I can confirm this. What amazes me is the Soviet need for bullshit psychic powers in place of bullshit religion with a cultural heritage.

It's fascinating how messed up Soviet science got. In fields with direct military applications, like mathematics and physics, the Communist leadership relaxed its strict regulatory control and their scientific community thrived. But then you wander away from stuff that their military needed to work in order to carry the fight against capitalism, and you start getting all this psychic gibberish and Lysenkoism.

Also religion was made illegal so it gained the patina of rebellious coolness.

Its nice that there are people like Randi on the side of reason. :)