The Remarkable Life of U.S. Government Remote Viewer 001
Joseph McMoneagle is now known as the best Operational Remote Viewer in the history of the U.S. Army's Special Project—Stargate. His intelligence collection results have never been surpassed and rarely equaled. Among his achievements:
He described the interior of a top-secret Soviet manufacturing plant and accurately predicted a new class of submarine under construction there.
He sketched the location and described the thoughts of a kidnapped U.S. Army General being held by the Red Brigade in Northern Italy.
Nearly a year in advance he accurately predicted when Skylab would leave orbit and where it would impact on the Earth’s surface.
After conventional reconnaissance failed, he and others were able to locate a downed Soviet bomber that had been carrying nuclear materials.
He achieved these results using scientifically designed and tested double-blind protocols. And in the years since his retirement he has continued to demonstrate these abilities on camera for national television in three countries, in the lab at the famed Monroe Institute, and for private companies.
Are his abilities a natural gift, or taught? Was it his largely unsuspected psychic ability that helped keep him alive in Vietnam, and aided in his invaluable contributions to the cold war effort, that made McMoneagle a first-class remote viewer? How much did he owe to his near-death experience in the 1970s? And why would he give up a safe and distinguished career as an advisor to the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command to become Remote Viewer 001? This is his story.
Joseph McMoneagle is a retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer. He was involved in remote viewing (RV) operations and experiments conducted by U.S. Army Intelligence and the Stanford Research Institute. He was among the first personnel recruited for the classified program now known as the Stargate Project (1978–95). Along with colleague Ingo Swann, McMoneagle is best known for claims surrounding the investigation of RV and the use of paranormal abilities for military intelligence gathering. His interests also include near-death experiences, out-of-body travel, and unidentified flying objects.
The Stargate Chronicles Memoirs of a Psychic Spy, The Remarkable Life of U.S. Government Remote Viewer 001 By: Joseph McMoneagle Narrated by: Kevin Pierce I found this book fascinating! I have read books about remote viewing in the past but I liked his fact based way he went about to prove and disprove theories. The first part of the story was a bit slow, it was discussing his childhood. I imagine he was demonstrating his tendency to be a bit talented in this area. All countries were using the remote viewing program so it must have been useful. I believe there is more to our minds than we know. I dreamed of the space shuttle blowing up the night before it blew up so I know strange things are possible. I received this from Audioboom and the review is voluntary.
McMoneagle bravely reveals his childhood and army career so that it is on record for those trying to evaluate how psychic abilities are acquired. I personally believe that the connection with his twin sister in addition to the advice given by his Navy Uncle indicated a strong vein of abilities running through his family. This was enhanced by the hypervigilance in living with erratic parental behavior, a bad neighborhood and later combat during war. Later he became a remote viewer for military intelligence. All the RV work is scientifically cited.
Reading this well documented and researched book should be the end of those fearful nay-sayers who refuse to believe in psychic abilities. Of course there are still flat earth people, to which this group should be relegated. Unfortunately the skeptics will probably have to die off of old age before humanity can progress and develop into a higher level of functioning. Just like those M.D.s who refused to wash their hands after it was PROVEN that they were passing germs along to new patients. The new doctors washed hands and the old ones continued to pass on child birth fever and kill mothers until they died off. I don't know why some people are so closed minded and fearful, but it seems a common problem.
Anyway, the phenomenon needs to be studied not ignored and the more open everyone is, the sooner intelligent people can research it the way it needs to be done.
The Remarkable Life of Joseph McMoneagle, U.S. Government Remote Viewer who worked at the Stargate Project, and the challenges that his job posed to his personal life and difficult marital relationships. His gift, which may have been induced or further enhanced by a near-death experience in the 70s allowed him to furnish outstanding intelligence, with a level of accuracy that has rarely been outdone. Since he retired, he carries on to work for private companies and has contributed to the well-known Monroe Institute. A man as fascinating as his career.
