The only thing that matters is the signal-to-noise ratio
“In other words, the REAL story of remote viewing, its beginning and end and all that goes in between, first and foremost has to do with the signal-to-noise ratio”
– Ingo Swann
Remote viewing has fascinated people for decades, and its potential applications in various fields have been the subject of much debate and discussion. Over the years, researchers and practitioners have sought to refine the methods and techniques used in remote viewing experiments to increase the accuracy and reliability of the results. One of the most significant developments in this regard has been the use of blinded conditions within the protocols. Blinding means that information about the target is hidden from the remote viewer, ensuring that they have no prior knowledge that could influence their perception. This method provides a more rigorous approach to remote viewing and helps to validate its legitimacy. Remote viewing under blinded conditions has been used for a variety of applications, including intelligence gathering, scientific research, and personal growth.
The first historical record
The first historical record from the point of view of Herodotus (*490 – †425 BC). He tells the story of Croesus (*590 – †541 BC), king of the Lydians, who was known for his wealth and power. According to Herodotus’ account, Croesus was curious about the accuracy of various oracles and tried to test them with a difficult question. Croesus sent messengers to consult oracles throughout the ancient world, including the famous Oracle of Delphi in Greece, and asked them what he would do on a particular day. As Herodotus reports, only Pythia, prophesying priestess in the oracle of Delphi, gave the correct answer in the appropriate translation as follows:
“Scent of tortoise I was aware of, the armored animal,/Which is boiled in a cauldron brass, and pieces of lamb,/Ore is laid underneath, and ore will rest on the cauldron.”
In fact, Croesus, in order to do something difficult to predict, had cooked a lamb and a tortoise in a covered metal vessel that day. The story of King Croesus and the Oracle of Delphi, therefore, provides an important historical example. The result of this experiment were impressive, and demonstrated the effectiveness of blinded protocols in reducing the influence of analytical overlay on remote viewing data.
In modern times, the use of blinded protocols has become a cornerstone of scientific experimentation, particularly in fields such as medicine, psychology, and neuroscience. By using blinded protocols, researchers can ensure that their results are not influenced by their expectations or biases, and can improve the accuracy and reliability of their findings.
Today
Today, target concealment is considered standard in remote viewing sessions. The remote viewer is usually not given any information about the target, such as its identity, purpose, or location. The information about the target is usually in the possession of a third party or a person who is not involved in the remote viewing process.
Here are some common blinded protocol conditions used in remote viewing experiments and/or sessions.:
Double-Blind procedure: Both the remote viewer and the monitor are unaware of the target or task being presented. The target may be chosen randomly or based on a predetermined set of criteria. This protocol helps to reduce potential sources of bias and ensure that the remote viewing data is as objective as possible. In scientific protocol this format is the standard. In the operational field it often comes to single blind protocol to increase efficiency.
Single-Blind procedure: The remote viewer is unaware of the target or task being presented, but the monitor is aware. This protocol is often used when it is difficult or impractical to conceal the target from the monitor. It still helps to minimize potential sources of bias and analytical overlay from the remote viewer.
There are a few reasons why the use of blinded protocols in remote viewing experiments can improve the accuracy and reliability of the data:
Minimizing analytical overlay: One of the primary benefits of blinded protocols is that they help to minimize the influence of analytical overlay. Analytical overlay occurs when a remote viewer’s conscious mind interferes with their perception of the target, often leading to incorrect or biased data. By using blinded protocols, remote viewers are forced to rely solely on their subconscious mind, which can lead to more accurate and unbiased data.
Reducing experimenter bias: Blinded protocols also help to reduce the potential for experimenter bias. In non-blinded experiments, experimenters may inadvertently communicate information about the target to the remote viewer, either intentionally or unintentionally. Blinded protocols help to eliminate this possibility, ensuring that the remote viewer has no knowledge of the target beyond the random Tasking number.
Increasing focus: Blinded protocols can also help remote viewers to focus more effectively on the target. Without any distractions or preconceptions about the target, remote viewers can devote their full attention to the task at hand, potentially leading to more accurate and detailed data.
This indicates a significant improvement in the accuracy and quality of the remote viewing data collected under blinded protocols, highlighting the importance of minimizing potential sources of noise in remote viewing experiments. To understand the significance of this difference, it is important to note that the Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is a measure of the ratio of signal (the remote viewing data) to noise (any extraneous information or irrelevant factors that could affect the accuracy of the data). A higher SNR means that the signal is stronger relative to the noise, making it easier to distinguish and interpret the remote viewing data. This is because the blind protocols minimize the influence of cognitive biases and preconceptions, which can introduce noise into the data, and allow the viewer to focus more purely on the signal. By reducing the noise in the data, the SNR increases, leading to a more accurate and reliable representation of the remote viewing target.
Lets dig deeper in the topic signal-to-noise ratio
The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is a measure of the strength of a signal in relation to the background noise. In remote viewing experiments, the SNR is important because it can affect the accuracy and reliability of the data collected.
