OVERALL SUMMARY OF SRI STUDIES TO DATE

CIA-STARGATE

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The document is a summary of the SRI studies conducted as part of the CIA's Stargate program. It highlights several positive characteristics of remote viewing, including the development of a successful protocol for remote viewing, the ability to view distant targets, insensitivity to time and distance, the ability to perceive real-time, movement-containing activities, and the potential for untrained subjects to improve their remote viewing abilities. However, the document also acknowledges negative characteristics, such as the lack of sufficient experimental detail in research reports, conflicting and inaccurate reporting of experimental facts, and methodological weaknesses in local and long-distance target procedures. The document concludes that while the SRI studies have caused reputable scientists to accept the existence of remote viewing, further replication of the procedures and improvements in the methodology are necessary to establish the unquestionable validity of the phenomenon. The need for an objective evaluation of all responses, based on target elements rather than subjective matching, is emphasized.

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Body:  Approved For Release 2003/09/10 :.CIA-RDP96-00788 R001200230039-3
 approximate the transcript :than would even Yankee Stadium, although no
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 Overall Summary of SRI Studies to Date
 It is recognized that many details, interpretations, and comments
 regarding the SRI experiments would be lengthy and perhaps difficult to
 comprehend, certainly impossible to present in a short report such as
 this.   However, several concluding statements appear warranted and justified.
 These are as follows.
 Positive characteristics.
 1,   A protocol has been developed within which apparently successful
 remote viewing of local and long-distance targets has been demonstrated.
 (The weaknesses of this protocol were discussed in the above evaluation.)
 2.   Many of the results, particularly the long-distance results,
 are difficult to explain except by the'prese.nce of a paranormal, remote
 viewing ability (or by use of uncontrolled experimental procedures).
 3.   The demonstrated remote viewing ability appears to be insensitive
 to time and distance.
 4.   Real-time, movement-containing activities can apparently be seen
 through this ability.
 5.   Untrained subjects can apparently demonstrate this ability and
 improve with practice, often providing information as valid as that of
 known "sensitives."
 6.   The remote viewing channel is apparently quite noisy.  Concepts
 of information theory pertinent to S/N improvement appear to apply to this
 channel as well.
 Approved For Release 2003/09/10 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001200230039-3
 Approved For Release 2003/09/10 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001200230039-3
 Negative Characteristics.
 1.   Research reports are of behavioral data, yet are not presented
 n,
 with sufficient, rigorous experimental detail appropriate to behavioral
 science publications and acceptable to behavioral scientists.
 2.   Conflicting, inaccurate reporting of experimental "facts"
 detracts from the acceptability of the results.
 3.   Large methodological weaknesses in the local target and long-
 distance U.S. target procedures provide alternate (i.e., non-paranormal)
 possibilities of explanation.
 Conclusions
 There is little doubt that SRI has done much to cause reputable
 scientists to accept the existence of the remote viewing phenomenon, yet
 simultaneously to question the validity of all the results.   The main
 benefit of these studies has been to cause renewed attention to and
 interest in this phenomenon, and to encourage the allocation of substan-
 tial amounts of research monies to support future activities.   Without
 quesatJon, tlu, SI2I procedures must be replicated elsewhere to establish
 f
 unquestionable validity of the phenomenon.
 Simultaneously, the procedures to be used must be improved upon and
 modified to eliminate questions deriving from the existing protocol and
 procedures.  Mere replication of the current protocol, without elimination
 of these methodological flaws, will provide no additional useful informa-
 tion or results.                                             Of primary importance in revision of this methodology
 is the need to establish objective report accuracies, based upon target
 elements rather than upon subjective matching.   That is, an objective
 evaluation of all responses is required, one which is not subject to
 individual interpretation by judges or experimenters.
 Approved For Release 2003/09/10 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001200230039-3