Remote Viewing

Cold Open: This is a declassified document from the American Institutes for Research, dated September 29, 1995. The document is an evaluation of remote viewing research and applications, conducted by a panel of experts. The evaluation was initiated prior to transferring a remote viewing program to a new sponsoring organization within the intelligence community. The document is available at theblackvault.com and war.gov. Provenance: The document was released on March 1, 2015, through a Freedom of Information Act request. The release authority is not specified in the document. The Document: AN EVALUATION OF REMOTE VIEWING: RESEARCH AND APPLICATIONS MICHAEL D. MUMFORD, PHD ANDREW M. ROSE, PHD DAVID A. GOSLIN, PHD PREPARED BY THE AMERICAN INSTITUTES FOR RESEARCH SEPTEMBER 29, 1995 Executive Summary: Studies of paranormal phenomena have nearly always been associated with controversy. Despite the controversy concerning their nature and existence, many individuals and organizations continue to be avidly interested in these phenomena. The intelligence community is no exception: beginning in the 1970s, it has conducted a program intended to investigate the application of one paranormal phenomenon - remote viewing, or the ability to describe locations one has not visited. Conceptually, remote viewing would seem to have tremendous potential utility for the intelligence community. Accordingly, a three-component program involving basic research, operations, and foreign assessment has been in place for some time. Prior to transferring this program to a new sponsoring organization within the intelligence community, a thorough program review was initiated. The part of the program review conducted by the American Institutes for Research consisted of two main components. The first component was a review of the research program. The second component was a review of the operational application of the remote viewing phenomenon in intelligence gathering. Research Evaluation: To evaluate the research program, a "blue-ribbon" panel was assembled. The panel included two noted experts in the area of parapsychology: Dr. Jessica Utts and Dr. Raymond Hyman. In addition to their extensive credentials, they were selected to represent both sides of the paranormal controversy. In evaluating the various laboratory studies conducted to date, the reviewers reached the following conclusions: A statistically significant laboratory effort has been demonstrated in the sense that hits occur more often than chance. However, it is unclear whether the observed effects can unambiguously be attributed to the paranormal ability of the remote viewers as opposed to characteristics of the judges or of the target or some other characteristic of the methods used. Context: The document is a comprehensive evaluation of remote viewing research and applications, conducted by a panel of experts. The evaluation was initiated prior to transferring a remote viewing program to a new sponsoring organization within the intelligence community. Outro: This is what the public record looks like at its most ordinary. The document is a declassified evaluation of remote viewing research and applications, available at theblackvault.com and war.gov.