Umm, regarding remote viewing and it's SAID use in the US army?

Question

Are they actually doing that? If so, what is remote viewing? I've read about it dozens of times, but the description just seems to never stick and I can't remember it!!!

Answer 1

There is strong evidence to suggest the U.S. government had a program in place where they experimented with remote viewing.  However, I know of no reliable evidence to suggest this program is still in operation or that anything valuable was learned in the experiments.  It's not unreasonable to assume other governments had similar programs.

Answer 2

I doubt they believe it actually works because if a psychic is really good at seeing things, they are never 100% right, which is a good thing, but not a good thing for weapon attacks or defence.

Here's a definition:

Remote viewing is a mental faculty that allows a perceiver (a "viewer") to describe or give details about a target that is inaccessible to normal senses due to distance, time, or shielding. For example, a viewer might be asked to describe a location on the other side of the world, which he or she has never visited; or a viewer might describe an event that happened long ago; or describe an object sealed in a container or locked in a room; or perhaps even describe a person or an activity; all without being told anything about the target -- not even its name or designation.

From this explanation, it is obvious that remote viewing is related to so-called psi (also known as "psychic" or "parapsychological") phenomena such as clairvoyance or telepathy. Whatever it is that seems to make it possible for human beings to do remote viewing is probably the same underlying ability that makes such things as clairvoyance work. But remote viewing (or "RV") differs from other, more traditional parapsychological activities in a number of ways:

Most reports of paranormal events come from outside the science lab, and when research is done on these cousins of RV, it is somewhat like examining the natural history of some specimen brought in from the wild. When clairvoyance (RV's closest relative) was done under controlled conditions for research purposes, it was generally targeted at such things as cards or colors, since these sorts of targets allowed easy scoring of experimental results. Remote viewing, on the other hand, was actually developed and first explored in a research setting (more about this in the history section). And the sorts of targets used for RV research differed from those typically used in other psi research. Targets chosen for "viewing" include geographic locations, hidden objects, and even such things as archaeological sites and space objects about which it was expected that ground truth would eventually become known, so that the viewer's accuracy could be checked.



Unlike most other psi disciplines, remote viewing is not precisely one thing, but rather an integrated "cocktail" of various phenomena. Despite the "viewing" part of the term, remote viewing is only partly about experiences associated with what might be visible about a target. It also involves mental impressions pertaining to the other senses, such as sounds, tastes, smells, and textures, as well as limited telepathy-like effects, and in some cases just plain intuitive "knowing." RV owes some of these qualities to the fact that lessons learned from research in clairvoyance, telepathy, and even out-of-body experiences -- traditionally considered separate disciplines -- played a role in its development.



In remote viewing, the viewer not only verbalizes what he or she is perceiving, but usually also records in writing, in sketches, and sometimes even in three-dimensional modeling the results of the remote viewing episode, or "session."



Remote viewing tends to be more structured than other psi disciplines. In some important varieties of remote viewing, viewers follow specific scripted formats. These formats are designed to enhance the viewer's performance in various ways, such as to better deal with mental "noise" (stray thoughts, imaginings, analysis, etc. that degrades the "psychic signal") or to allow incoming data to be better managed. Some of these structural methodologies are widely used. Other methods are more personal. An individual remote viewer, for example, might through trial and error develop his or her own customized approach.



Proper remote viewing is done within a strict science-based protocol. As mentioned, the remote viewer is kept unwitting of either the nature or identity of the target until after the session is completed. Except in training situations, the monitor (a sort of remote viewing "guide" or facilitator that may assist the viewer during the session) is also unwitting, and external clues or data about the target are carefully excluded. Sessions are conducted in a setting that prevents knowledge of the target "leaking" to the viewer. These measures are important to insure that the viewer does not receive hints or clues about the target in any way other than what would be considered "psychic."



Remote viewing is not used to give "psychic readings," "tell fortunes," "read auras," or other sorts of popular activities of this nature, but is rather a means of doing serious science research and for performing operational-type tasks in criminal investigations, government intelligence work, commercial applications, etc. Many who want to explore their individual human potentials also become interested in it.



Finally, one last point related to structures or methods that are often employed in remote viewing: RV is not really a "psychic phenomenon" as such, but actually an imposed discipline or skill that helps the viewer to facilitate or "harness" his or her own innate, underlying psi abilities. Some RV theorists think that formal RV methods are really just strategies that help the viewer to more successfully and reliably access the subconscious, where it is most likely that information obtained from RV first emerges into human consciousness.

Answer 3

Precisely.  People write new age-y books about it (for money), claim expertise and teach courses in it (for money), and ramble on for hours to George Noori/Art Bell about it (to publicize their profit-making books or courses); but the details are somehow always sketchy and the results always vague or "classified."  It seems to be a scam for hucksters to make money for nothing, and to make gullible people think big brother can watch them everywhere, in my humble opinion.

"Remote viewing" looks like just another name for meditation.  For thousands of years yogis have practiced meditation that clears the mind and enhances perception and intuition.  Very advanced practitioners appear psychic to those who have no concept of the practice.

