Harold E. Puthoff (born June 20, 1936) is an American physicist who, earlier in his career was involved in research on paranormal topics. In 1967, Puthoff earned a Ph.D. from
Stanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university located in Stanford, California, United States...
. Puthoff is well known within gravitational physics circles for his papers on
polarizable vacuumIn theoretical physics, particularly fringe physics, polarizable vacuum and its associated theory refers to proposals by Harold Puthoff, Robert H...
(PV) and
stochastic electrodynamicsIn theoretical physics, Stochastic electrodynamics refers to a theory which posits that the interaction of elementary particles with the vacuum radiation field, or zero-point field, is ultimately responsible for various familiar quantum phenomena...
topics, which are examples of alternative approaches to general relativity and quantum mechanics. In the 70s and 80s he directed a CIA/DIA-funded program at
SRI InternationalSRI International, founded as Stanford Research Institute, is one of the world's largest contract research institutes. Based in the United States, the trustees of Stanford University established it in 1946 as a center of innovation to support economic development in the region. It was later...
to investigate paranormal abilities, collaborating with
Russell TargRussell Targ is an American physicist and author, an ESP researcher, and pioneer in the earliest development of the laser....
in a study of the purported psychic abilities of
Uri GellerUri Geller is an Israeli British entertainer well known for his trademark television performances of spoon bending and other physical effects. Geller has throughout the years claimed that he achieves these effects through psychokinesis and telepathy, though critics say they are easily replicated...
,
Ingo SwannIngo Swann is an artist and author, best known for his work as a co-creator of the discipline of remote viewing, specifically the Stargate Project...
, Pat Price,
Joseph McMoneagleJoseph McMoneagle was involved in Remote Viewing experiments conducted by U.S. Army Intelligence and the Stanford Research Institute. He was one of the original officers recruited for the top-secret program now known as the Stargate Project...
and others.
Harold E. Puthoff (born June 20, 1936) is an American physicist who, earlier in his career was involved in research on paranormal topics. In 1967, Puthoff earned a Ph.D. from
Stanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university located in Stanford, California, United States...
. Puthoff is well known within gravitational physics circles for his papers on
polarizable vacuumIn theoretical physics, particularly fringe physics, polarizable vacuum and its associated theory refers to proposals by Harold Puthoff, Robert H...
(PV) and
stochastic electrodynamicsIn theoretical physics, Stochastic electrodynamics refers to a theory which posits that the interaction of elementary particles with the vacuum radiation field, or zero-point field, is ultimately responsible for various familiar quantum phenomena...
topics, which are examples of alternative approaches to general relativity and quantum mechanics. In the 70s and 80s he directed a CIA/DIA-funded program at
SRI InternationalSRI International, founded as Stanford Research Institute, is one of the world's largest contract research institutes. Based in the United States, the trustees of Stanford University established it in 1946 as a center of innovation to support economic development in the region. It was later...
to investigate paranormal abilities, collaborating with
Russell TargRussell Targ is an American physicist and author, an ESP researcher, and pioneer in the earliest development of the laser....
in a study of the purported psychic abilities of
Uri GellerUri Geller is an Israeli British entertainer well known for his trademark television performances of spoon bending and other physical effects. Geller has throughout the years claimed that he achieves these effects through psychokinesis and telepathy, though critics say they are easily replicated...
,
Ingo SwannIngo Swann is an artist and author, best known for his work as a co-creator of the discipline of remote viewing, specifically the Stargate Project...
, Pat Price,
Joseph McMoneagleJoseph McMoneagle was involved in Remote Viewing experiments conducted by U.S. Army Intelligence and the Stanford Research Institute. He was one of the original officers recruited for the top-secret program now known as the Stargate Project...
and others. Both Puthoff and Russell Targ became convinced Geller and Swann had genuine psychic powers. More conventional explanations for the observed abilities have also been advanced.
Puthoff has invented and worked with tunable lasers and electron beam devices, concerning which he holds patents, and he is co-author (with R. Pantell) of
Fundamentals of Quantum Electronics (Wiley, 1969), published in English, French and Russian.
Secret government work
Puthoff was once a United States Navy officer who was assigned to the
National Security AgencyThe National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States government, administered as part of the United States Department of Defense. Created on November 4, 1952 by President Harry S...
(NSA), later becoming a civilian employee. Following a sabbatical at Stanford University to obtain his Ph.D., he joined SRI International where in 1972, together with Russell Targ, he founded a then-highly-classified, now-highly-publicised "
remote viewingRemote Viewing is the purported ability to gather information about a distant or unseen target using paranormal means or extra-sensory perception. Typically a remote viewer is expected to give information about an object that is hidden from physical view and separated at some distance...
" program, originally called Project SCANATE, finally STAR GATE, which was funded over its two-decade-plus history by the CIA,
DIADia is free and open source general-purpose diagramming software, developed as part of the GNOME project's office suite and was originally created by Alexander Larsson...
, and various military organizations.
Puthoff has held high-level security clearances with the United States government.
Ventures in Austin
In 1985, Puthoff founded a for-profit company, EarthTech International in Austin, TX. At about the same time, he founded an academically-oriented scientific research organization,
Institute for Advanced Studies at AustinThe Institute for Advanced Studies at Austin is a private scientific think tank in Austin, Texas. It is the "theoretical and publication division" of EarthTech International, according to the latter's web site a "privately funded" research organization....
(IASA), also in Austin, TX, where he is Director. Independent of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, NJ, IASA pursues more focused research on topics specifically related to energy generation and space propulsion, with funding from anonymous donors.
Scientology
Puthoff joined the
Church of ScientologyThe Church of Scientology is the largest organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination...
in the late 1960s and reached the top
OT VIIIn Scientology, the state of Operating Thetan is a spiritual state above Clear. L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, defined it as "knowing and willing cause over life, thought, matter, energy, space and time ". According to religious scholar J...
level by 1971. Puthoff wrote up his "wins" for a Scientology publication, claiming to have achieved "remote viewing" abilities. In 1974, Puthoff also wrote a piece for Scientology's
Celebrity magazine, stating that Scientology had given him "a feeling of absolute fearlessness". Puthoff severed all connection with Scientology in the late '70's.
EarthTech
Currently, Puthoff is the CEO of a privately funded research organization called EarthTech International. This organization claims to be dedicated to the exploration of new frontiers in physics. The activities of EarthTech are claimed to be primarily center around investigations into various aspects of the Zero-point field. EarthTech supposedly is performing evaluations of devices (so called "over-unity" devices) that release more energy, presumably extracted from the ambient Zero Point electromagnetic field, than they consume from conventional power sources.
External links
Alleged Scientology connections: