The [[STARGATE PROJECT]] was a secret [[U.S. Army]] unit established in 1977 at [[Fort Meade]], Maryland. Its purpose was to investigate [[Psi|psychic]] phenomena, particularly [[Remote Viewing|remote viewing]], for military and intelligence applications. The project operated under various code names throughout its lifespan, including **Gondola Wish**, **Grill Flame**, **Center Lane**, **Sun Streak**, and **Scanate**. These names were used at different times and for different aspects of the project, but all fell under the umbrella of psychic research for military and intelligence purposes. The project sought to harness these abilities for intelligence gathering and military operations, eventually being declassified in 1995. ## Overview [[Remote Viewing]] is the claimed ability to gather information about distant or unseen targets using extrasensory perception or other paranormal means. The Stargate Project sought to harness this ability for intelligence gathering and military operations. ## The Project ### Foundations The program was initiated by [[Frederick Atwater|Skip Atwater]], who had heard rumors of extensive [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] [[Parapsychology|psi]] research and the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]'s own involvement with [[Stanford Research Institute|SRI]]. Atwater proposed to Colonel [[Robert Keenan]], then head of [[Systems Exploitation Detachment]] (SED), that they assemble a remote viewing team. This proposal was ultimately approved in 1977 by Major General [[Edmund Thompson]] and commanding officer Major [[Murray Watt|Murray “Scotty” Watt]], who were assigned with Atwater to lead the project. They were given a very small budget and initially operated from a room in building 4554 at [[Fort Meade]], later moving to buildings 2560 and 2561 on Llewellyn Street to escape noise and gain more space. The team reached out to [[Stanford Research Institute|SRI]] for guidance on selecting psychics. The original six soldier psychics, later narrowed to three full-time members, were [[Mel Riley]], [[Joe McMoneagle]], [[Ken Bell]], [[Nancy Stern]], [[Fernand Gauvin]], and [[Hartleigh Trent]]. The project, thanks in part to its minuscule investment, had support from not only Major General Thompson, but also [[United States Army Intelligence and Security Command]] (INSCOM) commander [[William Rolya]], Army Chief of Staff [[Edward Meyer]], and Secretary of the Army [[Clifford Alexander]]. Initially codenamed **Gondola Wish**, the program began as an experimental, part-time unit. It faced early challenges, including being categorized as "[[Human Use Experimentation|human use experimentation]]," which required informed consent and oversight from the Army's human use review board. After initial promising results and high-level interest, the unit transitioned to an offensive psychic spying team, becoming known as **Grill Flame** in late 1978. ### Successes - **Chinese Nuclear Device (1979)**: In late summer 1979, [[Mel Riley]] and [[Joe McMoneagle]] remote viewed a new Chinese nuclear device at Lop Nor. They successfully agreed on the rough design, describing an "hourglass on its side" shape, which was later confirmed to be a critical design element by [[U.S. Air Force]] officials. They also determined that the device allegedly did not successfully detonate, a fact later confirmed by other intelligence sources, explaining why U.S. intelligence had failed to detect a nuclear explosion at the test site.[^1] - **Crashed U.S. Navy A-6 Aircraft (1979)**: [[Ken Bell]] was tasked with locating a crashed [[U.S. Navy]] A-6 aircraft. He accurately determined its general location, specifying it was a few hundred miles from [[Fort Meade]] on something called “bald.” The aircraft was later found in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia on a hill named “Bald Knob,” confirming Bell's remote viewing.[^1] - **Soviet Embassy Surveillance Bug (1980)**: [[Joe McMoneagle]], tasked by the [[NSA]], successfully detected the location of a [[Soviet Union|USSR]] surveillance bug in a U.S. embassy. He accurately deduced the device’s position, the location of the soviet listening equipment across the street, and even perceived that an American team had detected the Russians and were counter-surveilling them. This demonstrated the program's ability to provide actionable intelligence.