From Publishers Weekly
Tom Clancy meets the Psychic Friends Network in this almost plausible primer on the history, theory and practice of paranormal intelligence gathering. The author is a veteran of the Army-CIA Project STAR GATE psychic espionage unit, where he specialized in a form of ESP known as "controlled remote viewing," whose practitioners can supposedly see events from a distance in time and space. His feats, he claims, included reading Saddam's mind during the Gulf War, divining the health and prospects of the American hostages in Iran, predicting the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and remotely viewing the surface of Mars; he even wonders whether he didn't have something to do with the fall of communism. Project STAR GATE really did exist, and Buchanan's low-key tone, full of military jargon and acronyms, detailed protocols and much griping about army red tape, lends credibility to his account of life as a GI clairvoyant. Himself the head of a psychic training and consulting firm, he insists that remote viewing is both a "martial art" to be mastered through training and rote drill, and an "application-oriented science" for use in "police work, medical diagnostics and business," rather than the romantic and familial fortune-telling that is the bread and butter of the psychic industry. Skeptics will vigorously dispute Buchanan's claims for the efficacy of remote viewing, but true believers in search of government certification for their views will be greatly reassured by this odd and interesting book. Photos. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
The more you read, the more you wonder if this expose is really a put-on. But, finally, the author, at least, seems to believe what he is saying--which is that, for the last quarter century, the U.S. military has been training personnel to provide intelligence through psychic means. Buchanan claims to have been one of the best of the government's "remote viewers." He even suggests that through subliminal messaging, he may have been partly responsible for Mikhail Gorbachev's dismantling of communism! Naturally, this is all pretty interesting stuff, and even though the organization is muddled, and the discourse tends to the paranoid, the book is temptingly wide ranging, covering everything from Buchanan's various assignments (Iranian hostage situation, Desert Storm) to how to develop one's own "seventh sense." Even though Buchanan makes it clear that this is not a "how-to," he does introduce the principles on which remote viewing is based. Whether it's the new frontier or simply far-fetched, there is no doubt that remote viewing is a hot topic in the making. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
For the past thirty years, the United States government has secretly trained a select corps of military personnel in the art of "remote viewing" -- the psychic ability to perceive the thoughts and experiences of others through the power of the human mind.... Now, for the first time, Lyn Buchanan -- a world-renowned expert on remote viewing and its potential -- tells the complete, candid story of his experiences. Assigned for nearly a decade to a clandestine U.S. Army intelligence group, Buchanan trained military personnel who utilized their inherent psychic abilities as a data-collection tool during the Iran hostage crisis, the Chernobyl disaster, and the Gulf War. In this incredible account, Buchanan tells how he was selected for his unique psychic abilities, and how he was transformed from an ordinary soldier into one of our nation's leading psychic spies. Working on top-secret government and military projects using "mental espionage" created permanent, life-altering changes within Buchanan. Now, after many years of analysis and interpretation, he reveals the techniques and mental exercises used to train remote viewers, and demonstrates that each of us carries a dormant psychic ability that we can explore and use ourselves. For anyone interested in a hard, scientific look at the reality of psychic covert operations in the world today, or anyone who has ever wondered if he or she could have the inherent skills to become a remote viewer, this fascinating chronicle of life as a psychic spy will reveal the answers.

ANNOTATION

A U.S. military-trained psychic and member of the "remote viewing" task force recounts his participation as a mental spy and trainer in the Iranian hostage crisis, Chernobyl, and the Gulf War.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

For the past thirty years, the United States government has secretly trained a select corps of military personnel in the art of "remote viewing" -- the psychic ability to perceive the thoughts and experiences of others through the power of the human mind...

Now, for the first time, Lyn Buchanan -- a world-renowned expert on remote viewing and its potential -- tells the complete, candid story of his experiences. Assigned for nearly a decade to a clandestine U.S. Army intelligence group. Buchanan trained military personnel who utilized their inherent psychic abilities as a data-collection tool during the Iran hostage crisis, the Chernobyl disaster, and the Gulf War. In this incredible account, Buchanan tells how he was selected for his unique psychic abilities, and how he was transformed from an ordinary soldier into one of our nation's leading psychic spies. Working on top-secret government and military projects using "mental espionage" created permanent, life-altering changes within Buchanan. Now, after many years of analysis and interpretation, he reveals the techniques and mental exercises used to train remote viewers, and demonstrates that each of us carries a dormant psychic ability that we can explore and use ourselves. For anyone interested in a hard, scientific look at the reality of psychic covert operations in the world today, or anyone who has ever wondered if he or she could have the inherent skills to become a remote viewer, this fascinating chronicle of life as a psychic spy will reveal the answers.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly