|
The
ability to see people, places and events at a distance in space
and time by employing extrasensory perception seems like a handy
intelligence gathering technique. The CIA's acknowledgment in 1995,
of the existence of secret operations involving the use of specially
trained people to psychically spy on distant targets, was proof
enough to many people the technique worked. That announcement has
given rise to innumerable experts with training courses all purporting
to transform just about anyone into a 'remote viewer'.
To
bring the whole phenomenon into perspective,
New
Dawn interviewed W. Adam Mandelbaum, author of the new book Psychic
Battlefield (published by St. Martins Press). He is a former
intelligence professional, who served with the United States National
Security Agency. He has been a martial arts instructor, tarot card
reader, and has worked as an attorney since 1981.
W.
Adam Mandelbaum is certainly qualified to write about remote viewing.
He is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers,
and was a Fellow of the American Society for Psychical Research.
Along with Joseph McMoneagle, former CIA psychic spy, he has co-founded
the Intuitive Studies Institute, to carry on the research in remote
viewing.
NEW
DAWN:
Tell us about yourself and how you became interested in psychic
research and the paranormal?
MANDELBAUM:
Since I was a child I had always been interested in the dark side
of things, monsters, evil wizards, that sort of thing. When I went
to the James Bond movies, I always voted for the bad guy – they
seemed so much more interesting than Bond. Smarter too. Anyway,
I was an avid reader in occult subjects, and when I became an adult,
I made the move to active practitioner too. My study of the Oriental
martial arts led me to an interest in the power of the mind. I have
read tarot cards semi-professionally since 1975. Later, I became
a member of the American Society for Psychical Research – the American
version of the British SPR. I have also practiced ceremonial magick
for the last twenty five years. The closest I’ve come to working
dark side magick is in my work as a criminal defense lawyer in New
York. Law may be the one truly Satanic profession. (Laughing)
NEW
DAWN: What prompted you to write Psychic Battlefield?
MANDELBAUM:
I had served four years in military intelligence during the Cold
War. I was involved in electronic espionage. You know, one of those
“gentlemen” who aren’t supposed to listen to the conversations of
other “gentlemen” – but do. Back then, it was the Czech military
and diplomatic types who merited my attention. That experience gave
me a fascination with intelligence. As far as the paranormal goes,
I always felt that the intelligence services were using psychics,
and was aware that the Eastern Bloc had done extensive research
in this area. The use of the paranormal for military and intelligence
purposes goes back to before biblical times. While there had been
books published on specific time periods and specific projects which
dealt with military use of the paranormal, there never had been
a complete history of the subject, nor the identification of what
is in reality a military-occult complex, comparable to a military-industrial
complex. Since the book I wanted to read did not exist – I wrote
it. St. Martin’s was kind enough to buy it and publish it.
NEW
DAWN: Psychic Battlefield is described by one reviewer
as the first book detailing the entire history of the symbiotic
relationship between the paranormal and the military. What are some
of the highlights of this relationship and how have they influenced
the course of history?
MANDELBAUM:
The British Intelligence system was founded by Sir Francis
Walsingham,
who used witches as spies. Some five centuries ago. Actually this
made a lot of sense. The witch by nature of her or his profession,
must be an underground, sub rosa type. She has access to
people and networks of connections that could be quite useful to
spies. Both sorcery and espionage are by nature clandestine
endeavours,
and it is no surprise that both types develop a “working relationship.”
Now Walsingham also worked closely with John Dee, who was known
as Queen Elizabeth I’s “Intelligencer.” Dee had been involved with
communication with supposed angelic entities that made such predictions
as the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and the execution of Mary Queen
of Scots. These revelations were obtained with what they called
a “shew stone”, which basically was a polyhedron crystal that Dee,
and his seer, former counterfeiter Edward Kelly (aka Edward Talbot)
used to communicate with the celestial spirits. Or so they said.
Later, during World War II, Ian Fleming, the literary daddy of “Bond,
James Bond” who was with British Intelligence, worked with the infamous
sorcerer Aleister Crowley in a plan to get Hess to defect to England
at an “astrologically” opportune time. Hess did. The Brits also
used a supposed remote viewer in WWII named “Ann” who allegedly
could psychically spy on high level military meetings in Berlin.
Maybe it’s true. After all, the supposed thousand year Reich of
Hitler fell some 988 years short of its intended duration. The point
is the soldier and the psychic have been comrades in arms for five
millennia.