[^1] - **Soviet T-72 Tank Acquisition**: Remote viewers, including [[Mel Riley]], [[Hartleigh Trent]], [[Ken Bell]], and [[Joe McMoneagle]], successfully tracked the acquisition of a Soviet T-72 tank by the U.S. government. McMoneagle even perceived a staged hijacking of the tank's transport ship, which was later confirmed to be a ruse to cover the general selling the tank.[^1] - **B-2 Stealth Bomber (Opsec Tasking)**: In a highly sensitive opsec tasking, [[Mel Riley]] remote-viewed a "strange batlike flying-wing shape" with a "bulbous cockpit" and fiber-optic control mechanisms. Years later, this was identified as the then-secret B-2 Stealth bomber, demonstrating the program's ability to penetrate highly classified projects and provide details that were unknown even to the tasking Air Force officials.[^1] - **KGB Agent Interrogation**: [[Ken Bell]] and [[Mel Riley]] successfully remote-viewed a [[KGB]] "illegal" in South Africa who was resisting interrogation. Bell's "telepathic interrogation" revealed details about the agent's family and a hidden pocket calculator, which helped the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] break an important counterintelligence case.[^1] - **Soviet Typhoon-Class Submarine (1979)**: [[Joe McMoneagle]], known as "Viewer 518" to the [[National Security Council|NSC]], provided highly accurate details about a new Soviet Typhoon-class submarine under construction at Severodvinsk. He described its massive size, double hull, canted missile tubes, and unique welding techniques, even predicting the Soviets would dynamite a channel to launch it. This information was later confirmed by satellite imagery, sparking debate within the NSC about the value of remote viewing.[^1] - **Skylab Crash Zone (1979)**: [[Joe McMoneagle]] accurately predicted the crash zone of Skylab, which reentered Earth's atmosphere over eastern Australia, blazing a trail westward and raining hot metal debris on western Australia and the Indian Ocean.[^1] ## Key Personnel and Connections ### Military Figures - Lieutenant [[Frederick Atwater|Frederick Holmes “Skip” Atwater]] - Project overseer until 1987 or 1988, later president of the [[Monroe Institute]] - Major General [[Albert Stubblebine]] - [[U.S. Army]] [[United States Army Intelligence and Security Command|Intelligence and Security]] (INSCOM) commander, strong supporter of psychic research - Lieutenant General [[James Clapper]] - Project leader in the 1990s, later Director of National Intelligence - Major General [[Harry Soyster]] - INSCOM commander who ended Army's participation - [[David Morehouse]] - Remote viewer, author of "Psychic Warrior" - [[Joe McMoneagle]] - Remote viewer, one of the project's most prominent psychics - [[Ed Dames]] - Session monitor and analyst, later became a public figure in remote viewing circles - Colonel [[Robert Keenan]] - Head of [[Systems Exploitation Detachment]] (SED), approved Atwater's proposal - Major [[Murray Watt|Murray “Scotty” Watt]] - First commanding officer of the remote viewing unit - [[William Rolya]] - [[United States Army Intelligence and Security Command|INSCOM]] commander, supported the project - [[Edward Meyer]] - Army Chief of Staff, supported the project - [[Clifford Alexander]] - Secretary of the Army, supported the project - [[Jake Stewart]] - Navy lieutenant commander on the [[National Security Council|NSC]] staff, enthusiastic supporter and tasker of remote viewers ### Civilian Researchers and Psychics - [[Hal Puthoff]] - Principal investigator, co-founder of the SRI remote viewing program, former [[Scientology]] member - [[Russell Targ]] - Researcher, co-founder of the SRI remote viewing program - [[Edwin May]] - Principal investigator, judge, and gatekeeper in later years - [[Ingo Swann]] - Remote viewer, developed [[Coordinate Remote Viewing]] (CRV) protocols, former Scientology member - [[Pat Price]] - Remote viewer, former police officer and Scientology member - [[Uri Geller]] - Israeli psychic tested by SRI, known for spoon bending - [[Nancy Stern]] - Army civilian photo-interpreter, original remote viewer - [[Fernand Gauvin]] - Civilian counterintelligence specialist, original remote viewer - [[Hartleigh Trent]] - Former Navy petty officer, original remote viewer - [[Phyllis Cole]] - Lab technician at SRI, demonstrated strong psychic