Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788RO01 100360001 -1 rE C E R "E T S-15,083/DT-5A 4 MAR THRU: VP Background Paper for SUBJECT: Recent Advertio Publicity on Parapsychological Research (U) Ir 1. (S) PURPOSE: To provide background on the recent adverse publicity in the event quesFil-ons are raised regarding possible relationship to the DoD GRILL FLAME project. 2. (S) POINTS OF MAJOR INTEREST: a. (S) SUMMARY: A well-known magician recently released a story to TV and the press cT-aiming that he succeeded in a hoax involving parapsychological research. This magician, Mr. James Randi, claimed that parapsychological researchers at an academic facility in St. Louis, Missouri, were taken in by trickery, and that most, if not all of parapsychological research is suspect. These claims are in fact gross distortions, since the researchers involved never stated they had observed evidence of psychic ability in formal experiments. Since this controversy may raise questions on this research area in general, the basic difference between the academic laboratory under attack and the DoD GRILL FLAME contractor (SRI International) are also discussed. It is shown that considerable differences exist, and that this recent negative publicity should not have any adverse impact on the GRILL FLAME project. b. (U) DISCUSSION: (1) (U) Some aspects of parapsychological research in an academic laboratory have recently come under attack by a well-known magician, Mr. James Randi. In a press conference on 28 January 1983, Mr. Randi revealed details of a hoax that he had designed to show weakness in the experimental techniques and protocol of the McDonnell Laboratory for Psychical Research, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri. This hoax involved two teenage "plants," under Mr. Randi's tutelage, who attempted to demonstrate apparent psychic ability by use of trickery. This hoax spanned a 3-year period, and amounted to about 5 weeks of laboratory testing time. (2) (U) Mr. Randi, in the January 1983 press release, claimed that the McDonnell Laboratory had been duped and that the researchers had fallen for a major hoax. These statements by Randi have received considerable TV and press attention recently (for example, see The Washington Post article on 1 March 1983, page 1: "Magicians Score a Hit on 5cientific Researchers.") 7 (Z) -D Approved For Release 2000/08/07 CIKI~T6-00788RO01 100360001 -1 Approved For Release 2000X~ _.:101 N_ift"r59r00788R001 100360001 -1 (3) (U) While it is true the McDonnell Laboratory researchers never declared publicly that they suspected a hoax was in progress, and even though they thought some of the early preliminary investigations (not formal scientific experiments) showed promise, they never claimed nor published anything that remotely indicated these teenagers had valid psychic ability. In a 1 September 1981 press release, the laboratory researchers summarized their work with these two individuals by the following: "... thus, although several events of interest have transpired, we do not claim that evidence conclusive of "psychic ability" has yet been demonstrated in our research." In fact, the McDonnell Laboratory discontinued research with these individuals in July 1982 when it became clear that they could not demonstrate psychic abilities under the tight controls of formal scientific experimentation. (4) (U) Thus, it is apparent that Mr. Randi has presented an extremely 1M1_U view of this hoax attempt. He even claims that all parapsychological research is of , questionable value. Most TV and press coverage thus far also reflect these views. As a result, the general public is given highly biased perspectives of this research area in general. This could generate negative reactions toward all parapsychological research, even for those laboratories where controls are tight and where unsolicited subjects are not accepted. (5) (U) It is clear Mr. Randi is solely interested in promoting his image as a clever magician, and in enhancing his career as a showman, at the expense of reporting accuracy. The use of tactics involving "plants" raises significant ethical issues as well. c. (S) POSSIBLE QUERIES: This issue is brought to your attention in anticipation of questions that may arise during discussions with representatives of Congress regarding DoD GRILL FLAME activities. These people may associate the McDonnell Laboratory work with all parapsychological research (including the SRI effort). There are considerable differences between the McDonnell Laboratory research and the SRI effort in this field. d. (S) COMPARISON TO GRILL FLAME PROJECT: The DoD GRILL FLAME project relies on an on-site (DIA) monitor to insure that tight experimental