This post is part of a series on The Gateway Experience. The rest of the series can be found here.
In 1983, at the height of the Cold War, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) funded an investigation that sounds a lot like science fiction. They explored whether human consciousness could be used as a tool for intelligence gathering. Could the mind remotely collect information across distances? Could altered states of awareness help in intelligence work?
The idea came from the Monroe Institute, a civilian research group in Virginia. They were experimenting with Hemi-Sync, short for hemispheric synchronization. The technique utilizes sound patterns to synchronize both sides of the brain, facilitating individuals into deep states of focus and heightened awareness.
The CIA sent Army intelligence officer Lieutenant Colonel Wayne M. McDonnell to train at the Monroe Institute. He then wrote a report titled Analysis and Assessment of the Gateway Process. The report remained classified for almost twenty years before being released to the public.
The Gateway Process combined several methods. Audio patterns were used to shift brainwaves into a meditative state, breathing and relaxation then helped focus the mind, and visualization directed awareness. The program also drew on scientific and Eastern models of energy and consciousness.
Participants were taught to enter expanded states of consciousness, which McDonnell called “altered time-space dimensions.” In these states, they explored mental imagery, out-of-body experiences, and contact with what the Institute referred to as the Absolute, a universal energy that connects everything.
The report also referenced holographic theory, which proposes that all information exists in every part of the universe. It drew on ideas from quantum mechanics, suggesting consciousness might extend beyond space and time.
McDonnell concluded the Gateway Process had a coherent framework and could be explained using scientific models. He described stages of training where participants might access symbolic or intuitive information, perceive time non-linearly, and experience the Absolute.
At the same time, he noted that there were some limits. Results were inconsistent and highly personal. There was no solid evidence that the method could reliably support intelligence work. He recommended further study but stopped short of endorsing military use.
The Gateway Experience reflects the enduring search for understanding of human consciousness and life after death, just as standing in an ancient forest or visiting sacred grounds can touch on the same mystery.
The concepts in the Gateway Experience report echo ideas found in both Indigenous traditions and spiritual practices worldwide.
The Gateway Experience shows that even rational minds, scientists, soldiers, and data analysts, are drawn to explore the mysteries of consciousness.
Inspired by these ideas, I plan to examine the Gateway Process firsthand by listening to the original Hemi-Sync recordings and following the training exercises. Through this, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of what expanded states of consciousness might reveal about the mind and our place in the universe, just as the CIA did.
I have attached the declassified CIA document in its entirety below. The document consists of 29 pages and includes charts and diagrams.
