trustees. The Trustees, who are mostly busy professional people with little time for ASPR affairs, will be given only two weeks to consider complex issues with which, in some cases, they have had no ex- tended experie ce. President Jones has said that he would prefer to get the Bylaws in place without get- ting bogged down in discussion. In my opinion, Dr. Jones's schedule for the adop- tion of new Bylaws is unrealistic. If followed, I fear its practical effect will be to put the future of the ASPR into his hands. The immediate risk in this situation stems from the fact that Dr. Jones has not revealed his organizational aims and intended methods to any of the many Voting Members whom I have queried, and he has no known professional experience in science. His professional track record is only in the military and in politics. I shall have more to say later concerning what is known about Dr. Jones. As I see it the issues that must be decided by the Trustees in zdopting new Bylaws are so com lex and important that I urge the Trustees to delay adop- tion of any Bylaws at this time. My detailed recommendation, which I shall state now but justify below, is (1) that the Trustees table any Bylaws draft presented to them at their next meeting, (2) that the Trustees order an independent revision of the Bylaws by a new Bylaws Committee. (3) that the President provide to each member of the new Bylaws Committee a copy of every com- munication he has received from Voting Members concerning the Bylaws revision, (4) that the ASPR paid staff be asked to provide all possible assistance to the new Bylaws Committee, (5) that the new Bylaws Committee be instructed to develop, by poll- ing or otherwise, a clear picture of what the Voting Members, collectively, wish to have as the ASPR's objectives, and what methods they wish the ASPR to use in pursuing those objectives, (6) that the new Bylaws Committee be instructed to incorporate their findings into a new draft of Bylaws, (7) that this new draft be submitted to the Voting Members including the Trustees with ample opportunity for discussion and amendment before adoption. (8) that, after ap- proval by the Voting Members, formal adoption take place no sooner than at the Trustee meeting after the next annual meeting of the Voting Members. TI-~ METHOD OF SELECTING TRUSTEES The proposed 7 August 1991 version of ASPR Bylaws contains a number of technical problems needing resolution. However, in this letter I shall consider only some broader issues. For reasons I shall explain. the proposed Bylaws appear intended to allow the president to control the policy of the ASPR. Although there aze important supplementing paragraphs elsewhere in the Bylaws draft the heart of the problem lies in the first paragraph of Article IV, Section 3, which I quote here for your convenience. ~pproved For Release 2003/09/09 :CIA-RDP96-007928000400300005-6 (continued) Approved For Release 2003/09/09 :CIA-RDP96-007928000400300005-6 The ASPR as Mediator Between the Two Cultures Page 3 October 3. 1991 Section 3. Composition and Officers: The Board of Trustees shall consist of the President, two (2) Vice .Presidents, Secretary, and Treasurer, and up to five (5) additional Boazd members. The total number (of Trustees] shall not exceed ten (10). At least seven (7) members of the Board shall reflect experience, training and education outside the field of parapsychol- ogy and shall not be members of the governing bodies or staff of other psychical research (or parapsychological) organizations. There are two features in this paragraph that need discussion: The reduction of Trustees from 12 to 10 and the restriction on the percentage of parapsvchok- ogists to be allowed on the Board. I believe it would be unwise to reduce the number of Trustees, both because such a reduction would make capture of the Boazd by any one ideological faction substantially easier and because I believe that the number 12 allows the election of the min- imum numbers of parapsychologists and other professionals needed to ensure wise and diverse thinking from inside as well as outside the field. If a change is to be made, I would hope that the number of Trustees could be increased. Many persons unfamiliar with psychical research do not realize that among reputable parapsychol- ogists there are widely divergent views about the na- ture of psychic phenomena and about the best way to advance pazapsychology. These views aze all legitimate to the degree that they aze held by intek- ligent, knowledgable persons. In apre-theoretical science all such views must be allowed to flourish until they can be sorted out by time and experience. While such views cannot all be represented on the Board of Trustees, the Voting Members must be per- mitted to choose a sufficient number of parapsychol- ogists to ensure breadth of representation and to al- low for an occasional poor choice. The proposal to limit the percentage of para- psychologists on the Board might be examined for advisability and for feasibility. First, as to ad- visability: Parapsychology is the scientific study of psychic phenomena, and parapsychologists are those who seriously study psychic phenomena from a scientific point of view. The ASPR is concerned solely with psychic phenomena.. Any change in the Bylaws that will limit for Board membership the number of scientists most knowledgable about psychic phenomena will chance the basic character of the Society. Such a change is outside the power of the Trustees to make and can properly be made only by, or with the per- mission of the Voting Members of the Society, whose res nsibility 't i to elect the Trustees. Hence. the intention of President Jones to ask the Trustees to change the character of the ASPR with- out the approval of the Voting Members is tmproper. This hasty plan to change the governing structure of the Society, coupled with the position of the ASPR as the pre-eminent bridge between scientists and the lay public, leads me to believe that as an organization we are facing a crisis of grave propor- tions. The proposal to limit the number of pazapsychol- ogists on the Board to 30% of the total can also be examined for feasibility. In view of the impropriety of the proposal itself, the question of its feasibility is of interest only as it may illuminate the thinking be- hind the proposal. According to the Bylaws proposal, at least 7 out of 10 Trustees "shall reflect experience, training, and education outside the field of parapsychology .... " This clause is intended as a legal basis for permitting or forbidding a Voting Member to be a Trustee can- didate. It is essential that we know exactly what these words mean and how they aze to be applied. We have all had some "experience, training, and education outside the field of parapsychology" and, inevitably, our behavior "reflects" it. Hence, on that count, every Voting Member would be eligible to be a Trustee candidate. This Bylaw requirement is meaningless unless it is modified, as by the insertion of the word "only" after "reflect." The sentence then becomes stazkly offensive. Perhaps, instead, the word "primarily" was intended? If so, what does "primarily" mean, or who will decide its meaning? The same Bylaw sentence says: "At least seven members of the Boazd shall ...not be members of the governing bodies or staff of other psychical research (or pazapsychological) organizations." Because our field is small, one effect of this rule would be to eliminate as potential Trustees a sub- stantial fraction of those most competent to serve. An analogous rule among the directors of industry would be considered ridiculous or sinister unless some cleaz and compelling public purpose were thereby to be served. Upon second reading, this Bylaw sentence be- comes even more puzzling. How is the expression "psychical research (or parapsychological) organiza- tion" to be interpreted. Several organizations largely concerned with research on psychic phenomena make a point of avoiding use of the identifying words, "psychical" and "parapsychological." Who will decide whether or not an organization is paza- psychological, and by what definition? This is not a cazefully thought out Bylaw paragraph, and I doubt that it reflects the wishes of the Voting Members. A-RDP96-007928000400300005-6 (continued) The ASPR as MediaAcdr~etow ed t~o~, Re~~s~e 2003/09/9 ~ ~IA-RDP96-007928000400300005-fbctober 3, 1991 ASPR OBJECTIVES When I first learned of Dr. Jones's plan to decrease the number of scientists to a minority on the Board of Trustees. it occurred to me that. even if this decrease were to be attempted informally, it wauld be necessary to take the following actions to safeguard the essential character and purpose of the Society: (1) Create through the Bylaws a legal presumption favoring the scientific principles that have guided the ASPR since its recapture from the Spiritualists in 1941 by Gardner Murphy and George Hyslop. (2) Strengthen the role of the Voting Members so that control of the organization could not be wrested from them by a small t~oup of waywazd Trustees. (3) Specify and perhaps modify our organizational objectives in the light of recent progress in our knowledge of parapsychology and in consideration of the temper of the times in which we live. To that end, I sent a letter to the Voting Members on 7 June 1991, followed by a supplementing letter on 9 3uly 1991. For your convenience I have added an appendix hereto, summarizing and extending my earlier thoughts. In my earlier letters I offered for possible incor- poration into the Bylaws: ? A simple, clear statement of the kind of members we wish