---
category: Scientists & Researchers
created: 2026-09-22
location: Arlington, Virginia
summary: Institute for Defense Analyses scientist on the 1979 Gale Committee who joined
  the minority opinion against operational tests of remote viewing.
tags:
- Person
- JesseOrlansky
- GrillFlame
- RemoteViewing
- IDA
updated: 2026-09-22
---

Jesse Orlansky, of the science and technology division of the Institute for Defense Analyses in Arlington, Virginia, served on the [Grill Flame Scientific Evaluation Committee](/events/grill-flame-scientific-evaluation-committee/) under [Manfred Gale](/people/manfred-gale/) in 1979. With [Harry Holloway](/people/harry-holloway/) and [Douglas Tang](/people/douglas-tang/) he signed the minority opinion against the majority's recommendation that [INSCOM](/organizations/united-states-army-intelligence-and-security-command/)'s operational remote viewing continue under oversight: "Full evaluation of operational tests of 'Remote Viewing' would require valid ground truth data, reliable scoring procedures, preliminary trials to establish adequate experimental procedures and whatever lead times are needed to conduct adequate tests wherever and whenever they may occur. Since operational tests can occur with little warning, it is difficult to assure that most of the conditions noted above can be satisfied in that type of program. A minority of the Committee believes that a test program in an operation-like environment is not likely to provide useful or reliable data. We see little to be gained by recommending operational tests. Such tests can also be dangerous. By encouraging the conduct of operational tests, this Committee endorses actions which have dubious scientific validity at best and can have dangerous implications for those, who may rely on its products. At the very least, this Committee would be giving scientific credibility to operational activities exploiting phenomena that it elsewhere notes have not been proven or disproven."[^1]

[^1]: *Report by the Grill Flame Scientific Evaluation Committee,* December 1979, Manfred Gale, chairman, CIA-RDP96-00788R001300120001-5. Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection.