The United States military did experiment with psychics. Not as some hidden superpower program, but as a Cold War test to see if anything unconventional could be turned into an advantage.
This effort became known as Project Stargate, active from the 1970s through 1995. The reason was simple. U.S. intelligence believed the Soviet Union was also exploring psychic phenomena. In that environment, ignoring even a small possibility was seen as a mistake.
The core method they tested was remote viewing. The idea was that certain individuals could describe distant locations, objects, or events without physically being there. This wasn’t random guesswork in a room. The program was run through places like Stanford Research Institute, where attempts were made to structure and test the process.
Several well-known figures were involved. Ingo Swann helped develop the early framework for remote viewing protocols. Pat Price became one of the most cited viewers after reportedly describing Soviet installations with surprising detail. Joseph McMoneagle, often referred to as “Remote Viewer No. 1,” was heavily used in operational sessions and later received recognition within the program for his performance.
Other names often tied to this work include Uri Geller, who was brought in for testing under controlled conditions, and Ed Dames, who later became one of the most vocal public figures discussing the program.
The process itself was structured, at least on paper. A viewer would be given coordinates or a target reference with no context. They would then describe shapes, structures, environments, or impressions. Analysts would compare those descriptions to real-world targets.
And sometimes, the results were difficult to ignore.
There are documented sessions where remote viewers described physical layouts, machinery, or geographic features that appeared to match classified locations. McMoneagle, for example, was tasked with describing a Soviet submarine facility and produced details that were later considered notable by those reviewing the session. These moments are what kept the program alive for years.
At the same time, results were inconsistent. Many sessions produced vague or symbolic descriptions that could be interpreted in multiple ways. That created a constant tension inside the program. On one hand, there were enough hits to keep interest alive. On the other, there was no way to guarantee when or why those hits would happen.
Despite that, the program wasn’t treated as a primary intelligence source. It was used more like a supplemental tool. Something that might provide a lead, a hint, or a different angle on a target when conventional methods had gaps.
That distinction matters.
Remote viewing was never meant to replace satellites, reconnaissance, or human intelligence. It was explored as an additional layer, something that might occasionally point analysts in a direction worth checking.
By the 1990s, the program was formally reviewed and eventually shut down. But the idea didn’t disappear. Many of the individuals involved continued to speak about their experiences, and remote viewing itself never fully left public discussion.
What remains is a documented case of a government seriously testing something that most people dismiss outright. Not blindly believing in it, but not ignoring it either.
In the end, the U.S. military didn’t build an empire on psychic ability. But it also didn’t ignore the possibility that human perception might extend further than fully understood. And for a period of time, that possibility was tested in one of the most structured ways it ever has been.