to serve. ~ Ways of tightening the qualifications far Voting Membership and for increasing the power of the Voting Members. ? Some tactical rules of conduct to be followed in reaching our long-range goals. ? Several strategic objectives and activities that the ASPR should avow and pursue. ? Two reputation-damaging activities that the ASPR should avoid. None of these ideas appears in the 7 August Bylaws draft, and there is no hint that they were considered. Instead, what appears in the Bylaws draft as "Ar- ticle II: Objectives" are vague promises and hopes that lack intellectual incisiveness and would allow this or any future president to proceed in almost any direction he chose without guidance or restraint. Under the draft's "Objectives" there would be noth- ing to discourage the "New Age" equivalent of the infamous Margery Crandon research circa 1930. The first listed objective in this Bylaws draft will serve to illustrate the illusional quality of all six: "!1) To promote, conduct, and support psychical research and to disseminate research findings." These words make beautiful, comforting music. but I find them insulting to common sense because they fail to specify what methods will be used and what is meant by "research." So vague are the Ob- jectives that the quasi-religious activities of the Association for Research and Enlightenment, which is devoted to the veneration of the deceased psychic. Edgaz Cayce, could be regarded as suitable for the ASPR. The absence of any statement of cleazcut objec- tives (other than to continue our azchival library), or of principles to guide the attainment of those objec- tives, or of safeguards against deviation from those principles suggests to me that the 7 August draft of the Bylaws is part of awell-intended plan to take control of ASPR policy away from those unimagina- tive, foot-dragging scientists. ABOUT OUR PRESIDENT (A personal assessment) Dr. C. B. Scott Jones has a history of distin- guished public service. He was a U.S. Navy flier for 30 years. He fought in the Korean War in 1950 and 1952 and later served in Naval Intelligence. After leaving the Navy, he worked for seven years in cor- porate research under the auspices of the intelligence community and the Defense Nuclear Agency. He was awarded a Ph.D. by American University for his political knowledge of South Asia. For six years en- ding with 1990, he served as an aide to the Chair- man of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Com- mittee. In early 1991 Dr. Jones created a private or- ganization called the "Human Potential Foundation." A transitional letterhead suggested that this or- gatuzation is related to his "Center for Applied Anomalous Phenomena," which has existed for some yeazs at his home address. I have not yet received from Dr. Jones a promised brochure describing his Human Potential Foundation, and. hence, am not privy to its public purposes. It is reported that Dr. Jones has experienced repeated spontaneous ESP. It is reasonable to as- sume that these experiences led him to devote much of his energy to the field of psychic phenomena for the last nine yeazs. Dr. Jones is now serving his third consecutive year as president of the ASPR. Dr. Jones and I share many values and opinions relating to psychic phenomena. We also have dif- ferences of a profound nature. If my following es- timation of him is in error, I trust he will offer a cor- rection by whatever medium he deems appropriate. Approved For Release 2003/09/~9nti6>~Ai;RDP96-007928000400300005-6 Approved For Release 2003/09/09 :CIA-RDP96-007928000400300005-6 The ASPR as Mediator Between the Two Cultures Page 5 By historically different routes. Dr. Jones and I. respects science in terms of its utility. However, by have been convinced that, in a scientific sense, con- his public endorsements, by his writing and speak- sciousness transcends the sensory-motor channels to ing, and by his August 7 draft of Bylaws as analyzed the brain. We both recognize that the acceptance of above, Dr. Jones has led me reluctantly to the con- this idea by the majority of well-educated people elusion that he does not understand the method and would alter the world view upon which Western col- ethic of science. tore is based and would have profound social Dr. Jones has been known to base his judgment of consequences. the reality of a phenomenon upon the sincerity and We both are of the opinion that our scientific self-assurance of its advocates or upon their standing leaders have betrayed a trust by failing to examine among their similarly committed colleagues. Per- the evidence for psychic phenomena. My response haps this is because he is unable to bring to bear a to this situation is as follows: I think I understand comprehensive scientific perspective of his own that the complex of reasons for scientists' individual and could yield useful estimates of the probability of collective failure in this regard, but I also have deep truth in specific pioneering claims. Such estimates appreciation for the contributions to the welfare of are facilitated by knowing the criteria by which one humanity these same scientists have rendered in can usually distinguish frontier science from pseudo- their own specialiries. science. Without such estimates there can be no es- Dr. Jones and I agree that, because of scientists' cape from the morass of nonsensical claims that con- refusal to examine the experimental evidence, their stantiy threaten to engulf us. opposition to psychical reseazch will have to be cir- cumvented by appealing directly to educated lay APPENDIX: people. However, I believe that the ultimate accep- SUGGESTIONS FOR THE FUTURE tance of psychical phenomena by orthodox science is crucial and must have our continuing attention SCOPE OF MEMBERSHIP and, indeed, that we must exert every effort to earn I believe that the ASPR's educational program the respect of our colleagues in other areas of should be oriented to attract parapsychologists, of science. It is not clear that Dr. Jones shares this course, but also to (1) persons who "think most suc- belief. cessfully with the right brain" (e.g., artists), (2) edu- We both are impatient with the unwillingess of called persons who believe they have had psychic ex- many parapsychologists to consider the possible im- periences, and (3) members of the helping profes- plications of psychic phenomena, and with their ap- sions who might find in parapsychology a promise parent inability to analyze their own motivations for of an answer to some of their professional concerns. opposing the publication of parapsychological ideas For bylaw purposes, however, we might write with which they disagree. simply: Dr. Jones believes that it is time for pazapsychol- The ASPR aims to serve all those who seek scien- ogists to begin applying psychic phenomena. I do not go that far. For several reasons I believe it is tific understanding of the phenomena commonly urgent for parapsychologists to begin research called "psychic" which they or others claim to have directed toward the useful application of psychic experienced. phenomena even though we still have only the GUIDING RULES faintest glimmer of theoretical understanding and control. However, I believe that the attempted We must attract and hold the kind of members contractural use of psychic phenomena at this time who will help us reach our long-range goals. would create a conflict of interest and would destroy ~ dealing with our members and the public, we the scientific credibility of any parapsychological or- must act at all times to preserve and enhance the ganization that advocated it. I use the expression Society's historical reputation far scientific integrity. "attempted contractural use" in a broad sense, mean- There must be no turning inward upon ourselves ing, "offering to produce useful psychic effects." or away from the Intellectual Establishment even We both believe that the ASPR is in need of though, for the present, it rejects parapsychology. rebirth, but I regard this as a dangerous venture that pURpOSES AND ACTTVIT'lES must be safeguarded by public discussion and by a legally binding declaration of our principles, objec- The ASPR's governing document should contain fives, and methods. statements describing its role and expressing its ob- Dr. Jones has spent a professional lifetime divided lectives in a way that clearly differentiates it from between the military establishment and national other somewhat related organizations, such as the politics. He is a practical man of action. He Pazapsychological Association, The Society for Approved For Release 2003/09/09 :CIA-RDP96-007928000400300005-6 (continued) Approved For Release 2003/09/09 ? CI~ RDP96-007928000400300005-6 T"he ASPR as Mediator $etween the Two Cultures Wage Scientific Exploration, the International Society for the Study of Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine, the Institute of Noetic Sciences, and the Association for Research and Enlightenment. The role I suggest for the ASPR would be distinguished by the follow- ing proposed Bylaws: [1] The ASPR aims to advance scientific under- standing of psychic phenomena and also understand- ing of the sociological status of parapsychology as a science. Comment: The sociological status of parapsychol- ogy will determine societal support and, in turn, scientific progress. To improve our image, we need to know how we are perceived. [2) The ASPR pro~zdes a bridge for uhe direct pa~- sage of knowledge of parapsychology between scientists and lay persons. Comment: This is an aim we have always tacitly pursued. It clearly differentiates the ASPR