HYPNOSIS AND CONTROLLED BEHAVIOR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: STARGATE
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): NSA-RDP96X00790R000100020001-5
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: November 4, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 1, 2011
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: July 1, 1972
• Content Type: REPORT

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Hypnosis add Controlled Behavior (military uses)
The possible military uses of hypnotism has :nary rather bizarre applications.
Although there is no concrete progf that hypnosis will play zn important role in
controlling behavior in military situations, some uses will be mentioned. Biderman and
Zianaer discuss hypnosis and other possible alternatives for defense against brain-
washing. '
The follo~ning discussion is Used on a report by Estabrooks. According to the
author, the facts .:.nd ideas presented are, so to soeak, too true to be good, but no
psychologist of standing would deny the validity of t}'~e basic ideas involved. Of interest
to this discussion are some of the fore familiar facets of. hypnotism which make it of
use in ?~:arfare. If hypnotism can be used to advanta@e, we can rest assured t?:at it will
be ~o e~ ployed.
One in every 5 ad~:lt human: can ~~e placed into t'~e hyY:.*.otic state - sorrr~arabulisaa -
of w:lich they ,:ill have no memory irhatsoever :~rhen they atraken. From tY:e :~~ilitary viek-
point there are a few facts ::hich are of gres.t interest. Can this prospective sub3ect
to ~iyprotized against iris ti:ili? Obviously no OC; ~+rill be cooperative if re knx:s teat
the hypnotist is lmoking for military information, nor will arty ordinary citizen if he
suspects that the operator will use him to blow up a r.:unitions plant. The answer to this
vital question is yea though hypnotists prefer to say "without his consent" instead of
"against his wi].1.'~ There are disguised techniques available for hypnotizing an unsus-
pecting or unwilling sub3ect. The Soviets believe that telepathy may be one such
method.
1-:ultiple personality can be cause by hypnotism. One could deliberately set up a
condition of multiple personality to further the ends of military intelligence and in the
develognent o? the "super spy." In his norr:~l :~:aking state ::hick is called Fersonality
( over )
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A, or PA, tris individual will become a rabid cormmunist. He will loin the party,
follow the earth line and r.~ke himself as objectionable as possible to the authorities.
Note that he will be acting in good faith. He is a communist, or rather his PA is a
communist and will behave as such. Then develop Personality B (PB), the ~econd~ry
personality, the unconscious personality. This personality is rabidly American and anti-
cor.Qnunist. It has all the information possessed by PA, the normal personality, whereas
PA does not nave this advantage. The proper training of a person for this role would be
long and tedicus, but once he was trained, one mould nave a surer :.~py co~~-pared to any
creation in a mystery story. The super spy rlays his role as a comr.~unist in his waking
state, aggressively, consistently, fearlessly. But his PB is a loyal American, and PB
has all the me::.ories of Pi.. As a loyal American, he -~?ill not hesitstE to civulge those
:re.:~ories, cut be sure he has the o;.pcrturity to do :o ~r}-en occasion de.:rrds. here is
how this tec'~nioue would work. Let us choose t're Cub~:rs as e~cR..::ples. Jre coLld e9:ily
secure, say, one :iundred excellent 'r.~~pnotic sub jects of Cu~.,an stock, livi:.g ir, t:,e US,
who spoke their 14npuage fluently, end trien ~:ork on these sub~ect~. In hy~otism one
would build up their lo;;alty to our country; but out of hypnotis.^, in t e "ricking" or
normal state, one would do the opposite, striving to convince them t:-.at they had a
genuine grievance against this country anc encouraging them to enga~,e in fifth column
activities. So one builds up a case of dual personality. They ~Bould be urged in the
waking state to become fifth columnist enemd.es to the US, but also point out to them in
hypnotism that this Wass really a Dose, that their real loyalty 1..=.v kith this country,
offering them protection and reward for their activities. Through them one would hope
to be kept informed of the activities of their "friends," this infor*ation, of course,
being obrained in the trance state. They would also be very useful as "plants" in
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concentration camps or in any other situations where it was suspected their services
might be of use to our intelligence departnezt. Once again these people would 'nave a
great advantage over ordinary "informers.~c Convinced of their own innocence, thejr woulu
play the fifth column role with the utmost sincerity. This conviction ~f innocence
would probably be their greatest protection. Again, if suspected, no one could
obtain from them any aseful information. Only a very few key people could throw t~.er~
into the trance and, without this, zn?v atte:~pt, to?et irforrnation ::ould be useless.
There are some difficulties that erould be encountered in building up an organizatior. of
such personnel. Hardly one sor-..na:nbulist i*, 10 or even a hundred accorcire t~~ F.stabrook:~
would~be suitable for such spy :cork; and tY:e determining of this s:ital:ility :could be a
difficult tast. But. Esta.brooks reports, it could be d~~ne, and one acco:::rlished :,could
repay amply for all tY~e trouble.
The possibility of creating assassins througz hypnotic techniques on POr?!s exists.
~ls was pointed out above, the subject does not need to be :tilling to enter into such a
condition. Once the captive has been placed in a suitable hypnotic state then one need
only to establish the post hypnotic suggestion or plan for the assassination. after the
prisoner is released and returned to his organizations ha will carry out his assignaent
through his unconscious state, while appearing perfectly rehabilitated in his wakeful
si~arg;state. The main problem in the assassin plan is in the area of post~iypnotic
reinforcement. There have been some ideas mentioned that suggest one needs to establisw
the reinforcement pattern during initial hypnosis; some ob3ect that will reinforce his
goal whenever he looks at it, hears a certain sound, etc. The real problem fo: the
friendly forces is the detection of these mentally altered individuals. At the present
'time there is no fool proof method of detection. There is no test by which one can
~.
____ . (over)
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discover these agents. Blood pressure, heart rate, electroencephalograph,
psychogalvanic reflex, all these devices which one can use to detect the most subtle
bodily changes are worthless for there are no bodily changes. Drugs, at le4st for the
present, appear to be of no value. Further, t!-.ere are certain safeguards that the
hSfnotic r..ethod provides for the ene~rtiy. Trost important is the the conviction of
innocence ~:~hich the man himself has. He would never ~~act guilty~~ and if eIIer sccnsed of
seeking information would act quite honestly indignant, the conviction of innocence on
the part of the cgent is perhaps nis greatest scfegucrd under questioning b~- our
cut:,cities. The Soviets rise a:.~zre of +~lze 2b~ve ~;e::tioned Possibilities snd a~~,paar tb
be using certain asgect~ of psi research in order to s:.a.~1,i~,ulate an invicidu~ls r.~ent~l
be?:avior t~:-: =rd these activities.
ST-CS-01-169-72
DIA Task ~=T72-01-11~
July 1972 pages43-45
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