talents - [[Marshall Pease]] - Mathematician at SRI, demonstrated strong psychic talents - [[Duane Elgin]] - Futurologist at SRI, demonstrated strong psychic talents - [[Hella Hammid]] - Photographer, demonstrated exceptional remote viewing abilities - [[Karlis Osis]] - Parapsychologist, conducted psychokinesis experiments with Pat Price - [[Hugh Crane]] - SRI official, involved in early remote viewing experiments - [[Ron Robertson]] - Security officer at [[Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory]], investigated Geller and experienced unusual phenomena - [[Don Curtis]] - Physicist at [[Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory]], experienced unusual apparitions ### Government Officials and Liaisons - [[Richard Kennett]] - [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] analyst, key liaison and evaluator for psychic research programs - [[Norm Everheart]] - [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] technical operations specialist, chief coordinator for Grill Flame taskings from CIA's Operations Directorate - [[Jim Morris]] - [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] counterintelligence officer, sought RV assistance for KGB case - [[Ed Rogers]] - Chief of [[Staff D]] (later Office of SIGINT Operations) at CIA, skeptical of psychic intelligence - [[John McMahon]] - Deputy Director for Operations at CIA, head of [[Office of Technical Service|OTS]] - [[Bill O'Donnell]] - [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] officer, inadvertently provided coordinates for Sugar Grove - [[Peter Maris]] - [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] physicist, tasked Price with Semipalatinsk viewing - [[Ken Kress]] - [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] engineer, initiated CIA's first psi research contract with SRI - [[Robert Gates]] - Young Soviet analyst on loan from CIA, skeptical of RV results - [[William Perry]] - President [[Jimmy Carter|Carter]]'s Defense R&D chief, later Secretary of Defense, influenced funding - [[Charlie Rose]] - U.S. Congressman, staunch supporter of Grill Flame - [[Jack Anderson]] - Journalist, reported on the existence of the program ### Organizational Connections - [[Stanford Research Institute]] - Initial contractor for the research - [[Science Applications International Corporation]] (SAIC) - Later contractor, took over most of the project in 1991 - [[American Society for Psychical Research]] - Conducted early experiments in [[Out-of-Body Experience|out-of-body experiences]] - [[Monroe Institute]] - Organization focused on consciousness exploration, led by Skip Atwater after his military career - [[Scientology]] - Several key figures (Puthoff, Swann, Price) were former members, suggesting possible influence on early remote viewing protocols - [[U.S. Air Force]] - Tasked remote viewers for intelligence gathering - [[U.S. Navy]] - Involved in early psi research rumors and RV taskings - [[KGB]] - Soviet intelligence agency, subject of RV taskings - [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] - Sought RV assistance for counterintelligence - [[Mossad]] - Israeli intelligence agency, reportedly worked with Uri Geller - [[Shin Bet]] - Israeli internal security service, reportedly worked with Uri Geller - [[U.S. First Army]] - Based at Fort Meade, associated with the project - [[Army Intelligence Agency]] - Merged to form INSCOM, precursor to project oversight - [[Army Security Agency]] - Merged to form INSCOM, precursor to project oversight - [[Operations Security Group]] - Initial unit for some remote viewers - [[Palo Alto Medical Clinic]] - Oversaw medical and psychological evaluations for psychics - [[Institute of Noetic Science]] - Funded Uri Geller's visit to SRI - [[Bell Labs]] - Scientist Robert Lucky became RV proponent after publishing SRI paper - [[Rand Corporation]] - Think tank, mentioned in early psi research rumors - [[Society for Psychical Research]] - Historical psychical research organization - [[Duke University Parapsychology Laboratory]] - Key parapsychology research institution - [[Parapsychological Association]] - Professional organization for parapsychologists - [[Sylvania Corporation]] - Russell Targ's former employer - [[Church's Fried Chicken]] - Early private funder of Hal Puthoff's research ## Project Timeline and Notable Event 1. 