rt introduces the show from the “high desert and the great American Southwest,” setting the stage for an intriguing night with Joseph McMoneagle, a premier remote viewer. Art mentions the simple rules for the show: no bad language and only one call per show. He thanks several people for their contributions to the show’s success, including the technical team and his producer, Heather Wade. Art also discusses the recent addition of an RSS feed, explaining its purpose and how listeners can access the shows more easily. To clarify the technical aspects, Art brings his longtime webmaster, Keith Rowland, onto the show to provide further details about the RSS feed and its functionality, emphasizing that this new system is being tested on the fly.
Keith continues explaining the process for Apple users, detailing how to subscribe to the “Midnight in the Desert” RSS feed using the Safari browser on an iPhone or iPad. He notes that after entering the necessary credentials, the podcast player should automatically launch and subscribe to the feed, although there may be a need to manually start the podcast player if it doesn’t happen automatically. Keith also describes the process for Android users, recommending the “BeyondPod” app as a good option for handling RSS feeds that require a username and password. He explains the steps needed to copy the RSS feed link and input it into the app, allowing users to access the shows. He also mentions that the process works similarly on iTunes for regular computers.
Art and Keith wrap up the discussion on setting up the RSS feed, expressing gratitude to Sam Purcell for his help in making the service available. Art then transitions to introducing the night’s guest, Joe McMoneagle, a renowned remote viewer who has worked extensively with various government agencies and research institutions, including Project Stargate. McMoneagle discusses his extensive career, highlighting his involvement in remote viewing for over 37 years and his work with organizations like the Secret Service, CIA, NSA, and others. Art shares a humorous anecdote about his interactions with the Secret Service, emphasizing their serious demeanor when dealing with potential threats.
Joe McMoneagle continues discussing his interactions with various government agencies, explaining that agencies like the Secret Service and FBI take threats very seriously and must investigate every single one, no matter how trivial it may seem. Joe shares how he was recruited for remote viewing when the military decided to explore the concept. They initially sought people who excelled in their jobs in unusual ways, suspecting they might possess psychic abilities. Joe was identified as one such individual. When approached, he was given classified and unclassified materials to evaluate, and his straightforward and honest feedback led to his recruitment. Joe explains that a small portion of the materials was genuine research, while the rest was mostly irrelevant or fictional. Following an interview with Dr. Hal Puthoff and Russell Targ at Stanford Research Institute, he was tested in a series of remote viewing tasks, performing exceptionally well, which led to his formal involvement in the project. Joe then describes his first remote viewing task, which involved identifying the Stanford Art Museum without knowing what or where the target was.
After a brief break, Art resumes the conversation with Joe McMoneagle, diving back into the story of Joe’s early remote viewing tests. Joe describes being taken to a windowless room and asked to describe the location of a person who was following instructions from a sealed envelope. To everyone’s surprise, Joe accurately described the Stanford Art Museum, despite never having heard of remote viewing before. Over a week, he completed six such tests with remarkable accuracy, which led to his recruitment.
Joe explains that this was part of a broader three-year project initiated by the U.S. Army to explore the use of psychics for intelligence gathering, prompted by reports of similar efforts by the Soviet Union and China. However, the project quickly shifted from a study to an operational unit after the Iranian hostage crisis, where Joe and his team successfully identified hostages using remote viewing. This success accelerated the transition to a fully operational psychic unit tasked with addressing problems that other agencies had been unable to solve.
Joe McMoneagle continues sharing remarkable stories from his career in remote viewing, including an instance where a Russian bomber carrying nuclear weapons had disappeared over Central Africa, and despite extensive searches by global intelligence agencies, it remained unfound for over a year. Joe’s unit, along with two other psychic units, was able to locate the bomber within days using remote viewing, an accomplishment so significant that it was briefed to President Carter. This led to the project’s name change, eventually becoming known as Stargate under the CIA. Joe also discusses his time at the Monroe Institute, where he worked with Robert Monroe to control his spontaneous out-of-body experiences and manage the increasing stress from his remote viewing tasks.
