A 50 year history of remote viewing
Author: Debra Lynne Katz, Ph.D.
Publication: Eight Martini’s Magazine, 2022, Issue 34
Introduction:
Applied Remote Viewing is a term that is synonymous to operational remote viewing, which was the term used in the U.S. government sponsored programs to denote projects in which remote viewing was not simply being used for experimental purposes, but rather for practical ones in which information was truly needed by the requesting agency or client. I have been an active participant in IRVA, the Applied Precognition Project and several remote viewing-related social media groups. At the same time, I have been heavily involved in parapsychological research communities. Even though both these have an interest in remote viewing, I became aware of a growing divide in perceptions and beliefs about the present status of remote viewing. From my own observations and participation as a remote viewer, project manager, instructor, and researcher, remote viewing communities and the efforts flowing from these are robust and thriving. However, those who engage in more formal, scholarly research have pointed to the lack of published RV-related studies in formal journals as evidence that RV is not what it used to be. When private discussions with the most ardent naysayers did not budge them from their positions, I decided that a more systematic approach to exploring the state of remote viewing today was needed—not an experimental study, but rather one that would be in alignment with other sociological/anthropological projects that seek to understand the practices, norms, behaviors, products, relationships, and outputs of social groups.
