CIA-RDP96-00788R002000010001-9

· Approved For Release-2001/03/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788R002000010001-9
OACSI FOR MAJOR BILL STONER
REFERENCE:
ACSI MESSAGE P262015Z JUNE 1978
SUBJECT:
PARAPSYCHOLOGY
(C)
THE FOLLOWING IS PROVIDED PER REQUEST:
A.
BACKG. OUND: THE USAMIA HAS CONTRACTUAL INVOLVEMENT WITH
SRI RELATED TO SOVIET STRATEGIC DEFENSIVE MISSILES SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGIES.
THIS INVOLVEMENT HAS BEEN ON-GOING FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. IN MID 1976,
DURING THE COURSE OF THESE EFFORTS, USAMIA BECAME AWARE OF DR. H. PUTHOFF
AND MR. R. TARG'S WORK AT SRI RELATED TO PARAPSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH.
SINCE THE LOCAL R&D COMMUNITY HAD EXPRESSED INTEREST IN SOME APPLICATIONS
IN THIS AREA USAMIA INVITED PUTHOFF AND TARG TO USAMIA FOR DISCUSSIONS
WITH ALL INTERESTED PARTIES. THIS DISCUSSION WAS HELD IN LATE 1976
AND AGAIN IN EARLY 1977.
AS A RESULT OF THESE MEETINGS THE USAMIA
IMPLEMENTED A TASK UNDER CONTRACT DAAK40-77-C-0170 IN AUGUST 1977
WITH SRI, USING R&D FUNDS. THE FUNDING LEVEL FOR THIS TASK WAS
APPROXIMATELY $80,000.
THE STATEMENT OF THE TASK IN THE SCOPE OF
WORK RELATED TO THIS EFFORT WAS SIMPLY STATED "INVESTIGATION OF
UNCONVENTIONAL DISCRIMINATION TECHNIQUES". IN AUGUST 1977 SHORTLY
AFTER THE CONTRACT WAS SIGNED USAMIA REQUESTED THAT SRI FOLLOW UP ON
PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS WITH A LETTER OF SRI INDORSEMENT FOR THE RESEARCH
OF PUTHOFF AND TARG.
( INCLOSURE 1). IN SEP 1977 A MORE DEFENITIVE
TASKING STATEMENT WAS SUBMITTED TO SRI OUTLINING USAMIA'S OBJECTIVES.
( INCLOSURE 2). THE PROGRESS OF THE WORK THUS FAR IS GIVEN IN INCLOSURE 3.
ON JUNE 19, 1978, THE SRI CONTRACT MONITOR MET WITH MR. RAY LEADABRAND
SG1J
OF SRI AND
OF DIA TO DISCUSS A CONCERN THAT HAD
Approved For Release 2001/03/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788R002000010001-9
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KOM SYS DI
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Approved For Release 2001/03/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788R002000010001-9
SECRET
SURFACED OVER THE FORMULATION OF AN INTERNAL SRI OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
TO MONITOR THE WORK BY PUTHOFF AND TARG. AFTER SEVERAL HOURS OF
DISCUSSION THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED AND AN UNDERSTANDING WAS REACHED
ON SRI'S POLICY REGARDING SENSITIVE AREAS OF RESEARCH. (INCLOSURE 4).
B.
UNIVERSITY PARAPSYCHOLOGY COURSES: LOCALLY THERE IS A
PARAPSYCHOLOGY COURSE OFFERED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA IN HUNTSVILLE
SPONSORED BY THE CONTINUOUS EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. THIS COURSE IS OF
GENERAL NATURE AND COVERS VARIOUS SPECULATIVE ASPECTS OF PARAPSYCHOLOGY.
ANOTHER UAH COURSE IS SPONSORED BY THE FREE UNIVERSITY STUDENT GOVERNMENT
ASSOCIATION. THIS COURSE DEALS WITH VARIOUS SPECULATIVE ASPECTS, BUT
INCLUDES UFO'S, ETC. THERE ARE ALSO COURSES OFFERED BY THE PSYCHOLOGY
DEPARTMENT AT ATHENS STATE UNIVERSITY IN ATHENS, ALABAMA, THAT ARE
OFFERED AS PSYCHOLOGY ELECTIVES. THESE COURSES ARE ALSO GENERAL IN
NATURE. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE NONE OF THE ABOVE PROGRAMS COULD BE CLASSIFIED
AS AREAS OF SERIOUS STUDY OR RESEARCH, BUT COULD PROVIDE AS A BASIS FOR
SCREENING FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE ABOVE NORMAL ABILITY SHOULD THE
NEED ARISE FOR A LOCAL TRAINING PROGRAM.
C.
BECAUSE THE CURRENT USAMIA/SRI EFFORT EXPIRES IN AUGUST 1978
AN EVALUATION IS IN PROGRESS AT USAMIA ON CURRENT STATUS OF TASKING
AND RESULTS .. INCLUDED AS INCLOSURE 5 IS THE RESULTS THUS FAR AS TO
FUTURE PROGRAM DIRECTION AND RESEARCH APPROACHES. THE RESEARCH APPROACHES
WERE FORMULATED AND SUMMARIZED FROM A SRI REPORT ENTITLED "PSYCHOENERGETIC
RESEARCH:
SUGGESTED APPROACHES" AND IN THE OPINION OF THE USAMIA
WOULD REPRESENT A SOUND ARMY R&D PROGRAM IN THIS AREA.
WANTFor Release 2001/03/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788R002000010001-9
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ATED FROM CLASSIFIED INCLOSURES