Stargate Project
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The Stargate Project was one of a number of code names used to cover "remote viewing programs." Others included Sun Streak, Grill Flame, and Center Lane, by DIA and INSCOM, and SCANATE by CIA, from the 1970s, through to 1995. It was an offshoot of research done at 'SRI' (Stanford Research Institiute).
The research program was launched partly because some intelligence officers believed a 'psi-gap' had emerged between America and the Soviet Union, for example the reputed abilities of Nina Kulagina. But it was also borne of the soul searching that took place in the American military post Vietnam, and a willingness that subsequently emerged to 'think outside the box,' as exemplified by Jim Channon's 'First Earth Batallion' briefing.
Remote sensing of places or events is normally performed in the present, but sessions have also been undertaken in the past and future. One of the outcomes from the funding was a set of protocols designed to make clairvoyance a more scientific process, and minimize as much as possible session noise and inaccuracy. The term "remote viewing" emerged as a generalised short hand to describe this more structured approach to clairvoyance.
The project was eventually terminated, according to the official report at the time, because there was insufficient evidence of the utility of the intelligence data produced. However, in the generalized intelligence and defense budget cuts of the period, many projects lost funding. More realistically the unit was terminated because of managerial failure. In 1989 new civilian administrators unfamiliar with CRV protocols, had brought in "witches," tarot card readers, and channelers. As a result, the quality of the session data produced had rapidly deteriorated.
In 1995 the project was transferred to the CIA and a retrospective evaluation of the results were to be done. The CIA contracted the American Institutes for Research for this evaluation. An analysis conducted by Professor Jessica Utts showed a statistically significant effect (http://anson.ucdavis.edu/~utts/air2.html), whereas the noted long time CSICOP psychic debunker Ray Hyman concluded zero results. Based upon Ray’s finding which fitted the political environment of the period, the CIA followed the recommendation to terminate the project.
Key Project Personnel
Firstly, it should be noted there is no comprehensive formal history of the project, and there may well be key members who have chosen to remain anonymous. However, certain members of the project have come forward, and certain details of the personnel are available.
Major General Albert Stubblebine
A key sponsor of the research internally at Fort Meade, convinced of the reality of a wide variety of psychic phenomena, he never mastered walking through walls, although he did greatly bruise his nose in numerous attempts. In the early 1980s was responsible for Army intelligence. Some commentators have confused 'Project Jedi' run by special forces primarily out of Fort Bragg with Stargate. In fact General Stubblebine was poorly received when he visited Fort Bragg, and did not participate nor was aware of the goat lab experiments being conducted. (?)
Coined the term 'remote viewing' as a derivation of protocols originally developed by René Warcollier, a French chemical engineer in the early 20th century, documented in the book Mind to Mind. Swann's achievement was to break free from the conventional mould of casual experimentation and candidate burn out, and develop a viable set of protocols that put clairvoyance within a framework named “Coordinate Remote Viewing” (CRV).
Remote viewer during the early part of the program, with excellent results it is said. In the words of CIA director Stansfield Turner at a news conference, "he died, and we haven't heard from him since." (Schnabel, page 211)
In the early 1970's Joe had a Near Death Experience (NDE) that bestowed him with exceptional psychic powers. Widely considered a "natural," Joe has stated that remote viewing ability is predominately determined by innate talent. While many disagree with this statement, it is notable none of his critics seem able to work to the same level as Joe. Joe's definition implies that remote viewing is any psychic undertaking that is performed under scientific protocols.
A sergeant brought in by General Stubblebine for two main reasons. Firstly extraordinary telekinetic abilities, secondly computer software expertise. This made him exceptionally well qualified to be the data base manager for the Stargate project. From this vantage point, Lyn had the opportunity to work with all the key members of the unit, and in possession of statistical analysis of the session data, was able to properly assess the accuracy of the session data obtained. After leaving the forces, Lyn founded Problems, Innovations, Solutions, contracted Mel Riley to work for his company, and continues to undertake private tuition.
Army Sergeant who retired in 1991. Mel is another natural psychic, and was noted for being able to describe what lay under objects in aerial photography. This aroused inconclusive interest in the 1970s. In 1984, the CRV unit had only several trained remote viewers, and Mel was requested transferred to the unit. Based upon his innate ability, with training in the CRV protocols, Mel quickly became an impressive remote viewer. Mel was featured in the documentary released in 1995 by the BBC titled "The Real X-Files." He has recounted past life experiences as a Native American, and continues to be involved in native American culture, enjoying a quiet life with his wife.
Retired U.S. Army Major and intelligence officer. Paul was one of the five people trained as a prototype test subject in Ingo Swann's psychic development of the Coordinate Remote Viewing (CRV) protocols in 1983. Paul was later assigned to work part time in the Defense Intelligence Agency’s remote viewing unit. He was the main author of what is known today as the “CRV Manual” which was written as an effort to describe CRV technology for the sole purpose to solicit continued annual funding for the unit from congress. The CRV manual was not written under the guidance of Ingo Swann, nor was it written for the purpose of teaching CRV. Paul, having natural artistic abilities, produced impressive CRV session sketches. He always preferred to remote view in the blind, being tasked with CRV coordinates by a project manager. Paul rarely took the initiative to perform CRV session analysis of his own work or to operate as the team project manager.
One of the first five who were trained by Ingo Swann in the Coordinate Remote Viewing protocols. Quickly established a reputation for pushing CRV to extremes, with target sessions on Atlantis, Mars, UFOs, and aliens. Many in the unit despised him for this. Joe McMoneagle has expressed the opinion session feedback is required to learn CRV, and this could not be obtained when targeting such unverifiable locations. Eventually Mel Riley got so fed up with Ed, a fake session was arranged, when they described Santa coming over the North Pole in his sleigh. With his ever active imagination, Ed immediately deduced an object over the north pole was a nuclear attack, and was set to call the highest levels of the military, before he was informed of the prank. Internally, his reputation never recovered.
Dames brought David Morehouse into the DIA's Remote Viewing unit during its final days. David has a somewhat troubled past, and is primarily notable for producing a largely fictionalised account of the limited time he spent as a remote viewer called Psychic Warrior.
Further reading
- David Morehouse, Psychic Warrior, St. Martin's, 1996, ISBN 0312964137
- Jim Schnabel, Remote Viewers: The Secret History of America's Psychic Spies, Dell, 1997 , ISBN 0440223067 The best history of the project; nonskeptical.
Remote sites
- CIA-Initiated Remote Viewing At Stanford Research Institute (http://www.biomindsuperpowers.com/Pages/CIA-InitiatedRV.html) by Hal E. Puthoff, Ph.D.; and other papers
- Remote viewers short biographical information (http://www.remoteviewer.org/)
- Review of Psychic Warrior by John B. Alexander, Ph.D., Colonel, US Army (Retired) (http://www.psitech.net/Truth_About_Dave_Morehouse.htm)
- [1] (http://www.psitech.net) PSI-Tech