protocols are in fact followed, and the target material used in the experiments or sessions is never disclosed until after all data is recorded. The types of experiments receiving the most severe attack by Mr. Randi involve psychokinesis (PK), an aspect of parapsychology that is not examined under the SRI contract. PK experiments of the type conducted at the McDonnell Laboratory are inherently more difficult to fraud-proof than the investigations involving long distance remote viewing pursued at SRI. In additiion, the people used as remote viewers are not from open public volunteer sources. They have a long- time association with SRI personnel and are known to have extremely high ethical standards. E T Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788RO01 100360001 -1 ""_'(ET8R001 100360001 -1 Approved For Release 2000/08/0 rQ1 ~- ~_ 3. (U) EXPECTED DEVELOPMENTS: a . (S) Consequently, this recent adverse publicity to the field of para- psychology should not have any adverse impact on the GRILL FLAME project. It should in fact have an overall beneficial effect on open parapsychological laboratories that are not as tight in experimental technique and subject selection as they could be. b. (U) Should it become necessary, additional background can be provided on this matter. 4. (U) RECOMMENDATION: None. PREPARED BY: APPROVED BY: Jack Vorona~acl Oe,~e_ DT X45860 SG1J X41157 2 Enclosures 1. The Washington Post Article, 1 Mar 83, "Magicians Score a Hit on Scientific Researchers" (U) 1 Cy 2. "Public Statements on Research .... 11 1 Sep 81, McDonnell Laboratory for Psychical Research, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri (U) 1 Cy 3 N B O'Lu N ET Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788RO01 100360001 -1 Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788RO01 100360001 -1 End 1 Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788RO01 100360001 -1 Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788RO01 100360001 -1 CPYRGHT CPYRGHT Magicians Score a Hit On Scientific Researchers Philip J. Hilts gton Post Staff Writer During more than 120 hours of experiments in a university lab in St. Louis, two young men performed amazing feats. They bent dinnerware, moved objects without touching them, spun rotors protected by glass- covered.." cases, moved the hands of watches and made a digital watch go haywirl~ They saw through shielded envelopes. They made tiny fuses burn out suddenly, they created weird im- ages on film. All were fakery. More than three zars after the beginning of e experi- ments, magician James Randi exposed the feats as one of the slyest scientific hoaxes in years. Randi said he masterminded the hoax to show that scientific research oil psychic powers is not as scientific as it should be and that psychic researchers refuse the help of niagiciafis to design experiments flint prevent fakery. Physicist, Peter R. Phillips, director of' the laboratory where the ho"IX occlirri'd, said flo JV_4 5t-/ I'C:~:;, - trusted his research Subjects completely and feels "there are ethiCai issues involved" in lying to reseirchers. At one point, lie said, he was "80 percent Sure" the psychic powers of tile young men were real. Now he Says, I Should have taken [Randi's] help earlierLbUt lie added that he was glad that in tile end "we never made any conclusive ClaillIS" in print about tile psychics. From flow oil, lie said, lie doesn't intend to accept psychic subjects from Out Of tow", 'I'd will chock tile back- vround of' thost. %vitil whorn lie works. Many experimetits in ps\,cjli(~ S(-C IWAX, A7, Col. 5 Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP9"~` 1 W - 0, ".W,* . %.0 JAMES RANDI ... warned of "psychic" trickery CPYRGHT ,ri w WAS I I ING 1110N P OST 1183 t UL I t Ly Scientists Are By Not-,So-Psychtcs HOAX, From Al research have been "entirely too lax," ,said Robert Morris of Syracuse Uni- versity, one of those most respected by believers in psychic research. Hel- mut Schmidt of the Mind Sciences Foundation in Texas, another re- r searcher respected in the told, agreed that "most paiap3ychological research is not the tightest, possible research." With' arguments aside about methods and ethics, both Randi and Phillips now agree: the hoax was worthwhile. It should put future re- searchers on their guard. . The hoax, which was revealed in the March issue of Discover, a sci- ence magazine, began in November, 1979, when two young magicians showed tip, separately, at Washing- ton University's McDonnell Labo- ratory for Psychical Research, each claiming to be a psychic of great power. The scientists at McDonnell, after observing the magicians bend forks over dinner the first night, accepted their story and began., running the two