Welcome to the top 10 unbelievable saga of the CIA’s clandestine forays into the paranormal. Between 1978 and 1995, the agency financed a covert venture known as Stargate, hoping to forge a squad of “psychic warriors” capable of peeking into locked rooms, nudging physical objects, and even glimpsing the future. Below we break down each jaw‑dropping experiment, complete with the original images that accompanied the declassified reports.
10 Psychics Remotely Viewed Confidential Documents
The primary avenue the CIA explored was “remote viewing”—essentially asking psychics to project their minds into sealed envelopes, locked cabinets, or entire buildings and report what they saw. Early trials involved placing a photograph inside a sealed envelope and then prompting a psychic to describe the image. The resulting descriptions matched the hidden pictures with an uncanny degree of precision, prompting the agency to consider the phenomenon a genuine investigative tool.
Remarkably, the operatives managed to transmit a written message across a wall. A note was scribbled on a sheet of paper in one room, and a psychic stationed in another building reported reading the exact wording without ever seeing the paper. In a separate test, a computer inside a shielded chamber generated a random binary string of ones and zeros; several psychics reproduced that exact sequence, suggesting a non‑local information transfer.
The program even escalated to scrutinizing classified CIA dossiers. Psychics described the architecture of the document storage facilities, the hue of the binding covers, the length of the reports, and even identified the individual authors. One subject even noted a construction crew actively working within the building. The declassified files label these outcomes as “surprisingly accurate,” concluding that remote viewing held real operational promise.
In the final assessment, the agency declared remote viewing a “real phenomenon” and noted its “application potential” for gathering intelligence on adversary secrets, effectively endorsing the notion of a psychic‑enabled espionage force.
9 A Psychic Described The History Of Mars
In 1984, the CIA deliberately set a trap to catch a psychic in a lie. Instead of assigning a terrestrial location, the test card read “The Planet Mars. 1 million years BC.” The expectation was that the subject would flounder, describing modern structures on a barren planet. Instead, the psychic narrated a landscape of towering pyramid‑shaped constructs, massive obelisks, ragged mountain ranges, and a strange, oversized sun. He repeatedly emphasized the odd color of the mountains—”yellowish … okra‑colored”—and the sheer scale of everything, noting that all features appeared colossal.
When pressed to travel further back in time, the psychic’s vision shifted to slender, otherworldly beings wearing odd garments. He described a massive vessel resembling a gigantic boat with “very rounded walls and shiny metal,” suggesting a kind of interstellar ark. The narrative grew increasingly frantic as the psychic reported that these beings were “dying” and searching desperately for a way to survive, hinting at a civilization on the brink of extinction.
His descriptions grew more chaotic, with the psychic exclaiming, “Oh God, this is difficult,” as he wrestled with the cosmic scale of his visions. He likened the experience to viewing space photographs, emphasizing the bewildering, almost cinematic quality of the scenes he was forced to articulate.
The CIA documented the episode as a perplexing case where the psychic’s insights ventured far beyond earthly expectations, providing a tantalizing glimpse—if not a confirmation—of potential remote perception of extraterrestrial history.
8 The CIA Contacted Police Psychics
When U.S. law‑enforcement agencies began consulting psychics to crack cold cases, the CIA took notice. While many dismissed these collaborations as fringe, the agency saw a valuable opportunity to broaden its own research. CIA‑funded analysts reached out to police departments that employed psychics, conducting a systematic study of the outcomes.
The findings were striking: out of 11 officers who had relied on psychic assistance, eight reported receiving “otherwise unknown information” that proved useful for their investigations. In three separate instances, the psychics allegedly located missing bodies that had eluded traditional search methods. The report highlighted the potential of psychic input to narrow investigative leads and uncover hidden clues.
Based on the data, the CIA drafted a practical guide for integrating psychics into law‑enforcement workflows. The guide warned that psychic statements tend to be vague and require careful interpretation, yet it recommended deploying them when investigators needed to prioritize leads or locate missing persons. The agency’s endorsement underscored a serious, albeit unconventional, belief in the operational value of psychic consultation.
7 The CIA Used Psychics In Major Hostage Crises
By 1983, the CIA had already logged roughly 700 missions that employed psychics, boasting an 85 % accuracy rate—on par with conventional intelligence‑gathering techniques. These psychic operatives were dispatched to monitor high‑stakes hostage scenarios, aiming to locate captives and assess their conditions without physical infiltration.
During the infamous Iran hostage crisis, a team of remote viewers was tasked with mentally surveying the embassy compound. Their reports detailed the precise rooms where hostages were held, the guard rotations, and even mundane daily activities. When later compared to on‑the‑ground intelligence, the psychic descriptions aligned closely with reality, reinforcing the agency’s confidence in their utility.
Another stark example involved Colonel William R. Higgins, abducted in Lebanon. Psychics pinpointed his detention site, describing the surrounding architecture and the movements of his captors well before field agents could verify the location. Unfortunately, despite this foresight, the CIA did not act decisively, and Higgins was ultimately killed. Post‑mortem analysis confirmed that the psychic intel had been accurate, highlighting both the potential and the tragic missed opportunity.
6 Experiments In Telekinesis
The CIA’s curiosity didn’t stop at remote viewing; it also ventured into the realm of telekinesis and related phenomena. While the public mostly recalls the flamboyant performances of stage magician Uri Geller, the agency’s files reveal a more methodical approach. In a tightly controlled laboratory setting, Geller was asked to bend a metal strip using only his mind. Even the most skeptical scientists recorded a measurable 10‑degree bend, deeming the result “significant.”
