Government Agents, ESP, and Hotel Secrets (Pt. 1&2)

Government Agents, ESP, and Hotel Secrets (Pt. 1)

• 2 Comments
  
•  August 28, 2015
  
•  Nick Redfern
  

 
There can be no doubt that strange things go on in hotel rooms. But, they don’t get much stranger than something that went down in the Arlington, Virginia, Marriott Hotel – on U.S. Highway 1 – in August 1957. It’s a bizarre story of paranormal phenomena (or, perhaps more correctly, alleged paranormal phenomena), a couple of teenage psychics, an employee of a local railway company, and the U.S. Intelligence community! Yep, it’s time for one of those “stranger than fiction” accounts.
It all began on July 16, 1957. That was the date on which Alan H. Belmont, the Assistant Director of the FBI’s Domestic Intelligence Division, prepared a document with the eye-catching title of [url=https://vault.fbi.gov/Extra-Sensory Perception]“Extra Sensory Perception.”[/url] It was a document circulated to senior FBI personnel, including Assistant Director Cartha DeLoach. Belmont wrote: “One of our agents attended a private exhibition of extra sensory perception given by Mr. William Foos at American Legion Headquarters in Washington, D.C.”
The document continues: “Mr. Foos, resident of Richmond, Va., is a high school graduate employed in a minor capacity with the C. and O. Railway. About two years ago he became interested in extra sensory perception (a term probably technically inaccurate) and began experimenting with members of his family. He claims to have achieved amazing success and in recent weeks has received a considerable amount of publicity in the Richmond area.”

Belmont got to the point: “Very simply Foos claims the ability to teach the blind to see; in six months to teach a person without eyes to see sufficiently well to drive an automobile safely. He disclaims any supernatural power and, not being a scientist or physician, has no technical or scientific explanation. He merely states that a person can do what he makes up his mind to do.”
Turning his attention to Foos’ family, Belmont said: “To illustrate his ability, his daughter, Margaret Foos (about 16-17 years of age) was blindfolded by the observers with pads and an elastic band, thereafter reading, distinguishing color and moving about the room with complete ease. She could read minute handwriting submitted by those in attendance, accurately trace the written material and in all ways function without error as with complete vision.”
Also contained in the document is the following from Belmont: “Foos stated that during one recent public exhibition Margaret had distinguished color balloons at a distance of 400 feet.”

It’s notable that the FBI’s interest in Foos’ claims was provoked by the intriguing notion that his skills might potentially be used in the world of international espionage. It’s also interesting to note that Foos, himself, had given thought to this matter. Belmont wrote: “Mr. Foos was questioned as to his ability to teach a person to read an article covered by a pad or to see through a wall. He at the time avoided a direct answer, stating that because of the defense aspects of such a possibility he was not at liberty to discuss it [Note from Nick: italics mine].”
Belmont clearly recognized the potential use of such powers in the field of spying, if indeed such powers were real and could be harnessed. On this particular matter, his words are very clear and to the point: “Should [Foos’] claims be well founded, there is no limit to the value which could accrue to the FBI – complete and undetectable access to mail, the diplomatic pouch; visual access to buildings – the possibilities are unlimited insofar as law enforcement and counterintelligence are concerned.”
Belmont was on a roll: “As fantastic as this may appear, the actuality of extra sensory perception has long been recognized – though not to the degree of perfection claimed by Mr. Foos. It is difficult to see how the Bureau can afford to not inquire into this matter more fully.”
Of course, inquiries did proceed. As we shall see in part-2 of this article.


