by Lt. Col. John B. Alexander
Military Review
VOLUME LX DECEMBER 1980 NO 12
from
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The complexity of the battlefield is constantly
increasing. Introduction of new and sophisticated
technology requires commanders to be fully aware of the
nature of a potential threat as well as countermeasures
and counter-countermeasures. In addition to more widely
known technological advances, a new battlefield
dimension that may defy our generally perceived concepts
of time and space looms on the horizon. This field is
sometimes called psychotronics or bioenergetics.
.
.
Lieutenant Colonel John
B. Alexander is with the Inspector General Agency,
Department of the Army, Washington, D.C. He received a
BA.. from the University of Nebraska, an MA., from
Pepper-dine University, a PhD. from Walden University
and is a 1980 graduate of the USACGSC. He has served in
Thailand and Vietnam with the Special Forces and was
chief, Human Resources Division, Organizational
Effectiveness Staff Office, Fort McPherson, Georgia. |
PSYCHOTRONICS may be described as the
interaction of mind and matter.1
While the concepts may stretch the imagination of many readers,
research in this area has been underway for years, and the
possibility for employment as weaponry has been explored. To be more
specific, there are weapons systems that operate on the power of the
mind and whose lethal capacity has already been demonstrated.2
Two subdivisions of this field have also been investigated.
Mind-altering techniques designed to impact on an opponent are
well-advanced.
The procedures employed include manipulation of human
behavior through use of psychological weapons effecting sight,
sound, smell, temperature, electromagnetic energy or sensory
deprivation.3
The photos on the
cover and throughout this article,
showing the existence
of various energy emanations,
are examples of
Kirlian research performed at the University of California at Los
Angeles.
The other area of experimentation
involves
parapsychological phenomena known as the out-of-body
experience (OOBE),
remote viewing, extrasensory perception or bioinformation, depending on the source and technique employed. It
has been demonstrated that certain persons appear to have the
ability to mentally retrieve data from afar while physically
remaining in a secure location.
It may sound fantastic, but consider
the available unclassified data.
Soviet Research
It is generally believed that
the Soviets and their allies are well in the lead in
parapsychological research. This belief is supported by a number of
popular books that have been on the market for the past 10 years.
Not as well-known are two Defense Intelligence Agency reports that
were released through the Freedom of Information Act.
The reports
were prepared by the Office of the Surgeon General and are titled,
-
Controlled Offensive Behavior-USSR (Unclassified), 1972, and
-
Soviet and Czechoslovakian Parapsychological Research (Unclassified),
1975.
Two persons
(attraction)
The reality of paranormal events has
been accepted by Soviet researchers, and theories have been
developed to explain and study those events.
The Soviets have
further developed techniques to control and actively employ their
knowledge of parapsychology.4
Included in the research has been investigation into areas such as
telepathy (the mental awareness of information over distance),
precognition (the knowledge of future events), telekinesis (movement
of matter with the mind) and the transfer of bioenergy from one body
to another.
The amount of information scientifically verified by the Soviets is
voluminous and beyond the scope of this article.
However, several
examples will demonstrate areas in which progress has been made:
-
The transference of energy from
one organism to another. The ability to heal or cause disease
can be transmitted over distance, thus inducing illness or death
for no apparent cause. While this has been demonstrated on lower
organisms, flies and frogs, the present capacity for human death
is still debated.5
-
The existence of energy emanations from the body has been
repeatedly demonstrated through radiation field photography
known as the Kirlian effect. This phenomenon, which has been
widely replicated in the West, reflects changes in emotional
condition.6
-
Telepathic behavior modification, which includes the ability
to induce hypnotic states up to distances in excess of 1,000
kilometers, has been reported.7
-
The ability to mentally move objects has also been repeatedly
demonstrated under scientifically controlled conditions.
Movement of selected objects intermingled with others has also
been accomplished.8
American Research
The extent of parapsychological research in the United States is not
well-known nor is it centrally organized. The US government is
reported to have funded some research projects, but these have not
been published. Frequently, the data are anecdotal in nature and are
not well-accepted in the scientific community.
Unlike the Soviet research, US efforts have frequently been attacked
as inconclusive. Since the phenomena being examined are frequently
beyond explanation in known scientific terms, they are often
discounted as nonexistent.
Russell Targ and
Harold Puthoff at
Stanford Research Institute have
conducted some of the best known US experimentation on the ability
to collect data from afar, or "remote viewing" as they call it.
Their evidence tends to support claims that relatively accurate
information can be obtained through employment of these methods.9
During experiments, the tested subject was required to mentally
visit a remote area and then later draw or describe the target site
in detail. This was satisfactorily accomplished on several occasions
although neither the subject nor the experimenter had prior
knowledge of the target.
The bulk of out-of-body data from US research is anecdotal.
