NSA-RDP96X00790R000100030028-5

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/12/01 : NSA-RDP96X00790R000100030028-5 )(3)
M/R
SUBJECT: M5 SPONSORED HYPNOTIST PERFORMANCE
4 DE: 1980
1. On 2 December 1980, I apprised Mr.
SAO/DDC, and Mr.
S Security Officer, of my serious concerns related to the sponsoring
of a hypnotic show by M5 in which the audience would participate. In con-
sultation with Mr.
and Dr.
we agreed that our concerns were
threefold and were based on personal experiences with observed hypnotic ef-
fects.
a. Once hypnotized, people are more suggestible thereafter.
They can more easily be manipulated by an adversary hyp-
notist.
b. People in the audience who are not the direct target of
the hypnotist often become hypnotized because such peo-
ple are very susceptible to suggestion.
c. Some people who have psychological problems may use the
hypnotic state as a refuge and refuse to return to a
normal state.
2. After Mr.
and Mr.
consulted with M56, representatives
who were coordinating the performance, they were informed that both M5 and M7
representatives, including two psychologists, had carefully interviewed the
hypnotist and were convinced that no danger was involved. However, it was
also stated that the hypnotist was so capable that M5 had him include security
awareness reminders into his act. It was also said that the hypnotist checks
the audience participants after the performance to insure that they can per-
form normally before they leave the auditorium. The implications of such a
concern by the hypnotist resulted in both Mr.
and myself becoming even
more anxious about the performance, especially when M5 representatives were
also counting on the performer's ability to help alter the behavior of the
audience beyond the bounds of the performance. Mr.
voiced his concerns
to Mr.
who indicated similar sentiments and lack of support for the
performance. Mr.
stated that he would not attend but would not
- Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/12/01 : NSA-RDP96X00790R000100030028-5

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/12/01 : NSA-RDP96X00790R000100030028-5
1
4 DEC 1980
prevent others in his organization from doing so if they choose to do so. On
3 December 1980, I consulted with
of CIA by phonecon regarding
the level of danger to be expected from such a performance, He stated that:
a. He did not expect any measurable long-term effects from either
the hypnotizing of deliberate subjects or unwilling subjects.
b. He agreed that people who were already susceptible to hypnotic
suggestion, would experience an increased susceptibility to
suggestion but expected it to be of short duration.
c. He expected the rare effect of having a person with psycholo-
gical difficulties use the hypnotic state as an escape and
refuse to return to a normal state might happen. But he con-
sidered that the event happening in such a controlled environ-
ment might be beneficial as such a person might just as well
use a more destructive means of escaping under other conditions
which are harder to detect and deal with effectively.
4. He did not expect even the use of posthypnotic suggestions or
prehypnotic suggestions (for enhancing security awareness) would
have any long term measureable effect.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/12/01 : NSA-RDP96X00790R000100030028-5