British MOD remote viewing experiments

*PIT2*

According to BBC News news story, a Ministry of Defence report shows that the UK government agency carried out tests to see if participants could demonstrate the psychic ability of 'remote viewing' in 2002. The document was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and reportedly outlines experiments to test whether participants could 'see' information hidden in envelopes.

During the study, commercial researchers were contracted at a cost of £18,000 to test them to see if psychic ability existed and could be used for defence purposes.

Some 28% of those tested managed a close guess at the contents of the envelopes, which included pictures of a knife, Mother Teresa and an "Asian individual".

The MOD joins a long list of government agencies from around the world who have reportedly investigated psychic abilities.
http://www.mindhacks.com/blog/2007/0...ry_of_def.html

The MoD refused to discuss the possible applications of psychic techniques, but said that the study had concluded there was "little value" in using "remote viewing" in the defence of the nation. "The remote viewing study was conducted to assess claims made in some academic circles and to validate research carried out by other nations on psychic ability," said a spokeswoman. She added: "The study concluded that remote viewing theories had little value to the MoD and was taken no further."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6388575.stm

A former Ministry of Defence employee who received a copy of the report has claimed that the timing of the study suggests security services wanted to "remotely view" hidden weapons caches in Iraq and find Osama bin Laden.
http://news.scotsman.com/education.cfm?id=290022007

I wonder what the actual conclusion was, besides that it wasnt of use.

*Schrodinger's Dog*

This is an interesting article, thanks; but you do have to wonder why those who where good at doing this refused? It would be a much more sound judgement if they took the sorts of people the Russians and the Americans did, who seemed to have some sort of track record.

The whole conclusion is up in the air until you find unusually consistent people to debunk or otherwise.

*PIT2*

During the tests, defence experts attempted to recruit 12 "known" psychics who had advertised their abilities on the internet.

Im glad they didnt use those people for the experiment. The biggest show-offs are probably the most deluded ones. On another site they compared it with idols. The ones who sign up for idols and brag about being the best singers, are often the worst during auditions.

But as u say, ones with a track record would be better. The bbc article only says that they looked at psychics who advertised on the internet.

Btw they have a tv show in my country (netherlands)now, which is idols for paranormal people. Last week they did the auditions with 100 self-proclaimed paranormal people and selected 15 of them. Some of them really seemed to sense things.

SGT

In defense matters there is always the possibility that something is being hidden. The same does not apply in academic research. After more than a century investigating paranormal phenomena, nothing has been found of real interest.
Most positive results where obtained by fraud or by faulty procedures.
Recently PEAR was closed after more than 20 years and 10 million dollars spent without sensible results.

*PIT2*

The mod files (pdf):

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Fr...oteViewing.htm

SheliaM

You may be interested in reading Paul H. Smith's response to the British MOD study and the media representation of that study, "They Think They Know", as well as his more recent op ed piece in response to a NY Times item - "Skepticism’s Victory Over Science".

Paul H. Smith, a retired Army intelligence officer and military remote viewer, is president of the International Remote Viewing Association, and author of Reading the Enemy’s Mind: Inside Star Gate - America’s Psychic Espionage Program.

~ Shelia M

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Schrodinger's Dog	This is an interesting article, thanks; but you do have to wonder why those who where good at doing this refused? It would be a much more sound judgement if they took the sorts of people the Russians and the Americans did, who seemed to have some sort of track record. The whole conclusion is up in the air until you find unusually consistent people to debunk or otherwise.

PIT2	The mod files (pdf): http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Fr...oteViewing.htm