Literally thousands of people have reported the experience of being
discretely and consciously located outside of their physical bodies
and yet able to view themselves from that perspective with a total
awareness of activities in that area. This phenomenon is frequently
associated with life-threatening circumstances such as accidents,
illness or extreme danger.
Many soldiers who have had "close calls"
in combat have reported being in the OOBE state of consciousness.
Many physicians have been embarrassed by patients who, after being
revived from an unconscious state, were able to repeat conversations
and events that had occurred while they were unconscious.
Two persons
(repulsion)
Scientific experimentation has also been
conducted with OOBE.
Test subjects have induced OOBE states while
being physiologically monitored and have retrieved data that was not
available through normal means. Experiments frequently include
identification of random numbers either placed out of sight nearby
or at a more distant location.
A distinct electroencephalogram (EEG)
pattern called Alphoid has been isolated during tests, thereby
indicating that this state is detectable through accepted
physiological monitoring methods.
Liquid crystals
(blood)
Although some tests were successful, others were not, leading to the
conclusion that an extremely complex phenomenon was involved.10
Another phenomenon that has attracted the attention of US
researchers is that of psychokinesis (mind over matter),
particularly the distortion of metal objects by mental and
non-forceful physical techniques. The most common, and least
practical, application probably has been the bending of forks and
spoons by gentle stroking of the object. Microscopic examination of
the bent of broken items has revealed a different form of fracturing
than is experienced when metal items are ruptured by physical force.11
The most likely explanation for this phenomenon is that the subject
is mentally generating an electromagnetic force capable of
distorting or rupturing the target object. The existence of such a
force has been established through the Soviet-developed means
previously described as Kirlian photography.
Further testimony concerning the existence of electromagnetic
emanations from the physical body may be found in the medical
concepts of acupuncture. Despite common use of acupuncture in the
East for thousands of years, Western medicine is only now accepting
the premise that the human body can be treated for physical ailments
through adjustments in "Ki," the minute electromagnetic life force
that flows through us.
The ability of the mind to control our physiology is being explored
medically and in other areas through the medium of biofeedback. It
has been determined that the functions of the autonomic nervous
system, previously thought to operate independently of the conscious
mind, can be controlled. This indicates that we can internally
direct our physiological systems that produce anxiety and stress.
With training, a subject can learn to control fear and even
bleeding. The day-to-day benefits of stress reduction in modern life
have been widely touted.
A similar field, that of meditation, has also been examined. Massive
amounts of data are available addressing the mental and
physiological benefits that may be derived through the practice of
meditation. These reports are commonly accepted and will not be
discussed here. What is not as well-known is the research done on
the Transcendental Meditation Sidhis Program. Though considered
controversial by some, this program has produced evidence that
individuals can be taught to physically levitate or "fly" and
manifest other physiological phenomena.
To support this evidence, Dr. David W. Orme-Johnson has monitored
brain functioning on the EEG and found high coherence of the right
and left hemisphere.12
This data supports the supposition that people can be trained to
employ their minds to produce physical phenomena that extend our
bounds and concepts of reality.
Other areas, too numerous to mention, have also been explored. The
major problem has been the lack of funding or coordinated effort.
It
has been easier to ignore paranormal considerations than to address
the sticky questions raised through examination.
Military
Application
The intelligence-gathering capability available through remote
viewing or OOBE travel is obvious.
Henry Gris and William Dick
report that test subjects, targeted against strategic sites in both
the USSR and the People's Republic of China, were able to penetrate
secured areas to retrieve desired data via out-of-body travel. They
further claim the results were verified by independent agents.13
The strategic and tactical applications are unlimited. When finally
developed, this capability could ultimately allow an operator to
enter an enemy headquarters at will to observe plans and
dispositions. On the battlefield, one could reconnoiter an area from
the physical safety of his own chosen location.
Two major problems presently exist in the implementation of this
program: Only certain individuals have demonstrated innate skills of
controlled OOBE, and data reliability is uncertain.
These problems
can be attributed to lack of observation skills of the subject as
well as the complexity of the phenomena involved.
Hand of "healer" sending energy
Hand of "healer" at rest
Leaf has been cut where white line is.
Everything above the
white line is invisible to the eye.
The use of psychotronic weapons has
already been mentioned.
Certainly, with development, these weapons
would be able to induce illness or death at little or no risk to the
operator. Range may be a present problem, but this will probably be
overcome if it has not been already. Inventor
Robert Pavlita claims
that no special psychic ability is necessary to charge the
generator. The psychotronic weapon would be silent, difficult to
detect and would require only a human operator as a power source.14
Soviet researchers studying controlled behavior have also examined
the effects of electromagnetic radiation on humans and have applied
those techniques against the US Embassy in Moscow. Researchers
suggest that certain extremely-low-frequency (ELF) emissions possess
psychoactive characteristics.15
These transmissions can be used to induce depression or irritability
in a target population. The application of large-scale ELF behavior
modification could have horrendous impact.
