Government Astral Projection: CIA's Classified Programs
- Melanie Bridges
- May 6
- 6 min read
The United States government spent over two decades and millions of dollars investigating whether consciousness could transcend physical boundaries.
From 1972 to 1995, multiple intelligence agencies explored astral projection, remote viewing, and out-of-body experiences as potential intelligence gathering tools during the Cold War.
These weren't fringe experiments conducted in basements. They were sanctioned programs run by the CIA and Defense Intelligence Agency, documented in thousands of pages of now-declassified files available through the CIA's Freedom of Information Act Reading Room.
Table of Contents
What Government Agencies Studied Astral Projection
The CIA, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), and U.S. Army all conducted research into consciousness-based intelligence gathering.
These programs operated under various code names including SCANATE, Gondola Wish, Grill Flame, Center Lane, Sun Streak, and ultimately Project Stargate.
The research emerged from Cold War paranoia. Intelligence reports suggested the Soviet Union was investing heavily in psychic research, creating what officials feared was a "psychic gap" that could threaten national security.
The U.S. government's response was to investigate whether altered states of consciousness—including astral projection and remote viewing—could provide strategic advantages.
Between 1972 and 1995, approximately 15-20 individuals worked in these programs at Stanford Research Institute and later at Fort Meade, Maryland.
The total investment exceeded $20 million in funding, according to declassified CIA evaluations.
The CIA's Gateway Process Explained
The most detailed government analysis of astral projection techniques came in 1983 when U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Wayne M. McDonnell produced a 29-page report titled "Analysis and Assessment of Gateway Process".
McDonnell's task was to evaluate whether the Monroe Institute's techniques could reliably induce out-of-body experiences for intelligence applications.
The Gateway Process used an audio technology called Hemi-Sync (hemispheric synchronization) developed by Robert Monroe. Binaural beats—slightly different frequencies played in each ear—were designed to synchronize left and right brain hemispheres into coherent brainwave patterns.
The technique aimed to move consciousness "outside the physical sphere so as to ultimately escape even the restrictions of time and space," according to the declassified report.
McDonnell's analysis drew on quantum mechanics, biomedical models, and consciousness research. He proposed that highly focused, synchronized brainwaves could theoretically allow consciousness to transcend spacetime limitations.
The process involved progressive stages called "Focus levels"—from Focus 10 (mind awake, body asleep) to Focus 15 (no time) and beyond.
KEY TAKEAWAY: The CIA commissioned rigorous scientific analysis of astral projection techniques, treating consciousness as potentially capable of non-local perception and information access.
Project Stargate and Remote Viewing
Project Stargate investigated "remote viewing"—the claimed ability to psychically perceive distant locations without physical presence.
The program ran from 1972 to 1995 under various names and oversight, initially funded by the CIA and later transferred to the DIA.
Remote viewers would sit in isolated rooms and attempt to describe distant targets using only geographic coordinates or sealed photographs. According to declassified operational records, some sessions produced surprisingly accurate results.
Notable cases included psychic Pat Price's 1974 description of a secret Soviet facility at Semipalatinsk. Price provided specific technical details about underground structures that weren't confirmed by U.S. intelligence until satellite imagery became available months later.
Army veteran Joseph McMoneagle participated in approximately 450 missions between 1978 and 1984, including locating hostages in Iran and identifying a KGB agent's concealed shortwave radio.
The program was run by Lt. Frederick "Skip" Atwater, who later became president of the Monroe Institute, connecting the two major government consciousness research initiatives.
The Monroe Institute Connection
Robert Monroe was a radio broadcasting executive who began experiencing spontaneous out-of-body experiences in 1958.
His 1971 book Journeys Out of the Body popularized the term "out-of-body experience" and sold approximately one million copies.
Monroe founded The Monroe Institute in Virginia to research consciousness and develop systematic techniques for inducing OBEs. His Hemi-Sync technology became the foundation for the CIA's Gateway assessment.
The Institute developed audio programs designed to guide participants through progressive stages of altered consciousness. These ranged from deep relaxation to claimed transcendence of physical reality.
The government's interest in Monroe's work stemmed from its potential military applications. If consciousness could access distant information regardless of physical location, it could revolutionize intelligence gathering.
