Dr.Hal Puthoff on remote viewing & zero-point energy

December 17, 2006

DR HAL PUTHOFF: From SRI to ZPE

Dr Hal Puthoff has been conducting serious scientific research at the frontiers of knowledge for over a quarter of a century.

In 1972, he and colleague Russell Targ, while researching lasers at the Stanford Research Institute, were asked by Edgar Mitchell to test the alleged psychic abilities of Uri Geller.

Their paper caused something of a storm when it was published in the science journal Nature. The paper and relevant articles are linked to the bottom of this page.

Subsequently Puthoff was instrumental in setting up and running the US Government's controversial Remote Viewing programme, which would continue for over 20 years beofre being made public in 1995.

Today Puthoff is investigating Zero Point Energy, a possibly limitless, pollution-free energy source that could just change the our lives on earth and propell humankind into deep space.

Could you describe, in layman's terms, your own current research into Zero Point Energy.

Physicists universally recognize that so-called empty space, even the vacuum of outer space, is not truly empty, but is the seat of energetic field processes, sort of the electromagnetic equivalent of froth at the base of a waterfall.

(The term "zero-point" simply means that if the universe were cooled down to absolute zero where all thermal agitation effects would be frozen out, this energy would still remain.)

What is not as well known, however, even among practicing physicists, are all the implications that derive from this known aspect o quantum physics. However, there are a group of physicists - -

myself and colleagues at several research labs and universities - - who are examining the details, We ask such questions as whether it might be possible to "mine" this reservoir of energy for use as an alternative energy source, or whether this background energy field might be responsible for inertia and gravity. These questions are of interest because it is known that this energy can be manipulated, and therefore there is the possibility that the control of this energy, and possibly inertia and gravity, might yield to engineering solutions. Some progress has been made in a subcategory of this field

(cavity quantum electrodynamics)

with regard to controlling the emission rates of excited atoms and molecules, of interest in laser research and elsewhere.

How close do you think you might be, in your own research, to some kind of breakthrough?

Predicting when a breakthrough in a scientific field will occur is like throwing darts to choose your stocks! The only thing that can be said with any certainty is that it probably won't occur if you don't work on the problem. That said, one hopes that within a decade or two some significant progress will be made, even if only incrementally.

Other than space travel, what kinds of applications do you imagine your own work might be used in?

With regard to the potential tapping of zero-point energy, if it were found that significant energy could be generated, then application to earthbound problems would be foremost. Because of the increasing possibility of water shortages in various parts of the world, if ZPE energy generation were competitive with current resources, I would see water desalinization as being a major application. The possibility of the use of ZPE to reduce fossil fuel pollution for transportation would also be attractive, again, if economical.

Have you had any response from fossil fuels companies about your work? Are they doing any research in this area?

I had an opportunity to brief the Presidents and Research Directors of several of the major oil companies on the potential promise of zero-point energy as an alternative energy resource.

Contrary to the "urban myth," they said they would welcome such a breakthrough because the use of fossil fuels for cars and heating had a very low profit margin as compared to its use for manufacturing plastics, pharmaceuticals, etc. They likened it to heating your house by burning Picassos and van Goghs.

Remote Viewing (RV) & The Stanford Research Institute (SRI)Your career has seen you move from cutting edge research

(so cutting edge that some might consider it fringe science)

in ESP, clairvoyance/remote viewing and other parapsychological areas while at SRI, to your current work in another area at the edges of knowledge. Why, do you think, are you particularly drawn to such subjects? Do you think they require a different approach and outlook to "conventional" science?

I guess you would have to say that I am the ultimate explorer personality. Once I've digested what's known in a field, I like to check out the frontiers to see what's new. Contrary to those skeptics who claim that such avant garde interests are misbegotten, I would say that most skeptics are not skeptical enough - -

they tend to accept the given wisdom without questioning it. I question everything, look into every nook and cranny to see if anything's been overlooked that might be of interest or utility. It's surprising what you find with this attitude.

Are you still involved in any RV/psi research?

No, I'm not. Too involved with my present research into energy, gravitation, and inertia.

Did you draw any conclusions from your findings in these areas? Do you think RV and psi faculties can be developed in anybody, or is it something that some people are just born with?

Overall, our findings indicated that such abilities are widely distributed, more or less like musical ability. You have the equivalent of virtuosos at one end of the scale, and the tone deaf at the other, but most people can carry a tune to some degree. Our modern western society just doesn't happen to encourage people to develop this particular talent.

What kind of encouragement do you think somebody would need to maximise any latent psychic potential?

http://www.forteantimes.com/exclusive/puthoff.shtml