Thanks to: http://mysteriousuniverse.org

Government Agents, ESP, and Hotel Secrets (Pt. 2)

• 0 Comments
  
•  August 28, 2015
  
•  Nick Redfern
  

 
As I noted in part-1 of this article, in 1957 elements of the U.S. Intelligence community took a keen interest in the controversial claims of [url=https://vault.fbi.gov/Extra-Sensory Perception]a man named William Foos[/url]. Specifically because of his alleged extra sensory perception-based skills. They were skills that the FBI, in particular, found extremely interesting and from the perspective of how those powers might be used in espionage operations.
FBI documentation of August 13, 1957 reveals that Bureau agents dug into Foos’ assertions very deeply. To the extent that agents even paid visits to his local library, specifically to review copies of recent newspapers for any mention of the man and his supernatural skills. The FBI also recorded the following: “Foos had recently been to Duke University, where he had demonstrated for two days before Dr. Joseph B. Rhine, an eminent authority on the subject and other members of the Parapsychology Department of the University.”
Things quickly progressed to a new level. A document of September 6, 1957 informed Alan H. Belmont of the very latest news: “According to information furnished to the Bureau, William Foos allegedly gave a demonstration in extra sensory perception to representatives of military intelligence and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) sometime during August 1957.”

Marriott Motor Hotel
The military said they knew nothing of a CIA connection, but didn’t deny that Foos may also have given CIA personnel a demonstration on the very same day. The relevant paperwork on this issue reads as follows:
“Lieutenant Colonel John Downie, Special Operations Branch, ACSI, advised that a representative from the Army Intelligence Center at Fort Holabird, Maryland, had attended a demonstration given by Foos on August 8, 1957, at the Marriott Motor Hotel, U.S. Highway #1, Arlington, Virginia…As far as Colonel Downie knew, there was no representative from CIA at this demonstration; however, it was his understanding that on August 8, 1957, another demonstration was given by Foos to individuals unknown to Colonel Downie, not representing the Department of the Army, however.”
The documentation also notes: “Colonel Downie stated that Lieutenant Colonel Leroy C. Hill, the representative from the Army Intelligence Center, is making an evaluation of the demonstration; however, to date he has reached no conclusion. According to Colonel Downie, when Colonel Hill completes his evaluation, he, Downie, will so advise the Bureau.”
And that’s when everything began to go very wrong for William Foos.
Officialdom quickly learned that Foos had given a demonstration for the Blind Veterans Association. Freedom of Information documents show that the BVA was not impressed: “According to representatives of the Blind Veterans Association, who had attended one of Foos’ demonstrations, the demonstrations did not reveal any extra sensory perception powers of Foos or any of his associates.”
Further FBI files demonstrate that the Intelligence community quickly grew suspicious of Foos and his family. Those same papers reveal much more about what went on in suite 5008 of the Marriott Motor Hotel. On the matter of Foos’ daughter, Margaret, the document-collection states that she “was not successful in identifying or reading a Trip Ticket held approximately 16″ above the table.” Similarly: “A young man, approximately age 17,” who was also present, the papers note, had “very limited” success in terms of demonstrating psychic or extraordinary powers.

The FBI recorded that one person present – whose name is deleted from the files – was of the opinion that “all demonstrations were merely tricks and can be explained logically by qualified performers in this field.” Things got even worse for the Foos family on September 17, 1957. That was the date on which the CIA informed the FBI, “Foos has insisted on using a particular type of blindfold which raises a question regarding the possibility that Foos is using nothing more than a trick by cleverly permitting his daughter to see by ‘pinpoint vision.'”
More damning were the words of yet another agent present at the Marriott demonstration. He concluded that, “…Foos is using a blindfold material which permits his daughter to have a considerable area of vision through a tiny aperture in the blindfold cloth.” Essentially, that is the end of the story. Game over. U.S. intelligence was far from satisfied by anything that Foos and his family claimed or displayed.
It’s not entirely out of the question that some sort of legal action could have been taken against Foos. Of course, any kind of FBI action might have caught the attention of the media – and maybe, even, the Soviets. And, certainly – and very understandably – no-one wanted the Reds to know that U.S. Intelligence was digging into the world of ESP. So, the matter was quietly dropped.
The FBI’s final words on Foos: “Recognizing the value of such activity to our counterespionage work, we thoroughly checked the claim and had to conclude that his alleged powers had no scientific basis.”


Thanks to: http://mysteriousuniverse.org