1970: [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] initiates [[SCANATE]] program in response to Soviet psychic research 2. 1972: [[Stanford Research Institute]] (SRI) begins testing psychics, including [[Uri Geller]] 3. 1976: Remote viewer [[Rosemary Smith]] allegedly locates a lost Soviet spy plane 4. 1977: Stargate Project officially established 5. 1979: Project psychics claim to identify Soviet weapons and technologies 6. 1980: Failed Iran hostage rescue mission; remote viewers tasked extensively 7. 1984: Existence of the program reported by journalist Jack Anderson 8. 1985: Army funding terminated, program continues under DIA 9. 1991: Most contracting transferred to SAIC under Edwin May 10. 1995: CIA terminates and declassifies the project ## Challenges and Controversies - **Scientific Skepticism**: The project faced significant skepticism from the mainstream scientific community, who often dismissed psi research as pseudoscience or fraud. Despite statistically significant results, the lack of tangible, repeatable real-world applications made it difficult to gain widespread scientific acceptance. The "[[Giggle Factor]]" within intelligence agencies also reflected this skepticism, hindering the program's operational integration.[^1] - **Human Use Experimentation Concerns**: Due to the controversial history of programs like [[Project MKUltra]], the Stargate Project was categorized as "[[Human Use Experimentation|human use experimentation]]." This required extensive informed consent and oversight, but also raised concerns about the psychological toll on remote viewers, who experienced mental fatigue, emotional fragility, and burnout from intense and monotonous taskings, particularly during the Iran hostage crisis.[^1] - **Disinformation and Misinformation**: The field of psi research was often plagued by disinformation, such as the fabricated [[The Nautilus (Telepathy Project)|"Secret of the Nautilus"]] story, which, despite being false, significantly influenced Soviet psi research and contributed to the perception of a "[[Psi Gap|psi gap]]." This made it challenging to discern genuine psychic phenomena from hoaxes or deliberate deception.[^1] - **Operational Limitations**: While remote viewers achieved notable successes, their abilities had limitations. They struggled with perceiving numbers and letters accurately, and their perceptions could be influenced by their own imagination or prior knowledge. The effectiveness of remote viewing was also dependent on the nature of the target, with fixed, visually dramatic targets being easier to perceive than moving or abstract ones.[^1] - **Security Concerns**: The accuracy of remote viewing, as demonstrated by incidents like the Sugar Grove viewing, raised significant security concerns within the Pentagon, leading to investigations into potential information leaks. The extreme secrecy surrounding the program was partly to protect it from Soviet eyes, but also to shield its supporters from public "mortification and embarrassment."[^1] ## Related Concepts - [[Psychotronic Research]] - Soviet studies into the interaction between human psychology and electronics - [[Out-of-Body Experience]] - Sensation of consciousness leaving the physical body - [[Precognition]] - Ability to see future events - [[Coordinate Remote Viewing]] (CRV) - Structured protocol for remote viewing developed by [[Ingo Swann]] - [[Extended Remote Viewing]] (ERV) - Deeper altered-state methods of psychic spying - [[Associative Remote Viewing]] (ARV) - Precognitive technique using surrogates for abstract data - [[Psi Gap]] - Perceived disparity in psychic research capabilities between the US and the Soviet Union - [[Giggle Factor]] - Skepticism and ridicule associated with paranormal research in intelligence communities - [[Human Use Experimentation]] - Ethical and regulatory framework for human research, impacting the project - [[Psi]] - General term for psychic phenomena - [[Psychokinesis]] - Ability to influence physical systems with the mind - [[Telepathy]] - Direct mental communication of thoughts - [[Disinformation]] - Deliberate spread of false information - [[Near-Death Experience]] - Profound personal experiences with psychic aftereffects - [[Kirlian Photography]] - Technique for photographing the "aura" or "biofield" --- [^1]: Schnabel, Jim. *Remote Viewers*. Dell, 1997.