Joseph McMoneagle has been acclaimed the best operational Remote Viewer in the history of the U.S. Army's Special Project Stargate. To one unfamiliar with “remote viewing” this means little, so a definition, right from book is in order: “Remote viewing is a human ability to produce information about a targeted object, person, place, or event, while being completely isolated from the target by space, time, and other forms of shielding.” (For those who would claim this is impossible, I suggest they stay open to the evidence presented in this book and several others on the subject.)
At the start of the book, McMoneagle states why he dedicated his life to the perilous pursuit of a seemingly odd intelligence activity that exposed him to ridicule and beyond: “It was then and still is my opinion that remote viewing is the greatest threat to my nation, and at the same time, possibly the single greatest discovery in our species’ history. Remote viewing, when used correctly, has a capacity to make extensively destructive and creative contributions in our development.”
A must-read for anyone interested in the theory and practice of scientific remote viewing for any purpose, but one also peppered with critical details on other paranormal phenomena to be found in the toolbox of a psychic practitioner. McMoneagle also has much to say, based on extensive observation and experience, on the genesis of paranormal perception. An example of his balanced appraisal of the role of the Near-Death Experience (NDE) in the subsequent development of remote-viewing capacity: To those who cited his NDE (he had several) as the primary factor behind his exceptional remote viewing ability, he says, “I vehemently disagree with such a perception. It takes a lot more than a single experience to build the philosophic and spiritual structure of an individual. Certainly, an NDE has a great deal of impact, but it is more the straw that breaks the camel's back than a single transformational event.”
For those interested in the history of remote viewing and its connection to the US Intelligence establishment, McMoneagle’s several decades behind that firewall gave him access to many of the people, places and activities that constituted the various official remote viewing programs, of which Stargate was one. He tells of the experiments that started at Stanford Research Institute in the early ‘70s with pioneers like Ingo Swann, Hal Puthoff, and Pat Price. He spent years in related programs at Fort Meade as a remote viewer for the government agencies. McMoneagle collaborated with Robert Monroe and his Institute for studying the development of consciousness during and after his military career. In other words, wherever remote viewing was being developed, by the government or private effort, McMoneagle was there, and his frank appraisal of all such endeavors under one cover are priceless.
In the book, he concludes: “Regardless of how one might feel about the efficacy of using the paranormal for intelligence gathering, I can emphatically state that it works, it’s here, and it will continue to be reinvented from time to time, until it becomes part of the established, historically accepted background. Wishing it can’t, or won’t, doesn’t make it go away, and doesn’t make it any less effective in the new understanding of modern warfare techniques.”
We have been duly warned. We remain ignorant of the paranormal at our own risk.
I was drawn into Joe's description of his poverty stricken, challenging upbringing in Miami slums. Joe's mother married young, his father was physically disabled (though functional) and generally in severe chronic pain from childhood polio, and they unfortunately both spiraled into alcoholism. Joe had a twin sister, Margaret, and he was the eldest among his sister siblings. He shares some of his (and some of Margaret's) plausibly mystical / supernatural experiences in childhood and as a teen. He also reports a brief NDE (near-death experience) around age 24 in Austria while he was in the U.S. Army.
The weakness in this book is although Joe thanked his editor, there were periodic typos ("cubical" many times, instead of "cubicle"), missing words, and overlooked & misplaced punctuation. If readers can glide past these errors, this book is clearly compelling.
In 2017, I read "Reading The Enemy's Mind: Inside Star Gate: America's Psychic Espionage Program" by Paul H. Smith, a book about the U.S. Military's use of Remote Viewing (RV). Paul was recruited as a Remote Viewer in the military for some years. I found his book fascinating, despite its arguably unavoidable slow parts about various individuals, and the often automatic resistance and derision, and red tape that the RV Program, its managers, and viewers were unfairly subjected to. I think Paul's book is where I first came upon Joe McMoneagle's name as a Remote Viewer. I recommend both Joseph's book and Paul's book.
Mr. McMonEAGLE was put on this earth for a reason. It was humbling to read about his life..
Amazing book ! - couldn't put it down. Can't wait to read the next one. Mr. McMoneagle is obviously a very gifted man and a wonderful writer. I am now a great-grandmother and wish I had read his books years ago. I see the word eagle is part of his name. The eagle has the ability to see for a great disstance - the gift of sight.
