PSI Spies

1. Psychic Abilities Have a Long and Documented History

Although recorded by all cultures throughout human history, it was believed to be simply an occult fantasy until scientific studies during the 20th century confirmed its existence.

Ancient roots. Accounts of psychic phenomena, such as visions, prophecy, and divination, are found throughout human history and across diverse cultures. From the "siddhis" of ancient Hindu texts to the oracles of Greece and Rome, and the prophets of the Bible, these abilities were often intertwined with spiritual or religious practices. Figures like Nostradamus and Roger Bacon were renowned for uncanny predictions centuries ago.

Indigenous traditions. Native American lore is rich with stories of visions, long-distance telepathy, and the ability to "search with the mind" (wa-thi-gtho). Polynesian Huna priests used meditation techniques similar to modern remote viewing to achieve telepathy and clairvoyance. These traditions suggest a long-standing awareness and practice of abilities beyond the five senses.

Early scientific inquiry. The 19th century saw figures like Franz Anton Mesmer, whose work led to hypnotism, and William Denton, who documented psychometry (viewing by touching objects). Denton's wife, Elizabeth, demonstrated remarkable accuracy in describing distant locations and even historical scenes associated with objects, suggesting psychic perception was not limited by time or space.

2. Modern Science Provides Evidence for Psychic Phenomena

Meta-analysis has shown that these impressive ESP results are consistent across experiments and experimenters.

Laboratory studies. The Society for Psychical Research (SPR), founded in 1882, brought scientific methods to paranormal study, exposing hoaxes while documenting genuine phenomena. J.B. Rhine and his wife at Duke University pioneered statistical methods in the 20th century, demonstrating extrasensory perception (ESP) and psychokinesis (PK) through card-guessing and dice-rolling experiments, establishing parapsychology as a field of scientific inquiry.

Ganzfeld technique. Developed by Charles Honorton from dream research, the Ganzfeld technique uses mild sensory deprivation to quiet the mind and enhance weak psychic signals. Experiments using this method have produced statistically significant results, suggesting that quieting mental "noise" allows psychic information to surface more clearly. This technique aligns with historical accounts of achieving altered states for visions.

Meta-analysis validation. Combining results from multiple independent studies through meta-analysis has provided strong statistical support for the existence of psi phenomena. Despite initial skepticism from figures like Ray Hyman, joint communiques and reviews have acknowledged significant effects that cannot be easily explained by chance or methodological flaws, leading some scientists to view psi as a genuine, albeit unexplained, anomaly.

3. The US Government Pursued Psychic Spying Due to Cold War Fears

CIA officers dreamed of contacting agents without using the normal detectable means.

The "psychic gap". A French magazine article in 1960, later suspected to be a hoax, reported US Navy telepathy experiments on a submarine. This spurred Soviet parapsychology research, which was then publicized in the West by the book "Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain." This created a fear within US intelligence circles of a "psychic gap," where the Soviets might gain a strategic advantage through paranormal means.

Intelligence potential. US intelligence agencies, including the CIA and military branches, became concerned that Soviet psychic abilities could be used to:

• Access top-secret documents and military plans.
• Influence the thoughts of US leaders.
• Disable military equipment or personnel at a distance.
  This fear, though based partly on sensationalized reports, fueled a covert interest in developing similar capabilities.

Covert funding. Despite official skepticism and public denial, various US government agencies quietly funded research into psychic phenomena. Early CIA documents show interest dating back to the 1950s. This covert funding allowed projects like those at Stanford Research Institute (SRI) to explore the potential for using psychic abilities, particularly remote viewing, for intelligence gathering, operating outside the public eye and often under layers of secrecy.

4. Remote Viewing Was Developed as a Trainable Intelligence Skill

I think I could look anywhere in the world if you just gave me some coordinates like latitude and longitude.

SRI pioneers. Physicist Harold E. Puthoff and electrical engineer Russell Targ at Stanford Research Institute (SRI) became central figures in developing remote viewing. Their early experiments with psychics like Ingo Swann and Pat Price demonstrated abilities to perceive information about distant or hidden targets under controlled conditions. Swann's ability to affect a magnetometer and Price's accurate descriptions of remote sites impressed skeptical observers.

