Stargate Project
The Stargate Project was a clandestine U.S. government program established in the 1970s by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) to explore the military and intelligence applications of psychic phenomena, particularly remote viewing. Operating under various code names and evolving through several phases, the project aimed to harness purported extrasensory perception (ESP) capabilities for espionage purposes during the Cold War. It was headquartered at Fort Meade, Maryland, and involved collaboration with academic institutions and private researchers. The program, which ran until its official termination in 1995, remains one of the most documented examples of government-sponsored parapsychology research.
History
The origins of the Stargate Project trace back to the early 1970s, amid heightened Cold War tensions and intelligence competition with the Soviet Union. Reports of Soviet experiments in psychokinesis and telepathy prompted U.S. intelligence agencies to investigate similar phenomena to avoid a potential "psychic gap." In 1972, the CIA initiated preliminary studies through its Office of Research and Development, funding research at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI International). This early phase, known as SCANATE (Scan by Coordinate), focused on coordinate remote viewing, where participants attempted to describe distant locations using only geographic coordinates.
By 1977, the program formalized as the Stargate Project under the auspices of the DIA and the U.S. Army's Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM). It consolidated previous efforts, including GRILL FLAME and CENTER LANE, into a single operational unit. The project received annual funding ranging from $500,000 to $2 million, supporting a small cadre of "viewers" who underwent training in remote viewing protocols. Operations were conducted in a secure facility at Fort Meade, with viewers isolated to minimize external influences during sessions.
Throughout the 1980s, the program expanded to include operational tasks, such as locating hostages, tracking fugitives, and assessing foreign military sites. Notable successes were claimed in scenarios like the 1979 hunt for a downed Soviet fighter jet in Africa and intelligence on potential Soviet submarine bases. However, the project faced internal skepticism and external scrutiny, leading to periodic reviews by congressional oversight committees.
Methods and Techniques
Central to the Stargate Project was the practice of remote viewing, a structured protocol developed by researchers Harold Puthoff and Russell Targ at SRI. Participants, often referred to as "remote viewers," were given minimal cues—such as a latitude and longitude coordinate or a target photograph sealed in an envelope—and tasked with generating verbal descriptions, sketches, or impressions of the target. Sessions were audio-recorded and later analyzed for accuracy against ground truth data.
The methodology emphasized a relaxed, meditative state to purportedly access subconscious or non-local information. Protocols included:
- Controlled Remote Viewing (CRV): A multi-stage process involving ideograms (quick sketches representing initial impressions), sensory data collection, and conceptual modeling.
- Extended Remote Viewing (ERV): A variant allowing viewers to enter deeper trance states for more detailed narratives.
- Coordinate Remote Viewing (CRV): Using abstract coordinates to blind the viewer to the target's identity.
Training regimens drew from martial arts, biofeedback, and hypnosis techniques to enhance viewer sensitivity. Evaluation relied on statistical analysis, with "hit rates" assessed through blind judging by independent evaluators. While proponents argued for anomalous cognition, critics highlighted confirmation bias and vague descriptions as explanations for apparent successes.
Key Personnel
The Stargate Project involved a rotating roster of approximately 20-30 viewers, trainers, and analysts over its lifespan. Key figures included:
- Ingo Swann: A New York artist and psychic who coined the term "remote viewing" and developed early training protocols. Swann conducted foundational experiments at SRI, including viewing Jupiter's rings before NASA's confirmation.
- Pat Price: A former Burbank police commissioner renowned for detailed site descriptions, such as a Soviet R&D facility in 1974. Price's sudden death in 1975 fueled conspiracy theories.
- Joseph McMoneagle: Army veteran and viewer #001, who claimed over 200 operational missions, including locating a Soviet Typhoon-class submarine.
- Harold Puthoff and Russell Targ: Physicists at SRI who led scientific oversight, publishing papers in journals like Nature on their findings.
- Ed Dames: A military intelligence officer who trained viewers and later founded a private remote viewing school after leaving the program.
Administrative leadership rotated among DIA officers, with figures like Lt. Col. Thomas Reed and Brig. Gen. Harry Soyster providing oversight during critical phases.
Declassification and Termination
By the early 1990s, accumulating negative evaluations prompted a comprehensive review. A 1995 report by the American Institutes for Research (AIR), commissioned by the CIA, concluded that remote viewing produced no actionable intelligence and lacked scientific validity. The AIR panel, including psychologists Ray Hyman and Jessica Utts, highlighted methodological flaws despite Utts' acknowledgment of statistical anomalies.
On September 29, 1995, the CIA declassified over 12,000 pages of documents, officially terminating the program. The disclosure revealed operational details but also underscored the government's long-term investment in fringe science. No criminal or ethical violations were uncovered, though the episode embarrassed intelligence officials.
Legacy and Cultural Impact
The Stargate Project's exposure reignited public interest in parapsychology, inspiring books like Jim Schnabel's Remote Viewers (1997) and the 2003 film The Men Who Stare at Goats, a satirical depiction of psychic warfare programs. It influenced subsequent pseudoscientific pursuits, including claims of government involvement in UFO research.
In academic circles, the project serves as a case study in the sociology of science, illustrating how geopolitical pressures can drive funding for unconventional research. While dismissed by mainstream science, proponents continue to advocate for remote viewing's potential, citing declassified successes as evidence of untapped human capabilities.
The following table summarizes key events in the Stargate Project's timeline:
| Category | Event | Historical Context | Initial Promotion as Science | Emerging Evidence and Sources | Current Status and Impacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inception | 1972: CIA funds SRI experiments | Cold War psychic arms race | Targ and Puthoff's ESP lab at SRI | Declassified memos on Soviet psi research | Sparked U.S. counter-program; foundational protocols developed |
| Formalization | 1977: Launch of Stargate under DIA | Post-Vietnam intelligence reforms | Army-INSCOM integration for ops | Budget docs showing $20M total spend | Established Fort Meade unit; first operational viewers trained |
| Peak Operations | 1980s: Missions in Iran hostage crisis, Libya | Reagan-era anti-Soviet focus | Viewer hit rates publicized in journals | McMoneagle's submarine locatings | Claimed intel wins; internal audits reveal mixed results |
| Review and End | 1995: AIR report and declassification | Post-Cold War budget cuts | Utts-Hyman debate on stats | 12K+ pages released via FOIA | Program shuttered; no revival despite advocacy |
| Post-Mortem | 1997+: Books and media adaptations | Rise of New Age culture | Schnabel's historical account | Interviews with ex-viewers | Cultural meme; inspires private RV training firms |