Hal Puthoff
Harold E. Puthoff is a physicist who jointly led the remote-viewing research programme at Stanford Research Institute (SRI) with Russell Targ. Trained in laser physics, he earned his PhD from Stanford University in 1967 and joined SRI in 1971 [1].
Research focus
Puthoff’s work centered on information transmission in anomalous cognition. With Targ, he developed protocols that treated remote viewing as a communication channel—applying signal-detection theory and information theory to measure whether perceptual information could be transmitted across distances without conventional sensory mechanisms. Their landmark 1974 publication in Nature [3] and their 1976 IEEE Proceedings article [2] established a foundational framework for remote-viewing research that shaped the field’s methodology for decades.
The pair introduced the term “remote viewing” itself for the reported ability to perceive distant locations without sensory access [1]. Their work moved the study of anomalous cognition from anecdotal observation toward quantified, laboratory-controlled protocols—a methodological shift that both enabled systematic research and became a focal point for sustained scientific critique.
For deeper engagement with Puthoff’s contributions and the responses they generated, see his full profile page and the spoke on information transmission and signal detection in psi.
References
- Puthoff, H., & Targ, R. (2015). Psychic Research and Modern Physics (Psychic Exploration). Psychic Exploration.
- Puthoff, H., & Targ, R. (1976). A Perceptual Channel for Information Transfer over Kilometer Distances: Historical Perspective and Recent Research. Proceedings of the IEEE.
- Targ, R., & Puthoff, H. (1974). Information transmission under conditions of sensory shielding. Nature, 251, 602–607. https://doi.org/10.1038/251602a0
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