In 1983, a Lieutenant Colonel named Wayne M. McDonnell sat down to write a memo that would, decades later, melt the brains of millions of people on TikTok. He wasn’t writing about standard military logistics or Russian nuclear silos. Instead, he was trying to explain how a human being could basically leave their body, float through walls, and observe events across the world without moving a muscle.
It sounds like a rejected script for Stranger Things. Honestly, it’s even weirder when you read the actual document.
The document, officially titled Analysis and Assessment of Gateway Process, is often referred to by the internet as the cia astral projection report. For years, it sat in the archives until it was declassified in 2003. Since then, it’s become a sort of "holy grail" for conspiracy theorists and spiritual seekers alike. But if you actually sit down and slog through the 29 pages of dense, jargon-heavy prose, you’ll find that what the government was doing wasn't exactly magic. It was a cold, calculated attempt to weaponize the human mind.
What Is the CIA Astral Projection Report?
The CIA didn't actually invent the "astral projection" techniques described in the report. They were basically auditing the work of the Monroe Institute. This was a non-profit organization founded by Robert Monroe, a former radio executive who claimed he had started having spontaneous out-of-body experiences in the 1950s.
McDonnell’s job was to figure out if there was any hard science behind Monroe’s "Gateway Experience." The Army wanted to know if they could use it for "intelligence collection." In plain English? They wanted to train psychic spies.
The report isn't just a "yes, this works" or "no, it doesn't." It’s a wild journey through quantum mechanics, holograms, and neurobiology. McDonnell spent a lot of time trying to explain how a person could theoretically detach their consciousness from their physical form. He didn't use the term "soul." He used terms like "energy fields" and "vibrational frequencies."
The Science of Hemi-Sync
At the core of the cia astral projection report is a technology called Hemi-Sync.
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The idea is simple. Your brain's left and right hemispheres usually operate at different frequencies. The Gateway Process uses binaural beats—different sound frequencies played in each ear—to force the brain to synchronize. When your brain is in "sync," you supposedly reach a state of "body asleep, mind awake."
It’s a weird feeling. You’ve probably felt it right before you fall asleep, that moment where you feel heavy but your mind is buzzing. McDonnell argued that if you could hold that state, you could eventually move your "consciousness" outside the "time-space" dimension.
The Missing Page 25
You can't talk about the cia astral projection report without mentioning the "missing page."
For years, the version of the report available in the CIA’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reading room went from page 24 to page 26. Naturally, people lost their minds. Was it the secret to time travel? Was it proof of God?
When page 25 was finally released years later (it had been withheld or "lost" depending on who you ask), the truth was a bit more philosophical. It basically discussed the idea that the entire universe is a giant "hologram" of consciousness. It argued that there is no "out there," only "in here." It wasn't a blueprint for a teleporter; it was a deep dive into the nature of reality.
Why the Military Cared
The Cold War was a paranoid time. If the Soviets were looking into psychic warfare—which they were—the Americans felt they couldn't afford to fall behind.
The report mentions "remote viewing," which is basically the ability to see a distant location in your mind. The military actually ran a program called Project Stargate for years, based on these concepts. They used people like Ingo Swann and Pat Price to try and "look" into secret Soviet bases.
Sometimes they were surprisingly accurate. Other times, they were completely wrong.
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The Difference Between Astral Projection and Remote Viewing
People often use these terms interchangeably, but they aren't the same.
- Remote Viewing: This is more like a mental "sketch." You sit in a chair, close your eyes, and try to perceive a target. You don't "leave" your body; you just shift your focus.
- Astral Projection: This is what the cia astral projection report focuses on. This is the full "out-of-body" experience. You feel yourself separate from your physical form. You can move around, look back at your sleeping body, and travel through space.
McDonnell’s report suggested that the Gateway Process was a faster way to achieve these states than traditional meditation, which can take decades to master.
Is the CIA Astral Projection Report "Real"?
Depends on what you mean by "real."
The document is a real government record. Wayne McDonnell was a real person. The Army really did spend money on this.
But does the science hold up?
Most mainstream physicists would say no. The report relies heavily on the work of Itzhak Bentov, a scientist and inventor who looked for links between the physical and the spiritual. It uses a lot of "quantum-flavored" language that sounds impressive but doesn't always align with how particles actually behave in a lab.
However, many people who use the "Gateway Tapes" today swear by them. They report profound shifts in their perception and intense, life-altering experiences. Whether those experiences are "real" or just very vivid hallucinations brought on by brainwave entrainment is still a matter of debate.
Honestly, the CIA didn't seem to care if it was "spiritual." They just wanted to know if it could get them a map of a bunker in Siberia.
Practical Insights: Can You Try This?
If you're curious about the cia astral projection report, you don't need a top-secret clearance to explore these ideas. The Monroe Institute still exists today. They still sell the "Gateway Tapes" (now on digital formats, obviously).
- Start with binaural beats. You can find free versions on YouTube. They won't make you fly over the moon overnight, but they are great for deep relaxation.
- Focus on the "Body Asleep, Mind Awake" state. This is the foundation of everything in the report. If you can master staying conscious while your body drifts off, you've done the hardest part.
- Keep a dream journal. Most people who practice astral projection start by improving their recall of dreams and lucid dreaming.
- Read the original document. Don't take a 60-second video's word for it. Go to the CIA FOIA reading room and read the Analysis and Assessment of Gateway Process yourself. It’s fascinating, even if you think it’s all nonsense.
The cia astral projection report remains one of the weirdest artifacts of the 20th century. It’s a bridge between the rigid world of military intelligence and the fluid world of human consciousness. Whether it’s a manual for the soul or just a relic of Cold War desperation, it proves one thing: the government was just as obsessed with the "unexplained" as we are.
To explore this further, your next steps should be downloading the full 29-page PDF from the CIA Reading Room to see the diagrams for yourself. Focus specifically on the "Torus" model of the universe described in the middle sections; it provides the visual framework McDonnell used to explain how consciousness "loops" back into reality. Once you understand the geometry, the more abstract "astral" sections start to make a lot more sense.