◆ SpookStack

Approved For Release 2004/08/02 : CIA-RDP96-00792R000600350001-3 CONFIDENTIAL DST-18108-387-75 September 1975 PART VI TRENDS AND FORECASTS 1. TRENDS (U) Criticism: All Soviet science is very much influenced by political ideology. Parapsychology, as a result of the fleeting phenomena it deals with, is perhaps more vulnerable to ideological attacks than other science. Soviet critics point out that parapsychology, as a “yseudosclence," makes it enormously more difficult for the Party to eliminate than religious prejudices and superstitions. They claim that parapsychology, if viewed from the standpoint of Lenin, represents a revival of "bourgeois subjective idealism." Soviet critics claim that subsensory, subthreshold perception takes place in the presence of a stimulus and an analyzer and that such perception is subject to the very same physiological laws as is a sub- jectively registered perception. They admit, however, that the study of these laws is still far from the stage at which it will be possible to explain scientifically a person's subconscious psychological activity. (U) Concentration on Energetics: Faced with such criticisms, Soviet and Czech scientists engaged in parapsychology research have, more and more, stressed the "biological energy" concept, and are continuing to develop theoretical bases which will provide an integrated approach to paranormal phenomena. In order to bring their science more nearly in line with accepted theories of contemporary physics, they have postulated a "Fifth state of matter” consisting of "free charged particles" arranged in organ- ized patterns forming a uniform energy network. They are continuing to emphasize the electrostatic and electromagnetic components of such energy and argue that the eventual definition of this energy will allow them to ultimately integrate psychical phenomena into contemporary theoretical constructs of the universe. (U) Official Attitude: There are no indications of any organized or officially sanctioned attacks on Soviet/Czech psychotronic research, but such criticisms as have been noted have appeared in State~sanctioned pub- lications. Continued monitoring of the Soviet and Czech press will be required in order to determine whether or not the official attitude toward the science shifts. 2. FORECASTS (U) In the next 15 years the Soviets and Czechs will continue to emphasize parapsychological research. Such research will, of necessity, involve the further development of appropriate instrumentation for the detection and 61 Approved For Release 2004/08/03F16FA RDP96-00792R000600350001-3 (This page is UNCLASSIFIED