10. The ESP files are heavily redacted in some cases
Some of the documents in the FBI’s ESP files are heavily redacted, both in the identification of correspondents and the contents of the documents. One document which is nearly completely readable addresses a demonstration given by Foos to representatives of Army intelligence on August 6, 1957. The memorandum suggests a similar demonstration by Foos for the CIA held on August 8. The memorandum reports Army intelligence had not determined whether the demonstration proved Foos’ claims, and cited several others who determined the claims had not been proven. Among them were the President’s Committee on the Employment of the Physically Handicapped, the Blind Veterans Association, and the Veteran’s Administration, the precursor of today’s Department of Veterans Affairs. The latter pointed out that Foos had declined to submit to scientific testing and analysis in rejecting his claims.
Another memorandum describes the August 8 demonstration, attended by an FBI Special Agent at an Arlington, Virginia, motel. The agent summed up the demonstration by first noting his lack of qualifications, “…to judge on the ESP ability of any person in the demonstration”. He then went on to note, “…that all demonstrations were merely tricks and can be explained logically by qualified performers in this field”. Clearly the Special Agent writing the memorandum remained unimpressed with Foos’ ESP abilities, relegating them to the field of the illusionists. Yet FBI interest in ESP continued. It also expanded into the field of telepathy, the ability to convey messages through thoughts. CIA and military intelligence agencies conducted parallel research into the fields at the same time. The FBI conducted investigations into those investigations.