Research into "Psi" Phenomena: Current Status and Trends of Congressional Concern

“83-511 SP Congressional Research Service The Library of Congress ... RESEARCH INTO ‘PSI’ PHENOMENA: CURRENT STATUS AND TRENDS OF CONGRESSIONAL CONCERN ... Christopher H. Dodge Specialist in Life Sciences Science Policy Research Division June 2, 1983”

The two '...' marks stand for elided material and are not in the original: the first replaces the Library of Congress seal and a partly obscured address line reading 'Washington, D.C.' followed by an illegible ZIP; the second replaces blank space between the title block and the byline. The title page carries no printed page number. The release stamp 'Approved For Release 2008/04/01 : NSA-RDP96X00790R000100040024-8' appears at head and foot of this and every other page. Heavy toner blotching runs down the right edge.

“ABSTRACT The status of past and present research into psi phenomena, including extrasensory perception (ESP) and psychokinesis (PK), is reviewed and summarized. It is concluded that at present, the psi research community is minimally funded, diffuse in nature, largely unstructured, and somewhat hesitant with regard to research methodologies. Nonetheless, progress is being made slowly to better understand the nature and potential of psi phenomena. Effective realization of the potentials or pitfalls of psi will require an open, humanistic perspective as well as the rigor and scientific discipline provided by conventional research tradition.”

The header of this page is obliterated by a toner blotch; the table of contents on pdf page 4 lists ABSTRACT at page 'i', but the printed number is not legible on the paper, so printed_page is recorded as null rather than inferred. Nearly the same sentence recurs almost verbatim in the closing paragraph at CRS-27 (pdf page 31).

“The author is indebted to many individuals who kindly donated their collective knowledge on present trends in the field of psi research as well as loaning materials from their own collections of literature on the subject. Special thanks are extended to: John Alexander, Christopher Bird, Brenda Dunne, William Gough, Patrice Keane, Edward Kelly, Morton Leeds, Jack McAllister, Harold Puthoff, Theodore Rockwell, Gertrude Schneidler, Ian Stevenson, Russell Targ, Larissa Vilenskaya, Rhea White, and Howard Zimmerman. The author is particularly indebted to Dr. Robert Jahn, Dean of the School of Engineering/ Applied Science, Princeton University. The report which follows is essentially a summary of Dr. Jahn's recent comprehensive review of psi research with additions of information from other sources. 1/ 1/ Jahn, Robert. The Persistent Paradox of Psychic Phenomena: An Engineering Perspective. Proceedings of the IEEE, v. 70, no. 2, 1982. p. 136-170.”

Printed page marker at head of page reads 'CRS-ii'. Names transcribed exactly as printed and verified at 500 dpi: 'Harold Puthoff' and 'Russell Targ' both with the doubled letters; 'Gertrude Schneidler' is spelled thus here, while Appendix A on pdf page 33 lists the same-initial author as 'Schmeidler, G.R.' — the discrepancy is the document's, not the transcription's. 'Jack McAllister' is legible at 500 dpi. The sentence beginning 'The report which follows' is underlined by hand in ink on this copy — two hand-drawn horizontal strokes run under it and under the following line. A short hand-drawn diagonal stroke also appears in the right margin beside the footnote. The '1/' footnote-number style is the report's throughout.

“CONTENTS ABSTRACT............ i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............ ii INTRODUCTION............ 1 Purpose............ 1 Congressional Concerns............ 1 Nomenclature and Definitions............ 2 History............ 6 PRESENT STATUS OF PSI RESEARCH............ 9 Research Patterns in the United States............ 9 Funding for Psi Research............ 13 Psi Research in Foreign Countries............ 13 THEORY............ 16 PUBLIC AND SCIENTIFIC PERCEPTIONS OF PSI RESEARCH............ 19 Criticism of Psi Research............ 19 The Positive Side............ 21 POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS FOR GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETY............ 23 CLOSING REMARKS............ 28 APPENDIX A. A Brief List of Recommended Readings in Parapsychology........ 29 APPENDIX B. Further References on Psi from Jahn............ 31”

Printed page marker reads 'CRS-iii'. The runs of leader dots have been shortened in transcription to a fixed run of full stops; the originals vary in length line by line. The page numbers for 'Funding for Psi Research' and 'Psi Research in Foreign Countries' are both partly overprinted by a toner blotch: both appear to read 13, which is consistent with the body text, where both sections do begin on CRS-13 (pdf page 17). Where a digit was doubtful it is transcribed as read, not corrected.

