Edmund Thompson

Major General Edmund Thompson was the U.S. Army Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence (ACSI) from 1977 to 1981. He was a key figure in the establishment and early support of the Stargate Project, then codenamed Gondola Wish and later Grill Flame. Thompson had a personal interest in psi phenomena, having read Arthur Koestler's pro-paranormal book The Roots of Coincidence.¹

Thompson approved Skip Atwater's proposal to assemble a remote viewing team, seeing it as an opportunity to involve the Army in psychic spying without relying too heavily on the CIA or SRI. He provided minimal initial funding and assigned Major Scotty Watt to lead the unit alongside Atwater. His support was crucial in the project's early survival, despite its controversial nature and the skepticism from many within the military and intelligence communities, including his successor, William Odom.¹

Thompson even participated in a remote viewing session himself, attempting to remote-view Major Stone's location. Although he initially misidentified the target, he later realized he had accurately perceived a nearby Masonic Temple, which he had mistaken for the Lincoln Memorial. This experience further solidified his belief in the potential of remote viewing. He also briefed Congressman Charlie Rose on the program, contributing to Rose's staunch public support.¹