SG1 I
                                         Approved For ReMOse 2000108107 : CIA-RDP96-00 R000400070009-4
    ~O
    ORD _23;
    MEMORANDUM FOR:
    SUBJECT: Requirements Relating to Paranormal Research
    1. Phenomenology:
         A. I would recommend that research in this area be directed
    toward ascertaining for each mode or kind of phenomena
    the limits, or limiting factors, associated with operational
    range, sensitivity, and selectivity. Associated with the
    range question is the nature of impedance and whether
    range varies linearly, nonlinearly--or perhaps nonrationally.
             B. In addition to these basic characteristics, their relation
                ships should be considered in terms of mode dependence.
    For example, sensitivity might have one kind of meaning
    with respect to telepathy and a different connotation in
    psychokenesis. In the case of selectivity, to what extent
    can the activities of an individual be differentiated from
    a group--at what range?
         C. A variety of factors would intuitively seem to be important
    in this research including: age, sex, other physiological
    characteristics, psychological characteristics, heredity,
    cultural background, etc. In addition, a variety of
    temporal relationships should be investigated, e.g. when
    performance in one mode is at a high level, is performance
    in other modes exceptional, unaffected, or downgraded?
    If learning is evident in some mode, are other modes also
    enhanced?
         D. All of the above are intended to illustrate only the
    wide spectrum of relationships which should be considered
    in the design of any experiments and in data gathering and
    processing.
         E. At present it would seem that many tests would have to be
    tailored to the particular subject and that the test for
    limits of capability in one individual might be different
    than for others.
    Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00787ROO0400070009-4

    
                                           Approved For Rele~* 2000108107 : CIA-RDP96-00787ROO0400070009-4
          VW
          SUBJECT: Requirements Relating to Paranormal Research
               F. A particularly impprtant consideration to be kept in mind
          in investigating the phenomena is that information is
          weightless.
          2. Application:
               This area of research is strongly dependent, of course, on
          what can be learned about the phenomenology, especially the
          limiting factors In range, sensitivity, etc. Most of the potential
          applications are obvious. In some cases, however, it might be
          possible to do entirely new things, such as locating some kinds
          of mineral deposits, etc.
          3. Elucidation:
               A. To the extent possible it would seem advisable to employ
          the maximum possible instrumentation In any test. It'would be
          important, of course, to determine whether this Instrumentation
          had any effect on the performance of any of the several modes.
          Even with lots of time, lots of money, and lots of instrumentation,
          as well as a reasonable number of subjects, it should not be
          anticipated that anything approaching a comprehensive theory
          could be quickly developed. The most ambitious approach would be
          to associate the paranormal phenomena with physical phenomena in
          such a way as to lead to the development of a general field theory.
          Since this remains to be done in well-behaved areas such as physics,
          success along these lines would seem highly unlikely--but, on the
          other hand, experimental data from paranormal tests might provide
          new and helpful Insights in older, well-established fields.
               B.
          or rules
          and the
                            At most it might be possible
                             over the next few years to
                            observed performance limits.
          SG1 I
          to develop a few equations
          relate the modes of performance
          Approved For Release 2000108101 : CIA-RDP96-00787ROO0400070009-4

         SG1 I
         Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00787ROO0400070009-4
         Next 1 Page(s) In Document Exempt
         Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00787ROO0400070009-4