A classified workbook from 1977, developed by the Monroe Institute of Applied Sciences in Virginia for the U.S. Army's Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM), outlined a five-step mental exercise intended to significantly boost physical capabilities. The 21-page document, declassified and released by the CIA in 2003, was part of broader U.S. government research into expanding human consciousness and potential for intelligence operatives during the Cold War.
The workbook, titled "Gateway," taught advanced mental skills for various applications, including remote perception, problem-solving, pain relief, and energy building. Specifically, page 14 detailed a method for "charging the body from great speed and strength" before undertaking intense physical activity.
According to the manual, the exercise involved closing one's eyes, taking a deep breath, and mentally focusing simultaneously on the intended physical action and a "strong energy of red" filling the body. Upon exhaling, the user was instructed to open their eyes and immediately perform the action. The workbook claimed this process would result in performing the physical act with "far greater strength, much more rapidly and with smooth total coordination."
This training was part of a series of secret programs funded by the CIA from approximately 1972 to 1995. The "Gateway Program" itself utilized a sound technology called Hemi-Sync, developed by the institute's founder, Robert Monroe. This technology aimed to synchronize the left and right hemispheres of the brain, facilitating a relaxed yet highly focused mental state. Operatives were reportedly expected to achieve objectives simply by thinking about them after proper mental synchronization.
The workbook also included other purported mind-over-matter techniques. One claimed method involved repeating the number "55515" mentally to reduce pain signals to a specific body part being visualized. Other skills described included balancing emotional states, achieving hyper-awareness, entering sleep on command, and healing the body through mental visualization and energy recharging.
The "Gateway" workbook was not intended for general public use and warned against attempting the exercises without first completing "the first Session of the Gateway Program." Unauthorized application, the manual cautioned, might lead to "undesirable and uncontrolled effects detrimental to any such unauthorized user."
Beyond physical enhancement, the workbook was linked to the CIA's Stargate Project, which explored individuals' alleged ability to perceive distant information through "remote viewing." Test subjects reportedly claimed success in tracking hostages, identifying secret military assets, and even observing non-human beings on the moon. The workbook included a section on "To Perceive Distant Events and People (Remote Viewing)," with instructions for operatives to clear their minds to achieve this skill.