“The world of psychic phenomena might be likened to a vast, fog-shrouded swamp, wherein are reported to dwell a bewildering array of bizarre phenomenological creatures, all foreign to our normal perceptual and analytical catalogs. Robert Jahn, 1982 INTRODUCTION PURPOSE It is the purpose of this summary report to review the status of research into the broad field of psi phenomena (see definitions below). Current national and international trends in research will be summarized and the future implications of such research will be speculated upon. CONGRESSIONAL CONCERNS In December, 1979, the Congressional Clearinghouse on the Future, with the assistance of the Congressional Research Service, sponsored a series of Chautauquas for the Congress dealing with a variety of esoteric subjects, including alternative approaches to medicine (acupuncture, faith healing, etc.) and research into psi phenomena. The last of these Chautauquas was entitled, ‘Mind Research and the Human Potential,’ and featured the following presentations by experts in the field:”

The header is obliterated by a toner blotch, so no printed page number is legible; the contents page lists INTRODUCTION at page 1 but that is not transcribed onto this sheet, so printed_page is null and not inferred. The epigraph is presented on the page as a block quotation attributed to 'Robert Jahn, 1982' — those seven lines are Jahn's words as the CRS report reproduces them, not CRS's own. Line breaks in the epigraph follow the page.

“1) Brain Research and the Human Potential (Jean Houston); 2) Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain (Lynn Schroder and Sheila Ostrander); 3) Remote Viewing (Harold Puthoff); 4) Implications of Mind Research (Edgar Mitchell). These well-attended presentations elicited considerable interest on the part of certain members, their staff, and the staffs of certain House and Senate committees. Over the past three years congressional interest in the subject has remained as the subject has received increasing attention by the news media. During 1982, congressional requests were received by the Congressional Research Service to conduct a review of the status of research into psi phenomena. As a part of the CRS response, this review focuses on the following general topics:”

Printed page marker reads 'CRS-2'. The opening of item 1) is partly obscured by a toner blotch; the words 'Brain Research' are recoverable from the visible ascenders and from the surrounding text, but a later reader should treat those two words as reconstructed rather than cleanly read. Item 2) as printed gives 'Lynn Schroder' — the co-author of the 1970 book is usually rendered Lynn Schroeder; transcribed as printed, not corrected. Puthoff appears here as 'Puthoff'. The report does not say which members or committees made the 1982 requests. - the report nowhere names GRILL FLAME, or any other classified US Army or Defense Intelligence Agency psi programme, at this point or anywhere else in the 39 pages.

“Despite the millenia of human concern with psi phenomena, orderly and well-organized efforts to verify and understand such phenomena began only a century ago with the establishment in London of the Society for Psychical Research (SPR). Three years later, the counterpart organization in the United States, the American Society for Psychical Research (ASPR) was founded in Boston. ... The first pioneering undertaking of research into psi phenomena in academic institution took place in the late 1920s at Duke University. At that time, J.B. Rhine and Louisa Rhine were brought in by William McDougall to study the claims to scientific value of the field known as ‘psychical research.’ In the Rhine's laboratory, many of the basic concepts and protocols of modern experimental psi research were formulated, and large amounts of research data were systematically collected over a period of decades. In 1937, the Rhines initiated the Journal of Parapsychology, which remains a leading journal in the field today. The Parapsychological Association, an International Professional Society was formed in 1957, and in 1969, it was accepted as an affiliate of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (AAAS).”

