---
alias:
- David S. Brandwein
category: Intelligence & Government
created: 2026-09-21
location: Langley, Virginia
summary: Director of the CIA's Office of Technical Service who ended its funding of
  the SRI parapsychology research in 1976, refused to resume it, and briefed the House
  intelligence committee on the work in 1977 and 1978.
tags:
- Person
- DavidBrandwein
- CIA
- OfficeOfTechnicalService
- RemoteViewing
- SCANATE
updated: 2026-09-21
---

David S. Brandwein was director of the [CIA](/organizations/central-intelligence-agency/)'s Office of Technical Service in the middle 1970s, the office that had funded the remote-viewing research at [Stanford Research Institute](/organizations/stanford-research-institute/) since 1972. On February 20, 1976, he sent the director of research and development "two reports summarizing the final work by SRI for OTS, together with a memorandum discussing the status of the parapsychology program. As you are no doubt aware, I directed that OTS support of this effort be terminated. I continue to believe that it would be inappropriate for us to continue it; however, if ORD desires to pick it up, be my guest." On October 7, 1976, having read the minutes of the twelfth meeting of the research and development subcommittee of the Human Resources Committee, at which OTS officers had briefed on the work and it was recorded that "enough empirical evidence existed to warrant further research in this area," he wrote to the Intelligence Community Staff: "I think you know my position on this, but just in case there is some confusion I want to make myself clear. OTS will not support any further research in parapsychology."[^1]

### Congress

After the *Washington Post*'s Parade section published "Psychic Spying" on August 7, 1977, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence asked for a briefing. Brandwein gave it to three staff members on November 16, 1977, from ten to eleven: "A short oral history of OTS efforts in the field, dating back to 1961, was presented. All three staffers asked very pertinent questions and were given frank and in-depth replies." Since the officers "could speak only for OTS," one was asked to find out whether any other component was sponsoring such research, and the staff were left "a written outline of OTS work on ESP, classified SECRET, the IEEE article covering the unclassified portions of the work done by SRI and a brief article on Mr. [Pat Price](/people/pat-price/)." On February 9, 1978, the OTS briefing for Representative [Charlie Rose](/people/charlie-rose/) "was largely handled by the Chief of OTS, Mr. David S. Brandwein."[^1][^2]

[^1]: Brandwein, David S., Director, Office of Technical Service, memoranda "Stanford Research Institute Parapsychology Research," February 20, 1976 (CIA-RDP96-00787R000200020001-9), and "OTS Support to Research in Parapsychology," October 7, 1976 (CIA-RDP96-00787R000200020016-3); memorandum for the record, "Briefing for House Permanent Select Committee re OTS Involvement in ESP Research," OTS memo 287-77, November 17, 1977 (CIA-RDP96-00787R000200020020-8); memorandum for the record, "Discussions with OTS on the SRI Project," June 22, 1974 (CIA-RDP96-00787R000700110016-8). Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection.
[^2]: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Legislative Counsel, "Briefing of Representative Charles Rose," February 9, 1978, OLC 78-0576, CIA-RDP81M00980R000600250087-4.