The coordinate breakthrough. Ingo Swann proposed using geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) as targets, a seemingly arbitrary system that eliminated the possibility of the viewer having prior knowledge or being cued by the target's name. This innovation allowed for truly blind experiments where neither the viewer nor the experimenter knew the target's identity, significantly strengthening the scientific validity of the results and proving that distance was not a barrier.

Developing methodology. The SRI team, with government funding, refined remote viewing into a more structured process. They conducted double-blind tests with local targets that could be verified, using independent judges to evaluate accuracy. They also began testing individuals with no prior psychic claims, finding that many could achieve some level of success, suggesting the ability was latent in the general population.

5. A Secret Military Unit, the Psi Spies, Conducted Psychic Operations

Pressure to produce intelligence during the Cold War was severe.

Army initiative. While the CIA's interest in psychic research waned in the mid-1970s due to scandals and political risk aversion, the US Army, under leaders like Lt. Gen. Edmund "Mike" Thompson, saw potential. Thompson authorized "skunk works" units to tackle intractable intelligence problems, and one such unit, initially called GONDOLA WISH and later GRILL FLAME (and eventually STAR GATE), was created to explore psychic intelligence.

Recruiting and training. The unit recruited soldiers and civilians with demonstrated psychic potential, interviewing thousands to select a core group. Early members included Mel Riley, Joseph McMoneagle, and later David Morehouse and Lyn Buchanan. They were trained using techniques developed at SRI, focusing on structured methods to make remote viewing a reliable tool for intelligence collection, rather than just a research curiosity.

Operational missions. Despite being officially designated as a research program, the Psi Spies unit conducted numerous operational missions for various intelligence agencies. These included:

• Locating downed aircraft.
• Providing information during the Iran hostage crisis.
• Probing secret Soviet military facilities, such as submarine construction sites and suspected biochemical warfare plants.
• Assisting in counterintelligence efforts, like identifying a CIA "mole."

6. Structured Training Was Key to Developing Reliable Remote Viewing

The Psi Spies learned that structure is the key to usable RV technology.

Beyond natural talent. Early psychic research often relied on individuals with spontaneous abilities, leading to inconsistent results. The military program aimed to develop a repeatable, trainable methodology. Ingo Swann's work at SRI was crucial, identifying distinct "stages" of information acquisition that occur during a remote viewing session, from initial impressions (ideograms) to sensory data, dimensions, details, and even drawing or modeling.

Controlled Remote Viewing (CRV). This structured approach, largely based on Swann's stages, became the core training method. It emphasized discipline, requiring viewers to report perceptions in a specific sequence and avoid analytical interpretation (Analytical Overlay or AOL). Monitors played a key role in guiding the viewer through the stages and identifying when AOL or other "noise" was interfering with the psychic "signal."

Suppressing noise. CRV training focused on helping viewers differentiate between genuine psychic perceptions and mental clutter or imagination. Techniques were developed to identify AOL and even subconscious interference (STRAY CAT). The rigorous structure was designed not only to guide the process but also to keep the conscious mind busy, preventing it from interfering with the subconscious reception of information.

7. Psi Spies Encountered and Engaged Foreign Psychic Counterparts

Gradually, a sense of camaraderie grew.

Psychic detection. The Psi Spies became aware that their activities were being observed by foreign psychics, particularly from the Soviet Union. This was first noted through experiences reported by Robert Monroe, whose out-of-body explorations were apparently detected by others. The Psi Spies unit then began actively searching for these psychic "interlopers."

Psychic cat and mouse. This led to a period of psychic engagement, where US and Soviet remote viewers would probe each other's locations and activities. The Soviets reportedly used harsher methods, including drugs and sensory deprivation, to induce psychic states, which the Psi Spies believed made them less effective and more vulnerable. The US team discovered Soviet countermeasures, such as energy shields designed to disrupt psychic signals.

