Stargate Project (U.S. Army unit)

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Stargate Project (U.S. Army unit) was a secret U.S. Army program started in 1977 at Fort Meade, Maryland, to explore whether psychic abilities could help with military and domestic intelligence. Its main focus was remote viewing—the claimed ability to describe distant places, people, or events.

Background and history
- Origins: The program grew from earlier INSCOM efforts (Gondola Wish, Grill Flame) and was later called Center Lane under INSCOM, Sun Streak under the DIA, and finally Stargate after consolidation in 1991.
- Scope: It was a small operation, with about 15–20 people, conducted in a discreet facility.
- Oversight and shifts: Initial work involved the DIA and INSCOM with a Stanford Research Institute (SRI) connection; in 1991 the contract pool shifted to SAIC, with Edwin May controlling much of the funding and data. Security moved from Special Access to LIMDIS.
- Notable researchers and figures: Early researchers included Harold E. Puthoff and Russell Targ; Ingo Swann and Pat Price contributed as remote viewers; Edwin May led later efforts. Skip Atwater also played a leadership role, and later Ed Dames served as session monitor. Maj. Gen. Albert Stubblebine was a major internal supporter; Lt. Gen. James Clapper later headed the project.
- Methods and claims: Teams conducted remote viewing sessions to obtain information about targets at a distance. There were alleged successes, such as locating lost equipment or identifying weapons, but results were controversial and not consistently verifiable.

Closure and evaluation
- In 1995 the program was cancelled after a CIA-commissioned review by the American Institutes for Research found no solid evidence that remote viewing worked as an operational tool and that much data were vague or unreliable. The CIA formally cancelled and declassified the program.
- Aftermath: In 2017, the CIA published Stargate records online. Rice University’s Archives of the Impossible houses declassified Stargate materials.

Legacy
- The Stargate Project entered popular culture through books and films, most notably The Men Who Stare at Goats.
- It remains a topic in discussions of parapsychology and the history of intelligence programs.