Remote viewing is the ability to describe a location or object using intuition. People who are skilled at remote viewing can give details about places that they have never visited or an event which occurred many years ago. They can also recount activities people may be doing in another part of the world or describe an item which is hidden in another room.
Although the term remote viewing suggests one sees an object, place or person, it is a process which uses all five senses. A remote viewer may see images in their mind's eye or even sense or hear them. In some cases they can describe and item's taste, texture and smell.
History and Origin of Remote Viewing
Although the exact origin of remote viewing is unknown, its use can be traced back several centuries when shamans in Tibet, Africa and India used it to predict the future. It is also believed the Vikings used remote viewing to guide them during explorations.
The study of remote viewing by major scientists began in the mid-nineteenth century when hypnotists discovered that some of their subjects were able to describe distant locations while under hypnosis. In the 1930s experimental tests on people who were believed to be psychically gifted were conducted. Reports of successful tests were met with skepticism from the scientific community.
The United States government created a program to study remote viewing in the early 1970s. Participants in the program claimed to have described the existence of Jupiter's ring before they were scientifically confirmed, identified a new class of Soviet submarine and located a downed Soviet bomber in Africa. Today remote viewing is used in criminal investigations and for making stock market predictions.
Scientific Studies
Remote viewing is different from other types of psychic phenomena because it is based on strict science-based protocols which allow it to be taught. This training is referred to as "expanding the parameters of perception" instead of "using psychic skills."
Training centers were opened to teach remote viewers how to ignore distractions and focus on a specific type of information. Viewers were taught how to access that information in their subconscious and bring it into their conscious. The goal was to transfer perceptions and information from the right brain, where psychic information is believed to reside, to the left brain, which controls logic and language. The information could then be communicated as words, images or sensations.
The United States government discontinued its remote viewing program in 1995, believing that no usable data was being produced. Since then, the reliability of remote viewing has been doubted and despite significant research, there is no scientific proof of its existence.
Currently, there are some organizations and people which feel that remote viewing is a legitimate psychic phenomena and that practicing it is an excellent way to develop your intuitive skills. They believe that by learning how to quiet your mind and trust your natural psychic skills, anyone can become adept at remote viewing.
Readers who enjoyed this article may also like What is an Aura? and How to See and Feel an Aura.
Sources
- David Morehouse, Remote Viewing: The Compete User's Manual for Coordinate Remote Viewing, Sounds True, Inc., May 2011.
- Russell Targ, Limitless Mind: A Guide to Remote Viewing and Transformation of Consciousness, New World Library, January 2004.
- Lyn Buchanan, The Seventh Sense: The Secrets of Remote Viewing as Told by a "Psychic Spy" for the U.S. Military, Pocket Books, February 2003.
- Joseph McMoneagle, Remote Viewing Secrets: A Handbook, Hampton Roads Publishing Company, May 2000.
Danielle McGinnis - Danielle McGinnis is the mother of a college freshman and full-time freelance writer.