from other existing U.S. organizations and is a crucial im- plementation of our first above purpose. [3] By acting as a broker of information. the ASPR will strive to transform the relationship between the Two Cultures, the physical rand the spiritual, from one of mutual rejection to one of common understanding. Comment: This proposed goal is a logical exten- sion of our aim to provide a bridee for the transfer of information. This goal would address indirectly but fundamentally what many consider the most desperate need of our time, namely, the need for common values by which inter-national and inter- cultural differences may be resolved. If we choose this aim for our Society, we shall ennoble our efforts and amact support from new sources. What is lacking, to begin with, between the physi- cal and the spiritual camps is mutual respect. By its findings, parapsychology provides a .scientific basis for such respect. In its work, the ASPR should build confidence by displaying understanding and ap- preciation for the values of both sides. Unification of views will come in due time, but only on the basis of empirical observation. The word "spiritual" as used here does not imply the existence of spirits or of a soul having existence independent of the brain; these being matters of which we cannot, at least for the present, speak with scientific knowledge. (4] The ASPR is concerned with psychic phenomena primarily as they relate to the mind-body problem in its basic scientific, philosophic, and potentially prac- tical aspects rather than as these phenomena might have immediate relevance to medicine, spiritual uplift individual self-development, or to scientific anomalies in general. Comment: These other concerns are being pursued by other organizations, often necessarily by "rough and ready" methods. Their pursuit by the ASPR in the present state of scientific uncertainty cannot be done effectively without compromising the ASPR's role as a public arbiter of parapsychological knowledge. Moreover, while these concerns aze of great and lazgely self-centered interest to many people, they are not at the core of the intellectual dispute between the Two Cultures. They are nor where the philosophical battle is being fought and where the peace mu st be won. [5] The ASPR attempts to separate what is reason- ably well established as knowledge in the field of parapsychology from what is only surmised, and emphasizes the gradation of scientific certainty of parapsychological knowledge. [6] The ASPR encourages uninhibited speculation by experts within its field but requires that specula- tion be so labelled. [7] To maintain its scientific status and to carry out its mission, the ASPR is guided primarily by scien- tists. Comment: In this way, the knowledge of the scien- tists can be made available, while their agenda within the ASPR are limited by the Bylaws. [8] Through its Journal and Newsletter the ASPR publishes within its field, refereed experimental reports, summaries, reviews, news, tentative theories, and sociological studies. [9] Within budgetary limits the ASPR financially supports promising parapsychological reseazch projects proposed by qualified researchers. ACTIVITIES TO BE SPECIFICALLY AVOIDED Proposed Bylaw: Except incidentally in its Journal and Newsletter, the ASPR does not give or sponsor instruction on how to develop or enhance psychic ability. Comment: There aze, of course, widely recognized techniques for increasing the likelihood that psi will occur. However, those techniques are mazginal in their efficacy and any attempt to gain members or money for the ASPR by offering training on the use of those techniques would be viewed by skeptics as well as by some parapsychologists as anunethical pretense to more knowlege than we possess. Approved For Release 2003/09/09~~~[~;,~P96-007928000400300005-6 Approved For Release 2003/09/09 :CIA-RDP96-007928000400300005-6 The ASPR as Mediator Between the Two Cultures Paee 7 Proposed Bylaw: The ASPR does not attempt to test, measure, or cer- tify the psychic ability of individuals. However, the ASPR welcomes information from persons who believe they may have unusual psychic abilities and who might be willing to participate in scientific research. The ASPR will try to assist experimenters in finding such persons. The ASPR assumes no responsibility for, and does not endorse, the conclu- sions reached by any experimenters (including its own employees) to whom it may have referred potentially psychic persons. Comment: There is not now, and may never be, an objective experimental procedure by which one can sepazate those who do, from those who do not, have exceptional psychic ability." Many highly psychic persons cannot produce psi in a specific test or with- out considerable psychological preparation. To pretend to assess individual psychic ability would be ethically wrong and legally hazazdous. Amore use- ful procedure may be to question an individual about his or her claimed psychic experiences and to make a tentative f private estimate of credibility. That should be enough for informally advising such an in- dividual. PRINCIPLES AND POLICY I would like to suggest two guiding principles for the ASPR: (1) Activities must conform to present knowledge in parapsychology. (2) Policies must conform to the ethic of science. In practice, to be certain of satisfying these two principles, policy decisions must be made, not by one person, but by the Boazd of Trustees in consul- tation with ad hoc committees of senior paza- psychologists. Adherence to the first of these principles is il- lustrated by the above-recommended proscription against certifying psychics. The second principle is more subtle. What is the ethic of science? Why is it important that the ASPR avoid its violation. I shall speak to the second question first, and then I shall answer the first by giving in the next section an example of what I perceive to be an ethic violation. Lack of understanding of the ethic of science of- ten leads to its violation by scientists as well as by lay persons. Violation, in turn, invokes social penalties (e.g., restriction of employment oppor- tunities) which, as a rule, are unposed by the Intel- lectual Establishment under the influence of the scientific community. Working in a "prepazadigmatic science," we must Approved act at all times with the greatest circumspection to avoid giving the leaders of what T. 5. Kuhn calls "normal science," an excuse to ignore or unfairly at- tack our ideas. At the same time, if we are to mar- shall the forces of intelligent support, we need the assistance of persons such as our President who are thoroughly skilled in dealing with human resistance to change. Atlantic University and the Ethic of Science Shortly before the recent trustee election I sent to our president a selection from the promotional materials I had received over the years from the Association for Reseazch and Enlightenment. My purpose was to sharpen the distinction between the ASPR as a scientific organizatior. and the A.R.E., which is a financially successful, 80,000-member quasi-religious organization built upon the writings of psychic-healer Edgaz Cayce. Subsequently, when the topic of the A.R.E. came up, I asked our president what he knew about its subsidiary Atlantic University. He said that he had just accepted a position as a trustee of that tuuver- siry. I responded, "What do they teach? A `univer- sity,' by definition, must have a number of schools or colleges covering a wide range of topics. Is At- lantic University accredited?" His reply was that they are seeking accreditation. Surprised by this turn of events, I visited our university library. Although Atlantic University has been advertising its existence at least since 1987, I did not find it listed in World of Learning 1991 or in Peterson's Register of Higher Education 1991. The latter lists 3600 American postsecondary institutions of learning that aze accredited or in pre-accreditation status. Since teen, I have obtained a.*:d examined Atlanric Utuversity's first catalog (copyright 1991). It does, indeed, list Dr. Scott Jones as a Trustee. Its table of contents follows in detail the format of other univer- sity catalogs I have seen, offering information about admission requirements, the add/drop period for courses, incomplete grades, tuition refunds, etc., etc. These details aze artfully intended to create an aura of authenticity that should count in this organization's favor in its pursuit of accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. As printed in its catalog, the "Ideal of Atlantic University" is a 250-word excerpt from psychic healer Edgaz Cayce's inspirational reading No. 2087-1. Its key clause, which is to be "kept first and foremost in the heart and mind of each and every individual," is "that we [should] make manifest our love, my love, all love, for God and man." (Page 8. For Release 2003/09/09 : CIh96h0?b0400300005-6 (continued) Approved For Release 2003/09/09 :CIA-RDP96-00792R000400300005o6tober 3, 1991 The ASPR as Mediator Between the Two ~tltures Page 8 "The curriculum focuses on the nature of humanity, the nature of the universe, and holistic living (Page 9). Depending upon how sharply it is focused, this curriculum could include every subject ever taught at any university. Classes meet one night a week for three hours. According to the catalog, "The faculty of Atlantic University is composed primarily of adjunct profes- sors." None of the faculty, however, is listed as teaching at another university. One cannot have a "university" with only one full-time faculty member, no matter how