I can’t speak to the accuracy of the information in this book, but it’s a deeply compelling and personal read. Unlike many books on psychic phenomena, it’s very human, centered on human struggles.
Although I love psychic phenomena and am not usually interested in memoir, I found myself far more interested in the writer’s personal struggles than anything else. He’s lived a fascinating life, and brought it across in a powerful way.
I went into this kind of unsure about what to think. After reading it, I believe that Joseph McMoneagle truly believes in what he was capable of doing and that the program of remote viewing, had it continued to be controlled with strict standards, might have yielded interesting results. Who knows? Either way, Joseph is genuine, charming and has led an interesting life.
Thoughtful and engaging memoir of Remote Viewer 001 from his time growing up through and past retirement. He has about a 70% "hit" rate on his controlled, tested, double-blind experiments of remote viewing. His recounting of a near-death experience as well as his perception of time are eye-opening, and tie in to his methods.
Memoirs of a Psychic Spy by Joseph McMoneagle is a fascinating, if at times perplexing, dive into the world of government-sanctioned remote viewing—a mix of espionage, psychic phenomena, and personal memoir. As one of the original members of the U.S. Army’s Stargate Project, McMoneagle offers a firsthand account of his experiences as a remote viewer, exploring everything from Cold War intelligence operations to the mysterious mechanics of human consciousness. For readers curious about the intersection of science, the paranormal, and government secrecy, this book is an intriguing starting point—but it requires a healthy dose of both open-mindedness and skepticism.
McMoneagle’s storytelling shines in his descriptions of remote viewing sessions. His accounts of being tasked with locating Soviet submarines, decoding classified locations, and probing mysterious targets are compelling and vivid, offering a glimpse into an aspect of intelligence work rarely discussed. He writes with conviction about the successes he experienced as a psychic spy, grounding his claims in a sense of professionalism that lends credibility to what might otherwise seem far-fetched.
What makes the book particularly engaging is its deeply personal tone. McMoneagle doesn’t just focus on the extraordinary; he also reflects on the toll this work took on his life, from the skepticism he faced to the challenges of balancing his abilities with his role in the military. These moments of vulnerability give the book a human dimension that offsets its more sensational aspects.
That said, Memoirs of a Psychic Spy is not without its challenges. While McMoneagle’s experiences are fascinating, they are often presented without the kind of evidence or corroboration that might persuade skeptical readers. Much of the narrative relies on his personal testimony, which, while compelling, leaves many questions unanswered. For a book that ventures into such extraordinary claims, it offers little in the way of concrete documentation or external validation, which might frustrate readers looking for something more substantial.
Additionally, the book occasionally veers into self-congratulatory territory, with McMoneagle emphasizing his successes while glossing over the limitations or potential failures of remote viewing. This imbalance can make it difficult to fully assess the effectiveness of the Stargate Project and McMoneagle’s role within it.
For those willing to suspend disbelief and approach the book with an open mind, Memoirs of a Psychic Spy is a fascinating exploration of a lesser-known corner of military history. McMoneagle’s passion for the subject is evident, and his reflections on the nature of consciousness and human potential add a thought-provoking layer to the narrative.
Ultimately, this is a book that invites more questions than it answers, which might be its greatest strength. Whether or not you believe in remote viewing, Memoirs of a Psychic Spy challenges you to think about the limits of human perception and the possibilities of the unknown. It’s a worthwhile read for anyone curious about the intersections of science, the paranormal, and government intrigue—but it’s best approached with both curiosity and a critical eye.
An absolutely fascinating book, whether you're a believer or not (I'd like to believe, but unfortunately I don't).
I've already read McMoneagle's Mind Trek, so how do the two compare? Mind Trek was purely about the phenomenon of remote viewing - it didn't get into anything personal, and it didn't mention (at least in the early editions) the US Army's remote viewing program. Memoirs, on the other hand, is a full-ass autobiography, and a fairly compelling one.
