Remote Viewers: The Secret History of America's Psychic Spies 
asked by webin on November 10, 2006 9:42 PM
Remote Viewers is a tale of the Pentagon's attempts to develop the perfect tool for espionage: psychic spies. These psychic spies, or "remote viewers," were able to infiltrate any target, elude any form of security, and never risk scratch. For twenty years, the government selected civilian and military personnel for psychic ability, trained them, and put them to work, full-time, at taxpayers' expense, against real intelligence targets. The results were so astonishing that the program soon involved more than a dozen separate agencies, including the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Council, the FBI, the National Security Agency, the Secret Service, the Navy, the Army, the Air Force, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the US Customs Service, the US Special Forces Command, and at least one Pentagon drug-interaction task force. Most of this material is still officially classified.
After three years of research, with access to numerous sources in the intelligence community--including the remote viewers themselves--science writer Jim Schnabel reveals for the first time the secret details of the strangest chapter in the history of espionage.
From the Paperback edition.
After three years of research, with access to numerous sources in the intelligence community--including the remote viewers themselves--science writer Jim Schnabel reveals for the first time the secret details of the strangest chapter in the history of espionage.
From the Paperback edition.
Reviews
This was the first book that I read concerning Remote Viewing. It was well written and easy to read. It had some meat and substance as well as some great stories of the Remote Viewing sequences. It got me interested in the subject and made me hunger for more. I recommend this book. It is really quite good, and the paperback version is just the right size for carting along with you.
reviewed by drvale on November 23, 2006 3:06 AM
"Remote Viewers" by Jim Schnabel remains as the most comprehensive book on the history and development of the Remote Viewing Program within the United States as any I have ever read. His perspective as an investigative reporter from the outsider being exposed to the phenomenon of RV research for the first time, gave him the unique opportunity to take a more broad view of the entire history of the subject, and the personalities involved. The astounding developments of notable "psi events" obtained through the methods employed by the various RV teams keep the reader turning pages in fascination while at the same time weaving in the history and step by step development of the different techniques used to achieve those astounding events. Instead of a singular biography, as so many of the RV books have become, this book is more of a collection of biographies, and unabashedly even covers the tensions and personality clashes that occurred under such a stressful and competitive project.
Such "psi events" include seeing and being able to accurately illustrate people and places distant in space and time, the ability to influence the health of individuals by mental prowess, telekinesis, even the ability to affect electronic equipment at a distance by powers of the mind alone. Further to his credit, the author gives a detailed description of the competition between various countries to develop such techniques, leaving this reader further convinced of the urgency of continued and more varied research into this subject. In reading this book for the second time, I became more acutely aware of a phenomenon called telepathic interrogation, where remote viewers were able to negotiate with the mind of soviet spies over a distance, without the soviet spies even realizing what was taking place! It makes one wonder, when contemplating to the conversations we have in our minds when making decisions, who it is we are actually debating with! Like any great goal that is sought, the RV phenomenon is not without risks as well, and those are discussed in this book, although few specific cases are given.
I found the information within this book both encouraging; in as far as we have come in this taboo subject in a relatively short time. On the other hand, it is also discouraging, in that at least as far as we are told, the lack of funding for research in this field has resulted in a stagnation of what should become the greatest hope for humanity, rather than a mere instrument for war. I cannot help but wonder, does it never occur to any of these countries, rather than "remote influencing" a target into cardiac arrest, why not "remote influence" the target into philanthropic, or humanitarian goals? I am further discouraged that loss of funding seems to prohibit a broader investigation, such as the Chinese work with light frequencies showing up on sensitive film as a result of remote viewing, on page 233. It would seem there are several avenues largely open to further investigation, such as historical procedures for engaging the "signal line", or remote viewing under hypnosis.
"Remote Viewers" by Jim Schnabel remains, in this reader's opinion, the primer for all those interested in exploring first hand the mysteries of psychic phenomenon and its application in today's world.
Such "psi events" include seeing and being able to accurately illustrate people and places distant in space and time, the ability to influence the health of individuals by mental prowess, telekinesis, even the ability to affect electronic equipment at a distance by powers of the mind alone. Further to his credit, the author gives a detailed description of the competition between various countries to develop such techniques, leaving this reader further convinced of the urgency of continued and more varied research into this subject. In reading this book for the second time, I became more acutely aware of a phenomenon called telepathic interrogation, where remote viewers were able to negotiate with the mind of soviet spies over a distance, without the soviet spies even realizing what was taking place! It makes one wonder, when contemplating to the conversations we have in our minds when making decisions, who it is we are actually debating with! Like any great goal that is sought, the RV phenomenon is not without risks as well, and those are discussed in this book, although few specific cases are given.
I found the information within this book both encouraging; in as far as we have come in this taboo subject in a relatively short time. On the other hand, it is also discouraging, in that at least as far as we are told, the lack of funding for research in this field has resulted in a stagnation of what should become the greatest hope for humanity, rather than a mere instrument for war. I cannot help but wonder, does it never occur to any of these countries, rather than "remote influencing" a target into cardiac arrest, why not "remote influence" the target into philanthropic, or humanitarian goals? I am further discouraged that loss of funding seems to prohibit a broader investigation, such as the Chinese work with light frequencies showing up on sensitive film as a result of remote viewing, on page 233. It would seem there are several avenues largely open to further investigation, such as historical procedures for engaging the "signal line", or remote viewing under hypnosis.
"Remote Viewers" by Jim Schnabel remains, in this reader's opinion, the primer for all those interested in exploring first hand the mysteries of psychic phenomenon and its application in today's world.
reviewed by squeege on November 26, 2006 12:37 PM
This is one of the most comprehensive and detailed books I have ever read on the remote viewing program. It is a well balanced look at the program and the various remote viewers who were part of it. Despite the "findings" of the likes of Ray Hyman, there was a lot of good work done by the likes of Ingo Swann, Patrick Price, Joe McMoneagle, etc. I highly recommend this book.
reviewed by maxmill on November 28, 2006 8:27 PM
