GONDOLA WISH working paper: the Soviet and East European parapsychology collection threat

“IAGPA-OPOA GONDOLA WISH (U) THRU: Chief, OPSEC Spt DIV 902d MI Group FROM: CI Studies Sec OPSEC Spt DIV TO: Commander 902d MI Group 1. (S) PROBLEM. To integrate the Soviet and East European parapsychology intelligence collection threat into the all-source OPSEC support scenario.”

CATALOGUE FACT - THE DATE IS HANDWRITTEN. The document carries no typed date. A handwritten '1 Nov 78' appears at top right, over a struck-through mark. The top right also carries a WORKING PAPER stamp. The work order titles this document 'GONDOLA WISH working paper: the Soviet and East European parapsychology collection threat'; the paper's own heading is simply 'GONDOLA WISH (U)' and its problem statement is the sentence quoted. Also note the date: 1 Nov 78 would place this paper five weeks AFTER the 25 September 1978 memorandum recording GONDOLA WISH as cancelled, yet the paper's paragraph 6 recommends the project be continued. The date is manuscript, so treat it with the caution due an annotation.

“a. (S) The Soviets have a parapsychology research program whose existence is classified and whose funding and control reside largely with the Ministry of Defense and possibly with the KGB. This program has been active since the early 1960s, is staffed by competent scientists and technicians, and includes about 10 research units that range in size from a single laboratory to large institutes employing several hundred people. Soviet researchers have gained experience with a greater variety of research methods than have their US counterparts and have completed more of the critical experiments needed to evaluate adequately the applications of paranormal abilities.”

This is stated as an assumption, under a heading reading ASSUMPTIONS, not as a finding. Anything drawn from it should carry that framing. The paper cites no source for the figure of about 10 research units.

“d. (S) The CIA has successfully used parapsychological techniques for offensive intelligence collection. US research has demonstrated the ability to use paranormal sensory mechanisms for intelligence collection numerous times. 3. (S) FACTS BEARING ON THE PROBLEM. (U) a. (S) Although the offensive side of the intelligence community has become involved in parapsychology, no agency has yet attempted to assess the security impact of the Soviet threat.”

The claim about CIA appears here under ASSUMPTIONS but is restated on pdf page 5 under a heading reading 'CIA Involvement' as a fact: '(b) The CIA has used parapsychological techniques for offensive intelligence collection.' The two statements differ - the assumption says 'has successfully used', the later paragraph drops 'successfully'. Recorded because the difference is the whole weight of the claim.

“a. (S) Definition: GONDOLA WISH is a program designed to integrate the Soviet and East European parapsychology intelligence collection threat into the all-source OPSEC support scenario. This is to be accomplished by training MI personnel to be able to collect sensitive intelligence data through parapsychological means (such training has been scientifically demonstrated to be possible and is available) and then to utilize these trained personnel to perform the OPSEC cycle (i.e. demonstrate the threat, identify EEFI exploitable by parapsychological means, determine vulnerabilities, and recommend countermeasures) in support of selected installations/projects. In House Comment: This program concept has been discussed with DIA, [REDACTED] and the Foreign Technology Division (FTD), USAF. They all agree with the concept, feel that the 902d has the best charter to persue it, and encourage continued emphasis of the program because of its vital importance to national security.”

The In House Comment is an indented block in the middle of the paragraph, visually set apart from the staff-study text - it reads as an internal aside rather than part of the formal paper. Two words are obliterated by a scribbled-over ink correction after 'DIA,' - the redaction is manuscript, not a release redaction, and the underlying word is not recoverable at 170 dpi. 'persue' and 'They all agree' with 'all' written over a struck word are as printed.

“over the years the study of parapsychology has been plagued by religious and occult overtones. Because of this, many have been unable/unwilling to accept the realities of parapsychological phenomena. Regardless of scientific evidence developed by highly respected institutions, many feel that to recognize the existence of extrasensory perception (ESP), out-of-body experiences (OOBE), or psychokienesis (PK), undermines the very foundation of their belief system. These individuals may be compelled by there religious/moral aspirations to reveal classified information with the belief that they are doing it ‘for the good of the country’.”

'psychokienesis' and 'there religious/moral' are as printed - not corrected. This sentence begins mid-paragraph on pdf page 4; the paragraph opens on pdf page 3 with 'must be maintained on a strict need to know basis and kept "close hold" for the following reasons: First,'. The quoted span therefore begins in the middle of a sentence and I have started it at 'over the years' accordingly.

“Still another source or resistance to accepting the principles of parapsychological phenomena is social or peer pressure. Many feel that if they express their interest in such a ‘weird’ subject that they will be segregated from their peers, fired from their jobs, rejected by their families, or labled as ‘some kind of a nut’. On the other end of the spectrum are those individuals whose belief structure is based on religious or occult concepts which foster parapsychology. These individuals tend to lose their perspective in dealing in this area and therefore would be dysfunctional to the program.”

