SAIC-(4115)322-7960-Crealed: Monde Jul 1 1199511:50- Paqei 015
------------------ ---------------
W The Cognitive Sciences Laboratory
- ------------- W 'a
330 Coxper Skeet, Suite 200, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Voicc: 415.327.2007 - Fax. 415 -322.7960
An Employco-Owned Company e-mail: may(@@Idagard.saicnrp.coni,
Memo r a and u m
SG1 I Datc: 25 July 1995
To: I
From: Edvdn C. May, Ph.D.
Re. SAIC Experiment Database
SG1 I Cc: I I Michael Mumford, Pli.D. andAudy Rose, Ph.D. (AIR)
I have been asked to identify a complete list of experiments that were conducted at Science
Applications International Corporation (SAIQ from 4 February 1991 thiough 30
September 1994. This memorandum lists the experiments, de-scill bes their justit ication, and
tabulates their overall results. In addition, complete references to the original reports vvill
be provided.
Background
It i- instructive tn understand the context in which SAIC was contracted to condilct research
into anomalous mental phenomena. the example of the previous Cognitive
Sciences Program at 3KI International, we were asked to cre'ate a Scientific oversight
(2omnuttee (SOC) that would be actiVely involved -in monitoring the research. Thv@ SOU5
charter was to:
- Review and approve a detailed written protocol, including all statistical analyses, for each
proponed experiment.
- 1@xcreise unannounced -drop-in7prlvileaes to o6serve experinientsin Progress.
Review, in written form, the final reports and the conclusion of each study.
Provide guidelines for future research.
To compt-
y with a Congres.91-aiiat-difected requirement, the first I-our months ofthe contract
were used to prepare a 5-year integrated research plan. Following that, technical and
human-u,se protocols had to be offilcially approved before any experimentation could begin.
T hus, data collection began in January 1992. Experiments continued, albeitwith gaps to
prepare and,@;eck approval for moree protocols, through March, 1994.
All approved technical and human-u&e (i.e-, Institutional Review Board) protocol
documenta, final report,-,, and SOC comments aw on file with the, sponsor cmd are available
for review.
Paqa 1
Approved For Release 2003/09/16 : CIA-RDP96-00791 R000200190076-4
SAIC - (415) 322-7960 - Crealed: Monday, July 31, 1995 11:50 - Paqe 2 of 5
----------------- ----------------
Experiment Database Summary
All experiments may be found in one of two documents or additionally in separate
publications:
(1) May, E. C., Luke, W, L. W., and Lantz, N. D. (3 February 1993).
PhenOme"010Aical Research and Analysis. Final Report: 6.2 and 6-3.
(2) May, I-,- ('-, I Aike, W. I- W-, and James, (7- 1,- (Z9 81rptembrr 1994)-
Phenomenological Reseatch and Analygis. Final Re port.
Ten experiments were conducted by 'SAN' under government contract- These experiments
include all pilot and formal series, and they contain all the trials that were conducted (i.e.,
there, is no file- cluniver problem, by definition) Table 1 shows the summary inforrrintion
for the 10 SAW experiments.
Table 1.
,-,Al(-' Experiment Daug base (1991-1994)
Number	Expeniment	Reference	Tfiids	Effect size	
I	Target elmndencies	1(11-30)	200	0. 124--@- 0.071	0.040
2	AC of Binary Targets	1(31-38)	300	0. 123+0.058	0@017
3	MFG Rplicat;on	1(39-48)	12,000--,	MCE	NICE
4	AC With Binary Coding	1(49--56)	40	-0-067:rD- 158	0.66-4
5	AC in Lucid Dreanis (B-Line)	1(58-60)	24	O.M&-0.204	0.333
6	AC in Lucid Dreams (Pilot)	1(58-60)	21	0.36&tO.218	0.(K6
7	-Remote Observation	2 (2-3)	48	0.361:&0.144	0.006
8	ERD LEG Inve5tigation	'2 (3 - I I )	7,000s	IVICE	IVICE
9	ERD AC Behavior	20-11)	70	0.303--tO. 120	0.006
10
L-	EutmR
YJ1 1	
2(11-12).	