Printed page marker reads 'CRS-7'. The '...' marks an elision: an intervening paragraph on early-20th-century psychology, Wilhelm Wundt and Sigmund Freud has been skipped and the two blocks are NOT continuous text. 'millenia' and 'in academic institution' are printed thus; not corrected. 'the Rhine's laboratory' with that apostrophe is as printed. 'American Association for the Advancement of Sciences' is printed thus, with 'Sciences' plural. A single ruled vertical line runs down the left margin of this page alongside the Duke/Rhine paragraph, from 'The first pioneering undertaking' to the end of the AAAS sentence — hand-drawn, in ink, and confirmed at 300 dpi; it is a reader's mark on this released copy, not part of the printed report.

“At present, there are eight major English language publications directly addressing psi research. These are complemented by numerous foreign and less formal magazines and hundreds of monographs of varying quality and relevance. Research is taking place in some 20 U.S. universities and colleges and in at least as many institutions in Western Europe and Great Britain. Research in other foreign countries will be reviewed subsequently. 6/ 7/ 6/ Jahn, Robert, op. cit. 7/ Princeton University. Princeton Engineering Anomalities Research Programs statement, 1981. 58 p.”

Printed page marker reads 'CRS-8'. 'Anomalities' is printed thus in footnote 7 — the Princeton laboratory's actual name is the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research programme; the misspelling is the document's and is transcribed uncorrected. The page count in footnote 7 is a typewriter glyph that at 500 dpi could be read as 58 or 55; transcribed as '58 p.' but a later reader should not rely on that digit. This page carries only this one short paragraph; the rest is blank apart from the footnotes.

“Because of methodological, public image and other difficulties inherent in psi research, the field continues to receive little support from the Federal sector. Total funding for psi research in the United States probably does not greatly exceed $500,000 per annum, and most funding originates from private sources and foundations. During the period 1973-1978, the most recent years for which reliable data are available, the 13 leading centers for psi research in the United States spent an aggregate total of $552,000 per annum with a median amount per center of $17,000. In 1979, the McDonnell Foundation, created by the late James S. McDonnell, chairman of the McDonnell Douglas Foundation, donated $500,000 to Washington University in St. Louis to set up a psychic research laboratory. It is the largest amount of money ever contributed to a psi research program. A survey of 21 proposals for Federal funding of psi research between June 1971, and June 1978 revealed that only four were approved, two were approved but not funded, and 14 were disapproved. Total funding for the approved projects amounted to $179,500 over the seven year period. The total projects not approved for funding represented a dollar value of $1.3 million. The majority of disapproved proposals received low merit ratings or criticism of experimental design and methodology. 9/ 9/ Zimmerman, Howard. Gardner Murphy Research Institute. Personal communication.”

Printed page marker reads 'CRS-13'. All dollar figures and the counts 21 / four / two / 14 were re-read at 400 dpi and are as transcribed; note that the aggregate for the 13 centres ($552,000) exceeds the total the report gives two sentences earlier ($500,000 per annum) — that inconsistency is the document's. The proposal survey and the $179,500 / $1.3 million figures are sourced only to a personal communication, not to a published study. - the report gives no figure anywhere for classified or intelligence-community psi funding, and does not state that any such funding exists.

“The categorical emphasis on psi research varies from country to country. For example, it is widely speculated that the Soviet Union is actively pursuing practical applications of psi phenomena for economic, military, and health purposes. There is considerable Soviet interest in remote hypnotic manipulation, dowsing for water, oil, and other minerals (referred to in the Soviet literature as the ‘biophysical or biolocational effect’), PK, and psychic healing. The Soviets claim that scientific studies of dowsing have yielded significant results. Accordingly, dowsing is taught to professional mineralogists and geologists at Tomsk Polytechnic Institute. It is also speculated that the Soviet Government is firmly committed to the funding of psi research and that much of this funding, variously speculated to amount to tens of millions of dollars, is directed toward military research, although there is no firm confirmation of this speculation. 13/ 10/ Vilenskaya, L. Psi in the USSR: Applied Aspects. Applied Psi Newsletter, v. 1, no. 1, 1982. p. 4-5. 11/ Puthoff, H. E. Investigations Into ‘Extraordinary Human Body Function’ in China. Psi Research, v. 1, no. 4, 1982. p. 4-8. 12/ Ryzl, M. New Advances in East European Parapsychology. Psi Research, v. 1, no. 1, 1982. p. 5-13. 13/ Vilenskaya, L., op. cit.”