Beyond Geller, the CIA recruited younger talent, including a 13‑year‑old boy named Stephen, who demonstrated the ability to deform aluminum with mental intent. Detailed instrumentation captured subtle shifts in the metal’s structure, confirming that an external influence—presumably psychic—had occurred. Another subject, French psychic Jean‑Pierre Girard, showcased a different skill: altering the thickness of a metal strip without any visible deformation, suggesting a novel form of psychokinetic interaction.
These experiments, though shrouded in secrecy, hinted at the possibility that the human mind could exert force on physical matter, opening a speculative frontier for future covert operations.
5 The Superhuman Phasing Powers Of Zhang Baosheng
When rumors surfaced about a Chinese individual named Zhang Baosheng claiming to move objects through solid barriers, the CIA’s curiosity was piqued. Zhang asserted he could make items pass through walls without breaking or damaging the surface. To test this claim, researchers set up a sealed glass bottle containing medication tablets and instructed Zhang to retrieve them using only his mind.
During the trial, the bottle began to quiver violently, causing the tablets inside to fracture. In a dramatic climax, the tablets emerged from the bottle intact, despite the container never having been opened. High‑speed cameras recording at 400 frames per second captured a fleeting moment—a single frame—showing a tablet midway through the glass, apparently passing through without tearing the material.
The CIA’s post‑experiment analysis noted that the microscopic structure of both the glass and the tablets remained unchanged, suggesting a genuine, albeit unexplained, paranormal capability. The report concluded definitively that Zhang demonstrated “paranormal abilities,” marking a rare instance of scientifically documented phasing.
4 Faith Healers Produce An Aura Of Heat
Among the CIA’s more eclectic files is a translated Russian memorandum discussing the potential reality of faith healers. The document references “Kirlian photography,” a technique that captures a luminous halo around objects placed on a high‑voltage plate. While many interpret the halo as an aura or “qi,” scientists generally attribute it to a natural electrical discharge.
Intriguingly, the memo details an encounter with a healer named A. Krivorotov, who claimed to cure ailments through touch. When Kirlian examined Krivorotov’s hands, the resulting halo was dramatically larger and more colorful than any previously recorded, suggesting an anomalously intense electrical field surrounding the healer.
Further testing revealed that Krivorotov’s hands possessed three to five times the electrical resistance of a typical human. Moreover, when his hands hovered near a subject, they generated a measurable heat of roughly 50 °C (122 °F). The CIA analysts speculated that this heightened electromagnetic field could influence physiological processes, offering a plausible scientific underpinning for the healer’s reputed abilities.
3 Solar Flares Influence Psychic Abilities
A six‑year longitudinal study sought to determine whether electromagnetic phenomena could amplify psychic performance. Researchers examined a variety of cosmic and terrestrial influences, from stellar alignments to proximity to microwave emitters. Their most striking correlation emerged with solar activity, particularly solar flares.
The data indicated a dual‑phase effect: on the day a solar flare erupted, psychics’ accuracy plummeted, producing clumsy, error‑laden predictions. Conversely, the following day—a full 24 hours after the flare subsided—psychics exhibited a remarkable surge in perceptual acuity, achieving their highest success rates of the study period.
This pattern suggests that solar electromagnetic disturbances temporarily destabilize psychic channels, but the subsequent calm may reset or even enhance mental receptivity, offering a fascinating glimpse into the interplay between cosmic events and human extrasensory perception.
2 CIA Psychics Predicted The Future
The CIA didn’t limit its psychics to present‑day surveillance; several subjects were tasked with foretelling specific future events. In controlled experiments, psychics were instructed to visualize a particular date and location, then describe the scene they perceived. Their reports were later cross‑checked against actual outcomes, yielding a mixture of confirmed hits and plausible conjectures.
One detailed case involved a psychic who described a secret installation receiving “tube‑type objects” and being camouflaged. The agency labeled the description a “very good hit,” while the tube detail remained unverified yet deemed “plausible.” Such nuanced validation underscored the cautious optimism with which the CIA treated prophetic insights.
During Operation Desert Storm, a psychic accurately predicted the timing of initial air strikes, the onset of rainfall, and even the Iraqi incursion into Saudi Arabia fifteen days before it occurred. These successes prompted the agency to integrate psychic forecasting into select strategic planning processes, albeit with measured skepticism.
1 The Russians And The Chinese Were Also Doing It
While the CIA’s Stargate files dominate public imagination, the declassified archives reveal that the United States was not alone in pursuing psychic warfare. The Soviet Union initiated its own covert research well before America, prompting a presidential directive under Jimmy Carter to investigate Soviet capabilities and catch up.
According to the CIA’s analysis, Soviet intelligence devoted substantial resources to psychic operations, potentially surpassing the American effort in both scope and depth. Although exact details remain sparse, indications point to a sophisticated Soviet program that explored remote viewing, telepathy, and other extrasensory techniques.
China, too, entered the arena with its “All‑China Paranormal Physical Abilities Joint Testing Group,” a state‑run initiative aimed at cataloguing and harnessing anomalous human abilities. The existence of this group suggests that the Chinese government also recognized the strategic value of paranormal research, mirroring the Cold War‑era arms race but in the psychic domain.
These revelations underscore that during the latter half of the 20th century, the world’s superpowers treated psychic phenomena as a legitimate battlefield, investing heavily in experiments that straddled the line between science and the supernatural.
From secret dossiers to solar‑storm‑induced mind‑blips, the CIA’s foray into the uncanny remains one of the most fascinating, if controversial, chapters in modern intelligence history. Whether you view these accounts as proof of hidden talents or as elaborate myth‑making, the sheer breadth of the program makes for a truly top 10 unbelievable look into government curiosity.