SIGNAL: (1) An independent variable; (2) A visual, audible, or other indication used to convey information; (3) The intelligence, message, or effect to be conveyed over (or through) a communication system; (4) A signal wave.
NOISE: Any undesirable sound. By extension, noise is any unwanted disturbance within a useful frequency band, such as undesired electric waves in any transmission channel or device. Such disturbances, when produced by other services (or systems or sources) are called interference. Noise is also accidental or random fluctuation in electric circuits due to motion of the current carriers. From this concept of noise, the term is used as an adjective to denote unwanted fluctuations in quantities that are desired to remain constant (or clear and not interfered with.)
When a remote viewer is tasked with obtaining information about a target, they are essentially trying to detect a signal (the information about the target) in the presence of noise (anything that distorts, deforms, prevents, interferes with, confuses, alters, or aborts the signal, up to the point to the point where the signal can no longer be perceived or received at all.). The SNR represents the relative strength of the signal compared to the noise.
In non-blinded conditions, the SNR can be reduced by various forms of bias and interference. For example, if the remote viewer is given information about the target beforehand, such as its location or other identifying features, this can bias their perceptions and introduce noise into the data. Similarly, if the viewer is distracted or not fully focused on the task at hand, this can also increase the amount of noise in the data.
By using blinded protocols, the SNR can be increased because the viewer is not influenced by preconceptions or distractions. This can help to reduce the amount of noise in the data and increase the strength of the signal, resulting in a higher SNR and more accurate and reliable remote viewing results.
The proportion of signal to noise in remote viewing experiments can vary depending on a variety of factors, including the nature of the task, the skill level of the remote viewer, and the specific protocols used in the experiment.
In summary, blinding is important to ensure the credibility and acceptance of remote viewing in the scientific and academic community. By using blinding protocols and other rigorous scientific methods, remote viewing researchers can provide empirical evidence of the validity of remote viewing as a tool for accessing information beyond the limits of ordinary perception.
Blinding is also essential to the operational work of remote observers and client projects. By minimizing the effects of bias and ensuring the objectivity and integrity of remote viewing data, blinding helps ensure the accuracy and validity of remote viewing results in practical applications.
What about frontloading?
“Frontloading” is usually a term commonly used in the practice of remote viewing to refer to the process of providing a viewer with information about a target before they attempt to view it. The purpose of frontloading is to provide the viewer with a context for the target, and to help them focus their attention on the relevant aspects of the target. This target could be an object, location, event, or person etc.. To begin the remote viewing session, the viewer is often given a set of coordinates, a taskingnumber or a hidden description of the target, which is known as “tasking.”
Frontloading can take many forms, but generally involves giving the viewer additional information about the target beyond the coordinates or tasking number. For example, a viewer might be told that the target is a location, or that it is associated with a certain type of activity. The idea is to provide the viewer with information that will help them tune in to the target and focus their attention on the relevant details. For particularly challenging targets, frontloading can be a useful tool for helping to narrow down the focus of the viewer’s attention and increase their accuracy in gathering information about the target.
Are we violate the rules of blind protocol conditions?
It depends. Frontloading in remote viewing can potentially violate the rules of blind protocol conditions, depending on how it is used. The blind protocol is a set of rules and procedures designed to ensure that the viewer does not have any prior knowledge or information about the target before attempting to view it. This is done to eliminate the possibility of conscious or unconscious biases influencing the viewer’s perceptions, and to increase the accuracy and reliability of the remote viewing process.
If frontloading is used in a way that provides the viewer with information that is not included in the tasking, or if it biases the viewer’s perceptions in some way, then it can potentially violate the blind protocol conditions. For example, if the frontloading information is highly specific or detailed, it could influence the viewer’s perceptions of the target, even if unintentionally.
In Rene Warcollier’s experiments, for example, participants tried to redraw a distant picture or drawing that was in an area that was not visible to them. The fact that they knew it was a picture did not seem to be a problem for them, and many examples are well documented. Classic Frontloading. If frontloading information is limited to general characteristics of the target and is provided in such a way that it does not affect the viewer’s perception, it can be a helpful support for the remote viewing process without violating the conditions of the blind protocol.
The decision to use frontloading in remote viewing should be based on the specific needs and goals of the remote viewing session, as well as the preferences and experience of the practitioner. It is important to be aware of the potential risks and benefits of frontloading, and to use it judiciously and in accordance with the blind protocol conditions.
Ultimately
In conclusion, remote viewing under blinded conditions is an important development in the field, as it helps to improve the accuracy and reliability of remote viewing data by reducing potential sources of bias and noise. The use of blinded protocols has become standard practice in remote viewing experiments, and it has been shown to be effective in a variety of applications, from intelligence gathering to personal growth. By relying solely on the subconscious mind, remote viewers are better able to focus on the target and produce more accurate and unbiased data. In short, the signal-to-noise ratio is the only thing that matters, and blinded protocols help to improve this ratio by reducing noise and increasing the strength of the signal. We hope that this article has shed light on the importance of blinded protocols in remote viewing experiments and their potential implications for the future.
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