Printed page marker reads 'CRS-14'. Re-read at 400 dpi to confirm the hedging language, which is the substance of the passage: 'it is widely speculated', 'It is also speculated', 'although there is no firm confirmation of this speculation'. These are the CRS's words characterising an unnamed body of speculation, not a claim of fact and not an intelligence assessment. The Tomsk Polytechnic Institute statement is given flatly, sourced through footnote 13 to Larissa Vilenskaya's article in Applied Psi Newsletter. Footnote 11 gives the surname as 'Puthoff, H. E.' — the same person the acknowledgements list as Harold Puthoff, but the footnote gives initials only. Footnote 10 is printed 'Applied Psi Newsletter' while footnote 12, in the same journal family, is printed 'Psi Research'; both transcribed as printed.

“In the People's Republic of China, psi research is officially described as ‘exceptional human functioning’ and research focuses on the following subjects: 1. A system of deep breathing exercises to promote psi conditions (known as ‘quigong’). 2. The perception of images without the benefit of vision (eyeless sight). 3. The remote sensing of pain in other people. 4. Remote sensing directed toward identifying the characteristics of previously unknown people. 5. Remote perception of thoughts in other people. 6. Healing by means of laying on of hands (psychic healing). 7. Purposeful mental influence on other people. 8. Teleportation. The Chinese effort appears to be a relatively recent phenomena. 14/ 14/ Puthoff, H. E., op. cit.”

Printed page marker reads 'CRS-15'. 'quigong' is printed thus (the usual transliteration is qigong); 'a relatively recent phenomena' is printed thus, with the plural. Not corrected. The whole list is CRS's rendering of Puthoff's published account of Chinese work, not a direct quotation from any Chinese source, and item 8 'Teleportation.' stands alone with no gloss.

“Criticism of psi research is widespread and often unjustified because of the traditionally anecdotal and phenomenological nature of the field and because it is difficult to obtain statistically reliable, replicable results under many conditions, including the most rigidly-designed and controlled settings. Commonly cited criticisms that are applicable to all of the sciences include the following: 19/ 1. Demonstrable fraud, which has occurred in several cases recently. 2. Poorly conceived methods, including inadequate controls, faulty equipment, sensory cueing of participants, experimental bias, selective treatment of data, improper statistical processing, and general experimental and theoretical incompetence. 3. Suppression of negative results. The remaining criticisms apply to psi research specifically: 1. Absence of adequate theoretical models and little improvement in the comprehension of psi phenomena over many years of study. 2. Poor experimental replicability and elusiveness of effects under close scrutiny. 3. Sensitivity of results to participants, attitudes and laboratory setting. 4. Tendency for results to be only marginally significant compared to chance expectation. 5. Contradictory nature of much psi phenomena with personal psychology, philosophy, theology, or ‘common sense.’ 19/ Jahn, Robert, op. cit.”

Printed page marker reads 'CRS-19'. The whole list is footnoted to Jahn's IEEE article, so these are the CRS's rendering of Jahn's enumeration of criticisms, not the CRS's own list and not direct quotation of any named critic. The report names no individual critic anywhere in this section. Blank lines between numbered items have been inserted for legibility; the original list is single-spaced with hanging indents.

“It should also be note that the quality of criticism of psi is often poor. The evasiveness of psi phenomena under carefully controlled and observed conditions seems presently to be the most compelling criticism of the field in general. At the same time, this observation may also lend urgency to further investigation into psi phenomena. Many other scientific endeavors in early stages of investigation have proven to be frustrating to the investigator because of a lack of understanding of the phenomenon under scrutiny. Radiation biology is an example of such a dilemma. ... By definition, contemporary science does not permit a definitive explanation of the nature and mechanisms of psi phenomena. That these factors remain unexplained does not necessarily mean that they are unexplainable. The understanding of psi phenomena may be hampered by the present level of development of the sciences. Traditional scientific methodologies may need to be broadened.”