estimable his scientific reseazch. In the jazgon of advertising, such misuse of the word "university" is called "hype." Among critical thinkers, it is called "dishonesty." For scientists, it is a violation of the scientific ethic. As well as one can judge frorn its catalog, Atlan- tic University might acceptably be renamed as an "Institute of Religious and Consciousness Skills." Its course titles aze largely "New Age" in flavor. Presumably the subject matter taught includes azeas of reality long ignored by Western science and only now being nibbled at by cognitive psychology. If these realities aze to be effective in changing the world, they must eventually be definitively under- stood by the empirical-theoretical method of science and not simply remain as nebulous, shifting, quasi- religious beliefs shazed by, among others, an or- ganization built around the recent memory of an ex- ceptionally psychic individual. The ASPR artd the Ethic of Science I shall try to explain why our president's becom- ing a tnrstee of Atlantic University and thereby en- dorsing their deception suggests to me a lack of un- derstanding of the ethic of science and why I belreve that. if he continues his close association with the ARE the contempt that many scientists feel for that or anization may rub off onto the ASPR. Among -the principles of scientific method, the foremost is honesty in dealing with ourselves and others in matters of science. Scientists are jealous of scientific truth. They will. not deal collegially with those who, while operating ostensibly within the scope of science, are dishonest or egregiously incompetent in their professional representations. Moreover, scientists judge their fel- lows by the care with which they discriminate be- tween competent intellectual honesty and imposture or ignorance. The same ideas apply among scholars generally and. indeed, among men of good will in every walk of life, but in science there is a special need for honesty. The explanation of that need rests with the word "compromise " To live successfully. we all learn to compromise In matters of physical reality. a com- promise may be an agreement to accept less than one wants. However, in matters of the intellect, a successful compromise is a joint statement of opitrion so cleverly worded that given the vagueness of language, each party can believe that the state- ment represents his or her own point of view. This kind of compromise may be essential for successful day-to-day living but in science it is anathema. In science the objective is not to deceive one's self or one's antagonist and thus preserve a happy relationship Rather each side words its positron as precisely as possible so that differences can be detected and studied. and so that the truth can be discovered--usually by experiment in conjunction with linear-logical thinking. The merits of linear-logical thirilflng aside, the ASPR needs the talents of our president if we are to deal effectively with the fact that most persons, in- cluding scientists outside their nazrow specialty, do not ofren respond to reason but only to persuasion. I see no difficulty in being persuasive and conser- vative at the same time. My association with our president has led me to believe that his ultimate personal objective is to has- ten the universal acceptance of the occurrence of psychic phenomena so that a new civilization can arise conforming more closely to reality. That is an objective that all of us can accept as our own. Approved For Release 2003/09/09 :CIA-RDP96-007928000400300005-6 Approved For Release 2003/09/09 :CIA-RDP96-007928000400300005-6 To: The Trustees of the American Society for Psychical Research: Dr. C.B. Scott Jones, President; Dr. Irvin L. Child; Ms. Emily W. Cook, Ms. Eleanor Frieder Mr. Eric C. Fruhstorfer; Dr. Robert Jahn; Dr. Edward F. Kelly; Dr. Stanley Krippner; Mr. Alan F. MacRobert; Ms. Marilyn Schlitz; Dr. Nancy P. Sondow; Mr. Bret Suval From: Voting Member Robert McConnell, Room A234 Langley Hall, Biological ~~ Sciences Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, U.S.A. Subject: MATTERS OF GRAVE CONCERN TO THE ASPR Date: February 17, 1992 As a Voting Member of the ASPR my aim in this letter is to present certain information to you as Trustees that may help you decide what actions of yours will best serve to maintain the Society and to advance our understanding of psychic phenomena. Because I believe that all matters of policy within the ASPR deserve the widest possible consideration, I am mailing this letter to our Voting Members and to others who may be interested in the future of the ASPR. THE FINANCIAL STATUS OF THE ASPR As calculated from data furnished to the Board by the Executive Director, for each of eleven years (1980-1990) the ASPR has had an operating deficit {expenses minus revenue), growing from $93,000 (39% of expenses) in 1980 to $293,000 (61% of ex- penses) in 1990. Over. these 11 years, the average operating deficit was $148,000. Even when gifts and bequests are counted as offsetting the deficits, there was a deficit in 9 out of 11 years, averaging $64,000 per year over the 11 years. The deficit for 1991 is not yet known, and no 1991 budget was submitted. The situation is summarized in the following table. The 1989 and 1990 figures are from the independent auditors' report found in the Society's Annual report for 1990 (not made available to the Voting Members until May 1991) and omit from "Revenue" any gifts or bequests. The 1992 figures are from the budget approved with 3 dissent- ing votes by the Board at its 26 October 1991 meeting and do not include gifts or bequests projected at $15,000. year Revenue Expenses 1989 (actual) $206,000 $411,000 1990 (actual) $188,000 $481,000 1991 (budgeted) none none 1991 (actual) unknown unknown 1992 (budgeted) $406,000 $543,000 The minutes of the 26 October meeting of the ASPR Board show no discussion of how the 1992 revenue figure was calculated nor of how such an as- tonishing expected revenue increase from $188,000 to $406,000 would be achieved. In a separate letter to our Treasurer, dated 3 February 1992, I have discussed the 1992 budget of the ASPR in some detail, as well as the "total return" method of determining endowment revenue, which I infer has been applied, albeit incorrectly, in deriving the above 1992 revenue projection. Using the traditional accounting method followed in the past by our ASPR auditors, and by projecting the dividends and interest earned by our endowment in the first ten months of 1991, I roughly estimate that our total revenue for 1992 from all sources (including dues, space rental, etc., less possible gifts) will be no more than $207,000 and probably much less. This would leave a deficit of $320,000, or 2.6 times the 1992 deficit shown by subtraction in the above table. This is all the more alarming when it is Considered that the still unknown 1991 deficit, like the 1990 deficit before it, will probably also be in the vicinity of $300,000; thus bringing close to $900,000 the deficit accumulated under President Jones. For several years it has been recognized by some of us that these annual deficits must end promptly. The Society's endowment as of 31 October 1991 was $1,656,000. Assuming a constant rate of expenditure and no added income from other sources, as capital is eaten into, investment revenue will drop at an ever- increasing rate so that the Society could be bankrupt in five years under favorable economic conditions or in as little as three years if the present economic depression deepens--as many economists think likely. THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S EMPLOYMIIV'f CONTRACT Among our larger budget items is the employment contract of our new Executive Director. I have sub- mitted this contract for comment to various people Approved For Release 2003/09/O~cofitah~e~,lDP96-007928000400300005-6 Approved For Release 2003/09/09 :CIA-RDP96-007928000400300005-6 PARAPSYCHOLOGY AND THE ASPR Emily W. Cook In my view, parapsychologists now have two primary functions: One is to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the scientific community that we are studying phenomena that have not yet been adequately understood or explained, but that must be, because of their possible implications for our understanding of the nature of mind and human personality. This will only be done by ad- hering strictly to the scientific method, that is, to observation, experiment, critical evaluation and inference, and the public exchange of ideas with peers. The other primary fLnction of parapsychologists is to educate the general public about the scientific attitude and approach that they too must adopt and apply when confronted with ex- periences and events we call pazanormal. In my view, therefore, these should be the functions of the ASPR: to uphold without com- promise the strict application of the scientific method to pazapsychological phenomena, and to teach the general public the critical attitude that the scientific method entails. Obviously, this can only be done by people who themselves understand the nature of the scientific method. The present leadership of the ASPR, however, seems overvvhehningly to believe that, despite a century of applying the scientific method, we have failed to convince the scientific community, and therefore we must abandon this approach and appeal, not to scientists, but to the general public for intellectual support. In my view, this will worsen the status of parapsychology even more, since it will contribute further to--not ameliorate--the polarization that has continually plagued this field. The scientists will deplore ever more strongly this occult nonsense, and the general public will fail to absorb the standards of difficult, critical thinking that all new knowledge requires. Like the 19th Century's Spiritualism, parapsychology will then be alive and thriving as a religion or belief system, but as a science it will be dead. Approved For Release 2003/09/09 :CIA-RDP96-007928000400300005-6 (over) Matters of Grave C9~hPiK~ FQ~p~elease 2003/09/Q.I~~C~IA-RDP96-00792R000400300005~~, 17,1992 who are knowledgable about the hiring of senior su- pervisory personnel. Their comments ranged from "fiscally irresponsible" to "preposterous." For reasons that will be evident after reviewing the contract, I think of the ASPR as undergoing a process analogous to a leveraged corporate takeover--with one bizarre twist: the "golden pazachute" is for the incoming manager. Before I refresh your memory as to the terms of the contract, it may be worthwhile to comment on the qualifications of the new Executive Director for whom the contract was written. Although I do not remember ever meeting her, I have been told by many who know her that Patrice Keane has a charming per- sonality, is a highly persuasive speaker, inspires loyalty in her subordinates, and is intelligent and clever. On the other hand, Ms. Keane has not earned a bachelor's degree, shows no record of having studied science at the college level, and has had no scientific experience beyond that gained in several pazapsycho- Iogical experiments as a student investigator at New York City's Maimonides Hospital 14 years ago {reported orally to the Parapsychological Association: RIP--1978, 40-41, 72-74, 82-84). Ms. Keane's resume, submitted when she applied for her present position, was too vague for critical evaluation. By personal inquiry I have discovered that when she described herself as being a "Research Associate" with a well known psychiatrist, she meant that she was one of a group of volunteers who met usually once a week under his direction to explore and encourage ESP in their dreams (RIP--1983, 145-152). Ms. Keane may be unawaze that in the scientific world a "research associate" is a colleague having the same formal education but less experience than his or her mentor. Before assuming the position of Executive Duector in May 1991, Ms. Keane assisted in educational ac- tivities at the ASPR, part- or full-time, from 1975 to 1986. From 1986 to 1990, with the title of Director of Education beginning in 1987, she led public discus- sion sessions and arranged public lectures. President Janes appointed her Acting Executive Director in 1990. Term of the contract: Three years, from 15 May 1991 to 15 May 1994. Compensation: $55,000 salary for first yeaz, increasing by $5,000 each year, plus fringe benefits estimated to cost $12,250 the first year, plus a $7,000 lump sum labelled "Educational Allotment" to be paid at the beginning of each contract year for unspecified use by the employee. Thus, the total cost to the ASPR will be $74,250 for the first year, $80,000 for the second yeaz, and $85,750 for the third--under the unlikely as- sumption that the cost of medical insurance will not increase. Extent of Services: Full time. Vacation and Sick Days Six weeks vacation each year "plus a reasonable number of personal and sick days." Termination and Severance. Ninety days notice required for termination by ei- ther employer or employee. Except in case of gross and willful misconduct, termination and severance payments will be made to the employee as follows: If termination is by employer in first two years of contract, ASPR must pay the employee the full three years of salaries plus the educational allotments. Alternatively, ASPR must make severance pay- ment in the amount of one yeaz of current salary plus the $7,000 educational allotment under the following circumstances: 1. If termination is by the employee for any reason. 2. If termination is by employer in last year of con- tract. 3. If contract expires and is not renewed. CRITICISM OF CONTRACT The term of the contract should, in my opinion, have been no more than one yeaz, especially in view of the minimal experience of the employee and the financial condition of the Society. There could ap- propriately have been a nonbinding expectation to continue for a second yeaz. Any pay increases should have been decided by the Boazd at the end of each yeaz on the basis of performance and the financial resources of the Society. The payment of the so-called "educational allot- ment" is unjustified. The employee was hired in com- petition with others on the premise that she was fully trained for the job. How then can one argue that a training grant is necessary to allow her to fulfill her duties? The "educational allotment" has no require- ment for accountability as to purpose and results. Consequently, as the Internal Revenue Service would view it, this "educational allotment" is in reality noth- ing more than a bonus under another name. Aside from a lack of reasons for giving this bonus, how will Ms. Keane find time to use it for an educa- Approved For Release 2003/0~68$itt>~-RDP96-007928000400300005-6 Approved For Release 2003/09/09 :CIA-RDP96-007928000400300005-6 To: The Voting Members and others with an interest in The American Society for Psychical Research. From: Voting Member Robert McConnell Room A234, Langley Hall, Biological Sciences Department University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260. Subject: Information concerning the interests and activities of Dr. C. B. Scott Jones. Date: February S, 1992. Because I am deeply concerned about the financial and administrative disarray of the American Society for Psychical Research, I have been trying to understand not only the factual nature of our problems but also the thinking of the people in chazge. Recently, Ireceived amagnetic-tape recording of a lecture titled "The Dolphin Connection," given in 1988 to a Parapsychology Symposium at the Association for Research and Enlighten- ment at Virginia Beach, Virginia, by Dr. C. B. Scott Jones. (This Association is dedicated to venerating the memory of Edgar Cayce, a psychic healer.) The only previous information I had about this two-day symposium was a printed announcement at the time, inviting me to paz- ticipate and saying that anyone could attend for a fee of $30. The above-mentioned lecture provides information about interests and activities of Dr. Jones of which I was previously unaware. Dr. Jones has served as a Trustee of the American Society for Psychical Reseazch for seven yeazs beginning in 1985 and has held the office of President for three yeazs beguuiing in April 19$9. In my mind, this lecture raises doubt as to whether Dr. Janes is qualified to participate in the guidance o~ any scientific organization, including the American Society for Psychical Research. I am enclosing an abridgment of the lecture to allow the reader to judge for himself the evaluative statements offered below. The enclosed abridgment is complete except for the ellipses-indicated omission of historical material showing that one-way interstellar electromagnetic transmission between intelligent be- ings is conceivable by some well known scientists; whereas interstellar travel by physical beings is not believed possible because of the time/distance barrier. In this connection, when I looked in anthropologist Loren Eiseley's book, The Immense Journey, I found that a quotation used by Dr. Janes in his lecture is from a chapter titled "Little Men and Flying Saucers," where it is presented in a context gently ridiculing the possibility of finding an information-gathering probe sent by intelligent beings from outer space. As used by Dr. Jones, this quotation suggests that in his book Eiseley is receptive to the idea of finding such an artifact, whereas the reverse is true. (Dr. Eiseley's book is an autobiographical survey for the layman of what is known, what might be discovered, and what can never be known by science about the origins of Homo sapiens.) I know nothing in the scientific literature of pazapsychology that would suggest the prospect of success in a seazch for an interstellar probe. More to the point, I know of no pazapsychologist who would consider the probability of finding under the earth's oceans, through dolphin ESP, a physical artifact sent by intelligent beings from outer space as anything but vanishingly small--a probability that a mathematician might lightly refer to as a higher order infuutesimal. In other words, the rationale of this project is a fantasy with no basis in reality. Moreover, while I have heard of some slight unpublished evidence for ESP in dolphins, I would expect that any such effect will prove to be as fragmentary and unpredictable as ESP between humans. I know of no evidence suggesting that extrasensory messages "channeled" from living humans to living humans (or between animals and humans) through a third party acting as a psychic medium could provide the kind of accurate detailed conversational information presented in Dr. Jones's lecture. If Dr. Jones's methods can objectively demonstrate that kind of ESP, he will have made a revolutionary breakthrough in experimental parapsychology. (See Ar- thur Hastings: With the Tongues of Men and Angels, Holt Rinehart & Winston, 1991}. Approved For Release 2003/09/09 :CIA-RDP96-007928000400300005-6 (over) Approved For Release 2003/09/09 :CIA-RDP96-007928000400300005-6 To: The Trustees of the American Society for Psychical Research: Dr. C.B. Scott Jones, President; Dr. Irvin L. Child; Ms. Emily W. Cook, Ms. Eleanor Frieder Mr. Eric C. Fruhstorfer; Dr. Robert