The use of telepathic hypnosis also holds great potential. This
capability could allow agents to be deeply planted with no conscious
knowledge of their programming. In movie terms,
the Manchurian
candidate lives and does not even require a phone call.
Other mind-to-mind thought induction techniques are also being
considered. If perfected, this capability could allow the direct
transference of thought via telepathy from one mind, or group of
minds, to a selected target audience.
The unique factor is that the
recipient will not be aware that thoughts have been implanted from
an external source. He or she will believe the thoughts are
original.16
Conclusions
The impact that psychotronic weaponry and other paranormal
applications will have in the future is difficult to determine at
this time. It has been suggested that whoever makes the first major
breakthrough in this field will have a quantum lead over his
opponent, an advantage similar to sole possession of nuclear
weapons.
Clearly, advances in any of the aforementioned areas will
add new dimensions to the battlefield.
Interaction between
fingertip and magnet (lower left)
The Soviets and their allies have been
working in this field for many years.
Their conviction that this
area has military application is evident. They continue to fund this
program and operate research centers such as those at Novosibirsk.
If there were no perceived military advantages, it is doubtful they
would provide financial and scientific backing.
Another indicator is the degree of secrecy that was invoked by the
Soviet government on parapsychological research. The arrest in 1977
of American correspondent Robert Toth on charges that he had
received secret parapsychological data from a Soviet scientist is
indicative of the sensitivity in that area.17
There is sufficient concern about psychic intrusion to cause work to
begin on countermeasures such as bioenergy detectors.
Available evidence supports the thesis
that paranormal phenomena do occur and, under some circumstances,
can be controlled. The military potential for such controlled
resources has already been examined.
Clearly, psychotronic weapons
already exist; only their capabilities are in doubt.
Two persons*
fingertips showing attraction (merging of emanations)
That is not to say that problems do not
exist with the weapons and the concepts. At the present time,
unpredictable systems failure and difficulty in controlling testing
are major weaknesses.
The information presented here will be considered by some to be
ridiculous since it does not conform to their view of reality,
but
some people still believe the world is flat. Other readers may view
this as a conservative approach because such controversial areas as
hyperspatial transmitters or
Tesla wave generators have not been
addressed.
The intent here is to emphasize the need for more coordinated
research in the realm of the paranormal.
Additionally, there is a
need to provide leaders at all levels with a basic understanding of
weapons systems they may encounter in the not too distant future.
NOTES
-
A good basic comprehension of
psychotronic theory and technology is provided in Future
Science: Life Energies and the Physics of Paranormal
Phenomena, edited by John White and Stanley Krippner,
Doubleday & Co Inc., N.Y., 1977.
-
Louis F. Maire III and J. D.
LaMothe, Soviet and Czechoslovakian Parapsychology Research
(Unclassified). Defense Intelligence Agency, Washington,
D.C.. 1975, p 58.
-
John D, LaMothe, Controlled
Offensive Behavior-USSR (Unclassified), Defense Intelligence
Agency, Washington, D.C., 1972, p 15.
-
Maire and LaMothe, op. cit., p
57.
-
Tom Bearden, "Soviet
Psychotronic Weapons: A Condensed Background," Specula,
March-June 1978. pp 20 and 27
-
Sheila Ostrander and Lynn
Schroeder, Psychic Discoveries Be-hind the Iron Curtain,
Prentice-Hall Inc., Englewood Clifts NJ 1970 p 209.
-
Ibid., p 13.
-
Henry Gris and William Dick, The
New Soviet Psychic Discoveries: A First-Hand Report on the
Latest Breakthroughs in Russian Parapsychology,
Prentice-Hall Inc.. Englewood Clifts. N.J., 1978, p 39.
-
Russell Targ and Harold Puthoff,
Mind-Reach: Scientists Look at Psychic Ability, Delta Books,
NY., 1978, p 31,
-
Charles T. Tart,
"Out-of-the-Body Experiences." Psychic Exploration: A
Challenge for Science, edited by Edgar D. Mitchell and John
White. G. P. Putnam's Sons, N.Y., 1974. p 359.
-
John Taylor. Superminds, The
Viking Press Inc.. NY., 1975. pp 93-101.
-
David W. Orme-Johnson, Geoffrey
Clements, Christopher T. Haynes and Kheireddine Badaoui,
"Higher Stales of Consciousness: EEG Coherence, Creativity,
and Experiences of the Sidhis," Scientific Research on the
Transcendental Meditation Program, edited by David W. Orme-Johnson
and John T. Farrow, Maharishi European University Press,
1977, Volume 1, p 706.
-
Gris and Dick, op. cit., p 292.
-
Maire and LaMothe, op. c/t., p
34.
-
Andrew Michrowski, "Covert ELF (Extremety-Low-Frequency)
Warfare," Specula, January-March 1980, p 27.
-
LaMothe, op. cit., p 40.
-
Gris and Dick, op. cit., p 286.
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