Joe shares that his demanding work, often involving critical cases such as kidnapped victims or stolen nuclear weapons, left him increasingly fatigued and stressed, making it harder to clear his mind between sessions. He then briefly mentions his near-death experience in 1970, where he collapsed and went into convulsions, ultimately swallowing his tongue and being pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital. After being in a coma for 8 to 16 minutes, he miraculously revived without brain damage, an experience that profoundly affected him and led to further spiritual insights.
Joe McMoneagle recounts the profound near-death experience he had in 1970, describing how he left his body and observed everything from above, including the frantic efforts to save his life. He recalls passing through a tunnel of people and being enveloped in a comforting, intense white light, which he interpreted as God. During this experience, he reviewed his life, judging himself harshly, without any external judgment. Although he felt a strong desire to stay in this peaceful state, he was told he had to return, which he resisted until he suddenly snapped back into his body. Joe notes that this experience changed him profoundly, making him a gentler person, more aware of the impact of his actions on others.
After his recovery, Joe began to have spontaneous out-of-body experiences (OBEs), which he attributes in part to the life review during his near-death experience. He reflects on how these experiences, along with his new understanding of the consequences of his actions, influenced his behavior and outlook on life. Art, intrigued by the depth of Joe’s experiences, expresses his fascination and notes that such topics could easily fill an entire show.
Joe McMoneagle discusses his experiences with out-of-body experiences (OBEs) and near-death experiences (NDEs), describing how he has used OBEs as a coping mechanism during painful surgeries. He believes that as long as you’re alive, it’s impossible to become permanently separated from your body during an OBE. Joe also shares his thoughts on the light often seen in near-death experiences, which many people describe as God. However, after his second NDE, where he saw the light but noticed it had edges, Joe reevaluated his beliefs. He now thinks the light represents the totality of our identity as energy beings, rather than God itself. Joe reflects on how these profound experiences have deeply changed him, making him a more compassionate person, and dismisses the notion that these experiences are merely chemical reactions in the brain.
Art raises a concern about the existence of a place other than the light or “heaven,” wondering if there’s something else for those who didn’t go through the self-examination process Joe described.
Joe McMoneagle discusses the concept of a place where souls might go if they feel they need to atone, describing it as a self-imposed state rather than a permanent place of suffering. He mentions seeing people in emotional pain during his near-death experience, which could be interpreted as a form of that self-imposed state. Art and Joe then return to the topic of remote viewing, with Joe confirming that he was the only remote viewer involved in the Stargate project for its entire 20-year duration. Despite official claims by Robert Gates that the program was not productive, Joe clarifies that no intelligence source, including remote viewing, is ever used as standalone information; it always requires corroboration from other sources.
Joe also discusses the extensive range of remote viewing, noting that there is no known distance limit. He recalls remote viewings from the early 1970s and 1980s that targeted outer rim planets, even before they were photographed by satellites. Ingo Swann, a pioneering remote viewer, accurately depicted details of these planets, such as rings around Uranus and twists in Saturn’s rings, years before they were confirmed by scientific observation.
Joe McMoneagle discusses the history and effectiveness of remote viewing, mentioning that Ingo Swann, a pioneering figure in the field, was considered one of the most talented natural psychics. Joe also notes that remote viewing has been practiced for many years, even before the U.S. government got involved, with documented cases as early as 1946.
When asked about the limits of remote viewing into the future and the past, Joe explains that while it’s possible to remote view both directions, there are challenges. The further into the future one looks, the harder it becomes to describe concepts or objects that don’t yet exist in our understanding. Similarly, remote viewing the past can lead to conflict with established beliefs, especially when describing events like the construction of the pyramids. Joe shares an example where he described the use of water to level stones for the pyramids, which was initially dismissed but later supported by archaeological discoveries in the 1990s.