through scientific experiments to test their powers. At times, the magicians said, the whole hoax was in danger, and one missing staple almost ended it. In that experiment, magician Mi chael Edwards, now 23, was given specially insulated envelopes and asked to deseribe the ictures inside. p The envelope,; were closed with sta- pi", and Edwards was sent alone into a quiet roorn "to concentrate" on the ililages. llt~, qmCkly pulled out the staples, looked at tile pictures, replaced and t1le q~)I)Jes ~) look the way dlc~,y had orivilially. ktii i(~ his horr(jr, "I dropiwd one (d Ihe "Inples", l"Amirds said, "it, was (hik In the t-omn. And I Just couldn't !'Ind Il'', %Ylli'll III, lefl the room Ile %V;P~ "IM, his careel, ;Is a p.4yehic had ellded. Thinking quickly, just before the envelope was opened, Edwards spoke up; -He asked for one more "feet" of the envelope. He held it a moment, put on a concentration act, then announced its contents and ripped open the envelope himself so the missing staple would not be de- tected. The episode was scored as a psychic "hit", he said. There Were other times when the experiments were changed and the magicians had to invent new tricks on the spot, or suddenly claim "bad vibrations" and beg off the,6xpqri- ment. But early on the coax seemed to be working. Physicist Phillips, the chief scien- tist at McDonnell, says he was taken in for a couple of years. But finally, after hearing a rumor that the young performers were fakes, and accepting sonic help from Randi, the experi- ments were tightened up consider- ably, Suddenly, the psychic powers'lie had seen for two years vanished. The whole scheme was cooked up in 1,979 by Randi, the stage name of James Zwinge, the magician and in- defatigable hunter of psychic fakery. To make it more interesting, Randi worked both sides of the trick. On the one hand, he sent the two magicians to Washington University, which had been given funds to set tip the McDonnell laboratory specif- ically to run psychic claims through a battery of rigorous scientific tests. And on the other liand, lie also sent 22 letters to those being lictaxed , I I I warning against tile Young niell S tricks, offering (o )lelp, ~Illd skiggest- ilil" specific tilet'hods of cnk-Ill it, f"Ikerv. Hi, insirlich'd lilt, v"llng that, it Ihcv were cvcr :islwd whether they were faking, tlicV. should admit it Immediately. Phil- lips, never asked directly, Randi Said. Phillips Said lie (foes not feet foolish or cheated by. being the of)- jqct of a hoax, but "exhilarated" be- cause in the end lie did not publish any wrong final scientific papers and finally reached the proper conClU- sion. It was a very near thing, however. The early report said, "Two" ap-, parently powerful subjects ... have presented themselves to McDonnell Laboratory for Psychical Research'' .... Both experimenters [Phillips and Mark Shafer) have obs6rved ap parent psychokinetic metal -bending on numerous occasions, with 'and without contact by the subjects. In [Phillips] first session with Michael Edwards, he and three others each in turn placed several straight keys in their closed fists and asked,-,Mi- chael Edwards t6 influence them .... Edwards was never allow6d contact with the keys, and in dach instance, when the hand was opened on6 of the keys was discovered bent." Edwards said that he sin;iply picked up the keys when atterition was diverted and bent them. Phillips wrote, "Both subj' ects seem able to affect photographic film to the extent of producing streaks or blotches of light." The rna- gicians said they simply lifted t the lens cap and snapped pictures When the experimenter's attention was di- verted. Phillips also wrote of the bending of a 156-inch metal rod that 'was laid in a lucite mold. When in'the mold, "The.-rod can be touched abut not so that one can physically influ- ence it." The young magicians " hys- I P icilly influenced it" by bending' it before it was dropped into the mold, they said. They held it at an angle that inade it took straight, and w' th Iny8tiCal InUmbo-junibo gradually- rotated the rod so it ~ippcmcd to Ile bending. Randi's code nainf, for the whole hoax was "proJect alpha". Now, lie %V;irns psvchlcal rem"archers, il .1 Pro Jek,( hel~l- i" alru;IdY 1111d(.1 waY, Aftei beki, "I can g() right down the alpll;k ii, jid witIl refish. Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788RO01 100360001 -1 Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788RO01 100360001 -1 End 2 Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788RO01 100360001 -1 SG1 D Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788RO01 100360001 -1 Next 1 Page(s) In Document Exempt Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788RO01 100360001 -1