During the Cold War, US intelligence discovered that the Soviet Union was exploring the use of psychics for information gathering.
In response, the United States initiated a formal research program to study the phenomenon.
The research was led by two laser physicists at Stanford Research Institute (SRI, as it was known at the time). Their experiments involved rigorous testing and analysis of psychics, and the resulting peer-reviewed data indicated that the phenomenon warranted serious scientific investigation.
One of the most notable participants was psychic Ingo Swann, whose abilities were extensively tested. Through this work, Swann developed the first structured methodology for accessing information non-locally. The program later adopted the term "Remote Viewing" to describe this process. Swann also introduced the concept of "The Matrix", a universal field of information from which data could be accessed - years before the idea entered mainstream culture.
Ingo Swann is now widely recognized as the father of modern Remote Viewing.
Testing demonstrated that, with a structured method, Remote Viewing was not limited to gifted individuals - anyone could learn it with training and practice.
The first methodology was known as Coordinate Remote Viewing (CRV), which later evolved into Controlled Remote Viewing (still referred to as CRV). This became the primary intelligence-gathering method used within the classified Project Stargate program.
In 1995, the program was officially de-escalated. Following its closure, several military personnel began teaching the technique publicly, forming the first generation of civilian Remote Viewing instructors. Around the same time, a parallel initiative from special-operations units developed into what is now known as the Hawaiian Remote Viewers Guild (HRVG) methodology.
After declassification, a number of variations of Controlled Remote Viewing emerged. Each follows a similar structured protocol, with minor differences in approach.
Some of the best-known methodologies include:
• Controlled Remote Viewing (CRV) - the original method and its variants
• Technical Remote Viewing (TRV) - popularized by LearnRV
• HRVG Method - Hawaiian Remote Viewers Guild
• TDS (TransDimensional Systems)
• Flow - a derivative of CRV
• ERV (Extended Remote Viewing)
These methods are actively taught today, both online and in person.
Learning Remote Viewing is similar to learning a musical instrument or a martial art: it requires time, consistent practice, discipline, and patience - but it is a skill anyone can develop.