RESOURCES FOR ASSESSMENT OF FOREIGN DEVELOPMENTS IN PARAPSYCHOLOGY

CIA-STARGATE

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Body:  Approved For Release 2003/04/18 : CIA-RDP96-00791R000100180001-8
 OSW R-054-95
 MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Intelligence
 FROM:
 SG11               Director o Scientific and Weapons Research
 SUBJECT:       Resources for Assessment of Foreign Developments
 in Parapsychology
 REFERENCE:     Memo for DDI fm D/OSWR, dtd 28 August 95, Re DI
 Work in Response to CDA on Parapsychology
 1.  Action Requested:  Your concurrence on the following statement of need for
 resources in the DI for assessment of foreign developments in parapsychology.
 2.  Background on Stargate:  At the direction of Congress, DIA's Stargate program,
 which focused on assessing the potential application of parapsychological
 phenomenon to intelligence, has been transferred to CIA. The DIA program and
 resources
 had three objectives:
 SG1 B   a.  Operations:  Attempts to use the parapsychological technique of remote
 viewing to collect intelligence on foreign targets.
 b.  Research and Development:  Laboratory studies to find ways to enhance the
 utility of remote viewing for  intelligence purposes.
 c.  Foreign Assessment:  The analysis of foreign  activities related to the
 development or use of paranormal   techniques that could affect US national
 security.
 SUBJECT: Resources for Assessment of Foreign Development in
 Parapsychology
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 3. Within CIA, the DS&T has been charged to respond to a CDA related to the
 Stargate program. The CDA asked for three things:
 a.  An assessment of the utility of remote viewing for  US intelligence.  This
 assessment is being conducted under  the direction of ORD/DS&T.
 SG1A
 b. An assessment of Russian parapsychological R&D. The
 assessment of the
 Russian parapsychology program is being  done by                now assigned at
 CIA who worked in  the operations part of the Stargate program.  I stated in my
 memo to you of 28 August the assessment is being done under the oversight of the
 6(311 NlO/S&T andl      of OSWR.
 SG1I
 c. A management plan for the use of Star ate resources  in CIA. The DS&T
 officer drafting the management plan             of ORD) has asked for an opinion
 from the NIO/S&T and OSWR regarding the need for resources for the assessment
 of foreign developments in parapsychology.
 4.  Based on OSWR's review of available data, I recommend the DI offer the following
 statement of need for the assessment of foreign developments in parapsychology:
 Need for Assessment of Foreign Parapsychology R&D
 A. We recommend that no DI resources be dedicated to the assessment of foreign
 developments in parapsychology.  Among the areas of science and sociological change
 we are monitoring, we view developments in parapsychology as a relatively low
 threat to the United States and, consequently, as a low priority among all the threats
 we are trying to monitor and assess.  The DI will, of course, continue to monitor all
 foreign scientific and sociological developments--including those in
 parapsychology--that could have implications for US national security.
 B. The assessment of Russian parapsychology R&D done this month at Congressional
 direction provides evidence of on-going research, as well as military sponsorship of
 at least some of the work.  In none of this Russian research do we see credible
 evidence of developments that could significantly add to the threat that Russia
 currently poses to US national security.
 SUBJECT:  Resources for Assessment of Foreign Developments in
 Parapsychology
 C.  A CIA assessment of 1977 showed that the Soviets at that time had a substantial
 parapsychology program whose existence was classified and whose funding and
 control resided largely with the Ministry of Defense and possibly the KGB.  The
 government of the USSR, however, apparently was unable to reap any benefits of
 consequence from its substantial investment,  Since the breakup of the USSR, the
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 Russian government evidently has cut back significantly its support for
 parapsychology R&D.
 D.  In our view, DI monitoring of foreign activities in parapsychology will be
 dramatically leveraged through coverage of the topic by Western academia.  The
 decline in Russian government funding of R&D, along with the dramatic opening of
 Russian society to contact with foreigners, has led to increased communication
 between Russian and US parapsychology researchers. And, as we have observed in
 other areas of Russian R&D, Russian researchers in parapsychology have become quite
 open in discussing their work with foreigners.  Indeed, the overwhelming majority of
 the evidence--and all key evidence--of Russian work in parapsychology since 1991
 comes from open sources (press and technical literature) and from US parapsychology
 researchers in contact with their Russian counterparts.  A focused intelligence
 collection effort would probably generate additional information, but we believe the
 value of such an effort would be negligible.
 5.  If you have questions or comments on this statement, please do not hesitate to
 give me a call on
 SG1 B
 SG1I
 CONCUR:
 Deputy Director for Intelligence            Date
 SUBJECT:  Resources for Assessment of Foreign Developments in
 Parapsychology
 Distribution:
 Orig - Addressee
 1- ADDS&T
 1 - Comptroller
 1 - D/OCA
 1 - C/MPSS
 1 - OSWR Chrono
 Approved For Release 2003/04/t83 CIA-RDP96-00791 R000100180001-8
 Approved For Release 2003/04/18 : CIA-RDP96-00791R000100180001-8
 1 - RD/OSWR
 1 - C/CDTD/OSWR
 SG1I OSWR/RDF             1(21 September 1995)
 SECRET
 NOFORN
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