My beginnings into this investigation began by downloading three released documents from the DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency) FOIA website. These three documents were entitled – Controlled Offensive Behaviour – USSR (published 1972), Soviet & Czechoslovakian Parapsychology Research (published 1975), Parapsysics R&D – Warsaw Pact (1978). According to reports on the FAS (Federation of American Scientists) website the CIA funded these studies although they were prepared by the military for the DIA. At this point I was beginning to feel like Alice spiralling down a rabbit hole…

I began by reading the first report, Controlled Offensive Behaviour and found it to be from a scientific angle and a stark warning to it’s intended readers. The warning was that of an extremely advanced USSR in the field of Parapsysics and the urgent suggestion of ‘immediate catch-up’.

The time of the publication was as intense as ever in the midst of the cold war era and also the Vietnam War and the President at the time was Nixon.

The report largely consists of interrogation techniques such as Sensory Depravation (something that the U.S had been using for years and also recently reported in the news in relation to the Al-Queda detainee’s in Cuba), counter measures and human behaviour under these circumstances. There are, however parts dedicated to the most bizarre research and implementation of these for use in the military.

The MIO (Medical Intelligence Office, Office of the Surgeon General, who prepared the report for the DIA) seems to be fascinated by the fact that the USSR at the time were using various aspects of Parapsychology for "Mental reorientation of numerous individuals who are classed as political dissenters."

The report goes on to state that "the major impetus behind the Soviet drive to harness the possible capabilities of telepathic communication, telekinetics and bionics are said to come from the Soviet military and KGB." The stated budget for these studies were (then) estimated and reported to be the equivalent to 21 million dollars. Openly relenting the fact that the USSR were indeed, streets ahead of any U.S research the tone seems to change to suggest immediate action upon this.

The USSR were surprisingly open about this research and had invited westerner researchers to visit and discuss the phenomena and techniques. This openness ended in an abrupt fashion in 1971 and since then all published material has been thin.

The subjects covered in the first report include odours, sleep, electronic and magnetic fields, hypnosis, autosuggestion, psychokenesis, ESP, astral projection, dream state, clairvoyance and precognition. It seemed from the report that the U.S saw the connotations and potential for such studies far more than the USSR.

As I waded through the sinister reports smuggled to the west by Russian ‘dissenters’ I was chilled by the horrific accounts of the tortures methods used in the USSR which included ‘The Canvas Bandage’ punishment. "An inmate would be tightly swathed in wet canvas from neck to toe … the canvas shrinks as it dries, it is not a pretty sight."

There were many reports and accounts such as these and the main reason for these was to stress the importance of countermeasures. My ears pricked up when I came across a passage reading "According to [source] Soviet psychology is in a growth stage, which appears to have sprung up coincident to the man in space programme."

There is also talk of human engineering and a suggestion of the fact that the Soviets said to be nearing the same levels as the U.S were. They also seemed to be very intrigued with an intel report that some classified Soviet research was going on in the area of cybernetics and A.I. It seemed that any information on this part was sparse.

An interesting point of research was the accounts of Olfactory Phenomena – "Seven primary odours have been identified; they are camphoraceous, musky, floral, minty, pungent, putrid and etheral. From the seven primary odours every known odour can be made …. " This is particularlary interesting as the further theories surrounding this suggests that by use of odours and pheromones insects and animals can be manipulated to area’s where military personnel or troops may be gathered. By further use of the above the behaviour of the animals and insects changes and becomes aggressive.

Then we come to the mentioned subject of Mind Control, a subject also to be of particular interest to the U.S. It would be appropriate to note at this point that the U.S mind control project MK-ULTRA was at it’s height at this time. The use of LSD and other such drugs were discussed and the possible mass drugging in contaminated water and food was suggested.

The most disturbing in this field however was the mention of Multiple Personality being caused as a result of hypnotism thus creating a "super spy". The main gist of this was explained in an example where a person of "Cuban Stock" was hypnotised and a multiple personality was enduced – one a staunch communist and the other a "Loyal American." The mere conviction of the communist personality would be enough to deter suspicion and all memories would be retained in the loyal American personality in order to relay any information via telepathy or otherwise. "They would also be very useful … in any other situations where it was suspected their services might be of use to our intelligence department."

