Russian Psychic Training

Ever since the publicjation of Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain by Ostrander and Schroeder in 1970, the notion has been popular that Soviet parapsychologists have developed sophisticated techniques for training psi abilities. Ostrander and Schroeder cited several instances of apparent psi training. According to them training has focused on the telepathic sender. Techniques include surrounding the sender with weak electromagnetic fields, stimulating certain acupuncture points with needles, and mental suggestions. Instances are reported of Soviet laboratory psychics who trained themselves through persistent practice of various psi tasks. One prominently mentioned psi research subject, Karl Nikolaiev, had his friends hide objects and then telepathically direct hint to find them. Nikolaiev also credited the development of his psi skills to his training in yogic breathing exercises. Another subject, Alex Monin, trained himself by attempting to induce itching in various innocent bystanders as he sat on a park bench.

In Handbook of Psi Discoveries (1974), Ostrander and Schroeder highlighted a technique for inducing telepathy which they claimed was developed by Vladimir Fidelman, "a psi investigator at the Bio-Information Section of Moscow's Popov Institute." Insufficient data to evaluate this experiment are provided. The technique involves placing the target object in such a manner that it is illuminated by a flashing light. The telepathic sender then concentrates on the target in a rhythmic manner along with the light. According to Ostrander and Schroeder, Fidelman's senders, using numbers as targets, "successfully transmitted 100 out of 134 numbers to a receiver over a mile away." Ostrander and Schroeder claim that the "teleflasher" is an excellent way to get successful telepathy results and their book devoted considerable attention to it (along with other party games, given an ESP twist for training).

Victor Adamenko (1976), a Soviet biophysicist who is also a member of the Parapsychological Association, has reported in a paper, translated by A. J. Lewis, that he has developed means of training subjects in "electrical telekinesis." This is a process of moving small objects by virtue of an electrostatic field buil up in the body. Adamenko claims that the ability of these subjects improved under hypnosis. At the beginning of his experiments subjects charged themselves by rubbing their hands against the surface of a dialectric cube. Eventually they learned how to effect their own body charge without such exercises.

A review of this research by Wortz et al. (1976) prepared under Contract No. XG-4208 by the Airesearch Company states that Adamenko's report "appears to be genuine information and not disinformation." Elsewhere, Wortz et al. describe Adamenko's training methods in a manner suggesting the possibility of an actual psi - and not merely electrostatic - effect as follows:

"His model for training in telekinesis is volitional effort that leads to changes in skin conductivity that are simultaneous with telekinesis. During training, the subjects learn by volitional effort to charge a battery of condensers; the charge is roughly proportional to volitional effort. Once trained, the subjects can use similar volitional effort to electrostatically charge an object at a distance. In describing what may be a current Soviet position in training, Adamenko further states in his discussion on ‘. . . Electrodynamics and Psychoenergetics,' that ‘Production of special states of consciousness and psychic training at the level of psychoenergetics using modem devices has just as great significance as the investigation of the psychic field using physically talented individuals."'

The actual distance over which an object can be electrostatically charged is not sufficiently specified to rule out, as Wortz et al. imply, a normal electrostatic interaction.

An important Soviet researcher is A. S. Roman, described by Lewis (1976) as "a medical doctor with impeccable credentials." Roman has specialized in the field of "psychic self-regulation" or the "influence of self-suggestion on the human organism." His experimental research has extended over twenty years. Lewis (1976) states that this research began in the mid-fifties, "reportedly to discover ways by which cosmonauts could be taught to control their psycho-physiological processes in the conditions of space flight." His training method, which involves active self-suggestion, is drawn from elements of zen, yoga, Chinese medicine, autogenic training and progressive relaxation. Roman has laid great emphasis on research with naive, healthy subjects. Physiological parameters are measured both before and after training in psychical self-regulation. Measurements have included control of skin temperature, induction of a cataleptic state of "waxy flexibility," induction of automatic writing and automatic speech, isolated contraction of abdominal muscles, displacement of the internal organs of the abdominal cavity, alteration of sensitivity to pain, control of blood sugar metabolism, decrease of reaction time, decrease of visual perception speed, increase of memory abilities, and decrease of visual after images. During these experiments, Roman and his colleagues noticed a variety of effects that seemed to obey no lawfulness that depended on the self-regulation exercises. These effects included distortion of body image, feelings of inner agitation, itching and feelings of body discomfort.

Additionally, Roman has researched the use of self-suggestion as a therapeutic tool. Lewis (1976) states that Roman finds self-suggestion superior to any other therapeutic method, including hypnosis. Successful treatment has been researched with regard to some 23 different pathological conditions listed by Lewis.

Roman is one of the proponents of the theory of "bioplasmic energy" in the Soviet Union. This theory, sometimes likened to the occult concept of the "aura," is claimed by its proponents to account for the data of parapsychology. To support this theory, measurements of electrobioluminescence are made using high-voltage photography apparatus of the sort pioneered by Semyon and Valentina Kirlian. Regarding this research, Roman and Victor Inyushin state,

"When the trained subject places his hand on the forearm of the non-trained subject, and begins to suggest to himself a feeling of warmth in the hand, then similar changes will also appear in the arm of the non-trained, although before this he could not produce this by himself. The non-trained subject does not know what the individual trained in autosuggestion suggests to himself and to what extent, this being specified in the conditions of the experiment. Similar results were also noticed with distant contacts (2-3 cm. distance), but sometimes with weaker manifestation. It is possible to produce these effects only with the aid of individuals who developed the ability to voluntarily effect through autosuggestion a number of involuntary unconscious processes in the body (e.g., changing skin temperature).

"To refine the distant action of this effect, a series of special investigations with plants were conducted, as the experiments have shown to be very sensitive indicators of different forms of energy. Also in this case, electrobioluminescence data have shown that during distant contact (5-10 cm.) the autosuggestion of warmth (e.g. in the hand) increased the luminescence intensity in the direction of growth, as compared with the initial condition. On the other hand, autosuggestion of cold decreased it.

The extent to which psi is involved in the experiments of Adamenko and Roman is clearly questionable. The small distances over which "bioenergetic" effects are noticed are not sufficient to rule out nonpsi forms of interaction. It is entirely possible that training in self-regulation has been applied to more specifically measurable psi tasks, and that such research has not been published in a manner that would be accessible to American researchers. Such speculation is tenuous although probably not less informative than current popular accounts of Soviet psi activity.

Adamenko, V. Some questions of biological electrodynamics and psychoenergetics. In A.J. Lewis, A Report. Los Angeles: author, 1976.

Lewis, A.J. A Report. Los Angeles: author, 1976.

Ostrander, S., and Schroeder, L. Psychic discoveries behind the iron curtain. New York: Bantam, 1969.

Ostrander, S., and Schroeder, L. Handbook of psi discoveries. New York: Berkeley, 1974.

Wortz, E.C., Bauer, A.J., Blackwelder, R.F., Eerkens, J.W., and Saur, A.J. Novel biophysical information transfer mechanisms (NBIT). AlResearch Manufacturing Companv (2525 W. 190th Street, Torrance, CA 90509), January 14, 1976, Document No. 76-13197, Contract No. XG-4208(54 - 20)75S.

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