Project Stargate: The CIA’s Psychic Spy Program
Introduction
In the midst of the Cold War, when nuclear weapons and secret intelligence defined global power, the United States government explored a strange frontier — the human mind. Known as Project Stargate, this top-secret CIA program aimed to investigate psychic phenomena for use in intelligence gathering.
From remote viewing (seeing events at a distance) to telepathy and precognition, the project’s participants — often called “psychic spies” — were tasked with uncovering information hidden behind enemy lines using only the power of thought.
Was this an incredible example of untapped human potential, or a misguided attempt by the government to weaponize the paranormal?
The Origins of Project Stargate
The story begins in the early 1970s, during the height of the Cold War. Intelligence reports suggested that the Soviet Union was spending millions researching psychic and parapsychological phenomena — specifically telekinesis, telepathy, and remote viewing.
Fearing they might fall behind in a potential “psychic arms race,” the CIA and U.S. Army Intelligence decided to launch their own experiments.
The first studies were conducted at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) in California, led by physicists Harold Puthoff and Russell Targ. Their research focused on whether gifted individuals could “see” targets or locations from miles away — without any physical contact or technology.
What Was “Remote Viewing”?
Remote viewing became the central focus of Project Stargate. The idea was simple — a trained individual would sit in a quiet room, focus their mind, and attempt to describe an unknown target, such as a secret base, a hidden object, or even a person.
These “viewers” would record what they saw as sketches or verbal descriptions.
Surprisingly, some results were hard to dismiss. One remote viewer, Ingo Swann, allegedly described the rings of Jupiter in detail before NASA’s Pioneer 10 probe confirmed their existence in 1973.
Another participant, Pat Price, reportedly provided accurate sketches of a Soviet military site in the Ural Mountains, which were later verified by satellite imagery.
These results drew the attention of the CIA and other agencies — and Project Stargate was born.
Inside the Program
Over the next two decades, the U.S. government spent millions of dollars on research under various names, including:
- Gondola Wish
- Grill Flame
- Center Lane
- Sun Streak
- And finally, Stargate
Each iteration expanded on the same core mission — to determine whether psychic phenomena could be used for national security and espionage.
The Stargate Facility
The program’s operations were eventually housed at Fort Meade, Maryland, where both civilian scientists and military personnel conducted psychic experiments.
Remote viewers were often given sealed envelopes containing coordinates or photographs. Without opening them, they had to visualize and describe the target.
Reports claim these viewers helped locate hostages in Iran, drug shipments, and even secret underground bases.
While some cases turned out to be false or vague, others were surprisingly accurate — enough to keep funding flowing for over 20 years.
The Psychic Spies
Several key figures became legends within the Stargate community:
- Joseph McMoneagle – A decorated U.S. Army officer who claimed to have performed over 400 remote-viewing missions, including locating Soviet submarines and identifying new weapons technology.
- Ingo Swann – Considered the “father of remote viewing,” he helped develop the protocols that guided the entire project.
- Pat Price – A former police officer whose psychic impressions allegedly matched real intelligence targets with astonishing detail.
Their work, though controversial, fascinated intelligence officials. Even skeptics admitted that some of their descriptions were too precise to be dismissed as coincidence.
Did Project Stargate Actually Work?
The official answer depends on whom you ask.
Supporters of the program argue that statistical analysis showed remote viewing performed better than chance and occasionally produced actionable intelligence. They claim the project’s secrecy prevented open peer review, which fueled skepticism.
Critics, on the other hand, believe the successes were exaggerated and that confirmation bias played a major role — meaning analysts remembered the “hits” but ignored the “misses.”
When the CIA declassified Project Stargate in 1995, an official review by the American Institutes for Research concluded that while some experiments showed interesting results, psychic phenomena were too unreliable for intelligence use.
Shortly after that report, the project was officially shut down.
The Declassified Files
In 2017, the CIA released over 90,000 pages of declassified documents related to Project Stargate under the Freedom of Information Act. These files included experiment results, psychic drawings, and internal memos.
Some documents describe remote viewers attempting to locate:
- A crashed Soviet bomber in Africa
- Hostages in Lebanon
- Underground military sites in the USSR
Others detail experiments where psychics claimed to view ancient civilizations, extraterrestrial life, and even Mars in the distant past.
While these more extraordinary claims are viewed with skepticism, they continue to spark debate about how much of the mind remains unexplored.
Why the Government Was Interested
The U.S. government didn’t explore psychic research out of curiosity alone. During the Cold War, intelligence superiority meant survival.
If the Soviets could gain an edge through unconventional methods, the CIA could not afford to ignore it. As one declassified memo put it, “We would be foolish not to assess all possible means of intelligence gathering.”
Whether or not the results were consistent, the potential — however small — was enough to justify continued research for over two decades.
The Legacy of Project Stargate
Although officially terminated, Project Stargate’s influence lingers. The story inspired books, documentaries, and even Hollywood films such as The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009), which humorously portrayed psychic soldiers in the U.S. Army.
More seriously, the project opened new discussions about the potential of human consciousness, intuition, and the boundaries of science.
Some former Stargate participants still believe in the validity of remote viewing and teach it privately today. Others admit it was an interesting but ultimately unproven experiment.
Conclusion
Project Stargate stands as one of the most fascinating and controversial experiments in U.S. intelligence history. It blurred the line between science and the supernatural, between psychology and espionage.
While the CIA officially concluded that psychic abilities are unreliable for intelligence gathering, the program’s existence proves one thing — the human mind remains one of the greatest frontiers of exploration.
Whether you see Stargate as a failed experiment or a glimpse into hidden human potential, its story continues to challenge our understanding of what the mind might truly be capable of.
