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CHAPTER 3
Phase 1
The Preliminaries

1. Consciousness Settling Procedure

The single most important ingredient needed to obtain profound remote viewing experiences is a deeply settled mind. It is for this reason that The Farsight Institute recommends (but does not require) regular practice of a specific form of meditation{1} to those who want to consistently perform very well as remote viewers. But since a settled mind is so essential to deep target penetration, the practice of SRVSM begins with a mandatory procedure (in the sense that it is officially part of the Farsight Protocols of SRVSM) that acts to settle the mind in an appropriate fashion. This practice is called the SRVSM "Consciousness Settling Procedure" (or CSP). There are two versions of CSP: Ordinary CSP and Advanced CSP.

Ordinary CSP has six distinct components, and it must be done immediately prior to each SRVSM session by both the viewer and the monitor. Ordinary CSP takes approximately 15 minutes total. In Type 4 and Type 5 settings, monitors and viewers need to communicate 15 minutes before each session to coordinate the precise timing of the beginning of the SRVSM session. Here are the steps for Ordinary CSP.

Advanced CSP has the same initial four steps as Ordinary CSP. But in step five, the viewer does not simply sit quietly with the eyes closed for five minute. Rather, the viewer does this for only one or two minutes. Then the viewer listens to a tape of something called "Sama Veda" for ten minutes. After this, the viewer sits quietly for one or two minutes with the eyes closed. Then the viewer opens the eyes easily and begins the SRVSM session.

We recommend that our viewers purchase tapes of Sama Veda directly from a supplier associated with the TM Movement. The phone number is 1-800-ALL-VEDA.{2} Ordinary CSP settles the mind prior to conducting an SRVSM session. But sometimes the thoughts of the viewer are not as coherent as one may like for optimal viewing results. Our experience has shown that Advanced CSP organizes the thoughts in a way that is analogous to how a laser organizes light. Both Ordinary CSP and Advanced CSP enhance the functioning of the SRVSM protocols tremendously.

2. Physical Considerations to Beginning the SRVSM Session

A remote viewing session begins with a viewer sitting at a clean desk. Ideally, the only things that should be on the desk are a pen and a 1/4 inch stack of white paper. It is best to use a ball point pen with liquid black ink. (Uniball makes an excellent pen for these purposes.) The pen's point should ideally range from between .2 mm to .4 mm, with .2 mm being optimal. A good quality pen that does not produce much friction when writing is best. Traditional ball point pens that use gummy ink require too much downward pressure when writing to be optimal for remote viewing. If a phone or speakerphone must be on the desk, it should be placed unobtrusively in one corner away from the side on which the viewer is sitting.

The ideal training room is neutral in color. Light gray, powder blue, or dark browns are suitable colors. It is probably not a good idea to structure a training environment in, say, a child's playroom that has lots of primary colors plastered on the walls. The idea is to minimize the strong stimuli that come in through the senses, such as bright visual colors.

Before remote viewing, it is ideal to be well rested. One cannot emphasize this enough. Tiredness dulls the conscious mind, and with a dull conscious mind, the information originating from the subspace mind has little chance of being clearly perceived. A good night's sleep is idea for a morning remote viewing session, and a mid-day 15 minute rest often refreshes one sufficiently to yield optimal conditions.

One should be comfortably fed before remote viewing. This means that one should not be hungry, and one should also not be over fed. Hunger and feeling stuffed produce physical stimuli that are difficult for the conscious mind to ignore. Remember that the subspace mind yields a relatively weak informational signal to the conscious mind when compared with the five senses of hearing, touch, sight, taste, and smell. One should try to minimize any physiological stimuli that could swamp the subspace signal.

It is always best to remote view in a quite environment. If necessary, close the windows and doors of the remote viewing room. If it is possible, try to turn off the ringer of the phone for the time that it takes to complete the session. Turn off any radios or televisions that may be audible nearby.

Try to avoid wearing any perfume, cologne, aftershave, or other strong scents. This is particularly important when training in a group environment. Particularly in a group training environment, if a viewer is a smoker, it would be best if this viewer wore freshly washed clothes during the session that do not smell of smoke.

