[[Heinrich Himmler]] was a leading member of the [[Nazi Germany|Nazi Party]] of Germany and a main architect of the Holocaust. As Reichsführer-SS, he was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany.[^1] Himmler had a deep and abiding interest in the occult and the supernatural. He founded the [[Ahnenerbe]], a research institute dedicated to proving the superiority of the Aryan race through archaeological and cultural research, as well as the study of paranormal phenomena. Himmler's belief in the power of the occult led him to support research into areas like [[ESP]], astrology, and dowsing, with the aim of using these abilities for military and political advantage. His activities in this area are considered a key factor in the post-war interest in psychic phenomena by both the [[United States]] and the [[Soviet Union]].[^1] --- [^1]: Jacobsen, Annie. *Phenomena: The Secret History of the U.S. Government's Investigations into Extrasensory Perception and Psychokinesis*. Little, Brown and Company, 2017.