90	
O-SSO--0.105 1	
9.1.10-8
Reletences are shown as Documcrit Number (Begirming-Final Page). Throse experime, nts
that aie underlined may also be found elvewheye. Experiment& I and 10 have been
published in the peer-revieNved journal, Journal of Paralikychology, Vol. 58. 285-3 02, and
experiment number 7 may be found in art Institute of Noetic Sciences publication. (These
additional documents have, been niade availabIc, to the, review team.)
Experiments 3 and 8 were physiologically oriented and the number of trials shown is the
approximate number of stimuli.
'nie effect size and its associated p-value is computed across all conditions and acrosg all
subjemg and is provided as a conservative guideline!
For this casual mQta-unalysis, I combinW, post hoc, thc rusulta across rcceiYvY3 and vQnditivrw. With
soine eXceptions, it is not my policy to conibine data across individuals. I believe this is incorrect if one
ig gtudying the paranieters of exceptional perfortnance.
Paqq 2
Approved For Release 2003/09/16 : CIA-RDP96-00791 R000200190076-4
nAiu-(4iz@)jze-tmnu-"reaiea@ ivioncay. juiyii, i-:1= i rtju- t-a9ejoTo
---------------------------------- ()9rjy.-Crx_RDPS6--iOO79 TROO0200t9WEr-4 ----------------
Approved For Releai@i_TOM
Experiment Details
Thi,g section includes the raigon d',"Itm and conclusions for each experiment listed in Table
1. The protocol details may be found in the technical proposalsq to the ',-',OC and 1_11 the
forrnal descriptions either in the primary two reports or their associated publications.
1. Target and Sender Dependencies
In anonialous cognition (AQ3 experiments, it L- important to know if the quality of the data
depend upon whether a second individual (i.e., a sender) is focusing attention on the target
material. 'Secondly, itis claimed in the Ganzfeld literature that dynamic targets ('i.e., video
clips) axe "bettei'taygets than axe static ones (i.e., photographs).
We found that a neinder is -not a necessitry condition for good AO. and, contrary to fhe
Ganzfeld results, we found that static targets produced stronger AC than did the dynamic
onr,,.q- In addition, we, tound a significant correlation -anth thn quality of AC and thr,
grad;ent of Shannon entropy for dic stat;c targets. The effect s;ze quoted ;n Ta6le I is
computedacross sender and target conditions.
These result% led to Ote publication of Managing the Target-Pool Ba_nclwidth. Possible
Noise Reductinn for Anomalous Cognition Experiments, Journal of Paralisychology , Vol -
SH, 303-313 anda revLsed version of' Shannon Entropy as an Intrinsic Target Propetty:
Toward a Reductionist Model of Anornalous Cognition, in press, Journal of
ParapsychQlogy and Appendix D -in document numb-@r 2.
2. Enhancing Detection of AC of Binary Targets
There area few examptes in the literature that quggest that inforniation theory and ef cor
correction may incre&9e the de tection of AC. This experiment was, designed to enhance,
binary hitting rate by applying sequential analysis to a sequence of single AC decisions at
the, binary bit level- Twn novices receivers and one, experienced one, contribilled 100
overall binary trials.
The, rXpvnencPd recciver (i-c-, -5.11) who had ti-rodncedsignificant results in 8R I '-, random
number getterator experiment in 1979, produced a significant result in this experiment-
Although this individual's result was significant at the 10 `7 level, the effi ciency vkas lo-%v.
That Is, 213 individual binary calts, were required to eventually at-rive at a suigie, sequential
analysis decision. The effect size and p-value shown in Table I are computed for all thtee
reccivcts; howevpr, the s1M111&ant qvmbllied re,-xilt Is exclu5iVely because of recelver 53 1.
3. Magneioencepholograph Replication
At the close of the SRI hiternational Cognitive Sciences Program, Aday et 0. reported
significant neuromagnetic responses to sennorially and ph-
ysically isolated image gtimuli.
