Sep 22, 2026 · 39 min · 20 segments
**PROJECT STARGATE: DID THE CIA'S PSYCHIC SPIES ACTUALLY WORK?** What if the United States government could spy on its enemies without satellites, secret agents, or surveillance equipment? What if…
Beard LawsHostLutherHost
You know, nuclear weapons, space technology, intelligence, and somehow psychic abilities enter the conversation.

I mean, how did we get there? And I feel like this is an important distinction because American intelligence officials were concerned about reports of Soviet paranormal research.

It means American officials were concerned enough about the possibility that they had to investigate, which is kind of funnier because imagine being the guy who has to brief his boss.

"Sir, we have reason to believe the Soviets may be investigating psychic abilities." "Do they work?" "Well, we don't know.

We'll find out." And now somebody has to put psychic research on a government expense report.
Exactly.
And that distinction you're making, concern isn't confirmation, is crucial.
Governments investigate all kinds of long shots, especially when they're scared.
But here's the hook worth sitting with.
Some early lab results did look odd to the researchers, odd enough to keep the funding alive.
But odd isn't proof.
It's more like, "Huh, that's weird.
Keep looking." So What would you accept as convincing evidence that remote viewing is real? One dramatic hit or a long, boring streak of getting it right under block-tight controls?

Feel like I know what you want me to say, you know, but I feel like the long, boring one is what we really need.

And I'm not gonna sit here and pretend that I overly understand the logic, but I do get if your rival might be developing, you know, capability that can change intelligence gathering, that you probably wanna know whether it's real, even if it sounds completely insane.

And, and maybe that's our first lesson, that the government investigating something doesn't mean the government proved it exists.

But we need to define the actual thing, remote viewing, because that sounds like watching Netflix from another room.
Hmm.

You know, nuclear weapons, space technology, intelligence, and somehow psychic abilities enter the conversation.

I mean, how did we get there? And I feel like this is an important distinction because American intelligence officials were concerned about reports of Soviet paranormal research.

It means American officials were concerned enough about the possibility that they had to investigate, which is kind of funnier because imagine being the guy who has to brief his boss.

"Sir, we have reason to believe the Soviets may be investigating psychic abilities." "Do they work?" "Well, we don't know.

We'll find out." And now somebody has to put psychic research on a government expense report.
Exactly.
And that distinction you're making, concern isn't confirmation, is crucial.
Governments investigate all kinds of long shots, especially when they're scared.
But here's the hook worth sitting with.
Some early lab results did look odd to the researchers, odd enough to keep the funding alive.
But odd isn't proof.
It's more like, "Huh, that's weird.
Keep looking." So What would you accept as convincing evidence that remote viewing is real? One dramatic hit or a long, boring streak of getting it right under block-tight controls?

Feel like I know what you want me to say, you know, but I feel like the long, boring one is what we really need.

And I'm not gonna sit here and pretend that I overly understand the logic, but I do get if your rival might be developing, you know, capability that can change intelligence gathering, that you probably wanna know whether it's real, even if it sounds completely insane.

And, and maybe that's our first lesson, that the government investigating something doesn't mean the government proved it exists.

But we need to define the actual thing, remote viewing, because that sounds like watching Netflix from another room.
Hmm.
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