Psychic offense. The Psi Spies even mounted psychic "offensives." In one instance, a team concentrated their collective mental focus on a powerful female Soviet psychic, reportedly disrupting her ability. Despite the adversarial context, some Psi Spies reported a strange sense of camaraderie with their counterparts, recognizing they were engaged in similar experimental work. Encounters with Chinese child psychics were also reported, highlighting the global nature of this covert psychic exploration.

8. Internal Skepticism and Political Interference Hampered the Program

Even if you can prove to me that this works, I will not believe it.

Resistance within. Despite documented successes and the support of some high-ranking officers, the military remote viewing program faced constant resistance. Many within the scientific and military establishments were deeply skeptical, unwilling to accept phenomena that challenged their worldview, regardless of the evidence. This led to a lack of institutional support and a constant need to justify the program's existence.

Oversight and scrutiny. The program operated under numerous oversight committees, including scientific and governmental bodies, and was subject to intense scrutiny, partly due to concerns about using human subjects in experimental programs. A particularly critical National Academy of Sciences report in 1988, chaired by a known skeptic, dismissed parapsychology despite evidence, mirroring the controversial Condon Report on UFOs and highlighting the bias the program faced.

Civilianization and decline. In the late 1980s, the program shifted from Army INSCOM to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and came under civilian control. According to veteran Psi Spies, this shift prioritized political expediency over mission effectiveness. Documents were reportedly shredded before investigations, and the unit's focus and discipline declined, with untrained civilians reportedly engaging in channeling and other non-structured psychic practices, leading to low morale among the original military members.

9. Remote Viewing Revealed Extraordinary "Enigma" Targets Beyond Earth

The extraordinary became commonplace around the Psi Spies unit.

Beyond terrestrial limits. Remote viewing demonstrated the ability to transcend not only distance but also time and space. Ingo Swann's early RV sessions targeting Jupiter and Mercury accurately described features later confirmed by NASA probes, suggesting the ability could access information about distant celestial bodies. This opened the door to exploring targets far beyond Earth.

The "Enigma Files". The Psi Spies unit accumulated reports on extraordinary targets that defied conventional explanation, compiled in their "Enigma Files." These included:

• The Loch Ness monster (perceived as a possible "ghost" or non-physical entity).
• The 1908 Tunguska explosion (viewed as a non-human craft accidentally interacting with Earth's dimension).
• Mysterious crop circles.
• The disappearance of Amelia Earhart.

Extraterrestrial encounters. Perhaps the most startling "Enigma" targets involved potential extraterrestrial activity. Remote viewers reported perceiving UFOs ("fast walkers") entering Earth's atmosphere, tracking them to subsurface bases on the Moon and Mars, and even encountering non-human entities. Former Psi Spies officer Skip Atwater publicly confirmed the RV unit's corroboration of Pat Price's earlier reports of four specific alien bases on Earth.

10. Former Psi Spies Continue to Practice and Teach Remote Viewing Publicly

The fact that virtually all of the Army’s Psi Spies have continued to work with remote viewing in one way or another, attests to the legitimacy and importance of the phenomenon.

Program termination and public emergence. The military remote viewing program, by then known as STAR GATE, was officially declassified and terminated in 1995, following a CIA review that, while acknowledging statistically significant results, deemed it lacking in intelligence value. However, the public revelation sparked wider interest, and many former military remote viewers decided to share their knowledge and skills.

Civilian ventures. Veterans like Joseph McMoneagle, Ed Dames, Paul Smith, Lyn Buchanan, and David Morehouse transitioned to civilian life and became prominent figures in the emerging public remote viewing community. They authored books, founded training companies (like PSI TECH and RVIS, Inc.), and offered workshops, teaching the structured methodologies developed during the military program to civilians, academics, and even businesses and law enforcement.

Legacy and future. Despite internal disagreements and the challenges of gaining mainstream acceptance, the former Psi Spies continue to advocate for the reality and potential of remote viewing. They believe the ability is innate in everyone and can be developed through training. Their ongoing work, including exploring "Enigma" targets and applying RV to various fields, suggests that the legacy of the secret military program lives on, potentially paving the way for a broader understanding and use of psychic abilities in the future.

Last updated: June 1, 2025