DRAFT - TRAINING FOR OPERATIONAL RELIABILITY

CIA-STARGATE

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Body:  Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001200160001-2
 DRAFT                            (;1 A5S1FtCATION
 2.    Training for Operational Reliability
 a.    Background
 Since the introduction of coordinate remote viewing (CRV)
 several years ago, it has been apparent that CRV is capable of yielding`
 highly accurate and useful data.  Examples include successful viewings of
 solid-propellant missile static test firings, the detection of underground
 nuclear tests, and detailed descriptions of Soviet and East-bloc military
 facilities.l
 There are, however, several instances of failures, in which
 the CRV description did not correspond to ground truth reality.   To deal
 with this variability, a special study program was undertaken with the
 goal of determining the factors that affect CRV reliability, and, to the
 degree possible, to develop procedures to minimize the deleterious effects
 of such factors.      We propose to continue to pursue these procedures by
 which it appears that the RV subject can gain control of his functioning
 and greatly increase his reliability.
 It was recognized at the outset that-there were two facets
 of the reliability problem that were of principal importance and would
 therefore have to be addressed:
 (1)   High Performance Potential.  Given that an individual
 exhibits a demonstrable CRV ability, is it possible
 to develop and train that ability beyond a neophyte status--
 that is, to greatly increase the SNR,accuracy, and
 reliability.               ~St~aRl +0 -JOTS,-  (2041a~
 CLASSIFICATION
 DRAFT
 Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001200160001-2
 Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RQP96-00788R001200160001-2
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 (2)   General Population Potent al.  Does the CRV process
 possess enough internal consistency to allow transfer
 and trainability across a broad base of individuals,
 to provide increased reliability based on the
 correlation of multiple CRV responses?
 Results of the study program to date are described below, and indicate
 b.    Signal-to-Noise Characteristics
 The anatomy of the CRV phenomenon has been under intense
 scrutiny at SRI for the past two years, and has centered about two areas:
 (1)   Observing and understanding the characteristics
 of the noise.
 (2)   Observing and categorizing the characteristics
 of the signals.
 The process of mapping out the noise characteristics of
 the CRV channel has been one of the principle tasks in our effort to isolate
 ,the factors involved.  Four major categories of noise have been identified
 in this process.  They are:
 (1)   Analytical Overlay.  As the CRVer becomes aware of
 the first few data bits (fragmentary perceptions),
 there appears to be a largely spontaneous and
 undisciplined rational effort on his part to extrapolate
 and "fill in the blanks," in a desire to resolve the
 ambiguity associated with the fragmentary nature of the
 emerging perception.  The result is premature internal
 analysis and interpretation on the part of the CRVer.
 Example:  An impression of an island is immediately
 interpreted as Hawaii.  To circumvent this, a procedure
 for disciplined rejection of premature interpretaions
 and conclusions is called for.
 (2)   Associational Overlay.  In addition to provoking premature
 interpretation and analysis, the incoming data bits appear
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 to stimulate pre-existing mental formations (memories
 and experiences) that are associationally related to
 the target material.  Example:  An impression of a round
 object triggers an image of a favorite childhood ball.
 The triggering of such associational overlays leads to
 imaginative, fantastic, and unreal images that divert,
 abort, or falsely embellish the picture being built up
 from the incoming psi data bits.  To overcome the effects
 of this type of overlay, training to recognize and
 discriminate against associational images is required.
 (3)   Monitor Overlay.  This consists of noise intruding
 into the CRVer's awareness inadvertently as a result
 of undisciplines talk or actions on the part of the
 session monitor or experimenter.  Examples cover a
 broad spectrum, ranging from, e.g., provocation of
 sailboat images by a casual pre-session discussion on
 sailing, to the subtle reinforcement (e.g., by body
 language) of certain responses that match the experi-
 menter's biases and preconceptions as to the nature of
 target; in short, any action on the part of the monitor
 that degrades the CRVer's attentiveness to the task at
 hand.  To bring this under control, a standardized
 monitor behavior must be introduced in which, for example,
 the monitor is restricted to the use of certain
 standard phrases during his monitoring of the CRV
 session.
 (4)   Environmental Overlay.  This type of overlay has its
 source in the physical surroundings of the CRV session.
 Specifically, conditions of the session chamber (e.g.,
 obtrusive shapes, sounds, visual highlights) are found
 to insinuate themselves into the CRV response.  A mundane
 example:   an after-image produced by a strong vertical
 line in the session chamber can lead to a predominant
 verticalllne in the "target" image.  More esoteric
 examples involve peripheral and subliminal perception
 of environmental features, since, as is known from the
 study of subliminal perception, information not processed
 at a conscious level can nonetheless infiltrate
 perceptual and thought processes.  Environmental overlay
 can be minimized by judicious control of environmental
 factors, such as by providing a relatively homogeneous
 visual field absent of strong features and peripheral
 clutter.
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 With regard to the signal characteristics of the CRV
 channel, a progressive multistage acquisition process appears to be
 ,developing.  The stages occur sequentially, and track the increasing
 'contact that the remote viewer makes with the target during the remote
 viewing session.  An example of the stages of elaboration of a target
 attribute can be seen in the following example, in which a viewer first'
 makes contact with the target in the form of a fundamental or archetypal
 data bit, and then through several stages eventually accumulates enough
 data bits so that he actually recognizes the target.  The various stages
 would start with the fundamental attribute--for example, circle.  Another
 `data bit might be its
 ndition--for example, land, surrounded by water.
 ecognition might then take place--"I see an island."  Then he might have
 feeling or"oensation--"humid, tropical."  A higher perception would be
 itunction--agricultural--foilowed b     alysis--Fiji Island.  Another
 example might be:
 attribute--"strong vertical;" condition--man-made;"
 `recognition--"building;" sensation--"height;" function--"municipal;"
 analysis--"Palo Alto City Hall."
 Success in the early stages of the process requires that
 a CRVer learn to "grab" incoming data bits while simultaneously rejecting
 all forms of overlay.  A strict and disciplined methodology to perform this
 delicate and difficult task has been developed and is presently being
 confirmed with four CRVers; No. 002, who was primarily responsible for
 ?developing the basic concept, and Nos. 009, 131, and 504, who are in the
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 .role of trainees with regard to this particular methodology.  The
 methodology centers around use of a specially designed acoustic-tiled
 featureless room with homogeneous coloring to minimize environmental
 overlay; adoption of a uniform, limited monitor behavior role to minimize
 monitor overlay; and the use of a strictly specified CRV procedure
 !involving repeated coordinate presentation and quick-reaction response
 of a data bit attribute--a procedure designed to minimize analytical
 CLASSIFIGAI ION
 DRAFT
 Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001200160001-2