Did the Sony Corporation Really Run a Psychic Research Lab?
What a Tokyo bio-terrorism attack taught us about ESP
On the 20th of March, 1995, Toru Toyoda purchased a morning edition of a Tokyo daily newspaper, carefully wrapping it around his package, and entered the Naka Meguro Station where he boarded the first car of a northeast bound train on the Hibiya Line. It was nearly 8 a.m. Up until that point it had been an unremarkable commute. But there was something unusual about the umbrella Mr. Toyoda was carrying: it had a sharpened tip.
Sitting close to the train’s door, the applied physics graduate student placed the newspaper on the floor and stabbed it twice quickly with his umbrella. He hastily exited the train at the next stop.
Two stops later, passengers of the first car began to feel a sense of unease and started opening windows. By the next stop, they were in full panic. The train car was evacuated and the entire train taken out of service. Many riders were immediately taken to hospital with dubious vital signs. What these riders, and eventually the world at large, would come to learn is that they had been exposed to deadly sarin gas, a clear, colorless warfare-grade nerve agent.
The “Subway Sarin Incident” was an act of domestic terrorism carried out by members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult. The five coordinated attacks that morning killed 14, severely injured 50, and temporary blinded nearly 1000. (1)
Aum Shrinrikyo’s leader, Shoko Asahara, experienced delusions of grandeur and claimed he was charged with building the Kingdom of Shambhala, a utopian society of those with psychic powers. Asahara himself claimed, among other powers, the ability to levitate.
Several of Aum Shrinkrikyo’s nerve gas makers had been graduates of some of Japan’s top universities.
Sony rumors go mainstream
Masaru Ibuka, one of Sony Corporation’s founding fathers had long had an interest in traditional medicine and applied spirituality.
As far back as 1988, he had established Sony’s Pulse Graph Research Department, which had worked on a device, prototyped by a South Korean holistic doctor, that claimed to identify health problems by measuring the pulse. (2)
In 1989, Sony mathematician and computer scientist Yoichiro Sako, approached Masura Ibuko about starting a special department to study bio-energy, or what the Chinese call “Qi” (pronounced ch’i). Mr. Sako was an orthodox scientist at that time and had worked for Sony on CDs, CD-ROMs, and voice recognition technology. (3)
By 1991, these bio-energy experiments had morphed into their own psychic laboratory: ESPER (Extrasensory Perception and Excitation Research). The five-person lab was always kept low-profile by Sony, never being mentioned in their annuals reports or web sites. (3)
Rumors about the ESPER lab had circulated internally around Sony corridors for years. But suddenly the Subway Sarin Incident had made the occult front page news. If some of Japan’s best and brightest were making sarin gas in makeshift laboratories, the man on the street may well have wondered, just what was Sony doing with an ESP lab? (3)
Sony’s ESPER Lab: a look under the hood
Yoichiro Sako’s main interest in founding the ESPER lab was to push the boundaries of traditional science. (4)
“I believe that the key lies in the research of biological, mental and spiritual phenomena such as Qi and other psychic powers that have been overlooked by modern scientists.” (5)
“Our ultimate goal is to discover the “mind or consciousness” that all of humanity, and the whole of creation, possesses-to follow the “spirit or soul” that exists in our universe. What we discover through our activities may one day redefine our idea of what is “true.” (6)
ESPER was set up to study pure science. Any assumptions that Sony had set out to commercialize products from this research are incorrect. (7)
Clairvoyance research
ESPER’s strongest research results were in clairvoyance. In one study, subjects could perceive (i.e., read) letters and objects written on paper, yet shielded from them, at a nearly astonishing 75% accuracy rate. (8) In another study, subject T.T., in 35 trials, was correct 97.1% of the time. (9)
In both these studies subjects either held containers with target drawings inside or had the drawing fastened to their outer ear. In case you think we’ve entered realm of extreme weirdness, I should explain that there is a precedent in Qigong lore of people able to read with their ears.
This is a curious finding to me because of what is known as “blindfold sight”, or the ability to see and navigate in the 3D world while blindfolded. I first became aware of the phenomenon of blindfold sight from the absolutely astonishing 2020 documentary Superhuman, a film covering Remote Viewing, blindfold sight, and much more.
Blindfold sight subjects often appear to be navigating by sensing from a space between their eyes and ears, approximately at the temple, on each side of their head, which may support some of ESPER’s research.
ESPER’s clairvoyant research also found that subjects could perceive the color of objects.
Highly significant results that offer strong support for the existence of non-visual color recognition.” (10)
Subjects could perceive typed or handwritten notes, even on the opposite side of the paper facing them. And finally, they determined that children seemed to perform better than adults. (9)
In general, Yoichiro Sako noticed the “goats vs. sheep” effect with clairvoyance. The ability to suspend limiting or critical beliefs about psychic abilities in general and/or our own abilities seems to improve results.