The, stimuli lasted for 100 nis and consisted of spatially low frequency sinnsoidal grating-
This expeiimeut was tin extensive ieplication attenipt with substwitinfly mote, data-
Although the prelitnittaiy results were promising , there -was no statistical evidence of an
cttect. That. is the, efloTtand control conditions wnre, statistically inseparahle. and vair, was
A definition of termg may he fomid in the Olossoty at the end of t1li- M emorandum
Page 3
Approved For Release 2003/09/16 : CIA-RDP96-00791 R000200190076-4
:WG i841@5)M Y& -4
---------------- 322 tt6VM%~~A-"Pl96!lOWg4ROQ%2M90076
- ------------------------------------------------------
eXere'sedso that the CNPefin1Cnt posscssed sull'ii.., statiAical power that an cffcctof the
magnitude of the SRI study would have been easily seen,
Afte-r the, fact, a MaJQr fatal flaw was disouvelvd in thW, and in the earlier experiment. The,
SOC, the neuroscience staff at Los Alan-tog National Laboratory, and the staff of the
Cognitive Sciciice4s Laboratoiy all failed to recognize the error. The dependent variable was
the instantaneous pliase shift of the dominant alpha rhythm concomitant with the stimulus.
The <_,'rammer-Rao condition, which sets lovver ]I mits an the variance in such meanurements,
prevented us from seeing an effect, even if one existed.
This, experiment, provided gignificaint insight in the desi gn of the next attempt to identif@- a
central nervous system correlate to AC.
4. Enhancing Detection of AC vvfth Binary Coding
The Yeason for this experinteut was to develop a message sending algorithm using Ac.
gets of five dichoton'lles were identified in our standwd target pool (e. g., niountains versus
flat) to act as "binary" bits in a standard two-by-five, error correcting block code-
111419 experinymt produced no statistical evidence of AC, attlic-ugh the statistical power was
q uite low. Each of five reccivers contributed only eight trials. Receivers' individual cffect
sizes ranged from -0.&';9 to 0. 224.
The primary purpose was to use the error correction to "send a message .- The effect size
shown inTable I Is computed across all five receivers.
S. AC in Lucid Dreame (Beeeline)
In a pilot series to determine if AC can be enhance d in the altered state known as a lucid
drearri(i.c., adivani in which the dreamer becomes aware thatshe orhe is drearning an can
signal the waking world of this a-.varencss). Three of the receivers were Lucidity Institute
pvx@,ounel had not been PTCV1011MY mynived in AUvNprYirnrnts_
Each of these receivers contributed eight AC trial-,. One Produced solid evidence for AC
6.e., MSI@0.265). The effect. sizesfrom the remain inge two receivers cannot be obtained
without consulting the raw analysis data; thus, the value in Table 1 assumes an effect size
of 0.0 fQr each of IhQ, thew rect:@ivers.
6. AC In Lucid Dreams (Pilot)
Twenty one trials -,vere conduced in this pilot study. The conditions were not -ideal in that
each dreamer was allowed to take the intended target home for the night. Each target was
doubly scaled in opaque envelopes and cQvert thrcads were- attached W indicate any
potential tampering. This breach of supervision was tolerated because of the additional
benefit of the receivors being con4ortable, in their own beds. The cfrect size shown in
Table I was computed from the rank-order analysis across 21 trials.
7. Autonomic Detection of Remote Obnorvation
N-1nny of tile, experiment conducted in the, Vnrmer Union suggest thttt
biological systems make excellent targets for anomalous perturbation (AP). 'This particular
experiment involves an isolated sender a ttempting to physiologically arouse a senssorially
and isolated wcelvQr. The state Q1, arousal Is measured by electrodvi-mal activity,
Page 4
Approved For Release 2003109116: CIA-RDP96-00791ROO0200190076-4
SAIC - (415) 32L--MQ - Crealed@ Mond V, J4-Ul
90076-4
----------------- Approved- for4lelease .2-00390:1-11 ; _UA_ -----------------------
This experiment succe"s-dully replicated the early work and lendssupport. tor thr, claims in
t he F,;@ U .
S. Central Nervous System Response to AC SiEjnals
Certerally, there is ito known hunian activity that does itot interrupt the production of alpha
rhythm. This -includes responding to external stimull, Intertial mental activity, or
intentionally moving a body part. We assurried, therefore, that AC would also interrupt
alpha. Improving on earlier experiments, we coHoct EEQ data and standard behavioral AC
data that could be analyzed in the usual way. In addition, event related desynchronizations-
MRD) resulting from directsitimulation by the ACtarget during the feedback pliane of a
trial were used as templates for match filters. These filters are the most sensitive way to
f6r the. assumed similar ERD in the EEGT rec"rd that was
cnIlected during the, AC
portion of the trial.
We. have rinly analyzed one, FK4 lead and tonind no evidence, ot an AU-indiiccd KRl)_
When tirne anJ resources 6ecome avallable, we will finish the analysis for the remaining
leads.