People who use recreational drugs, or any other drugs with psychoactive qualities should not remote view at all. Recreational psychoactive drugs tend to release the conscious mind controls over the imagination, which is exactly opposite that which is required to do successful remote viewing. With respect to drugs of any type, one should try to be as drug free as possible. A drug- free nervous system is ideal for remote viewing. It produces the greatest level of mental health and sensitivity that maximizes viewing accuracy as well as depth of target penetration. Individuals who use prescribed antidepressants (such as Prozac) should probably not spend much effort trying to remote view. Such antidepressants suppress the nervous system to such a degree that accuracy in remote viewing is highly compromised. Moreover, individuals using antidepressants or any other drugs that are prescribed by their doctors should not discontinue their use unless directed to do so by their doctor just because the want to learn how to remote view. Learning how to remote view is not as important as maintaining one's mental balance so as to be able to satisfactorily perform family and professional responsibilities.

Before beginning the session, one should sit comfortably on a chair at the side of the desk with both feet on the floor. The legs should not be crossed. One should sit straight forward, not off to one side, or sitting on one foot. The hands should be relaxed, with the pen held in the normal writing hand over a single clean sheet of paper. The paper is positioned in portrait mode (longways vertical). The 1/4 inch stack of paper should be on the viewer's right side of the desk.

The Template

The very first thing that is done to begin the session is to write the SRVSM identifying template on the top of the first piece of paper. The viewer must declare any physical or emotional distractors (PED) or advanced perceptuals (AP) at the top (center) of the first page. PEDs are physical and emotional things that could influence the session, such as having a sore foot or being upset with the quality of lunch. Strong PEDs, such as just having had a fight with a spouse, may require that the session be postponed until later. Also, if one is in significant pain due to, say, severe arthritis, it might be better to delay the session until the pain abates. In some ways it is useful to compare the conscious mind to the mentality of a small child. When the conscious mind is experiencing something, like a PED, it likes to be heard. Declaring the PEDs satisfies this need for the conscious mind to be heard. This helps the conscious mind to relax, circumventing its natural desire to force the issue of having its needs recognized later during the session.

An advanced perceptual is a thought or image that may or may not correlate with the actual target. Often a viewer begins a session thinking that he or she has an idea as to what the target may be. Any thoughts along these lines need to be declared at the outset or they will build in pressure in the conscious mind during the session, and are likely to re-emerge in some form during the actual data flow. Declaring these APs in advance again relaxes the conscious mind by satisfying its desire to be heard, thereby minimizing the risk of data contamination due to ideas held before the session even begins.

To the right of the PEDs and APs is the identifier of the remote viewer. At The Farsight Institute we use a code called a viewer identification number (VIN), but a name would due just as well. Below the name or viewer identifier is the date written in the U.S. military or European format. Below this is the beginning time of the remote viewing session.

To the left of the page is the data type, and below that is written the monitor's name or identification number (MIN - if the session has a monitor). To summarize, the format of the initial template is as follows: 


 
Type 4 PED - none VIN
MIN AP - none 7 September 1995
11:33 a.m.
 
 

Readers are encouraged not to perceive this initial template as a frivolous formality. Everything is carefully planned in SRVSM. This initial template contains a significant amount of detail, even to the point of specifying how the date is to be written. The effect of following these details from the outset of the session is to begin to occupy the attention of the conscious mind with the structure of the page. This is a general practice that is followed throughout the SRVSM protocols. It is important for trainee viewers to attempt to follow all of the seemingly petty structural details of these protocols, even to the point of indentations, dashes, and colons. Once these details are learned and a remote viewing session is proceeding at a fast speed, the conscious mind can do little else but keep track of these structural details. This frees the informational conduit of the subspace mind from the controlling influence of conscious mind. Figuratively, this ties the hands of the conscious mind with activity, allowing the subspace mind to slip the data past the conscious mind with minimal interference.

Following completion of the initial template, the viewer prepares to listen to the monitor as the monitor recites the SRVSM affirmation. The affirmation produces a subtle shift in the sensitivities of the mind. Here is the SRVSM affirmation.
 

Because I am essentially a spiritual being, I am able to perceive beyond all boundaries of time and space. To further my personal growth by extending my awareness of the surrounding greater reality, and to assist others in their growth, I embrace my total consciousness. I ask for the assistance of my subspace mind, my essential self, my greater Being, in order that I may clearly perceive and describe the target given for this remote viewing session.
 
 

The Ideogram

Following the recitation of the SRVSM affirmation, the viewer prepares to receive the target coordinates from the monitor. The monitor recites these coordinates, making sure to speak deliberately and clearly so that all number can be heard. The target coordinates are two four digit random numbers. There is a slight speaking delay between the first and the second four digit numbers. The viewer writes the second four digit number directly under the first. The target coordinates are written on the left side of the page.

