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OSWR-054-95
MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Intelligence
FROM:
SG11
Director of Scientific and Weapons Research
SUBJECT:
Resources for Assessment of Foreign Developments
in Parapsychology
REFERENCE:
Memo for DDI fm D/OSWR, dtd 28 August 95, Re DI
Work in Response to CDA on Parapsychology
1. Action Requested: Your concurrence on the following statement of need for
resources in the DI for assessment of foreign developments in parapsychology.
2. Background on Stargate: At the direction of Congress, DIA's Stargate program,
which focused on assessing the potential application of parapsychological
phenomenon to intelligence, has been transferred to CIA. The DIA program and
resources
had three objectives:
SG1B
a. Operations: Attempts to use the parapsychological technique of remote
viewing to collect intelligence on foreign targets.
b. Research and Development: Laboratory studies to find ways to enhance the
utility of remote viewing for
intelligence purposes.
c. Foreign Assessment:
The analysis of foreign activities related to the
development or use of paranormal techniques that could affect US national
security.
SUBJECT: Resources for Assessment of Foreign Development in
Parapsychology
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3. Within CIA, the DS&T has been charged to respond to a CDA related to the
Stargate program. The CDA asked for three things:
a. An assessment of the utility of remote viewing for US intelligence.
This
assessment is being conducted under the direction of ORD/DS&T.
SG1A
b. An assessment of Russian parapsychological R&D. The assessment of the
Russian parapsychology program is being done by
now assigned at
CIA who worked in the operations part of the Stargate program.
1
stated in my
memo to you of 28 August the assessment is being done under the oversight of the
SG11 NIO/S&T and
of OSWR.
SG11
c. A management plan for the use of Stargate resources in CIA. The DS&T
officer drafting the management plan
of ORD) has asked for an opinion
from the NIO/S&T and OSWR regarding the need for resources for the assessment
of foreign developments in parapsychology.
4. Based on OSWR's review of available data, I recommend the DI offer the following
statement of need for the assessment of foreign developments in parapsychology:
Need for Assessment of Foreign Parapsychology R&D
A. We recommend that no DI resources be dedicated to the assessment of foreign
developments in parapsychology. Among the areas of science and sociological change
we are monitoring, we view developments in parapsychology as a relatively low
threat to the United States and, consequently, as a low priority among all the threats
we are trying to monitor and assess. The DI will, of course, continue to monitor all
foreign scientific and sociological developments -- including those in
parapsychology -- that could have implications for US national security.
B. The assessment of Russian parapsychology R&D done this month at Congressional
direction provides evidence of on-going research, as well as military sponsorship of
at least some of the work. In none of this Russian research do we see credible
evidence of developments that could significantly add to the threat that Russia
currently poses to US national security.
SUBJECT: Resources for Assessment of Foreign Developments in
Parapsychology
C. A CIA assessment of 1977 showed that the Soviets at that time had a substantial
parapsychology program whose existence was classified and whose funding and
control resided largely with the Ministry of Defense and possibly the KGB. The
government of the USSR, however, apparently was unable to reap any benefits of
consequence from its substantial investment, Since the breakup of the USSR, the
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:
Russian government evidently has cut back significantly its support for
parapsychology R&D.
D. In our view, DI monitoring of foreign activities in parapsychology will be
dramatically leveraged through coverage of the topic by Western academia. The
decline in Russian government funding of R&D, along with the dramatic opening of
Russian society to contact with foreigners, has led to increased communication
between Russian and US parapsychology researchers. And, as we have observed in
other areas of Russian R&D, Russian researchers in parapsychology have become quite
open in discussing their work with foreigners. Indeed, the overwhelming majority of
the evidence -- and all key evidence -- of Russian work in parapsychology since 1991
comes from open sources (press and technical literature) and from US parapsychology
researchers in contact with their Russian counterparts. A focused intelligence
collection effort would probably generate additional information, but we believe the
value of such an effort would be negligible.
5. If you have questions or comments on this statement, please do not hesitate to
give me a call on
SG1B
SG11
CONCUR:
Deputy Director for Intelligence
Date
SUBJECT: Resources for Assessment of Foreign Developments in
Parapsychology
Distribution:
Orig - Addressee
1 - ADDS&T
1 - Comptroller
1 - D/OCA
1 - C/MPSS
1 - OSWR Chrono
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1 - RD/OSWR
1 - C/CDTD/OSWR
SG11 OSWR/RD,
(21 September 1995)
SECRET
NOFORN
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