A newly unveiled exhibit at the National Cryptologic Museum highlights a once-classified U.S. military program that used psychic perception for intelligence gathering. It’s one of the most public acknowledgments of government interest in psi phenomena to date, highlighting the timeliness of IONS’ mission and strategic vision. The exhibit, Project Star Gate, includes artifacts and descriptions of Cold War–era “remote viewing” missions conducted by U.S. military-trained psychics.
Remote viewing is the practice of mentally accessing information about a distant or unseen target without the use of the conventional senses—often described as “seeing with the mind.” During the Cold War, this approach was used by the U.S. military and intelligence agencies to locate enemy sites, identify threats, and gather actionable intelligence.
The Institute of Noetic Sciences, founded by Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell in 1973, views this exhibit as a landmark moment that validates decades of research into human consciousness and its extended capacities. The mission of IONS is to reveal the interconnected nature of reality through scientific exploration and personal discovery.
“This is the closest we’ve seen to a government disclosure event for psi,” said Dean Radin, PhD, Chief Scientist at IONS. “It affirms the legitimacy of a field that’s often dismissed—despite rigorous scientific evidence—and it encourages serious inquiry into the deeper nature of consciousness.”
Among the contributors to the original Star Gate Project, Radin worked as a researcher on the classified initiative before continuing his pioneering work in parapsychology and consciousness research. Today, he and the IONS science team continue to publish peer-reviewed studies on non-local consciousness, precognition, and mind-matter interaction.
Thomas Brophy, PhD, President of IONS, sees the NSA exhibit as a powerful reminder of why IONS’ work is so vital today. “This moment highlights the importance of developing a coherent worldview—an ontological framework—that fully integrates consciousness into our scientific models of how reality works,” he said. “Without such a framework, even a government agency 30 years later still feels the need to preface the science with, ‘as outrageous as it sounds.’ At IONS, we’re helping shift that narrative by advancing scientific models of reality that include the full range of human experience. “IONS is completing a bold new strategic plan, and this is an essential part of what it is designed to do” says IONS Board Chair Claudia Welss. “Thomas is the right person to lead this effort for IONS, and this exhibit affirms just how timely and necessary the effort truly is.”
The Project Star Gate exhibit invites visitors to explore detailed case studies of remote viewing missions, declassified intelligence sketches, and even a Random Number Generator device influenced by mental intention—areas that align directly with IONS’ long-standing research.
IONS invites the public to learn more about the science behind these phenomena, explore their current initiatives, and join a growing community dedicated to advancing a deeper understanding of consciousness and reality.