NEW
DAWN: Paranormal research is often dismissed by mainstream intellectuals
and popular culture as charlatanism, unworthy of serious attention.
In your book, you write of a military occult complex and show how
psychic abilities are indeed used by the highest levels of the intelligence
community. Why the cover up? Why in your view is the general public
being kept in ignorance?
MANDELBAUM:
It is also these mainstream intellectuals who pay serious attention
to religion, which in reality is much more incredible than the paranormal,
and borrows heavily from it. To be fair, much of the occult is laden
with charlatans. I’d say about 95% of it. But, it is important to
remember that a spy or a soldier must use whatever weapon or technique
proves of utility. That means supersonic jets and psychics too.
Whatever works. The same types who don’t understand how psychics
might be of service to the military, probably wouldn’t understand
plasma weaponry or infrasonics either. They wouldn’t believe that
thoughts can be mechanically implanted by using certain frequencies
of electromagnetic waves. Yet there are patents for these devices.
Why the cover up? The nature of intelligence is secrecy. One doesn’t
often expose the variety and capacity of one’s sources and weaponry.
But classified information is like an old toilet. Sooner or later
something’s going to leak out. Also, the CIA did not want the political
fallout from being once again given the reigns to the psychic spying
program. It’s hard to justify spending millions of tax money from
John Q. Public on programs that Mr. Public would laugh at. Why is
the public being kept in ignorance? First, we must realise that
this phenomenon called the general public is much more concerned
with next meal’s menu than it is with the borders of man’s cognitive
powers. Ignorance is its usual blissful state. All you have to do
is watch American television to confirm that the general public
not only likes ignorance, it desperately wants it – it cultivates
it. Hopefully, my book has put a dent in the armour of the public’s
ignorance about psychic spying. That portion of the public that
can turn off their television and engage in the ancient arcane art
known as reading a book. That was my intent in writing the book.
(That and the fame, glory and riches it would bring. I still wait
for those last three events, however [Laughing]).
NEW
DAWN: You mention how the CIA conducted paranormal research
and engaged in remote viewing experiments. Can you elaborate on
these programs, especially the US government’s Stargate program?
MANDELBAUM:
The CIA was the original sponsor of the remote viewing research
being conducted at the then Stanford Research Institute (now SRI
International) in the early seventies. I believe the initial investment
was some fifty thousand dollars. It was discovered that certain
people had the ability to describe situations and sites without
any normal sensory contact therewith. We’re talking accurate technical
physical details here. It was neither distance nor time sensitive.
In other words, one could see into the past, present and future
of a location or an event. The CIA was a consumer of the data provided
by the operational unit formed in 1978 which lasted until 1995.
One consumer of many. Stargate was the last name given to the program
of remote viewing. I believe its original name was Grill Flame.
(Sounds too much like a barbecue product to me). Stargate was a
better name. Watergate had already been used. There were a few talented
people sitting around in a low building in Fort Meade, Maryland
using their minds to spy for a variety of government intelligence
consumers. Imagine some guy on a couch in a neutral room with a
bunch of audio and video equipment. All he is given is some random
numerical coordinates. No other information, for the most part.
And he goes out into the ether with his extrasensory perception
and hooks some juicy intelligence information. Sometimes the psychic
spies failed. Sometimes they came up with amazingly accurate information
of great intelligence value. My book deals with these instances.
New weapons technologies were psychically described. Hostages were
found. Military plans of enemies were obtained. Neat, huh?
NEW
DAWN: In recent years several people have gone public claiming
to have worked in some capacity for the Pentagon or the CIA in the
area of remote viewing. Books published on remote viewing by many
former insiders make contradictory claims. Are they part of an intelligence
agency disinformation campaign?
MANDELBAUM:
No, I don’t think so. The disinformation campaign of the CIA was
delivered with their 1995 sponsored Evaluation of the Remote Viewing
Program by the American Institutes of Research. What I call in my
book the “Hot AIR Report.” This think tank, AIR, was provided with
the “facts” the CIA wanted them to have. They didn’t get access
to about 90% of the data. They reached the conclusions the CIA wanted
them to reach – that yes, there was evidence of psychic functioning,
but it had proven operationally useless. This was a complete lie.
