---
category: Intelligence Concept
created: 2025-07-22
description: Human Intelligence (HUMINT) is intelligence gathered by means of interpersonal
  contact, as opposed to the more technical intelligence disciplines.
summary: Human Intelligence (HUMINT) is intelligence gathered through interpersonal
  contact via foreign agents and case officers, as distinguished from technical collection
  disciplines such as SIGINT and IMINT.
tags:
- intelligence
- HUMINT
title: Human Intelligence
updated: 2025-07-22
---

Human Intelligence (HUMINT) refers to intelligence gathered by means of interpersonal contact, such as through foreign agents and their case officers. It is often considered the "second-oldest profession" in the world of espionage.[^1]

During the mid-1970s, following a series of scandals and increased congressional scrutiny, the [CIA](/organizations/central-intelligence-agency/) under [Stansfield Turner](/people/stansfield-turner/) reduced its reliance on HUMINT, favoring more "arm's-length" collection techniques like satellite photography and communications intercepts. This shift inadvertently made psychic intelligence, or [PSI-INT](/concepts/psi-int/), seem like an appealing alternative for intelligence gathering.[^1]

---

[^1]: Schnabel, Jim. *Remote Viewers*. Dell, 1997.