After writing the target coordinates, the viewer immediately places the point of the pen on the paper to the right of the coordinates. At this point, an ideogram is drawn. An ideogram is a spontaneous drawing that takes only a fraction of a second to complete. The pen does not leave the surface of the paper until the ideogram is completed. Ideograms normally are simple, but complex ideograms can occur. In general, it is ideal for each ideogram to represent one (and only one) aspect or "gestalt" related to the target. For example, if the target was near a body of water, an ideogram could represent water. If there was an artificial structure at the target site, another ideogram could represent this structure, and so on.

Only one ideogram is written for each recitation of the target coordinates. In Phase 1, it is standard for the monitor to recite the target coordinate numbers three to five times, enabling the viewer to draw and decode a few ideograms, thereby obtaining information relating to different target gestalts. Each time the viewer is listening to and writing down the target coordinates, it is said that he or she is "taking" or "receiving" the target coordinates.

After receiving the target coordinates and drawing the associated ideogram for the first time in Phase 1, the viewer then writes the capital letter "A" followed by a colon to the right of the ideogram. The viewer then describes the movement of the pen, writing this all down after the A:. The description of the movement of the pen must describe the process of the pen's movement without the use of labels. The following words are generally acceptable in this regard: vertical (upward or downward), diagonal (upward or downward), sloping (upward or downward), curving (upward or downward), moving (upward, downward, or across), slanting (upward or downward), curving over, curving under, horizontal flat across, horizontal flat along, looping, angle. Words ending in "ing" or "ward" are generally preferred. Labels such as "a circle," "a loop," or "a square" are to be carefully avoided. Labeling adds conceptual meaning to data in remote viewing, and that is conscious mind analysis. All of remote viewing is built upon perceptions that begin at the lowest level of conceptual abstraction and gradually move to higher levels of abstraction. In the beginning of Phase 1, the lowest level of conceptual analysis is required.

Probing the Ideogram

Following the verbal description of the movement of the pen, the viewer then probes the ideogram. Probing the ideogram is a delicate matter. The viewer puts the point of the pen on the line and gently (but firmly) pushes the pen downward (physically downward into the table). The viewer can probe one or more times, but should avoid more than four attempts. Each probe lasts between one and two seconds (no longer than three seconds). While the pen is in contact with the line, the viewer will normally perceive some feeling about the target. Too brief a contact does not allow the nervous system to register the impression sufficiently deeply to allow for accurate decoding. Too long a contact allows the conscious mind to intervene in the process and fabricate the data. After the probe, the pen is removed from the ideogram, and the viewer searches for a word to describe the sensation that was perceived during the probe (as described below).

The first time that the viewer probes the ideogram, the attempt is made to discern what is called a "primitive descriptor," of which there are five possible choices. These are: hard, soft, semi-hard, semi-soft, wet, or mushy. While probing the ideogram, the viewer will actually sense the pen move into the paper and table if the target is soft, wet, or mushy. Although this seems logically impossible due to the firmness of the writing surface, it nonetheless is a consistent phenomenon across viewers. When gently pushing the pen into the paper, it will also feel wet if the target has water. The viewer must choose one (and only one) of the five possible descriptive options given above. It is important that no substitutions be made since this would invite the conscious mind to enter the process more fully, thereby risking interpretive interference during the data flow process. The choice of primitive descriptors is then written under the written description of the movement of the pen.

Following the initial attempts to probe the ideogram and to obtain a primitive descriptor of the target, the viewer probes the ideogram again to obtain what is called an "advanced descriptor." There are five choices among the advanced descriptors, and the viewer must use one (and only one) of these choices. These choices for advanced descriptors are: natural, manmade, artificial, movement, energetics. After probing the ideogram, the viewer writes the advanced descriptor under the primitive descriptor.

Readers should note some important aspects relating to the list of choices among the advanced descriptors. There is a difference between "manmade" and "artificial." While everything that is manmade is artificial, not everything artificial is manmade. For example, a beaver dam is clearly artificial, but it is not manmade. Note also that "energetics" refers to a feeling that the target is associated with some significant quantity of energy. This energy can be in any form, kinetic, radiant, explosive, etc. While movement can also indicate an expenditure of energy, the movement of a snail or a slowly driven car might not be perceived as energetics.

Following the declaration of the primitive and advanced descriptors, the viewer writes a "B" followed by a colon. This is written under the advanced descriptor. After the B:, the viewer then declares what he or she perceives the ideogram to represent. It is most common for the novice viewer to declare (and write down) "No-B." While it is mandatory to have one primitive descriptor and one advanced descriptor per ideogram, it is not mandatory to declare a substantive B. However, the viewer must at least write "No-B" if no other declaration is made.

