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View full-sizeDownload John B. Alexander (born 1937) is a retired United States Army colonel. An infantry officer for much of his career, he is best known as a leading advocate for the development of non-lethal weapons and of military applications of the paranormal. He has written and lectured on UFOs. He characterizes his career as having "evolved from hard-core mercenary to thanatologist". Alexander figures prominently in journalist Jon Ronson's book The Men Who Stare At Goats (2004), which was later made into a Hollywood film starring George Clooney (2009). Ronson continued to draw on Alexander's former status and knowledge in several related Channel 4 documentaries, where Ronson examined the subject of New Age ideas influencing the U.S. military.
MILITARY REVIEW is published monthly in English and Spanish and quarterly in Portuguese.
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MILITARY REVIEW (USPS 123-830)
US ISSN 0026-4148
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.
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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:
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Leaf has been cut where white line is. Everything above the white line is invisible to the eye.
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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.
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.
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)
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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.