“Clairvoyance could “never happen among the deniers, no matter how long you wait.” (11)
Clairvoyance & synesthesia
Synesthesia is a neurological condition in which information meant to stimulate one of your senses stimulates several of your senses. It is estimated to affect between 2-to-4 percent of the population. Synesthetes may report “hearing” the color yellow, for example, or perceiving a certain sound associated with the number one.
In another study, Yoichiro Sako identified the possibility that clairvoyance is associated with synesthesia. (12) The researchers clued into this phenomenon while conducting their regular clairvoyance work when they noticed subjects attempting to perceive visual information about a target would often perceive some other aspect of the target first, such as a flavor.
In the experiment, one subject was tasked with clairvoyantly seeing a wind chime, in which they perceived the sounds “ring, ring” and then felt a wavering of the wind before perceiving the visual information of the drawing. A second subject was tasked with clairvoyantly viewing a drawing of a cigarette, in which she perceived a strange nasty smell of burning wood before catching a glimpse of the visual information.
This corroborates what is known from the world of traditional Remote Viewing. Remote Viewing based on the original protocols developed by Ingo Swann during Project STARGATE, such as Controlled Remote Viewing (CRV) or Technical Remote Viewing (TRV), are based on a rigid protocol of stages as a target is engaged. Stages 1 & 2 are the simplest, involving low-level sensory information — colors, textures, smells, tastes, temperatures, sounds, and dimensions. Visual and conceptual target information is encountered in Stages 3 & 4. Since these ESPER studies were relatively less structured, compared to CRV, it seems then, that there may be a natural order of psychically encountering a target.
Seeing without eyes
Blindfold sight differs from clairvoyance in that a person can perceive properly and operate in the 3D world without their eyes, whereas clairvoyance is designed for “distant looking”, such as in Remote Viewing.
The Sony experiments indicate that these two systems can operate in conjunction.
Dermasight, or the ability to read with one’s fingers has been established by Japanese and Soviet researchers. (13) In some Sony experiments, subjects held the targets in their hands while blindfolded, while in others, targets were close but not in contact with the subjects. It seems that, depending upon the context, one perception system took over from the other.
Subjects were so good at this that in one study a subject was able to detect a piece of platinum inside a black film case 71.2% of the time compared to 50.4% for controls. (14)
Although this may seem impressive, the modern blindfold sight crowd has far surpassed what ESPER was doing in the 1990s.
Qi affects water
In the 1980s and 90s, stories of Qigong exploits emerging from China captured the Japanese public’s imagination. Some of the very first work the ESPER lab performed was on Qigong. ESPER worked with multiple Qigong masters over several years.
In one study, 10 Qigong masters attempted to inject Qi into water. ESPER researchers measured the water’s conductivity (in other words the pH) and found that 3 of the 10 Qigong masters were able to significantly alter the level. Other parts of the study showed that there was an affect not only when the vials of water were held, but also when they were simply stared at. The conductivity of the water was also affected when the Qigong masters emanated Qi without even know there was water present. The effects on the water lasted for hours, and sometimes days. The water quality seemed to have a bearing on this effect. Qi could not be put into purified (distilled) water. This suggests some ions and/or impurities are required to receive Qi. (15)
Oddly, staring at the water while transmitting Qi was more powerful than shading it with one’s hands, the latter usually being a far more popular method with energy workers.
Affecting the pH of water via human intention has previously been demonstrated and a compelling example appears in the previously mentioned film, Superhuman.
Along these same lines, 2008 Nobel Prize winner for discovering HIV, and recently deceased, Luc Montagnier, took up the controversial topic of water memory. Proponents of water memory believe that water has the ability to reproduce the properties of any substance it once contained.
When water containing a tiny amount of a substance is diluted so that the substance is basically no longer detectable, the water still contains the property of that substance. This may even explain how Homeopathy works. Stranger still, when the electromagnetic signal of the substance is digitized, e-mailed to a lab in another country and electromagnetically broadcast to a flask of “virgin” water, the new water acquires the properties of the very original substance, with no possible chemical connection.
Luc Montagnier believed:
“One day we’ll be able to treat cancer with frequency waves.”
From my own personal experience with Quantum Touch, I have found myself able to alter liquid flavors by injecting Qi, waking up stale wine, for example, and mellowing out the bitterness of coffee.
I have known Reiki masters who inject energy and power symbols into their meals before eating. I argue that it may be the water molecules inside which are receptive to this energy. Many cultures bless their meals before eating and this may be part of the same idea. It is common to give thanks before meals, however blessing them seems to be an intent to improve their quality, possibly energetically.