There is no fixed list of possible declarations that can be made as a B. To assist students, however, it is normal to offer a list in the beginning of training (during the first few days) so as to enhance the vocabulary that is accessible to students at this point in the training process. The list of potential declarations that is normally read to students is: No-B, structure, water, dry land, wet land, motion, subject, mountain, city, sand, ice, swamp.

Note that these potential declarations are at a higher level of abstraction than that which was permitted in the beginning of Phase 1 when describing the movement of the pen during the process of drawing the ideogram. Indeed, the entire process in Phase one moves from lower to higher levels of abstraction as follows: describing the movement of the pen, primitive descriptors, advanced descriptors, an interpretive declaration of the meaning of the gestalt. Yet it is essential for the viewer to remember that the declaration that is made in part B is still very low-level. For example, a viewer could not declare that the gestalt represents an automobile, a computer, a sky scrapper, or a space ship, as these declarations would be far too high-level, involving conscious mind interpretation that greatly exceeds the quality and quantity of data that are available at this point in the session. Again as an example, if the target really is a sky scrapper, then the very best that could be determined at this point is that the target is associated with a structure.

Recently we have made a significant change to our Phase 1 procedures. Now we declare a C: underneath the B:. After writing C:, we write down our intuitive feelings about what the ideogram feels like. The statement can be a phrase, a clause, or even a sentence. The descriptions of the intuitions must be at a low-level of abstraction. ("Low-level" is explained more completely in the chapter on Phase 4.) Examples of proper C: declarations would be, "It feels hard like a structure, but somehow complicated," or "It is really mushy and soft, and feels sort of flowing." We have found that this extra information drawn from the ideograms increases target contact early in the session, and this enhances more accurate decoding of Phase 2 and Phase 3 data. A viewer may also declare "No-C" if the previously declared data capture all of the ideogram's nuances.

To summarize, the Phase 1 procedures are (1) to take or receive the target coordinates, (2) to draw an ideogram, (3) to describe verbally the movement of the pen during the drawing of the ideogram using process terms rather than labels, (4) to probe the ideogram for primitive descriptors, (5) to probe the ideogram for advanced descriptors, (6) to make an initial declaration of a low-level description of the target gestalt that is captured by the ideogram, or to simply state that there is no declaration (i.e., No-B), and (7) to make a longer statement of the intuitive feelings regarding the ideogram. This entire sequence is typically executed three to five times in Phase 1. The idea is not to use Phase 1 to capture all of the target gestalts, but rather to establish initial contact with the target by describing a few of the primary target aspects only. Following a few repetitions of the Phase 1 procedures, the viewer then proceeds immediately to Phase 2.

One final note about the ideograms, if an ideogram is not decoded correctly, the ideogram itself is nearly always immediately repeated with the next taking of the coordinates. Thus, a self- correction factor is built into the Phase 1 procedures. If an ideogram returns, but subsequent to a different ideogram emerging from a different taking of the coordinates, this indicates that the ideogram was decoded correctly previously, and that all of the primary gestalts have been properly expressed. After decoding a repeating ideogram that immediately follows a different ideogram, the viewer moves on to Phase 2.

For example, let us say that the first ideogram is decoded as a structure. The second ideogram looks different, and we now know that we decoded the first ideogram correctly. We decode the second ideogram saying that it is hard and natural, with a B: of "land." On the third taking of the coordinates, the second ideogram returns. This tells us that we most likely made a mistake in decoding something in the previous ideogram. We probe again, this time finding that the ideogram really feels more like it is hard and manmade. We declare a B: of "No-B." We take the coordinates again and the structure ideogram returns. Now we know that we have exhausted all of the major gestalts and we corrected the mistake with the one ideogram. We then decode the final ideogram and move on to Phase 2. After the end of the session, we find out that the target was a shopping mall containing a structure and a large parking lot (that is, manmade land).

Ideogram Drills

It is useful at this point to note that students need to develop some skill in drawing ideograms. Practice and some drills are required. To assist students, it is typical to give them some ideograms by having them drill with some standard ideograms that have established meanings. Usually seven or eight pages of drills are all that is required for the initial ideogram vocabulary to be established in a viewer's mind. The drill is accomplished by having an instructor repeat words like "structure" while the student quickly draws a structure ideogram. Common ideograms that are useful for drill purposes are presented in Figure 3.1.

