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SECRET
OTS /BAB MEMO #287-77
17 November 1977
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT:
Briefing for House Permanent Select Committee
re OTS Involvement in ESP Research
SG1A
1.
In response to a request from the House
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, OTS briefed
Committee staff personnel on its involvement in ESP
research. The meeting was held in the Committee's
offices from approximately 1000 to 1100 hours on
16 November 1977 and was attended by:
SG11
SG1A
2.
The Committee's interest was occasioned by
the article "Psychic Spying" which appeared in the
Parade Section of the Washington Post on 7 August 1977.
The staffers wanted an informal background briefing on
Agency research efforts on ESP.
SG1A
3.
A short oral history of OTS efforts in the
field, dating back to 1961, was presented. All three
staffers asked very pertinent questions and were given
frank and in-depth replies.
SG1A
SG11
4.
Since the Agency representatives present could
speak only for OTS,
was asked to find out
SG1A
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SG1
A
David Brandwein
D/OTS
OLC
OTS / BAB
Michael O'Neil
Dick Geza
Pat Long
Committee Staff
11
11

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OTS/BAB MEMO #287-77
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if any other Agency component was sponsoring ESP type
research.
SG1A
5.
A written outline of OTS work on ESP --
classified SECRET -- , the IEEE article covering the un-
classified portions of the work done by SRI and a brief
article on Mr. Pat Price were left with the Committee.
Additional information was offered but they declined.
OTS / BAB
SG11
SECRET
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Patrick Price
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later learn via his instructor that he had
"picked upf the diabetes symptoms of
his partner in the test. Yet another time,
he picked a woman's wristwatch out of
a bag of articles without knowing who the
owner was and described a pain in the
Golden feels strongly about the impor-
tance of parapsychology. No one can
say to me, 'Lou, you're full of hops. How
silly?' I've experienced it, felt it, seen it
-whatever it was there is a great deal
to this field. I personally want To learn
more, and I want to meet other people
who are involved in it."
Patrick Price
The newly appointed president of Prin-
cess. Coal Company in Huntington, West
Virginia, refers to himself as, "One who
operates with or without a body." Patrick
Price is not playing word games with
that statement. It has been scientifically
shown that he can "exteriorize" his con-
scious self to obtain data and informa-
tion through ESP.
Price's remarkable, ability is being put
to use by Princess to develop its coal
resources in an expanding energy mar-
ket. His talent will also be used in direct-
ing operations of Princess's sister com-
panies which include Sycamore Coal
and Kathys Farms, the group's agri-
cultural arm encompassing some 4,500
acres of farmlands and game preserves,
as well as a showcase ranch for raising
thoroughbred horses. With a vast acre-
age that extends over several states,
Princess Coal is purchasing a helicopter
to whisk Price around the group's wide-
spread holdings.
Excited about putting his abilities to
use in the coal industry, Price says, "I
know that coal has certain properties
that if released and properly utilized
could handle any energy needs we have
for the next three to four hundred years."
A man of unwavering confidence with
a cordial disposition and penetrating
blue eyes, Price says he will also use his
unique ability to ascertain the company's
exploration and production reports. "1
don't need to physically leave the office
to do that," he asserts matter of factly,
"because the coal fields are only a cou-
ple hundred miles away and distance is
no problem mentally."
give his impressions of areas being
worked or explored. Setting the tone for
his presidency, Price recently accom-
panied chairman of the board David L.
Francis and a group of company engi-
neers on an inspection tour of the prop-
erties and "saw" beneath the surface
seven seams of coal in a mountain. His
analysis was corroborated by the engi-
neers.
Over the past year, Price has been
tested by physicists at Stanford Re-
search Institute (SRI) in Menlo Park,
California, with positive results. In one
experiment he was able to mentally
change the electronically measured out-
put of a revolving clock pendulum at
which a laser was beamed. On com-
mand and for forty-five minutes, he al-
tered the output of the system below its
normal "at rest" level, seemingly an
impossible feat. In another experiment.
he exteriorized and correctly described
in detail a location several miles from the
laboratory that not even the experiment-
ers knew would be the target. This ex-
periment was reported in Nature, the
prestigious English scientific journal.
Yet another experiment with an SRI
physicist has convinced Price that he
can change the genetic structure of
plant life. Thus, one of his goals is to
develop hybrid seeds. He now is setting
up a program at Kathys Farms to modify
the genetic structure of food plants in
order to build up their resistance to in-
sects, droughts, severe soil and weather
conditions, and to reduce their growth
cycles. Asked about the success of
such a program, Price answers, "The
numerous experiments I have willingly
undergone under very stringent labora-
tory conditions over the past year at SRI
show that I can produce an effect at will
that is measureable and that gives posi-
tive results." Price was fifty when, as
he states, "I had an analytical awareness
as to the availability of abilities I already
had." He credits Scientology for "open-
ing new vistas and abilities of self to me
and which I now use as a matter of fact."
The unique businessman has oper-
ated across the business spectrum from
his family's construction and building
business to a packaging company he
once owned. He has also held various
posts in government ranging from com-
missioner of police and fire for the City
of Burbank, California, to city council-
man and board chairman.
From his own personal experiences,
and those with others in business and
government, Price now believes that
everyone can do what he does and that
such abilities are not extra-normal or
uniquely displaying them," he agrees,
Photo courtesy of Stanford Research Institute
"but the only difference is that I have
knowingly assumed responsibility for
what I do and make the constant deci-
sion that it is perfectly okay to do it."