Art then asks Joe whether the significance of the event being remote-viewed affects how clearly it can be seen. Joe responds that the clarity of remote viewing is more influenced by the entropy level of the target and the common intent, rather than the event’s magnitude.
Joe McMoneagle discusses the importance of shared intention and expectation in successful remote viewing. He also touches on the concept of consciousness, noting that there is still no clear definition, making it difficult to have serious discussions about it. The conversation shifts to artificial intelligence (AI), where Joe expresses concerns about the potential dangers of AI becoming self-aware, especially if it lacks moral integrity and could make decisions without human oversight.
When asked about remote viewing personal events, such as one’s time of death, Joe shares a story from his time in Southeast Asia, where he had a vision of dying in a flash of white light. Although this did not happen as he expected, he later realized that the vision might have been a premonition of his near-death experience in 1970, where he was enveloped by a white light. Joe explains that while it’s possible to see things about one’s own life, interpreting these visions is challenging and often leads to incorrect conclusions due to a lack of data.
The discussion then turns to the topic of climate change. Art asks Joe if he has remote-viewed the issue of climate change and whether it is real and what the future might hold regarding this global concern.
Joe McMoneagle shares his remote viewing insights on climate change, describing a troubling future where rising sea levels pose significant threats. He predicts that within the next 25 years, sea levels could rise another 2 to 3 feet, which, combined with high tides and full moons, could inundate nuclear power plants along American shorelines, potentially leading to multiple disasters similar to Fukushima. Joe is certain about these predictions, noting that rising waters are already a reality in cities like New York, Miami, and New Orleans.
He also discusses the broader implications, such as the inundation of nuclear waste storage facilities and the failure of desalination plants, particularly in Florida, where fresh water is a critical resource. Joe warns that anyone dismissing these threats is either ignorant or deliberately ignoring the science. He highlights the increasingly severe weather patterns, like hail the size of grapefruits and unusually strong winds, as further evidence of the changing climate.
Joe foresees entire cities being inundated, particularly in Florida and along the coastal areas of North Carolina and Virginia. He emphasizes the need for changes in insurance structures to prevent taxpayers from repeatedly footing the bill for rebuilding these areas. Joe has spoken to concerned individuals and legal experts about these issues, but he acknowledges the difficulty in mobilizing collective action due to the day-to-day demands of life. He also points out the challenges faced by countries like China, where the drive for industrial growth has led to severe environmental issues, such as thick smog in major cities.
Joe McMoneagle expresses his belief that it may be too late to prevent the significant effects of climate change, even if the world were to take immediate action. He predicts that while humanity can adapt and survive the coming challenges, the process will be difficult and will involve major disruptions, especially in coastal areas. Joe has already started advising his family and friends to avoid living in vulnerable areas like the coastlines of Florida, Miami, and other regions that may become uninhabitable in the near future.
Art then shifts the conversation back to remote viewing, asking Joe why, if it was so effective, the CIA eventually shut down the program. Joe explains that support for remote viewing varied depending on the level of government. High-ranking officials like Senators John Glenn and William Cohen recognized the value and accuracy of the work, while field agents were grateful for any help they could get. However, it was the mid-level bureaucrats, concerned about job security and their own standing, who resisted the program. They saw remote viewing as a threat, particularly because it was often more cost-effective than other intelligence-gathering methods.
Joe McMoneagle addresses the possibility that the remote viewing program might still be operating covertly, despite its official shutdown. He clarifies that all the scientific research and data from the program were securely stored under his control, making it unlikely that the program continued without public knowledge. Joe also mentions that the CIA had previously faced significant controversy over projects like MKUltra, which may have influenced their decision to avoid taking full responsibility for a psychic unit.
When discussing other countries’ involvement in remote viewing, Joe reveals that Russia has a strong interest in the paranormal, and he has even visited their units and met top remote viewers there. He describes how their political and bureaucratic challenges mirror those in the United States. Joe believes there are likely dozens of remote viewers at his level worldwide, including many in the U.S., who often work in high-stress jobs like police, firefighting, aviation, and surgery, where quick decision-making is crucial.
