Remote Viewing: Origins, Uses, and Where It Fits in Psychic Work

Remote viewing (RV) is a structured method for gathering impressions about a hidden target—a place, object, event or person—without ordinary sensory access. In practice it looks like protocol-based clairvoyance: a viewer works “blind” to the target and records perceptions in stages to reduce guesswork, suggestion, and analytic bias. Modern RV emerged from Cold-War era research at Stanford Research Institute (SRI) and later U.S. government programmes; since the mid-1990s it has largely continued as a civilian practice.¹ ²

Where remote viewing came from (a short history)

Experiments at SRI in the early 1970s—led by Russell Targ and Harold Puthoff, with participation from viewers such as Ingo Swann—reported instances in which subjects described distant, unknown locations under controlled conditions. These studies popularised the term “remote viewing.”¹ ⁵

The work attracted U.S. intelligence interest, evolving through projects later referred to collectively as STARGATE. In 1995, after a formal external evaluation, the CIA cancelled the programme and released documentation to the public.² ³

How a remote-viewing session works (in brief)

While lineages differ, most RV training shares core elements:

• Tasking and blinding. A tasker assigns a target and gives the viewer only a neutral cue (often a randomised number) so the viewer cannot be inadvertently “led.”

• Staged structure. In Controlled/Coordinate Remote Viewing (CRV)—a widely taught lineage co-developed with Ingo Swann—viewers progress through scripted stages: quick ideograms to capture first impressions; then sensory descriptors (textures, temperatures, sounds, colours), dimensional data, sketches, and deeper exploration.⁴

• Outputs and feedback. Viewers produce notes and sketches; a separate analyst later compares these against known target details to score accuracy.

Two recurring training ideas are analytic overlay (when the thinking mind jumps to labels prematurely) and keeping the signal line (raw impressions) flowing by writing quickly.⁴

What RV has been used for

Historical intelligence use (1970s–1995). Government documents show RV was tasked against sites, facilities, and events. The 1995 evaluation acknowledged laboratory anomalies but concluded RV did not deliver consistently actionable intelligence, and recommended termination.² ³

Civilian uses (today).

• Training attention: RV drills help practitioners practise “blind,” receive feedback, and track accuracy over time.

• Research & hobby practice: Many groups use vetted photo targets (or historical sites) to learn under controlled conditions.

• Creative problem-solving: Some teams use RV as a brainstorming adjunct—always with real-world validation afterwards.

  
  

Evidence, debate, and what to take away

The research record is mixed and hotly debated:

• Laboratory series (SRI/SAIC and others). Reviews by statistician Jessica Utts argued that lab data show small-to-moderate effects beyond chance, with suggestions for how to test better; psychologist Ray Hyman agreed some experiments were cleaner than earlier parapsychology but argued the evidence did not justify concluding psychic functioning was established.² ⁶ ⁷

• Policy decision (1995). The American Institutes for Research report for CIA combined those reviews and recommended ending operational use; CIA cancelled the programme the same year.² ³

Practical takeaway for learners: treat RV as a disciplined perceptual practice. Work blind, seek honest feedback, and remember that striking anecdotes don’t substitute for robust, repeatable results.

Where RV sits in the wider map of psychic work

• Intuition is everyone’s everyday pattern-sense.

• Psychic reading tunes into the energy of the living (people, places, situations) to offer present-centred insight.

• Mediumship aims to communicate with those who have passed, prioritising evidence of identity before any message.

• Remote viewing is a psychic protocol—essentially structured clairvoyance with blinding, staged notes, and scoring. It does not require out-of-body travel and is distinct from mediumship.

  
  

Getting started

1. Learn a protocol. Begin with a recognised method (e.g., CRV) so you have a shared vocabulary and structure.⁴

2. Practise “blind.” Ask a partner to prepare numbered photo targets in sealed envelopes (or use a vetted target pool). Keep transcripts; avoid discussion until after you finish.

3. Score honestly. After feedback, mark descriptors as hit/miss/unknown; note which of your clairs produced the best data.

4. Limit sessions. 20–40 minutes is ample at first. Close with a drink of water, a stretch, and a short walk to reset.

5. Log learning. Over time you’ll see patterns (e.g., “sound descriptors are most accurate; names are rare”).

Ethics in a sentence

Work with consent and care, avoid medical/legal directives, and treat RV as complementary insight—never a replacement for evidence-based action.

In short

Remote viewing is best understood as disciplined, feedback-rich clairvoyance: born in Cold-War labs, debated in journals and policy reviews, and now practised by civilians as a craft. Approached with good protocols, honest scoring, and steady ethics, it can be a useful way to train perception—even as the scientific jury remains divided about its ultimate nature and utility.

Notes

1. H. E. Puthoff, ‘CIA-Initiated Remote Viewing Program at Stanford Research Institute’, Journal of Scientific Exploration, 10/1 (1996), 63–76, available at: https://www.researchgate.net/.../CIA-Initiated-Remote-Viewing-Program-at-Stanford-Research-Institute.pdf (accessed 6 October 2025). ResearchGate

2. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), An Evaluation of the Remote Viewing Program: Research and Operational Applications (Washington, DC: American Institutes for Research, 1995), declassified report, available at: https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP96-00791R000200180005-5.pdf (accessed 6 October 2025). CIA

3. Federation of American Scientists (FAS), ‘STAR GATE’, Intelligence Resource Program, 1995, https://irp.fas.org/program/collect/stargate.htm (accessed 6 October 2025). irp.fas.org

4. H. Puthoff and I. Swann (attrib.), SRI—Coordinate/Controlled Remote Viewing (CRV) Technology: Briefing and Training Papers (1981–84), collated PDF, https://remoteviewed.com/crv_docs_full.pdf (accessed 6 October 2025). remoteviewed.com

5. R. Targ and H. Puthoff, ‘Remote Viewing of Natural Targets’, SRI report (1970s; declassified), CIA Reading Room PDF: https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP96-00787R000500410001-3.pdf (accessed 6 October 2025). CIA

6. J. Utts, ‘An Assessment of the Evidence for Psychic Functioning’ (1995 AIR review; reprinted 1996), PDF: University of California, Irvine, https://ics.uci.edu/~jutts/air.pdf (accessed 6 October 2025). ics.uci.edu

7. R. Hyman, ‘Evaluation of a Program on Anomalous Mental Phenomena’, Journal of Scientific Exploration, 10/1 (1996), 31–58, PDF: https://www.researchgate.net/.../Evaluation-of-Program-on-Anomalous-Mental-Phenomena.pdf (accessed 6 October 2025). ResearchGate