By definition, the benefits of a yoga path only obtain through moving closer and closer to absolute selflessness.  Only then does one merge with universal consciousness, hence get an awareness beyond the senses.

The idea that the Pentagon or CIA can use yoga to train an army of psychics and gain a military advantage is either incredible naivete, or deliberate disinformation.

Answer 4

It was tried for awhile, it had no significant success above chance, it was abandoned.

Answer 5

You can also find web sites that describe it a bit more to a "scientific T" but, fairly easy to understand as well..I remember looking that subject up as well!

It is indeed an interesting topic!!

Answer 6

The US army and the CIA wasted millions on remote viewing in the 1980's, mostly because they heard the Soviets were having success with it.  The Soviets also wasted millions.  They both abandoned it when they realized they were wasting their time, money, and they were being hoaxed.

There's no good evidence that anyone, anywhere has ever successfully remotely viewed anything.

Answer 7

They have done reserach its all hush hush at least some of it was trying to kill with the mind tested on goats. The soviets did alot as well

Answer 8

I think that the government is a lot more open minded and a lot more privy to things that the general public doesn't yet believe in. I would be surprised if the government wasn't using remote viewers. I am sure they are.

*edit*

Remote viewing isn't that hard but for me, it has to be something that someone really needs to find. There has to be an emotional connection. I often thing that it is not just my remote viewing capabilities that are playing a part in finding the object, I think that I am also getting help from the Angels or departed loved ones.

I don't think I could find anything for the government...I don't think that they would want me to find things for positive reasons and therefore, it wouldn't work.

Answer 9

Remote viewing has not been shown to work...here I'll remotely view you...

There is a body of water somehwere near you and I see a large window and a rectangular shape near it.  There are poles nearby and something circular or shereical.

How did I do?

Answer 10

It sure doesn't look like it.Even though you'll get answers saying it is.The lack of results speaks for itself.After all,why not grab Bin Laden.Do you think there's a General alive that wouldn't kill him if he knew where he was?How about roadside bombs?Why aren't they remotely viewed?.Maybe it doesn't work like that.Yeah,that's got to be it.

Answer 11

Both the United States Army and the CIA have investigated and used Remote Viewing for intelligence gathering with a great deal of success according to both an independent evaluation by professor of statistics Jessica Utts (link  to report below) and to several (if not all) the remote viewers in the program.

Two very good books from an insider perspective are

"Mind Trek" by Joseph McMoneagle  and

"Reading the Enemy's Mind" by Paul Smith.

A good web site to explain some of the basics of Remote Viewing is the International Remote Viewing Association web site (last link below).

Psiexploration

Answer 12

Having worked on an element of this program, it is distressing to see how quickly stories about exotic projects spin out of control, and how easy it is for intentional or unintentional disinformation to replace real information. Because of such distortions, one wonders what anyone can believe about virtually anything, without having direct, personal experience. The answer: Precious little. Proof? There are plenty of people who still don't believe that humans have stepped on the moon.

Is the Army using remote viewing now? Maybe. If it's classified you'd never know about it.

Did the Army once maintain a classified program of remote viewing, for 24 years, and was it found to be useful in operational missions? Yes. You can find out for yourself through the Freedom of Information Act, or through a dozen books written by former members of the Army program.

Remote viewing, as the Army used it, was a form of clairvoyance. Many claims are made about how it is, or is not, different from clairvoyance. But the only real difference is that remote viewing follows a structured protocol and offers a few guidelines on how to accomplish it. But all of that is merely window dressing over what everyone else in the world calls clairvoyance.

The book I recommend to people who wonder what to think about all the stories of remote viewing is by Damien Broderick: "Outside the Gates of Science." Broderick started out a strong skeptic about anything related to psi, but concluded after substantial research that it is real. Following his voyage of discovery offers a good glimpse of how and why one could reach this conclusion without having been involved in it directly.

Answer 13

Remote Viewing is when you close your eyes and "see" things that you otherwise couldn't. Like seeing something in another room, or, on a larger scale, in another country. Kinda like a vision.

In the 1980's it was fact the Americans used it. You know, the Soviets were doing it too, the Americans heard they were having great success with it, so they tried it too. From what I hear, lots of money was put into it.

Now it's more like a myth. I think that if they had ANY success in the past, they would defiantly continue to search and train people, in secret though. Then again, if they had failures, they would be skeptical about results, so it would be a slow process.

Answer 14

Actually DR and Peter is the closest in thier answers to my knowledge.  I am aware of the fact though that Remote Viewing was not completely abandened in the '80's and was carried on into the 90's although in a a more 'practical' way.  Such as  special operatives being able to know physically although in an enclosed space within a large building when somebody would enter or leave the building.  How many if there was a group, being able to "sense" a specific person within that group or building.

By the end of the 90's it was still being studied although in not such a broad term way.  

If it is still being researched now I don't know, and the people I know who would know because of thier military cleareance aren't allowed to tell me.  It is frustrating for me, because of my curosity in the matter and if they ever made any headway in the matter.

As for Canada studying it.  I am only aware of the United State's stance on the research.  I am quite sure that in some hidden ill begotten place it is, but I'm really not as interested in it as I once was.