After the issuance of this “evaluation” the following year in 1996,
the CIA made the mistake of declassifying a 1977 internal CIA evaluation
showing that remote viewing was of operational utility. It was a
report that originally appeared in a CIA classified in-house publication,
Studies In Intelligence, by a Doctor Kress. This report is
in the appendix of my book Psychic Battlefield, and should
be read by everyone interested in the subject. Actually, it should
be read by everyone in the world, because it details the amazing
potential in the mind of man. As to the so called, ex-remote viewers,
some of them are legitimate. Ed Dames, who teaches, was a training
officer in the program, and went through the training. Lynn Buchanan
served in the remote viewing unit, and is well respected in the
field. He sponsors free remote viewing assistance to law enforcement
searching for missing children. Nice guy. David Morehouse was a
member of the program for a short time, and proved himself to be
(among other things) a competent remote viewer. He’s a very creative
writer also. The best in the field, the longest serving remote viewer
was Joseph McMoneagle, who I interviewed in my book. Joe and I became
friends, and we recently formed a research organisation to carry
on the investigation of the powers of man’s mind. The world will
be hearing more about that soon.
NEW
DAWN: Has the CIA had any reaction to your book?
MANDELBAUM:
On May 15, 2000 I had the pleasure of having lunch with the DCI,
George Tenet at the Yale Club in New York City. The Director of
the CIA is a young and highly intelligent person. I hope he survives
as DCI after the November elections. I presented him with a copy
of the book. His reaction was to say “thank you.” Any other reaction
is probably so classified, I don’t even know what it is. (Laughing)
I don’t think the CIA is sending any “men in black” to come get
me. Maybe they put a copy of the book in the library at Langley.
Personally, I think they should buy a copy for every employee for
Christmas. That way I would become incredibly wealthy, and could
come to Australia to visit. You seem to have the most incredible
animals here. You also have the right idea about the proper size
for a can of beer.
NEW
DAWN: There seems to be strong pro and con reaction to Psychic
Battlefield. To what do you attribute this?
MANDELBAUM:
Differences of opinion make a horse race. I believe a lot of the
negative criticism comes from those “wannabes” in the field. A “wannabe”
is American slang for somebody who wants to be a player, but can’t.
It should not be confused with the Australian word “wallaby”, which
I believe refers to some type of animal I probably wouldn’t want
to eat, and might be rather messy to keep as a pet. People who are
in the field have been most kind in their praise and attention given
to the book. I humbly thank them.
NEW
DAWN: What’s next on the horizon for you, bookwise?
MANDELBAUM:
I am presently (through my agent) marketing a book that deals with
the supernatural on trial in the 20th century courtrooms of the
world. This book, like Psychic Battlefield, will be a “first
of its kind.” If the spirits are willing, it should be out in a
year or two.
NEW
DAWN: Does everyone have psychic abilities? How can a person
develop these abilities and where do you advise they begin?
MANDELBAUM:
Psychic ability is like artistic talent. Everybody can draw stick
figures, few can draw like Leonardo Da Vinci. You are either born
with it or not. Not very democratic, but true. The training can
help bring out natural talent, but it will not likely increase it.
Think of decreasing the static in a radio signal. Where to begin?
I would say to read my book, for its historical overview, to show
what has been done, what is possible. Then, I would recommend Joe
McMoneagle’s book, Remote Viewing Secrets. I cannot recommend,
nor do I condemn, the variety of video and in-person training courses
out there. I will say that if you expect to become expert in remote
viewing after eight hours of training, you should read Dicken’s
Great Expectations. It’s as much a work of fiction as the
advertising claims for some training courses. For some excellent
exercises, (when pruned from the moralising) I would recommend reading
Initiation into Hermetics by the late Franz Bardon. For an
entertaining and informative survey of the entire field of magic
and psychic power, I would heartily recommend Real Magic
by P.E.I. Bonewitz. But since I wrote Psychic Battlefield,
I hope your readers will buy that one first. After all, I used to
watch the Paul Hogan show, and none of those other guys did.
NEW
DAWN: Do you think psychic spying is still going on?
MANDELBAUM:
Absolutely. If not directly under intelligence agency sponsorship,
then through back channels. It is an inexpensive and sometime highly
effective method of information collection. I would not be surprised
if the more enlightened terrorists in the world are making use of
it. In other words, I sure as hell hope we are still doing it, because
sometimes it is the only available method of intelligence collection.
NEW
DAWN: How can our readers find out more about your book?
MANDELBAUM:
Visit my website at http://www.roads.to/PSYSPY
___________________________________________________________
Psychic Battlefield is available from Infinity Bookshop
(formerly Sydney Esoteric Bookshop), 408 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills,
NSW 2010, Tel: (02) 92122225. The book is also available through
major bookstores.
|