Jahn; Dr. Edward F. Kelly; Dr. Stanley Krippner; Mr. Alan F. MacRobert; Ms. Marilyn Schlitz; Dr. Nancy P. Sondow; Mr. Bret Suval From: Voting Member Robert McConnell, Room A234 Langley Hall, Biological ~~ Sciences Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, U.S.A. . Subject: MATTERS OF GRAVE CONCERN TO THE ASPR Date: February 17, 1992 As a Voting Member of the ASPR my aim in this letter is to present certain information to you as Trustees that may help you decide what actions of yours will best serve to maintain the Society and to advance our understanding of psychic phenomena. Because I believe that all matters of policy within the ASPR deserve the widest possible consideration, I am mailing this letter to our Voting Members and to others who may be interested in the future of the ASPR. THE FINANCIAL STATUS OF THE ASPR As calculated from data furnished to the Board by the Executive Director, for each of eleven years {1980-1990) the ASPR has had an operating deficit {expenses minus revenue), growing from $93,000 (39% of expenses) in 1980 to $293,000 {61% of ex- penses) in 1990. Over. these 11 yeazs, the average operating deficit was $148,000. Even when gifts and bequests are counted as offsetting the deficits, there was a deficit in 9 out of 11 years, averaging $64,000 per year over the 11 years. The deficit for 1991 is not yet known, and no 1991 budget was submitted. The situation is summarized. in the following table. The 1989 and 1990 figures are from the independent auditors' report found in the Society's Annual report for 1990 {not made available to the Voting Members until May 1991) and omit from "Revenue" any gifts or bequests. The 1992 figures are from the budget approved with 3 dissent- ing votes by the Board at its 26 October 1991 meeting and do not include gifts or bequests projected at $1S,aoo. year Revenue Expenses 1989 (actual) $206,000 $411,000 1990 (actual) $188,000 $481,000 1991 (budgeted) none none 1991 {actual) unlmown unknown 1992 (budgeted) $406,000 $543,000 The minutes of the 26 October meeting of the ASPR Boazd show no discussion of how the 1992 revenue figure was calculated nor of how such an as- tonishing expected revenue increase from $188,000 to $406,000 would be achieved. In a separate letter to our Treasurer, dated 3 February 1992, I have discussed the 1992 budget of the ASPR in some detail, as well as the "total return" method of determining endowment revenue, which I infer has been applied, albeit incorrectly, in deriving the above 1992 revenue projection. Using the traditional accounting method followed in the past by our ASPR auditors, and by projecting the dividends and interest earned by our endowment in the first ten months of 1991, I roughly estimate that our total revenue for 1992 from all sources (including dues, space rental, etc., less possible gifts) will be no more than $207,000 and probably much less. This would leave a deficit of $320,000, or 2.6 times the 1992 deficit shown by subtraction in the above table. This is all the more alarming when it is Considered that the still unlmown 1991 deficit, like the 1990 deficit before it, will probably also be in the vicinity of $300,000; thus bringing close to $900,000 the deficit accumulated under President Jones. For several years it has been recognized by some of us that these annual deficits must end promptly. The Society's endowment as of 31 Ot;tober 1991 was $1,656,000. Assuming a constant rate of expenditure and no added income from other sources, as capital is eaten into, investment revenue will drop at an ever- increasing rate so that the Society could be bankrupt in five years under favorable economic conditions or in as little as three years if the present economic depression deepens--as many economists think likely. THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT Among our lazger budget items is the employment contract of our new Executive Director. I have sub- mitted this contract for comment to various people Approved For Release 2003/09/l4~at0PAd~DP96-007928000400300005-6 Halters of Grave ~ld~ F,~p~elease 2003/09/(~~~IA-RDP96-00792R000400300005~bruary, 17, who are knowledgable about the hiring of senior su- pervisory personnel. Their comments ranged from "fiscally irresponsible" to "preposterous." For reasons that will be evident after reviewing the contract, I think of the ASPR as undergoing a process analogous to a leveraged corporate takeover--with one bizarre twist: the "golden parachute" is for the incoming manager. Before I refresh your memory as to the terms of the contract, it may be worthwhile to comment on the qualifications of the new Executive Duector for wham the contract was written. Although I do not remember ever meeting her, I have been told by many who know her that Patrice Keane has a charming per- sonality, is a highly persuasive speaker, inspires loyalty in her subordinates, and is intelligent and clever. On the other hand, Ms. Keane has not earned a bachelor's degree, shows no record of having studied science at the college level, and has had no scientific experience beyond that gained in several parapsycha- logical experiments as a student investigator at New York City's Maimonides Hospital 14 years ago (reported orally to the Parapsychological Association: RIP--1978, 40-41, 72-74, 82-84). Ms. Keane's resume', submitted when she applied for her present position, was too vague for critical evaluation. By personal inquiry I have discovered that when she described herself as being a "Research Associate" with a well known psychiatrist, she meant that she was one of a group of volunteers who met usually once a week under his direction to explore and encourage ESP in their dreams (RIP--1983, 145-152). Ms. Keane may be unaware that in the scientific world a "reseazch associate" is a colleague having the same formal education but less experience than his or her mentor. Before assuming the position of Executive Duector in May 1991, Ms. Keane assisted in educational ac- tivities at the ASPR, part- or full-time, from 1975 to 1986. From 1986 to 1990, with the title of Director of Education beginning in 1987, she led public discus- sion sessions and arranged public lectures. President Jones appointed her Acting Executive Director in 1990. Term of the contract: Three years, from 15 May 1991 to 15 May 1994. Compensation: $55,000 salary for first yeaz, increasing by $5,000 each yeaz, plus fringe benefits estimated to cost $12,250 the first yeaz, plus a $7,000 lump sum labelled "Educational Allotment" to be paid at the beginning of each contract year for unspecified use by the employee. Thus, the total cost to the ASPR will be $74,250 for the first year, $80,000 for the second year, and $85,750 for the third-under the unlikely as- sumption that the cost of medical insurance will not increase. Extent of Services: Full time. Vacation and Sick Days Six weeks vacation each year "plus a reasonable number of personal and sick days." Termination and Severance. Ninety days notice required for termination by ei- ther employer or employee. Except in case of gross and willful misconduct, termination and severance payments will be made to the employee as follows: If termination is by employer in first two years of contract, ASPR must pay the employee the full three yeass of salaries plus the educational allotments. Alternatively, ASPR must make severance pay- ment in the amount of one yeaz of current salary plus the $7,000 educational allotment under the following circumstances: 1. If termination is by the employee for any reason. 2. If termination is by employer in last year of con- tract. 3. If contract expires and is not renewed. CRITICISM OF CONTRACT The term of the contract should, in my opinion, have been no mare than one yeaz, especially in view of the minimal experience of the employee and the fmancial condition of the Society. There could ap- propriately have been a nonbinding expectation to continue for a second year. Any pay increases should have been decided by the Boazd at the end of each year on the basis of performance and the financial resources of the Society. The payment of the so-called "educational allot- ment" is unjustified. The employee was hired in com- petition with others on the premise that she was fully trained for the job. How then can one argue that a training grant is necessary to allow her to fulfill her duties? The "educational allotment" has no require- ment for accountability as to purpose and results. Consequently, as the Internal Revenue Service would view it, this "educational allotment" is in reality noth- ing more than a bonus under another name. Aside from a lack of reasons for giving this bonus, how will Ms. Keane find time to use it for an educa- Approved For Release 2003/O~~;a,~-RDP96-007928000400300005-6 Approved For Release 2003/09/09 :CIA-RDP96-007928000400300005-6 Matters of Grave Concern to the ASPR Page 3 February 17, 1992 tional purpose if she is to give full time to the Society? I would think. that "full time" for an ad- ministrator from whom so much is expected would begin at 50 hours per week. The ASPR has no present policy allowing educa- tional allotments to employees and no such policy should be initiated in the light of the desperate finan- cial position of the Society. (The payment to Mr. Charles Honorton in the same budget, of funds for graduate study at Edinburgh nei- ther established a general policy nor provided a prece- dent for the bonus given to Patrice Keane since the terms of the two grants aze not comparable. Honorton is not an employee of the ASPR. Keane is. Honorton is a scientist of distinction. Keane is not. Mr. Honorton's