A declassified CIA "workbook" from 1977 outlines a five-step mental exercise that the document claims can significantly enhance physical capabilities, including speed, strength, and reflexes. The "workbook," created by the Monroe Institute of Applied Sciences in Virginia, was part of a broader U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) program exploring human consciousness and potential.
The 21-page document, released by the CIA in 2003, taught users advanced mental skills for expanding awareness, remote perception, problem-solving, pain relief, and energy building. Specifically, page 14 details a method for "charging the body from great speed and strength" before engaging in intense physical activity.
The Five-Step Exercise
According to the manual, users are instructed to close their eyes and take a deep breath. While inhaling, they should mentally focus simultaneously on the intended physical action and the "strong energy of red" filling their body. Upon exhaling, they are to open their eyes and immediately perform the action. The workbook asserted that this process would enable the user to perform the act with "far greater strength, much more rapidly and with smooth total coordination."
The training was not intended for general public use and warned against attempting the exercises without first completing the "first Session of the Gateway Program." This program utilized a sound technology called Hemi-Sync, developed by the institute's founder, Robert Monroe. Hemi-Sync aimed to synchronize the left and right hemispheres of the brain to achieve a highly focused mental state.
Broader Applications and 'Psychic Spies'
The Monroe Institute, still active today, is a private research group dedicated to exploring human consciousness. The "Gateway" workbook served as a training aid for INSCOM during the Cold War. While it included methods for pain relief and focus enhancement, it was also linked to more secretive CIA operations, including the training of "psychic spies" for the Stargate Project.
This project involved experiments with individuals who claimed the ability to perceive information about distant events or people, a skill known as "remote viewing." The workbook contained a section on "To Perceive Distant Events and People (Remote Viewing)," offering instructions for clearing the mind to achieve this objective. The workbook also claimed that visualizing a number, such as 55515, could reduce pain signals to a specific body part. However, it cautioned that unauthorized users might experience "undesirable and uncontrolled effects."