Printed page marker reads 'CRS-20'. 'It should also be note that' is printed thus — a dropped 'd'; not corrected. The '...' marks an elision of the intervening sentences developing the radiation-biology analogy (they mention Mme. Joliot Curie and the acute effects of x-rays); the two blocks are NOT continuous text. A hand-drawn upward-pointing arrow, in ink, stands in the right margin exactly beside the sentences 'That these factors remain unexplained does not necessarily mean that they are unexplainable. The understanding of psi phenomena may be hampered by the present level of development of the sciences.' Confirmed at 300 dpi. It is a reader's mark on this released copy, not printed matter.

“With regard to the second category, potential applications of psi can only be speculated on conservatively, given the uncertain and relatively irreplicable status of psi functions thus far subjected to systematic scrutiny. It seems likely to expect that such functions as remote perception, precognition, and retrocognition are of potential interest to intelligence agencies, law enforcement units, and activities involving surveillance. For example, ‘emotional imprints’ have already been used to trace past events in archeological and police investigations. 22/ Dowsing or divining for water, oil, and other minerals is an established practice in this country and abroad, particularly in the Soviet Union. Accordingly, further investigation into the nature and possible mechanisms of this phenomenon, which appears to incorporate both natural and paranormal aspects, would seem to be warranted. 22/ Jahn, Robert, op. cit.”

Printed page marker reads 'CRS-24'. Re-read at 400 dpi. The sentence names no intelligence agency and asserts nothing about any existing government use; it is phrased as 'It seems likely to expect that such functions ... are of potential interest'. 'archeological' is printed thus. The clause about 'emotional imprints' is footnoted to Jahn, so it is CRS's rendering of Jahn's claim. - the report nowhere in this section, or anywhere else, states that any US intelligence agency has funded or conducted psi research.

“It is possible to imagine a wide variety of applications of psi in such areas as: animal training and interspecies communication; creativity, education, and training; entertainment; decisionmaking; locating lost objects and persons; futures forecasting; geological and archeological exploration; historical investigations; medicine and dentistry; military intelligence and police work; personnel management; psychotherapy and counseling; scientific discovery, and numerous others, including crime, persuasion, mischief, and disinformation. In the area of high technology, low-level or micro-PK effects have been observed in experiments with random-event-generators (REG) in which it is speculated that certain malfunctions may have been induced by human subjects. These findings, if valid, may have implications in the developing technologies involving microelectronics: if basic functions of microelectronic elements could be even slightly disturbed by intentional or unintentional human intervention, it would be important to obtain some assessment of the potential magnitude of such effects and factors favoring or inhibiting such effects.”

Printed page marker reads 'CRS-25'. The list is transcribed with the report's own semicolons and its inconsistent comma before 'and numerous others'. 'decisionmaking' is printed as one word. The micro-PK passage is expressly conditional ('it is speculated', 'These findings, if valid'). The right-hand third of this page is heavily blotched by toner, but the affected area is margin, not text; every word transcribed here was legible.

“Conversely, it is suspected that insular approaches to psi research will not likely yield results. Proponents argue that to exploit the potential benefits of psi, it will be necessary to fund research at a much higher level than at present. Whether or not psi is a real or usable phenomenon, the recognition that psi may be able to enhance the human condition could have far-reaching implications for science and the society it serves. The present state of psi research is diffuse, largely unstructured, and hesitant, with many internal cross-currents and divergencies of emphasis and method. Along with the promise of significant new possibilities, research into psi phenomena harbors many dangerous pitfalls for the unwary investigator. Effective realization of the considerable potentials of psi, or its debunking, will require the breadth of vision provided by an open, humanistic perspective as well as the rigor and scientific discipline provided by conventional research tradition. 23/ 23/ Jahn, Robert, op. cit.”

Printed page marker reads 'CRS-27'. A hand-drawn arrow or caret, in ink, stands in the right margin exactly beside the line ending 'far-reaching' — that is, against the sentence 'Whether or not psi is a real or usable phenomenon, the recognition that psi may be able to enhance the human condition could have far-reaching implications for science and the society it serves.' Confirmed at 400 dpi; it is a reader's mark on this released copy. Note that the final paragraph is footnoted to Jahn, so even the report's closing characterisation is attributed to Jahn's article; the abstract on pdf page 2 carries a near-identical sentence without attribution. 'divergencies' is printed thus. The report offers no options-for-Congress section: this passage is the end of the argument, followed only by CLOSING REMARKS and the two appendices.