That's actually the first thing that struck me - McMoneagle is an old white man who spent 20 years in the Army, including a tour in Vietnam. You'd expect him to be a dyed in the wool Fox News conservative, but time after time, he makes surprisingly progressive comments. I absolutely wasn't expecting to to like him as a person, but I think I would. Similarly, I was surprised to find that he was highly self-aware and insightful about his own life.
Of course, you probably didn't come here for the autobiography - you want the remote viewing stuff. Memoirs has plenty of that. It offers a view of the early days of the Pentagon's RV program, compared to Buchanan and Morehouse's mid and late part of the program. McMoneagle also provides more details about the review that the CIA used to justify shutting the program down - in comparison, Morehouse says that the CIA put their fingers on the scale, but McMoneagle explains exactly how they did so.
But is remote viewing "real"? McMoneagle describes numerous cases that he worked as an army remote viewer, and various tests he's carried out as a civilian. If he's telling the truth (and the citation for the medal he was given for his service as a remote viewer is accurate), then it is. But do I believe him? Like I said, I want to, but remote viewing goes against everything we know about physics, and it's not exactly widely accepted. I'm open-minded enough to say that if I saw proof, then I guess I would have to belief. But I haven't seen proof - just claims of proof.
Must read if you have the gift. Remote Viewing is both a blessing and a curse. Reading Joe's story makes my struggles seem so much more trivial. Having to keep it a secret so people don't call you an occultist/witch/satanist/fraud doesn't compare to having to keep it a secret because it's top secret military intelligence operation. Joe lost two wives and a son in service to the United States of America. Yet he carried on with his work, often in slavelike conditions, only to still be called an occultist/witch/slave/fraud.
The book also helped me reconcile my difficulties in relationships due to my intuitions. Nobody cares to hear a grown man whine about that sort of thing, but if you have this gift you know exactly what I'm talking about. This book helps.
Also highly recommend joining Eastern Orthodox Christianity. This stuff is very well known and has been since Christ and long before. Look up St. Paisios and the Desert Fathers.
A lot of time was spent describing his abusive childhood. Not a lot of really interesting anecdotes, and the guy seems pretty bitter. He also gave his dog away because his girlfriend's dogs had a problem with him. That bothered me. First, dogs are not property, they are a lifelong commitment. Secondly, if your dogs don't like someone, that's giving you a pretty clear sign that something is not right.
Joe is a national treasure, an undercover genius, and a remote viewer #001. He is thorough as an author and humble as a leader. His selfless spirit is present in every page, weaving a story of adventure, insight, and integrity. Memoirs of a Psychic Spy isn't just a must-read for those curious about the psi phenomenon, but an initiation into the vast frontier of exploring the human potential.
This has been the most important book I've read as it solidified SO MANY of my experiences since 2020. Not only does it exist, but among the general population as a necessary evolution to combat and defend against it. I am CERTAIN that it has been weaponized and it has been used by multiple nations as a non-provable means of warfare, leading up to, and especially since, the Ukraine war. That being said, I think those who rose up to defend have, and will continue to, leave those forces... de-clawed and de-fanged. Peace to the participating civilians of ALL nations involved. 👑🐝⚡🦉🌟
"In the end, as in the beginning, we are left with questions." A compelling story of a life filled with challenges and successes. But the pitch of remote viewing is interesting. At one point he gets stuck in a lucid dream (always seemed like a real risk), but more importantly he proclaims a 70% success rate, and he is at least provisionally one of the best. So that means that that is barely a passing grade. I like the person placed in this book, but what a tremendous costs demanded by his country for these skills.
If, like me, you had no idea our government (or anyone else's government, for that matter) was engaging in this form of study, there is merit to at least a cursory glance at this book.
But, due to the highly sensitive nature of the subject, it is not possible for the author to tell you many - if any - specific details about what he psychically spies on.
I read the first third avidly and mostly flipped through the rest.
Putting the 'non psychic', biographical parts of the book aside - it appears that there are a lot of very promising feats that Joseph points out here, worth some further research and verification. I'm not sure how I feel about this kinda stuff, I am definitely no expert. Worth more (skeptical) research...
The first half of the book flowed well--the man has lived the life of several men, to say the least--but the latter half dragged as there was no more mystery and intrigue left.