experimental contributions to para- psychology over a period of nearly three decades are brilliant .and painstaking. He is clearly the leader in his own area and one of the leaders of the field. His work with the Ganzfeld is one of the main pillars of the experimental evidence for the occurrence of ESP. His stay at Edinburgh University will be primarily devoted to research, the encouragement of which has been the ASPR's mission since its founding in 1904.) Six weeks paid vacation is excessive for an employee formally accepting an executive director- ship after one year as an acting director in which she achieved no substantial improvement in the Society's financial position. Had she already shown several years of financially successful administrative service, the picture would be different. A cap should be placed on the number of sick and personal days. The contractual guarantee of three-year's salary payment if released from employment is outrageous, and the one year's severance pay is excessive. In my opinion, three month's severance pay after three months notification is all that should be given to a person with no more administrative service than Ms. Keane. Moreover, the contracted payment of one year's severance salary in the event the employee quits by her own choice is managerial buffoonery. As the contract is written, if the Executive D'irector's services prove unsatisfactory, or if for any other reason such as financial stringency, the Execu- tive Director's services must be terminated at or be- fore the end of three years, she will have received an average compensation that will range, depending upon circumstances, between $104,000 and $213,250 per year of service. The fact that such an arrangement could have been written into the contract and signed is a serious indictment of the managerial judgment of both the President and the Executive Director. ATTACI-IIvIII~1T A TO THE CONTRACT Attachment A, describing the duties of the position needs a careful review, including especially the 23 numbered pazagraphs under "Duties, Responsibility, and Authority." Pazagraph 7 needs revision some- what as follows to discourage the hiring of staff on the basis of friendship rather than competence. "Any contracts between the ASPR and staff personnel must be in writing, must not extend beyond one year, and must be proposed by the Executive Director, ap- proved by the President, and reported in writing to the Board members within one week after approval." LEGAL STATUS OF THE CONTRACT The present Board of Trustees held its first meeting on May 11, 1991, immediately following the annual meeting of the Voting Members held to elect Trustees. After organizing itself, the first action of the Board under the leadership of President Jones was to pass a resolution withdrawing the previous Board's offer of Executive Directorship to Prof. Sybo Schouten of Utrecht University. The second motion offered that position to Ms. Patrice Keane with this added sentence: "In order to facilitate conclusion of the contract, the terms of the contract may be negotiated by the Executive Committee plus the Treasurer" [instead of by the Board as a whole]. The Executive Committee members aze Dr. C. B. Jones (President), Dr. Stanley Krippner (First Vice- President), and Ms. Marilyn Schutz (Second Vice- President). The Treasurer, or fourth member of the Negotiating Committee, is Mr. Bret Suval, who began his first term as Trustee in May, 1991: The negotiations were, in fact, conducted between Dr. Jones and Ms. Keane without participation by Krippner, Schutz, or Suval. At some point, Dr. Jones discussed a draft of the contract by telephone separately with Krippner, Schutz, and Suval. Krip- pner and Schutz have told me that what was read to them by telephone included no mention of termination or severance pay. Subsequently, Schutz wrote a letter to the other members of the Executive Committee, dated 12 June 1991 in which she approved a salary of $45,000, objected to automatic salary increases, and requested more information on the proposed educa- tional allottment. Krippner wrote to the Executive Committee on June 14, saying that the Schutz letter expressed his own point of view. Unbeknown to Krippner, Schutz, and Suval, the contract was signed by Jones and Keane on July 27 and 26, 1991, respectively. The first and only written communication of any kind from Jones to Schutz on the subject of the contract was a letter dated 5 Sep- tember 1991 informing her that the contract had been signed and promising to send her a copy. Except for Approved For Release 2003/09/g9 : CIA-)RDP96-007928000400300005-6 continued Manors of Grave Cdl~pgon-o~d~RRelease 2003/09~c4CIA-RDP96-00792R00040030000~~~ 17, 1992 the above-mentioned letters of June 12 and 14, Krip- pner could find in his files no correspondence be- tween himself and any member of the Negotiating Committee concerning the Keane contract. Krippner told me that, as far as he was concerned, the signing of the contract was a fait accompli in which he had no part. The contract was first distributed to the Trustees, including the Negotiating Committee, by mail immediately before the next Board meeting, which took place on 26 October 1991. Schlitz got her first look at the contract by requesting a copy at an intermission in the 26 October meeting. Trustee Emily Cook's copy arrived at her home in Virginia on the day she was attending the Board meeting in New York City. The minutes of this Board meeting show no discus- sion of, or action upon, the contract. It would appear that the condition for full exchange of all relevant information among Jones, Krippner, Schlitz, and Suval, implied by the May 11 delegation of negotiating authority jointly to these four persons, was never met and that this contract was not legally validated by approval by a majority of the Negotiating Committee. Moreover, the terms of the contract, taking into ac- count the charitable nature, size, and financial weak- ness of the ASPR, and the meager education and ex- perience of the new Executive Director, are so grossly inappropriate as to convvnce me that the contract was not negotiated competently by the President. RECOMIvIENDATIONS TO THE BOARD It is evident from the information I have provided that the ASPR is in a state of crisis in which its con- tinued existence is at stake. My foremost recommendation to you as individual Board members is that you take no corrective, as op- posed to investigative, action until you have satisfied yourself that you are in possession_of all the facts. For the long haul we need to determine and expli- cate the objectives and policies of the Society in terms specific enough to provide operational guidance so that the present financial debacle will not be repeated. Immediately, however, in view of the clandestine manner in which the President and Executive Director have been operating in the year since it became known to the Voting Members that there was "trouble in paradise," it is necessary that the issues of the terms of the contract and the manner in which the contract was developed be given a full and impartial examina- tion. As ~ Trustee of the ASPR you are convinced of the importance of scientifically investigating psychic phenomena and of rationally exploring their potential consequences for the destiny of humankind. Yours is a public and freely assumed obligation to respond to the challenge of a letter such as this in ac- cordance with your own high ideals. You will be rewarded by the approval of those whose values you share. Toward that end, it will be my pleasure to dis- seminate the news of your individual actions in this matter. At a practical level, what seems to me to be needed for the protection of the ASPR and of you as an in- dividual Trustee is the passage of a Board resolution somewhat as follows: Whereas, claimed gross deficiencies in both the terms and manner of negotiation of the 26-27 July 1991 employment contract between the ASPR and Executive Director Patrice Keane have been brought to the attention of the Boazd of Trustees by a letter from Voting Member Robert McConnell, itr is resolved that: 1. The Board, acting through a member other than the President, will promptly seek from an attorney not currently or previously associated with the ASPR, competent, independent, and disinterested legal ad- vice on haw to proceed. 2. If that counsel concurs, the Board will delay any action on these matters beyond the gathering of infor- mation until after the next annual election by the Voting Members, currently scheduled to be held 16 May 1992. 3. The Boazd, acting without the President and staff, will promptly appoint a special Investigating Committee charged with collecting and verifying in- formation related to the matters braught to its atten- tion in Dr. McConnell's letter of [day, month] 1992. 4. The Board hereby formally notifies President Jones and Executive Director Keane of its proposed investigation and of its possible intention to challenge Ms. Keane's employment contract. 