Scientific Views of Ninja Kuji

Here are some scientific insights into the validity of certain advanced ninjutsu mind and spirit practices that are sometimes regarded by a skeptical public as being a bit too "far out" to be taken seriously. Indeed. it is often true that in the mysteries that make up the legends and folklore of the Eastern cultures, there are hidden scientific realities that are eventually discovered in the laboratories of the West. Take for instance the seemingly magical psychic powers of the ninja's' kuji no ho

The following article on the use of mental powers in espionage appeared in early March, 1979, under the United Press International copyright. It's the closest thing to acknowledging a modern application of some of the methods that made Japan's ninja famous five hundred years ago.

WASHINGTON (UPI) -- The Central Intelligence Agency looked into the possibility of turning ESP into an "atom bomb" of espionage with a team of mind spies searching the world for such intelligence targets as underground submarine pens.

ESP, or extrasensory perception. is the ability to perceive things beyond a person's usual senses. CIA documents made public under the Freedom of Information Act indicated the intelligence agency also expressed interest in Nazi studies of ESP and even looked into the possibility of using dogs as mind spies.

But the information, distributed by American Citizens for Honesty in Government, an affiliate of the Church of Scientology, failed to reveal whether the Central Intelligence Agency ever got around to setting up an ESP espionage team. A heavily censored April 1952, memorandum said the CIA gave "some serious consideration" to subsidizing research into the possibility of applying ESP "to matters of pure intelligence."

"If a number of individuals could be found in the U.S. who have a very high ESP capacity, these talented individuals could be assigned to intelligence problems," the note said. It said the mind spies could work on such problems as whether a nation "had a submarine pen at a given port or area."

A January 31, 1952, memo described a conference concerning the possible use of ESP by the CIA. An "outstanding authority on ESP "whose name was censored, briefed intelligence officials at the session. The expert was quoted as saying researchers were "approaching a solution to the problem of how to control and direct this ESP capacity." He insisted that the knowledge on ESP at this point was far in advance of the basic knowledge that was held on atomic energy and atomic weapons before the first atom bomb was developed," the memo said.

A Feb 7, 1952, memo said an undercover CIA agent contacted a scientist about the possibility of using dogs on an ESP espionage team. But the scientist "disqualified himself and his department from any work on sensory perception in dogs, pointing out that the 3' had not a great deal of specific experience with dogs as subjects." The scientist, whose name was censored, advised the CIA man to look for "a research psychologist, strong in comparative animal psychology." and provided a list of potential candidates.

A hard-to-read 1952, memo calls for a discussion of Soviet ESP experiments "on our lines" and "what the Nazis undertook to do," but gives no other details about the other work. The unidentified writer, who was apparently being considered as head of the CIA's ESP program, said he did not want to become involved without a firm, long-term commitment. "I am about ready to say that without pretty definite assurance of at least a three year program, I should not want to try to assemble the personnel, design the research program, and put the overall effort into what is really a major undertaking like this," he said.

Several years after the 1979 UPI story about the CIA and ESP spies, the Institute of Noetic Sciences (founded by astronaut Edgar Mitchell) sponsored a symposium on consciousness and its possible survival of death. As part of a special presentation, there was reference to scientific research in the areas of parapsychology. The definition presented made specific reference to four psychic capability areas.

In his presentation at the symposium, Dr. Charles T. Tart, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of California at Davis, defined the four major categories of psychic research:

Precognition

Prediction of future random events, where inferences from the present would be of no assistance

Telepathy

Transmission of information from mind to mind, where ordinary means of communications such as talking or signaling are eliminated

Clairvoyance

Direct extrasensory perception of information about the physical world, where there is no intervention by another mind that knows the information by normal sensory means

The three preceding skills are referred to collectively as extrasensory perception (ESP), as they all involve information gathering. The fourth area of study involves interaction with physical phenomena.

Psychokinesis

Popularly labeled "mind over matter", ability to directly affect the movement or condition of remote objects, where normal physical manipulation by self or other agents is not possible

In laboratory testing, the importance of these four psychic phenomena is that they are manifestations of mind that have resisted all attempts to reduce them to known physical forces, or straightforward extensions of known physical forces. 

These same four psychic capabilities are included as the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth developments of warrior powers as taught in the ninja's ancient practice of kuji goshin ho , or the "spiritual protection through the nine syllables of power". The kuji realm of power has its basis in the mikkyo ("secret doctrines") esoteric Buddhist systems that were introduced into Japan over a thousand years ago. Each of the nine powers or capacities is represented by a set hand posturing called in or ketsu-in or mudra , a vocalized sound or oath called jumon or mantra , and a specific visualized intention often symbolized by a mandala or yantra figure or image. The three aspects are blended to create a triggering action that is used to bring about the desired capability.

 

Gebaku-ken-in

The "sign of the outer bonds fist" is part of the fifth triggering process that summons up the ninja's sensitivity to approaching events, most specifically to premonitions of impending danger. This phenomenon is reflected in ninja Grandmaster Masaaki Hatsumi's sak-ki sword test for go-dan 5th Degree Black Belt, and relates to the ability referred to as precognition in Dr. Charles T. Tart's laboratory work.

 

 

 

 

Naibaku-ken-in

The "sign of the inner bonds fist" is the physical symbol associated with the sixth dan process that prompts the ninja's ability to perceive thoughts of others, and affect the thinking of others through influence from his own mental images. In combat, this is the ability to confuse the thought patterns of an adversary. This capability relates to that ability referred to as telepathy in the contemporary research.

 

 

 

 

Chi-ken-in

The "sign of the wisdom fist" is the physical part of the seventh process. Described as the ability to rise above the limitations of time and space, this level of the ninja's consciousness channeling permits the realization of impressions from other places and time. In combat, this is the uncanny ability to somehow know where the enemy's strengths and weaknesses are without hard intelligence data, and therefore relates most closely to the psychic skill referred to as clairvoyance

 

 

 

 

Nichirin-in

The "sign of the ring of the sun" is the physical manifestation of the eighth desired power, that of directly affecting the shapes and actions of the elements of nature. Referred to as psychokinesis in Dr. Tart's laboratory research work, this skill as developed by ninja warriors throughout the ages is the ability to will into physical action desired effects and events without physically engaging in results-producing work.

The most common misconception concerning the kuji-in powers seems to be the mistaken idea that the hand position alone is a mechanical form of supernatural magic that will immediately produce some sort of unworldly effects that break universal laws to provide for the ninja wizard whatever he desires at the moment. It does not work that way. Though a description of the nine kuji powers appears in the fifth chapter of Stephen K. Hayes' WARRIOR WAYS OF ENLIGHTENMENT; NINJA Vol 2 , it would be impossible for anyone to self-teach themselves the powers of the kuji goshin ho from the purposely incomplete kuji material in that volume. These abilities could be compared with the act of getting power from a running automobile engine. With (1) just the mechanical parts, but (2) no fuel or electrical current to fire the engine, and without (3) the human intelligence necessary to tune the engine and start the ignition, the engine is nothing but an inert pile of intertwined steel shapes. Likewise the hand postures of the kuji goshin ho must be brought to power through specific effects of the intellect and the channeled intention of the practitioner. That ability takes time to cultivate, and requires an experienced teacher for guidance.