Regardless of the outcome of this analysis, it will be a 'useful result; it is almost as
interesting if there, is no ERD while there is significant evidence fo r A(---
9. ERD AO Behavior
Sevent j
y tvials were btind 'vidged by the rank-order technique. Two of the recelver
produced independently significant results, but the effect size shown in Table I is the
combined rosult for all three mccivem
10. The Gradient of Shannon's Entropy
This experiment is a replication of the entropy and target-type portion of Experiment 1.
The prolovol wassilbstantially improved by nar rowing the torget7pool handwidth and hy
monitoring the sessions. Conceptually, the entropy result appeared to replicate; that-6, the
larger the Shannon entropic gradient in the target, the better the AC. The significantly
stronger ellect size in the dynanuic targets reflect the Improved protocol. Because the
significant correlation primarily came from the target difference, it is premature to assure
that the gradient of- the entropy -is the deciding I-acItor. Added to the nianuscript for
publication, were the successful Moute Carlo results that favorably support this hypothesis,
however. The effect size shown in Table I was cornputed across, target type and receiver,
Comments
By definition, this data set does not contain a so-called file draiver problem. That is, all the
data from tht- 'S'AIC databmv were Includcd for exanu'nation. . For thv six -,xPenmVilts that
used a more traditional AC protocol, regardless of conditions, the weighted (by number of
trials) effect size is 0.2'-30=0.047 in 455 trials (p = 5.7,,10-7).*
All these experirnenU had twen approved by the SOC and IRB.
Paq9 6
Approved For Release 2003/09/16 : CIA-RDP96-00791ROO0200190076-4
Approved For Release 2003/09/16 : CIA-RDP96-00791 R000200190076-4
GLOSSARY
Not all the terms defined below are germane to this report, but they are included here for
completeness. In a typical anomalous mental phenomena, (AMP) task, we derme:
* Anomalous Co nition (AC)-A form of Int'Orniation transfer in which all know sensorial
stimull are abs @ That is some indivicluals, are able to gain access to@ information by an
au yet unknown proces&. Thi& 15 also known as Rqmote- VieNvin_q_kRV) and
Clairvoyance.
- Agent-An individual who attempts to influence a target system by mental means alone.
9 Analvst-An individual who provides a quantitative measure of AC. This individual
usually is blind to experimental conditions and the intended target.
* Anornaloua Perturbation (A P)-A torm ot interaction with matter in which all known
physical nicchanism3 are ab3cut. That is, some individuals are able to influence matter
by an as yet unknown process. This is also known as chokinesiss (PKI.
- Beacon-Art individual who, whilc receiving direct Bensorial sitimuli from an intended
target, act3 as a focus, of attention for the receiver in AC experiments.
- Compute Assisted Sea=1__(CA_S)-The use of computer- geneiated options which are
Julked to real-world objects in a Search task.
Feedback -After a response has been secured, information about lie intended target is
displayed to the receiver or agent.
Monitor- An individual who Tnonitors and AM1' session to facilitate data collection.
Noise-Incorrvet elements in an AC respou-,@e.
Protoco -A ternplatta for conducting a structured data Collection session.
Receiver-An individual who attempts to perceive by AC and report information about a
sensorially isolated target. A Receiver is also known as a Subject or -Perc*p ent.
- Re-Vowse-Material that is produced dining an AC'session-
- ISO -The, Inverse, of AC. That -12, WWII a known targct, dc-te-Y1111-ae it* location. Th-
- Wqh is
M ab9c, known as, Dowsing.
- Sender-An individual who, while receiving direct sensorial stimuli from an intended
target, act-, as a putative transmitter of that information to the receiver in AC experiments.
Session -A time intenial during ixhich ANIP data are collected.
tipecmIty-A given receiver's ability to be particularly 3uccesstul with a given class ot
targets (e-g-, penpleas opposed to bultdings)@
Tzxget-An iterri thatis the focus oran AMPtask (e.g., p-orson, place, thing, event).
Targetl3jesignation -A method by which a specific target, against the back-drop of all
other porqible tArRet!;, is identified to tile receiver geogi-A-Phieal e0ordinateg).
Trial -The smallest unit of data to be analyzed.
Page 6
Approved For Release 2003/09/16 : CIA-RDP96-00791 R000200190076-4