5. The Board takes note of the fact that it has not collectively approved the aforesaid contract and or- ders that the second-yeaz payment of a $7,000 "educa- tional allotment" to the Executive Director be delayed until it can be considered by the new Boazd after the next election. Approved For Release 2003/09/09 :CIA-RDP96-007928000400300005-6 Approved For Release 2003/09/09 :CIA-RDP96-007928000400300005-6 (not for publication) Abridgment of an unedited transcription of a talk THE DOLPHIN CONNECTION by Dr. C. B. Scott Jones Presented at a Parapsychology Symposium held at the Atlantic University of the Association for Research and Enlightenment at Virginia Beach, Virginia, in February, 1988. (All omissions are indicated by ellipses.) Our next speaker and the last one before lunch, will be Scott Jones from the Center for Applied Anomalous Phenomena, and he'll be speaking on "The Dolphin Connection." **** Well, good morning. I'm delighted to be here.... What I'd like to do in the time this morn- ing is to describe aninter-species communication reseazch project involving a pod of wild spotted dolphins as a link to extraterrestrial intelligence... . The opening round of the modern-day scientific interest in CETI [Communication with Extrater- restrial Intelligence] was an article written by two physicists from Cornell University, and these .were Giuseppi Cocconi and Philip Morrison. Their az- ticle, "Searching for Interstellar Communications," was published in September of 1959 in the British journal, Nature. And here was their concluding pazagraph in that article: Few will deny the profound importance, practical and philosophical, which the detection of interstellar communications woul~ have? We therefore feel that a discriminating seazch for signals deserves a con- siderable effort. The probability of success is dif- ficult to estimate; but if we never seazch, the chance of success is zero. Now we know that some scientists, both in the United States and in the Soviet Union, have agreed with Morrison and Cocconi's conclusion and that a modest CETI effort has been underway in the United States and in the Soviet Union. To this paint, however, results have been negative. They have been listening, and they have not received any unambiguous radio signal that is associated with extraterrestrial intelligence life. I feel that another undertaking, one that looks in- ward rather than to the stars, has at least as good a chance of establishing the CETI hypothesis that there is extraterrestrial intelligence, and that it wants to, and can, communicate with earth. Now the current CETI literature is dominated 1?y discussions of radio technology, of their procedures and communication attempts. I am looking for considerations of telepathic and channeling tech- niques to establish and maintain cammunications ... . It has been speculated by some that there have been extraterrestrial contact activities with earth for thousands, if not millions, of yeazs. Now there is folk literature and modem accounts in great abun- dance of such activity. Obviously, I am referring to UFO reports. Perhaps eazly activity involved automated probes sent to test environmental conditions, to monitor for life forms, and to test for intelligent life and level of technology. Perhaps they are still ambivalent about the results for intelligent life on earth. Loren Eiseley, in -1957 in his book, The Immense Journey, wrote about a possible probe: So deep is the conviction that there must be life out there beyond the dazk, one thinks that, if they are more advanced than ourselves they may come across space at any moment, perhaps in our generation. Later, contemplating the infinity of time, one wonders if, perchance, their message came long ago. Hurtling into the swamp muck of the steaming coal forests, the bright projectile clambered over by hissing reptiles, and the delicate instrtunents rttttning mindlessly down with no report. Now the research that we have underway is based upon several assumptions. The first and most critical, is that we can establish a cooperative, working relationship with one or more pods of wild dolphins. The dolphins are at the same time sub- jects of telepathic research and full partners for a larger CETI research program. There are several theories involved. The first is that the man-dolphin relationship is more special than has ever been realized, that the dolphin has been cast in a very specific communication role be- tween earthlings and extraterrestrial intelligence. Now this may be viewed in two ways. The dolphin's lazge brain may have been progranuned thousands of years ago by visiting ETI and the dol- phin today is a living computer data bank of basic extraterrestrial information. The second theory is that, with or without the first theory being valid, the dolphin is a true master of his ocean environment. The secrets of the deep aze his. No extraterrestrial probe or monitoring device that purposefully en- tered or crashed into the ocean has long escaped his detection and location. Approved For Release 2003/09/09 :CIA-RDP96-007928000400300005-6 (over) Approved For Release 2003/09/09 :CIA-RDP96-007928000400300005-6 The Dolphin Connection Now the parent issue is whether a cooperative man-dolphin research, discovery, and recovery operation can be mounted. The real issue may be more metaphysical than archeological. Now I find an interesting pazallel here between the A.R.E. effort that was mounted some time ago by Hugh Lynn Cayce to locate the "Hall of Records" in the Giza Plain described by Edger Cayce as being underground between the right paw of the Sphinx and the River Nile. Now I suspect that the Hall of Records will be located when it is time to be found. I wonder if there is any metaphysical constraints involving locating extraterrestrial probes or az- tifacts. Now the steps to date: we have had over three or four years interaction with dolphins, our team. We started first with dolphins in captivity to see what capability we had in working telepathi- cally with them. Once this was established to our satisfaction, the next impulse we had--actually guidance--was to go and work with the dolphins in the wild. So last year in July we went to a spot some 150 miles north of where Stephan is located in the Little Bahama Bank, and worked (swam) for about four days with a pod of spotted dolphins. What we got from them when we arrived was, we asked them what they wanted to do, and they said, "Get in the water." So nine of us did get in the water, and we enjoyed that experience immensely. We had both telepathic and channeled information from this group. We wanted to propose a reseazch project with them and we wanted to ask them what they wanted to do. It is this exchange of information that has set up the project that we have underway. Without getting into detail, there is considerable hope from this first encounter that they are willing to participate with us as co-researchers in a locating and recovery operation. There is one constraint on it that is very inter- esting. After we had swam with them for four days, we had an interesting channel session the last evening we were at sea. We said, "We have a num- ber of questions we want to ask you." And we wanted to gather information about them and their world, and so they said, "OK. What are your ques- tions?" Well, they pulled us through all the questions be- fore they gave any answers. And at the end they said, "Well, we have something to say about all of your questions, and we have answers to questions more important than the ones that you asked. However, at this time, we aze not going to say any- thing to you." Which was a bit disappointing, so we asked (as you are entitled to when you aze in channeled infor- mation), "What's going on here? "While you have done well in this week, you have not yet been accepted into the pod. You need to spend more time with the dolphins." And so we asked how this would be done--if it had to do with them--and they said, "No. Any dol- phin group, whether in captivity or in the wild, provided those in captivity are respected and well taken caze of." Now, I've reviewed that tape several times and it appears that what they are suggesting is not telepathic communications at all. It's various forms of nonverbal cammunicadon. Because they say, "Watch the dolphins. Swim with us. Watch us swim. Watch our movements." Well, since that time we--various parts of the team--have been doing that. That's why I was so eager to accept Stephen's invitation to come dive with him, because he says that a group of spotted dolphins frequently come in and join them in their work under water. My wife, Jonie, and I aze plan- ning on going down a little later on this year and continue our interaction with the dolphins. Now this is a very simple project. The dolphins either will, or will not, lead us to an underwater ar- tifact, and we either will, or will not, recover it, and it won't take years and yeazs to do this, except for the possible metaphysical link. But we'll break it off if we are not getting results. We don't know what we are going to find. I think it is the dolphins' responsibility to lead us to something that they have in mind, and that's their part of the partnership. If it's there, and it's recoverable, we will recover it, and then we'll decide what we do with it. Those of you who know my job in Washington, might suspect ~ that there is a particulaz reason for this, and as faz as I am concerned, that step, which is extraordinary it itself--what I've just talked about, the recovery of an extraterrestrial artifact--is merely a step into something that I consider equally important, and that is to get the government, if not the world, responsibly involved in looking at the extraterrestrial problem and to simply be more mindful of the universality of life. **** Q. [Can you tell us] why you believe that there is contact with the dolphins? A: Well, that would take a good deal of time to develop. But, basically, it's some things that have come to me personally in my own meditation and it also came from the dolphins. It was something that they proposed in our contacts with them... . Approved For Release 2003/09/09 :CIA-RDP96-007928000400300005-6 (over for page 1)