“CLOSING REMARKS This summary report is largely based on the recent review article prepared by Dr. Robert Jahn, Dean of the School of Engineering/ Applied Science, Princeton University that appeared in the February issue of the IEEE Proceedings. Additional references in that article and from the Gardner Murphy Research Institute provided further background and are listed below (appendix A and B). The Congressional Research Service possesses a large collection of additional bibliographic, journal, and monographic material on various aspects of psi research which can be made available upon request.”

Printed page marker reads 'CRS-28', partly obscured by a toner blotch but legible at 170 dpi. This paragraph is the report's own statement of its evidentiary basis and is the clearest warrant for treating the whole document as a secondary summary of one journal article plus a reading list. The offer of further material 'upon request' is addressed to congressional requesters.

“Appendix A. GARDNER MURPHY RESEARCH INSTITUTE POST OFFICE BOX 9313 • DUKE STATION DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA 27706 A Brief List of Recommended Readings in Parapsychology A. Technical Books 1. Beloff, J. (Ed.) New Directions in Parapsychology. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1975. 2. Broad, C.D. Lectures in Psychical Research. New York: Humanities Press, 1962. 3. Krippner, S. (Ed.) Advances in Parapsychological Research: A Biennial Review. New York: Plenum, Volume 1, 1977. 4. Murphy, G., and Dale, L.A. Challenge of Psychical Research: A Primer of Parapsychology. New York: Harper & Row, 1961. 5. Rhine, J.B. and others. Extra-Sensory Perception After Sixty Years. Boston, Brancen Press, 1966 (First published in 1940).”

Printed page marker reads 'CRS-29'. The appendix is reproduced photographically on the Institute's own letterhead, in a different typeface from the body of the report — the ornate small-caps masthead is transcribed here in plain capitals. The ZIP code is partly blotched and reads as 27706. Item 5 is printed 'Brancen Press' (the publisher is usually given as Bruce Humphries / Branden Press); transcribed as printed. Only the first five of thirteen technical entries are transcribed here; the list continues on pdf page 34 with items 12-13 and a second section, 'B. Popular and Historical Books', of eight entries. Pdf page 34 was a zero-byte file in the supplied image set and was re-rendered from the source PDF before being read.

“[254] Report to the House of Representatives, Committee on Science and Technology, June 1981. [255] C. T. Tart, ‘A survey of expert opinion on potentially negative uses of psi. United States government interest in psi. and the level of research funding of the field,’ in Research in Parapsychology 1978. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1979, pp. 54-55.”

Printed page marker reads 'CRS-35'. Re-read at 500 dpi to confirm these two entries, which are the only items anywhere in the 39 pages that point at a congressional committee document or at US government interest in psi as a subject of study. Entry [254] as printed gives no author and no title beyond 'Report to the House of Representatives, Committee on Science and Technology, June 1981.' — a later reader will not be able to identify it from this citation alone. Entry [255] is printed with a full stop rather than a comma after 'psi' twice inside the quoted title; transcribed as printed. Punctuation and italicisation follow the reduced-size reproduction as closely as plain text allows. THIRD-PARTY COPYRIGHT: pdf pages 35-39 reproduce, photographically and at reduced size, the bibliography pages of Jahn's article in Proceedings of the IEEE, v. 70, no. 2, February 1983 as printed in the running head — note that the running head on these reproduced pages reads FEBRUARY 1983 while footnote 1 of the report dates the article 1982; the discrepancy is on the pages. A footnote at the bottom of pdf page 35 reads 'Reproduced with the permission of the copyright claimant'. The mark 'SP 507' appears at the lower right of pdf page 39. Only these two entries are quoted here; the rest of the reproduced bibliography, several hundred entries across five pages, is left unquoted for copyright reasons.