Then comes the possibility of "creating assassins" becomes apparent and is described in a very matter of fact way. "As was pointed out above, the subject does not need to be willing to enter into such a condition. Once the captive has been placed in a hypnotic state then one need only to establish the post-hypnotic suggestion or plan for the assassination… The main problem in the assassin plan is in the area of post-hypnotic reinforcement. There have been some ideas mentioned that suggest one needs to establish the reinforcement pattern during initial hypnosis; some object that will reinforce his goal whenever he looks at it, hears a certain sound, etc." Such methods may have been applied in the assassination attempt or otherwise of Ronald Reagan or John Lennon.

There was some discussion on the morality of subliminal messaging in the media and use of propaganda and suggests that the reason for subliminal propaganda on civilians must have successive results or "the risky approach would be inappropriate."

"Soviet civil defense authorities also have tried to expand civil defense propaganda by bringing it to writers, journalists, painters, movie producers….." Sound familiar? It is not unusual to the efforts made by the U.S government in the past years to ‘fund’ movies based on the UFO phenomena such as The Day The Earth Stood Still and Close Encounter’s Of The Third Kind.

There is one such comment stated in the Controlled Offensive Behaviour report – "What will ESP be used for? ‘To make money and as a weapon.’" But it wasn’t just the USSR who were experimenting with telepathy and ESP. In February 1971, during the Apollo 14 flight to the moon, Edgar Mitchell who was one of the astronauts on board took part in no less than 150 separate experiments to telepathically project his thoughts to an individual on earth. Further more "astronauts are being taught through such mental conditioning to distort time and to offset boredom in outer space."

"The so called father of rocketry, K. E Tsiolkovsky stated that – ‘in the coming era of space flight telepathic abilities are necessary… the study of psychic phenomena can lead us toward knowledge of the mysteries of the human mind…’" Was another statement linked with the above.

In 1967 there were reports (Soviet Maritime News) that Soviet cosmonauts when in orbit could telepathically communicate with one another much easier than if they were on earth. It is also appropriate to note here that in the Soviet & Czech Parapsychology Research document a pyschotronic model of man is described as universal be it of man "but to any living being as well whether terrestrial or extraterrestrial."

Experiments were also reported in the field of ESP and pyschokenesis with amazing results. A woman by the name of Nina Kulagina, a Soviet subject who could control the beat of a frogs heart even when out of the frogs body. This control went further after a technician agreed to have the same experiment on his own heart. The experiment had to be halted when his heart rhythm reached danger levels. Other experiments included separating the yoke from the white of an egg whilst it was in a salt solution inside a sealed aquarium six feet away from her.

This field execrated in the 60’s after a French newspaper reported on the (telepathic) ship to shore experiments of the U.S nuclear submarine Nautilus. Although in the reports Nautilus is mentioned it also states that the U.S Navy denies any such experiments then states in another part that this is something that they have considered.

A technique that is quite significant that also gained recognition with the U.S is the ability to ‘Apport’. "..this technique would make possible the abduction of actual objects (including documents) in enemy territory and there transfer to friendly territory … they could be returned to the point of origin without the enemy becoming aware of this temporary abduction."

This, it seemed "may have first rate military possibilities." Another statement, this time a little more chilling was a view on the ability to apport in the military; "I" any of this highly questionable material is true then it can be inferred that organic matter can be transformed into ectoplasm that this can be rendered invisible and impalable and thus converted into something which, for all practical purposes, amounts to force.

"If organic matter can be converted into such ‘force matter’ it seems reasonable to assume that a physical object, if similarly converted could travel through space." Pretty mind blowing stuff to you and me but not it may seem to the U.S military departments who sanctioned the reports.

The tone and further reading in the documents is highly suggestive of an underlying justification to unknown government officials. The extensive investigations into the funding of such projects and experiments and the stark warnings of Soviet advancement way beyond that of U.S research is all but apparent.

There is also something else that has been bugging me from the start of my investigation. The link between this research and the use of propaganda through the media. As mentioned before this has been done (and continues to be done) in the case of the UFO phenomena and related motion pictures. What if the same was undertaken in the field of paranormal research? For instance such films as Dreamscape, Brainstorm and more recently Conspiracy Theory. Are we being conditioned to accept a field of paranormal research with endless possibilities once thought ludicrous and firmly denied by our governments? The next instalment with more incredible revelations will feature in the next issue of V***GER32. Until then if you have any comments please email me –

kirsty.rollinson@btinternet.com.