Nexus - 0806 - New Times Magazine-pages

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subjects could not reliably repeat, and during the years of If there is no reason why there could not be, at any time it investigation under the conditions of extreme limitations with — was justified, a renegotiation of additional needs that might which the work has had to be done, it has not been possible —_ arise that cannot be anticipated at this stage, | should prefer to solve the problem of overcoming this difficulty and to proceed with some restraint in estimating what such a pro- bringing the capacity under reliable control. We have ject would involve in the matter of funds. | shall estimate a recently learned of two persons definitely reported to be able _— research team of five persons working on this project primari- to keep up their rate of almost unbroken success over much ly. There will be no careful line drawn. Three will be a great longer stretches of time. These investigations have been _ deal of exchange and, of course, no designation in the [sever- going on in scientific laboratories, and from reports in our —_al words deleted], a separate unit. For our purposes at the hands we have no reason to question their reliability. We | moment, however, the [deleted] can consider that such a test have not been able to bring the subjects here or extend our = might consist of [names apparently deleted], a well-qualified investigation to the laboratories concerned. It looks, _ statistician and two research workers qualified not only to however, as if in these two cases the problem of getting and = handle groups of subjects but assist in the evaluative proce- maintaining control over the ESP function has been solved. If dures as well. it has, the rest of the way to practical application seems to us The total salary estimate for these five people would be a matter of engineering with no insuperable difficulties. Even between $22,500 and $25,000. In order to take advantage of if there is anything wrong with one or both of these cases, this | mechanical aid in the statistical work and such other matters more extended control must come as travelling expenses, it would be eventually, we think, and we have advisable to add $5,000 as a con- had in mind many lines of research, servative estimate. | think $30,000 designed to try to bring it [about]. . Cea would be well spent on the first I shall not enlarge on Re ot These investigations have year. It is almost anyone's guess as ments that would be followed in| Pe2N going on in scientific eee ould almost certainly bringing a capacity, such as that laboratories, and from be more and probably a great deal ceronsated in these cate of | __teports in our hands ror eae mule ero situation. It will be seen that if a we have no reason to Frustrated as we have been by subject under control test condi- question their reliability. having to deal in short-term projects and the wastefulness of effort that accompanies the attempt to do yards away in another building, or long-term research projects on that can "identify" the thought of anoth- basis, | am about ready to say that er person several hundred miles away, the adaptation to the — without pretty definite assurance of at least a three-year pro- practical requirements for obtaining secret information should = gram | should not want to try to assemble the personnel, tions can identify the order of a deck of cards, several hundred not give serious difficulty. design and research program and put the overall effort into The other practice on which research should be concen- __ what is really a major undertaking like this. trated, we believe, is that of developing ways of using small Much as | feel the urgency of having our country have as percentages of success in such a way that reliable judgment much a lead as possible in this matter, | do not think it is can be made. While we are still exploring the advantages of | advisable to undertake it unless there is a certain amount of this instrument of application, we have gone far enough to _— confidence on both sides of the agreement, and these short- see how it is entirely possible and practical to use a smal term grants-in-aid are, after all, usually measures of limited percentage of success, above that expected by chance alone, _—_ confidence. so as to concentrate the slight significance attaching to a | might add that, while the Russians have both officially given trial to the point where reliance can be placed upon the — and through their leading psychologists disapproved of our final application to the problem in hand. | believe you went __ kind of work, as they would have to do because of the philos- into this matter thoroughly enough with [name of individua ophy of Marxian materialism, | have seen at least one refer- or unit deleted] that | will not need to review here the actua ence to the fact that they have done experiments on our lines, devices and procedures by which this concentration of relia- giving a materialist interpretation. bility is brought about. If you can give me any information on this, | would appre- If we were to undertake to push this research as far and as__ ciate it. Sometime we might discuss what the Nazis under- fast as we can reasonably well do in the direction of practical took to do... application to the problems of intelligence, it would be nec- essary to be exceedingly careful about thorough cloaking o CONGRESSIONAL ASSESSMENT OF PSI RESEARCH the undertaking. Between 1969 and 1981, classified documentation regarding | should not want anyone here in the [word or words delet- Soviet psi research efforts had become abundant but never ed], except [two names apparently deleted] and myself, to _ released to the public, which remained ignorant of the "threat situ- know about it. We are all three cleared for security purposes = ation". Congressional leaders, however, were provided copies to the level of "Secret". | would perhaps feel bound to have _and extracts of the most sensitive documents. confidential discussion on the matter with [name or names The result was that in June 1981, the Committee on Science and apparently deleted]. Funds necessary for the support of the Technology of the US House of Representatives issued a staff work would understandably carry no identification and raise _ report that called for "a serious assessment" of parapsychology no questions. research in the United States. These investigations have been going on in scientific laboratories, and from reports in our hands we have no reason to CONGRESSIONAL ASSESSMENT OF PSI RESEARCH Between 1969 and 1981, classified documentation regarding Soviet psi research efforts had become abundant but never released to the public, which remained ignorant of the "threat situ- ation". Congressional leaders, however, were provided copies and extracts of the most sensitive documents. The result was that in June 1981, the Committee on Science and Technology of the US House of Representatives issued a staff report that called for "a serious assessment" of parapsychology research in the United States. 44 = NEXUS question their reliability. www.nexusmagazi ne.com OCTOBER — NOVEMBER 2001