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The report took note of "the potentially powerful and far-reach- such research is widely questioned, although less today than ever ing implications of knowledge in this field" and observed that the before". It added: Soviet Union "is widely acknowledged to be supporting such "Thus far, the quality of research that even the strongest propo- research at a far higher and more official level" than is the case in _ nent of such research believes is necessary has been lacking due the United States. in part to low funding." The report submitted the following questions "for congressional Such cautious, obviously well-informed appraisal of parapsy- consideration": "Is funding for such research adequate? What is chology on the part of a congressional body was unprecedented. the credibility of such research in the sciences, humanities, and Until then, Congress as a whole had not taken cognisance of ESP religions? How does the public perceive the credibility of potentials in peace or war. Only one of its members, research in this field from both a subjective and objective point of | Representative Charles Rose, Democrat of North Carolina and a view? What should the Federal role in such research be and what member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, had agencies are or should be involved in such research?" shown long-range interest in psychic studies generally and their These suggestions and questions warfare potentials in particular. were part of a comprehensive "Survey Agencies of the Federal government of Science and Technology Issues, sporadically encouraged ESP research. Present and Future", commissioned by w ' i But, given the ubiquitous nature of the committee. In a section on Who d need a mole in the government concerns, such efforts Research on the Physics of Kremlin when a psychic often seemed no more than an expres- Consciousness (Parapsychology), it sitting ata desk in Washington sion of personal interests, the cautious defined the issue this way: . involvement of "closet parapsycholo- "Recent experiments in remote could zoom-in mentally ona gists" at various levels in one or anoth- viewing and other studies of parapsy- A Froyf} A er agency. Individuals and groups that chology suggest that there exists an super-secret Soviet missile site might want to follow the “ideas ‘interconnectiveness' of the human ora Politburo meeting?" expressed by the staff report on sci- mind with other minds and with mat- ence and technology were likely to be ter. This interconnectiveness would held back by fear of ridicule, whether appear to be functional in nature and from within Congress or in the media. amplified by intent and emotion." As columnist Jack Anderson had The report noted the history of studies in parapsychology gener- phrased it, the Central Intelligence Agency had its "mouth water- ally, and in telepathy and psychokinesis specifically, and said: ing" when it looked into Soviet research on remote viewing. "Attempts in history to obtain insights into the ability of the Anderson wrote on March 20, 1981: "Who'd need a mole in the human mind to function in as-yet misunderstood ways goes back Kremlin when a psychic sitting at a desk in Washington could thousands of years. Only recently, serious and scientifically zoom-in mentally on a super-secret Soviet missile site or a based attempts have been made to understand and measure the Politburo meeting?" functional nature of mind-mind and mind-matter interconnective- One of Anderson's researchers, Ron McRae, was alerted to ness. Experiments in mind-mind interconnectiveness have yield- what he interpreted as serious armed forces interest in the psychic ed some encouraging results. Experiments in mind-matter inter- when he read Lt Col. Alexander's article in Military Review, late connectiveness (psychokinesis) have yielded less compelling and in 1980. McRae told another Washington writer, Randy more enigmatic results. The implications of these experiments is Fitzgerald, that the article had convinced him "there were people that the human mind may be able to obtain information indepen- in the Pentagon who were really taking it seriously". dent of geography and time." The report acknowledged there could be "no certainty as to what results will emerge from basic and exploratory research" now underway, so that its potential importance and "its implications for the United States and the world at large can only be speculat- ed upon". It then listed several categories on which parapsychological studies might have an impact. One of these categories had to do with national defence. "In the area of national defense, there are obvious implications of one's ability to identify distant sites and affect sensitive instruments or other humans. A general recognition of the degree of interconnec- tiveness of mind could have far-reaching social and political implications for this Nation and the world." The congressional report noted that stud- ies in parapsychology had "received rela- tively low funding". It attributed this to the fact that "credibility and potential yield of NEAR- DEATH EXPERIENCE Kremlin when a psychic sitting at a desk in Washington could zoom-in mentally ona super-secret Soviet missile site ae = PAM. at An NEAR- DEATH EX PERIGNCE | —— - 40. NEXUS = 45 "Who'd need a mole in the “or a Politburo meeting?" OCTOBER — NOVEMBER 2001 www.nexusmagazine.com