Declassified documents show the CIA evaluated whether Monroe's techniques could enable remote viewing, instantaneous information access, and group consensus building through multi-perspective consciousness exploration.
KEY TAKEAWAY: A private research institute's consciousness exploration techniques became the subject of classified government evaluation for potential intelligence applications.
What the Declassified Documents Reveal
The Gateway report presents a speculative framework proposing that reality operates as a hologram and consciousness as energy capable of transcending Planck-scale limits.
McDonnell's analysis includes detailed explanations of how binaural beats theoretically synchronize brain hemispheres through Frequency Following Response (FFR).
The documents outline specific techniques: energy conversion box visualization, resonant tuning through humming, gateway affirmations, progressive relaxation, and energy balloon creation for mental protection.
Exit techniques included "rolling out" of the body, lifting out head-first, or sliding away from physical form.
Advanced applications theoretically included remote viewing, time-space transcendence, and what the report called "patterning"—using consciousness to influence physical reality.
The declassified Gateway workbooks contain participant testimonials and training protocols showing that some individuals reported controlled out-of-body experiences after practice.
However, the documents also reveal significant limitations. Results were inconsistent, highly subjective, and difficult to replicate under controlled conditions.
Why These Programs Were Terminated
In 1995, the CIA commissioned the American Institutes for Research to conduct a retrospective evaluation of Project Stargate.
The review, led by psychologists Ray Hyman and Jessica Utts, reached mixed conclusions. Utts found statistically significant positive effects with some subjects scoring 5-15% above chance.
Hyman countered that results had not been independently replicated and that claiming proof of paranormal functioning was "premature, to say the least."
The critical finding: no remote viewing report ever provided actionable intelligence for any operation. According to declassified evaluations, the data was consistently too vague, irrelevant, or erroneous for operational use.
The programs suffered from methodological flaws including inadequate controls, sensory leakage, lack of independent replication, and conflicts of interest where principal investigators also served as judges.
Project Stargate was officially terminated in 1995 following the end of the Cold War and mounting evidence that the programs provided no measurable intelligence value.
The CIA declassified approximately 12 million pages of records in 2017, providing unprecedented access to the full scope of government consciousness research.
KEY TAKEAWAY: Despite two decades and $20 million in funding, government astral projection programs were cancelled after independent review found no evidence of operational effectiveness.
FAQs About Government Astral Projection Research
Did the CIA prove astral projection is real?
No. The CIA investigated whether astral projection techniques could be useful for intelligence gathering, but the programs were terminated because they never produced actionable intelligence. The declassified documents show the CIA evaluated the phenomenon scientifically but found insufficient evidence for operational applications.
What was the Gateway Process?
The Gateway Process was a training system developed by the Monroe Institute using binaural audio beats to synchronize brain hemispheres and induce altered states of consciousness. The CIA commissioned Lt. Col. Wayne McDonnell to assess whether it could enable out-of-body experiences for intelligence purposes. His 1983 report provided a theoretical framework but made no definitive claims about effectiveness.
Did remote viewers actually see distant locations?
Some remote viewing sessions produced descriptions that matched target locations with surprising accuracy, but results were inconsistent and couldn't be reliably replicated. Independent evaluation concluded that the positive hits could be explained by chance, sensory leakage, or confirmation bias rather than genuine paranormal ability.
Why did the government study astral projection?
Cold War intelligence competition drove the research. Reports suggested the Soviet Union was investing in psychic research, creating concern about a "psychic gap." The U.S. government explored whether consciousness-based intelligence gathering could provide strategic advantages. The programs represented the era's willingness to investigate any potential edge.
Can I access the declassified documents?
Yes. The CIA's Freedom of Information Act Electronic Reading Room contains thousands of pages of declassified Project Stargate and Gateway Process documents available for public download at cia.gov/readingroom.
Are these techniques used today?
The government programs were officially terminated in 1995. However, the Monroe Institute continues to operate as a private nonprofit organization offering consciousness exploration programs based on Robert Monroe's original research. Their techniques are used by individuals interested in meditation, altered states, and personal development rather than intelligence applications.
For those interested in exploring consciousness manipulation and astral projection concepts through dramatic storytelling, the independent sci-fi series 'The 3rd State' examines these themes in its narrative about an isolated Appalachian town and a mysterious research facility. The pilot releases July 29th, 2026 at the3rdstate.net/watch.
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