Qi affects people
I another study, ESPER found that when Qigong Masters transmitted Qi, their pulse rates increased as well as blood flow to their finger tips. Furthermore, blood flow patterns tended to synchronize between the Qigong Master transmitting Qi and those subjects receiving it. (16)
Qi’s effect upon the human body has been well established for years. For a plethora of research on Qi and Qigong, see the Qigong Institute.
Sony’s ESPER lab closes
There is some speculation on the exact reason for why Sony closed the ESPER lab in 1997. Masaru Ibuka died in 1997. Some commentators argue that the internal corporate will to study fringe topics died along with him. ESPER had moved around within the Sony organization chart several times, indicating an unease within the company about how to handle it. This fact is somewhat reminiscent of how Project STARGATE, and the military Remote Viewing unit were bandied about from time to time. Some commentators argue that Sony uncovered other findings too radical for mainstream release, though this is pure speculation.
With public paranoia about the occult running rampant after the 1995 Subway Sarin Incident, Sony was forced to comment on ESPER.
Sony spokesman Masanobu Sakaguchi said:
“We found out experimentally that, yes, ESP exists, but that any practical application of this knowledge is not likely in the foreseeable future.” (17)
Some argue that with all the publicity, Sony was simply embarrassed by ESPER. Personally, I hope that was not the case. Sony founders Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita, Yoichiro Sako, and the other ESPER team member should be commended for their courage in following the truth, for its own sake, wherever it led. That seems, at least to me, to be a rare quality these days, and one that should be applauded.
How to use the ESPER clairvoyant method (9)
The clairvoyant method, tested experimentally with children is quite simple:
1. Close your eyes (optional)
2. Concentrate
3. Imagine unfolding the target paper (optional)
4. A light appears in the middle of the forehead (presumably in the mind’s eye)
5. The light expands as the surroundings darken
6. The target (a letter in the case of the children) appears in the light
7. Shift the letter or light to one side using your intention to read more of the image, as if you were using a flashlight in the dark
By Brian Lightfoot, Director of Standard Remote Viewing where he offers training, services, and publishes a newsletter containing Remote Viewing project research and future predictions.
References
Films
Superhuman: The Invisible Made Visible
Children With REAL SuperPowers
Organizations teaching blindfold sight
English/multi-language
Spanish
Free YouTube channel & training course
Seeing Blindfolded Training-Wendy Gallant
Other
CIA report on Japanese parapsychology and the ESPER lab
Endnotes
(2) Sony senses a market in ESP
(3) Evidence for Psi: Sony Proved That ESP Is Real
(4) Wired Magazine
(5) Speaking at the 16th Annual Meeting of the Society for Scientific Exploration, held in Las Vegas in 1997
(6) Sako, Y: La Filosofia Fundamental del Laboratorio ESPER de la Corporacion SONY, Revista Argentina de Psicologia Paranormal, 8(3), 225–227, 1997. In Spanish
(7) Kokubo, H, Contemporary active research in Japan for anomalous research, The Japanese Journal of Parapsychology, 3(1), 19–63, 1998. In English
(8) Sako, Y, & Homma, S: Investigation of Clairvoyance, Journal of Mind-Body Science, 6(1), 75–82, 1997. In Japanese with English abstract
(9) Sako, Y, & Homma, S, 1996. The possibility of the existence of clairvoyance. Journal of Mind-Body Science, 4, 57–65. In Japanese with English abstract
(10) Sako Y, & Ono, T, 1997. Non-visual color recognition. Journal of International Society of Life Information Science, 15, 36–49. In English
(11) Los Angeles Times
(12) Sako, Y & Homma, S. 1997. Clairvoyance and synesthesia. Journal of International Society of Life Information Science, 15, 169–172. In English
(13) Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain by Sheila Ostrander & Lynn Shroeder
(14) Sako Y, Ozeki M, Naoi T and Ono T: The Possibility of Extraordinary Bio-Perception, Journal of Mind-Body Science 4(1), 1–9, 1995. In Japanese with English abstract
(15) Sasaki S, Sako, Y, & Kobayashi T: Characteristics of Qi Observed in the Changes of Qi-water Conductivity, Journal of Mind-Body Science, 2(1), 1–7, 1993. In Japanese with English abstract
(16) Sako, Y, The Physical Status of Qi Sender on the Change of Accelerated Plethsmograph Index and Unmonotonous Conductivity of Meridian Points, Journal of Mind-Body Science, 2(1), 9–18, 1993. In Japanese with English abstract
(17) South China Morning Post 1998
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