'source or resistance' is as printed and appears to be a typing error for 'source of resistance'; 'labled' is as printed. The word 'structure' on the fourth line carries a handwritten correction above it. Not corrected in transcription.

“(b) MIIA originally had the charter within DoD to assess Soviet parapsychology research. MIIA published two documents to this end, one in 1972 and another in 1975. (c) Foreign Technology Division (FTD), USAF, now has the DoD charter to assess Warsaw Pact country activities in parapsychology to include assessment of trends, current research, and potential future achievements. The most recent report on this effort was published 1 Oct 77.”

The final digit of '77' in '1 Oct 77' is struck by a typewriter overstrike and could be read as a 7 formed over another character; I read 77. The 1972 MIIA publication referred to here is presumably the same work the 1984 programme history describes as the Surgeon General/MIIA and DIA studies of Soviet Block work - but this page does not say so and I make no such claim.

“time. There are two reasons for this. First, the source (gifted individual) they were using, Patrick H. Price, died. Second, the department that was in charge of this program was the same one that got into a mess over assassination plots. That department was disbanded, the personnel reassigned, and much documentation was destroyed.”

MANUSCRIPT AMENDMENT ON THE PAGE. The words 'got into a mess over' are struck through in ink and replaced by a handwritten interlineation above the line reading 'was alleged to have planned'. The amended sentence therefore reads: 'Second, the department that was in charge of this program was the same one that was alleged to have planned assassination plots.' I have transcribed the TYPED text above, as printed, and record the amendment here rather than silently adopting either version - the softening from an assertion to an allegation is exactly the kind of edit a later reader needs to see. The typed and amended readings should be treated as two states of the document. Patrick H. Price is named in full on this page; the Mind Wars security review (CIA-RDP96-00788R001200030003-4) names him as 'Pat Price (now deceased)'.

“(1) Stanford Research Institute (SRI), Menlo Park, CA, is under contract from FTD to conduct experimental research to verify the information which FTD collects in their attempt to assess Warsaw Pact country activities in parapsychology. SRI conducts parallel experiments to those known to be done in Warsaw Pact countries and thereby attempts to determine their ‘state of the art’. SRI has published a great deal of unclassified information concerning parapsychology. A SECRET report which addresses their contract with FTD was published in July 1977.”

The paper's earlier statement on pdf page 5 that DIA 'postulates that CIA will be conducting an "official" collection program in the future when the political climate is better' and that other DoD officials 'consider it possible that individuals within the CIA are persuing parapsychological collection techniques on an "unofficial" basis' is adjacent to this passage but is a separate claim on a separate page. 'persuing' is as printed there.

“(2) (U) The Monroe Institute of Applied Sciences (MIAS), Afton, VA, provides relaxation training to industrial executives using advanced biofeedback techniques. MIAS also provides a multidiciplined program designed to enhance paranormal abilities for interested individuals. Results of this program are documented and appear to be meaningful. (3) (S) MIAS has been contacted and is willing to conduct training of MI personnel on a confidential basis. MIAS is concerned about the Soviet threat and has been briefed on OPSEC concepts. At the present time we are working with MIAS to determine selection criteria for trainees.”

'multidiciplined' is as printed. Note the tense - 'At the present time we are working with MIAS to determine selection criteria' - against the 25 September 1978 memorandum's bullet 'Monroe Institute not cleared' and 'SRI to develop protocol for selection of subjects to be trained'. If the manuscript date 1 Nov 78 on page 1 is right, this paper describes as current an arrangement another document had already recorded as superseded five weeks earlier. Recorded as an unresolved tension between pages.

“f. (U) Documentation: The project officer for GONDOLA WISH has on hand documents relating to parapsychology from the following agencies, as well as numerous ‘open source’ publications: The CIA, DIA, MIIA, INSCOM, FTD (USAF), NIS (USN), and civilian contractors.”

This is a catalogue statement about a document collection that existed in 1978 and names the agencies it drew from. NIS (USN) - Naval Investigative Service - appears here and, so far as this batch goes, nowhere else in Batch A1.

“d. (S) The OPSEC mission of the 902d MI Group is best suited to provide the US Army with security support designed to counter this new Soviet threat. 6. (U) ACTION RECOMMEMDED. a. Recommend that project GONDOLA WISH be continued. b. Recommend that minimal funds be made available for training MI personnel. c. Recommend that the attached MBO plan for GONDOLA WISH be adopted. 1 Incl as FREDERICK H. ATWATER 2LT, MI CI Studies Section”

'RECOMMEMDED' is as printed - the heading is misspelled on the page. The enclosure line reads '1 Incl / as', meaning one enclosure, as stated; the attached MBO plan referred to in recommendation c is NOT part of this eight-page file. - no MBO plan appears anywhere in this document. Atwater signs this paper and also the 15 May 1978 memorandum CIA-RDP96-00788R002000160003-1.