Price feels that most people refuse
to confront this aspect of themselves
which is why they are unaware of it or
don't make proper use of it. Yet it does
function for successful businessmen
whether they admit it or not, he adds.
"Those who really make a thing a suc-
cess trust their basic instinctive data and
themselves. They're not just following
books, procedures, computers, or ad-
visors because they innately understand
that most of the combined data was
gathered erroneously and, therefore,
would lead them to false conclusions.".
He predicts that others like himself
will follow him in business and that com-
panies will start utilizing such skills and
abilities in their operations.
"By virtue of the fact that I have come
forward,“ states Price, "it can help un-
lock doors for those in business . . . they
can either challenge what I say and do
or they can accept it and apply it to
self."
Asked about how he sees his own
performance with Princess Coal and its
allied companies in the months ahead,
Price replied, "I have no reservations
about the positive results. Besides, I
am putting myself on the line and am will-
ing to be measured by the company's
performance under my guidance. As
any businessman knows, the final proof
of how valuable I may be will tell on the
bottom line.
Nevertheless, he will go into the field
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OTS Involvement in ESP Research
SG1
A
SG1A
ORD/OTS are contacted by Targ and Puthoff of SRI.
Demonstrations by Ingo Swann appear to show ESP has
useful/practical intel application (Swann apparently
caused a magnetometer to fluctuate).
SG1A
8/72
Contract with SRI (OTS/ORD) for
a demon-
stration of using ESP to describe hidden objects. The
results are so good
is provided to work up
a more complete research plan.
SG1A
SG1A
OTS funds
contract with SRI to explore
the talents of two subjects. Both results and abili-
ties are inconsistent. One Subject can cause a change
of temperature while another can reproduce information
in a sealed envelope. But neither can duplicate the
work of the other.
SG1A 2/73
ORD renews its interest in the project and it
becomes a joint OTS/ORD effort.
SG1A
3/73
A third "sensitive" (Pat Price) is discovered with
an apparent ability for "remote viewing." The poten-
tial use of this technique for intelligence gathering
spurs all concerned to move ahead quickly.
SG1A
4/73
A new contract to continue and expand the work at
SRI is forwarded from OTS/ORD to the DDO (Mr. Colby)
for review and is referred to the Executive Management
Committee because of its sensitivity.
5/73
The contract is finally sent to the DCI (Schlesinger)
who decides to allow the existing contract to be
completed without a follow-on. OTS is told this work
is too sensitive and potentially embarrassing. At
this time OTS is in the midst of an investigation
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SG1A
Up to
1961
Monitoring only
10/61
SG1A
4/72
SG1A
SG1A
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regarding its role in the Watergate affair.
SG1A
8/73
An "informal" experiment at SRI with an OSI scientist
on remote viewing uncovers classified information
and renews Agency interest in ESP. Two "remote
viewers" provide a good description of a military
site by accident. They are then asked to describe
the interior of the building and produce physical
layout, code words and a list of personnel. The
names of the people prove to be incorrect but the
description of the interior and the code names are
accurate enough to convince the new DCI (Colby) to
renew work on ESP.
SG1A
2/74
A new joint OTS/ORD project is funded to develop and
utilize ESP. ORD is to concentrate on identifying
and measuring the phenomena while OTS is to evaluate
the operational usefulness of the people and techniques
without trying to "understand" them.
SG1A
Friction soon develops between ORD, OTS and the con-
tractor because of conflicting interests. ORD wants
very strict experimental procedures. OTS wants more
practical applications and the contractor wants less
security constraints. The Agency wants more research
while the contractor wants more time and money. ORD
and OTS come up with different interpretations of the
same data.
SG1A
New directors are named to OTS and ORD. Neither
director feels "oomfortable" with the project.
The first real use of ESP for intelligence collec-
tion is a remote viewing attempt
SG1
B
The results are des-
cribed as valid messages being transmitted over
noisy channels.
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SG1A
OTS
quickly looses its enthusiasm for ESP re-
search and directs the project officer to come up
with practical applications or abandon the project.
SG1A
SG1A
These results
are reviewed by other DDO components
and new requirements are generated.
However, OTS
and ORD managements both decide not to continue the
project. OTS believes the long range nature of the
research take it out of the purview of its charter
and ORD believes the work performed by SRI is unworthy
of further support.
SG1A
In response to specific requests from DDO components
OTS does agree to maintain a very limited interest in
ESP. Responsibility for the work is turned over to
an OTS psychologist. He is told to conduct "opera-
tional" experiments but to devote no more than two
percent of his time to the work. The best of the SRI
Subjects agree to work -- on a part-time basis -- with
the psychologist, as do two OTS staff officers who
lave also demonstrated "remote viewing" ability.
SG1A
One of the requests for operational support is a set
of geographic co-ordinates which one of the Area Desks
has submitted as a target for "remote viewing." The
two OTS engineers volunteer to "view" the site and
describe an installation under construction which they
believe to be
The
customer is highly impressed with this information
SG1A
SG1A
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SG1A
This same DDO office then provides new co-ordinates
which are in turn passed on to the "outside" Subject,
(Price). The results of this experiment are presented
to the customer in report form -- with a detailed
sketch -- for evaluation.
SG1A
SG1A
SG1
B
SG1A
Before a meeting can be set up, however, Mr. Price
dies of a heart attack.
SG1A
9/75
Subsequent attempts to have the area desk evaluate the
experiment -- in writing -- finally result : in a
somewhat confusing, but nevertheless official, report.
SG1A
SG1
B
SG1A
SG1A
10/75
Mr. Price's death effectively ends all official OTS
involvement in ESP research.
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