CIA Validates ESP: The Hidden History of Government Psychic Research

For most people, the idea of extrasensory perception (ESP) belongs in the realm of science fiction and paranormal television shows. X-Files anyone? Yet, for over two decades, U.S. intelligence agencies—including the CIA—validated ESP as a subject worth serious investigation. Our founder Al Manning had already known this for decades.

Declassified documents now confirm that the U.S. government spent millions of dollars on psychic research, employing scientists, military personnel, and so-called “remote viewers” in a program that would later be known as the Stargate Project.

The question is not whether the CIA researched ESP—they absolutely did—but why. And more importantly: did the CIA truly validate ESP as real?

Why the CIA Took ESP Seriously

To understand why the CIA became interested in ESP, you need to go back to the Cold War. In the 1960s and 1970s, reports began circulating that the Soviet Union was investing heavily in psychic experiments. Rumors suggested that Soviet scientists were training psychics to gather intelligence, influence decision-making, or even disable equipment through “psychotronic” means.

For the CIA, even the possibility that ESP could be weaponized was enough to act. In an era where nuclear brinkmanship and espionage defined global politics, no intelligence advantage could be ignored.

So, in 1972, the CIA began funding research at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) in California. The project was spearheaded by physicists Harold Puthoff and Russell Targ, who worked with individuals claiming psychic abilities, testing them under controlled conditions.

This initiative was the seed that grew into what later became known as Stargate Project, which ran under various names for more than two decades.

The Science Behind ESP Testing

The experiments conducted under CIA contracts were surprisingly rigorous for what many considered a fringe topic.

Key areas of study included:

1. Remote Viewing – Participants attempted to “see” distant locations, sometimes thousands of miles away, and describe them with accuracy.
2. Telepathy – Experiments tested whether thoughts or mental images could be transferred between individuals without any sensory contact.
3. Precognition – Some studies tried to measure whether participants could predict future events or outcomes of random experiments.
4. Clairvoyance – Subjects attempted to describe objects hidden in sealed envelopes or containers.

In many cases, results exceeded what could be explained by chance. Certain individuals consistently produced descriptions or insights that were later verified through independent means.

One of the most famous remote viewers, Joseph McMoneagle, reportedly provided accurate intelligence about secret Soviet facilities, including the location of a new class of submarine before it was officially confirmed by spy satellites.

Declassified Files: CIA Validates ESP Potential

When the CIA declassified thousands of pages of Stargate-related documents in the 1990s, a fascinating picture emerged.

The reports revealed that:

• The CIA funded psychic research for more than 20 years.
• Remote viewing sessions often produced descriptions with statistically significant accuracy.
• Intelligence agencies sometimes used remote viewers operationally—meaning they were tasked with solving real-world espionage problems.
• Internal evaluations acknowledged that results were “mixed,” but certain cases were so precise they couldn’t be ignored.

So when people say “CIA validates ESP”, what it really means is this: while the agency never made a blanket statement declaring psychic powers real, its decades-long investment and operational use of ESP research was itself a validation that there was something worth pursuing.

Why the Program Was Shut Down

Despite years of research, the Stargate Project was officially terminated in 1995 after being transferred to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). The stated reason was that ESP results, while sometimes intriguing, were not consistent or reliable enough for mainstream intelligence operations.

Critics argued that the entire program was a waste of taxpayer money fueled by Cold War paranoia. Skeptics in the scientific community dismissed the findings as flawed, citing methodological weaknesses and the possibility of subconscious cues or researcher bias.

Supporters, however, argue the shutdown was more about politics than science. By the 1990s, public skepticism of paranormal research was high, and intelligence agencies may have wanted to avoid ridicule.

Did the CIA Really Believe in ESP?

The declassified documents reveal a nuanced answer. On one hand, the CIA was never fully convinced that ESP represented a proven, exploitable phenomenon. On the other hand, the agency validated ESP by acknowledging:

• Results were often statistically significant.
• Remote viewing occasionally provided accurate intelligence that could not be explained by normal means.
• ESP warranted funding, testing, and operational trials for over two decades.

In short: the CIA didn’t declare ESP a fact, but they treated it seriously enough to act as if it might be. And that level of institutional validation is striking.

Cultural Impact: From Secret Labs to Pop Culture

The revelations that the CIA validated ESP gave new fuel to pop culture portrayals of psychics, spies, and secret experiments. Movies like The Men Who Stare at Goats (based loosely on these programs) introduced the idea of psychic warfare to a wider audience.

Books and documentaries continue to explore the strange overlap between national security and paranormal research, keeping the story alive long after the program’s closure.

What the CIA’s ESP Research Means for Us Today

The most important takeaway is that the human mind may still hold untapped potential. Even if ESP cannot yet be fully explained—or reliably reproduced—the fact that professional scientists and intelligence agencies observed anomalies suggests there’s more to learn about consciousness and perception.

Here are three key lessons:

1. Science Should Stay Open-Minded – Dismissing phenomena outright can prevent discovery. Rigorous testing, even of controversial topics, is essential.
2. The Mind Is a Frontier – Neuroscience still doesn’t fully understand consciousness. ESP may point toward aspects of the brain not yet measurable by current tools.
3. Government Secrecy Hides Surprises – The CIA’s validation of ESP is just one example of hidden programs that challenge our assumptions.

Conclusion: The Legacy of CIA Validating ESP

While skeptics remain unconvinced, the historical record is undeniable: the CIA validated ESP as a subject worthy of investment, experimentation, and even operational use. For over 20 years, psychics worked alongside scientists and intelligence officers in a serious attempt to harness extrasensory perception.

Whether ESP represents a genuine human ability or simply an unsolved anomaly, its validation by one of the world’s most powerful intelligence agencies ensures the topic will remain part of the discussion on human potential for years to come.

The next time someone dismisses ESP as mere fantasy, remember this: the CIA didn’t. They validated it enough to spend millions exploring it. And that fact alone should make us all reconsider what’s possible.

Indeed, the truth is out there.The CIA validates ESP in this report among many others. Want some more…?

Essential Declassified Documents

1. STARGATE Collection (CIA FOIA Library)
   • A comprehensive archive of declassified PDFs related to the Stargate Project—covering remote viewing, anomalous cognition, and more. Excellent starting point for primary documents.
2. “Facts and Speculations on ESP and the SIGINT Threat” (1970 Report)
   • Explores early agency interest in ESP and its implications for signals intelligence (SIGINT). Highlights firsthand origin stories, such as a chance “mind-reading” incident prompting further investigation.
3. “Cryptologic Aspects of ESP” (1973 Report)
   • Examines potential security vulnerabilities posed by ESP—raising intriguing possibilities like psychics bypassing cryptographic safeguards.
4. “STAR GATE Project: An Overview” (1993, DIA)
   • A strategic briefing that outlines three main research areas: foreign assessment, external research, and in-house investigations. Offers insights into how the DIA structured the program.
5. Declassification Strategy Documents
   • Documents detailing how CIA and DIA planned to declassify the Stargate materials, making them available to the public. Demonstrates intent to transparency about their psychic research.
6. “An Evaluation of the Remote Viewing Program: Research and Operational Applications”
   • A draft assessment of the Stargate remote viewing program—useful for understanding how the CIA evaluated its operational value.
7. CIA’s Official Q&A: “Did CIA Really Study Psychic Powers?”
   • A public statement explaining that CIA assembled and released records of its parapsychology research in response to public and congressional interest.