Other ideograms are developed individually for each student. Such ideograms do not have a set pattern, and may vary completely from person to person. Ideograms for such things are drilled not by telling the student what the ideogram looks like, but by just repeating the gestalt (such as the word "movement"), allowing the student to draw whatever comes naturally. In such situations, the ideograms typically settle down into a set pattern for each gestalt after only a few repetitions, and after that they are often set. "Person" or "subject" ideograms are often very individualistic in this regard. As a result of these drills, it is common for each student to develop a minimum of five or six distinct patterns in their ideogram vocabulary. Should a student ever develop an "ideogram rut," in which all ideograms always look alike, then 15 minutes of drill using a variety of ideograms usually fixes this problem.

Deductions

What does one do if the conscious mind nonetheless makes a high-level guess as to the identity of the target or target fragment? This is called a "deduction." A deduction has two components. First, it is a conclusion (as in "to deduce") that the conscious mind makes regarding the target. The conscious mind is basically watching the data flow between the subspace mind and the physical body (the hand holding the pen). The conscious mind needs very little information before it is encouraged to leap into the process with a guess as to the meaning of the data. This conclusion may indeed be correct, but the viewer cannot know if this is the case until the target identity is affirmatively revealed at the end of the session. Thus it is important to remove the conclusion from the data recording process, which leads to the other half of the meaning for "deduction." A deduction is also a subtraction from the data flow. It is a high-level conclusion based on initial impressions from the data that is then removed and isolated from the data collection activity so as not to contaminate the remainder of the data being collected.

Nearly all deductions contain some aspect of truth with regard to the target. But it is not possible for a remote viewer to determine during a session what that truthful aspect may be. Sometimes - more typically with advanced viewers - a deduction identifies the target exactly. However, it is more common among all viewers that a deduction is only partially correct. For example, if a target is the destruction of the Hindenberg blimp, deductions of kite, balloon, fireworks, and TWA Flight 800 could all be deductions. The idea of a kite captures the notion that the Hindenberg flew, the balloon reflects the structure of the blimp, fireworks reflect the explosion that resulted in the destruction of the Hindenberg, and TWA Flight 800 identifies the idea that an airborne vehicle carrying passengers exploded causing loss of life. These are all typical of the types of guesses that the conscious mind can make while monitoring the flow of the data during the session.

A skillful monitor and analyst will recognize these reflections of the real target and know that the viewer is indeed "on target." We do not worry about the inaccuracies inherent in deductions. Remember, deductions are not remote viewing data. They are guesses made by the conscious mind, nothing more. However, deductions can be very useful to an analyst. Deductions can convey meaning about a target that is difficult to express. For example, someone could be remote viewing a slave labor camp during the time of the Pharaohs, and Auschwitz could be given as a deduction. Such a deduction has many parallels with the actual target. Jews were the subjects of slavery, repression, misery, and death in both settings. But importantly, the analyst may be alerted to the magnitude of the misery that was experienced by Egyptian slave labor camp through the deduction of Auschwitz. This could be useful in interpreting the remainder of the session should the viewer describe extreme levels of suffering among the actual target subjects.

Regardless of the potential usefulness of deductions, all deductions must be eliminated from the flow of the data in order to save the session from developing a story line, or in some other way contaminating the remainder of the data. To accomplish this the viewer writes a capital letter "D" followed by a dash and the description of the deduction on the right-hand-side of the piece of paper that is currently being used. Thus, the deduction mentioned above would be written as "D- Auschwitz" (without the quotes, of course). Following this, it is essential that the viewer put the pen down on the table for one or more seconds. This action breaks the flow of the data from the subspace mind, thereby allowing the impression that was made on the conscious mind to dissipate. After a few moments, the viewer picks up the pen and continues with the session just as he or she was doing before the deduction occurred.

FOOTNOTES 

{1} Transcendental Meditation (TM) and the more advanced TM-Sidhi Program. TM is mechanical, as is SRVSM. It does not involve a belief system, and it has many beneficial psychological and health side effects. In our view, it acts effortlessly to shift one's awareness beyond the mere physical realm of existence, gradually developing a more permanent intuitive perception of our greater reality.

{2} Again, there is no formal or informal connection between our remote viewing activities and the TM Movement. The Farsight Institute's endorsement of Transcendental Meditation does not in any way imply a reverse endorsement of the Institute's activities by the TM Movement. Moreover, to avoid concern and confusion, and since Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has made no official comments regarding the developing science of remote viewing, we normally recommend to our remote viewers that they not mention to members of the TM Movement that their enthusiasm for TM, or Sama Veda tapes, or anything else TM related is associated with an interest in remote viewing.