Art then opens the phone lines, and a caller asks Joe about remote viewing the upcoming election. Joe admits he hasn’t done that, as no one has formally asked him to test himself on it. However, he shares his spontaneous psychic feelings, predicting that if the Democrats run Hillary Clinton, they might lose, with Donald Trump playing a disruptive role in the race.
Another caller inquires whether remote viewers can see each other during a session and whether someone can block remote viewing. Joe explains that there are rare instances where remote viewers might perceive each other, but these are uncommon and separated by years. As for blocking remote viewing, Joe states that there is no known method for doing so, which might have contributed to the program’s closure.
Joe confirms that he has remote-viewed other planets and believes that life on other planets is a foregone conclusion, dismissing the notion that Earth is unique in hosting life.
Joe McMoneagle discusses his thoughts on life on other planets, stating that while the existence of life elsewhere in the universe is likely, the challenge lies in determining if these beings have the capacity to visit Earth. He speculates on the possibility of “star jumpers” who can travel between stars instantaneously, potentially making them time travelers as well. Joe believes humanity might develop this capability within the next 50 to 75 years.
When asked about the nature of extraterrestrial life, Joe mentions seeing structures during remote viewing, which suggests the presence of intelligent life. He notes that while collecting information from such distances is difficult, he believes these beings are at least as advanced as humans, though not necessarily capable of interstellar travel.
A caller inquires about the CIA’s involvement in potentially nefarious activities using remote viewing, which Art twists into a question about remote influencing—a concept that Joe explains was a primary focus of Russian research. He reveals that the Russians were particularly interested in whether they could affect another human being at a distance but ultimately failed due to the need for the targeted individual’s cooperation. The conversation then touches on the potential of remote influencing if remote viewers could reach higher levels of ability, but Joe remains skeptical about the possibility of causing harm, such as stopping someone’s heartbeat remotely.
Another caller asks about the relationship between soul travel and remote viewing. Joe clarifies that they are distinct experiences, explaining that he spent 14 months at the Monroe Institute learning to control out-of-body experiences, which are different from the mental state involved in remote viewing.
Joe McMoneagle elaborates on the differences between remote viewing and out-of-body experiences (OBEs). He explains that in remote viewing, the viewer remains in a room, discussing the target with a monitor, while in an OBE, the individual actually leaves their body and can interact with the target directly. Although OBEs allow for incredibly detailed exploration—such as examining objects up close and understanding their functions—remote viewing is often easier because the viewer can describe items in detail, including where they were made, which is more challenging during an OBE.
Joe also touches on the concept of the soul, which he equates with consciousness. He mentions a paper he co-authored with Professor Emeritus Ron Bryant from Texas A&M, proposing an experiment to demonstrate that consciousness might exist at the sub-quantum level, which could fundamentally change our understanding of reality.
A caller named Julia from Nogales, Arizona, raises three questions: the limits of remote viewing, a system developed by a remote viewer named David Morehouse that supposedly functions as an alarm system for remote viewers, and the concept of remote influencing. The discussion is cut short due to a break, with Art promising to return to these questions afterward.
Another caller from Edmonton asks about a group of remote viewers who all saw a giant orb, described as an alien consciousness. Joe explains that in group remote viewing sessions, there’s a risk of nonverbal communication influencing the results, leading to commonality in what the participants report. This phenomenon can occur even if the person leading the session is unaware they are conveying information.
Joe McMoneagle addresses questions from callers, including the limits of remote viewing, the concept of an alarm system for remote viewers mentioned by David Morehouse, and remote influencing. Joe confirms that there are no known limits to remote viewing and that he is not familiar with any alarm system related to it. He acknowledges that observing something through remote viewing could be seen as a form of remote influencing, as the act of observation itself has an impact.
Joe also explains the process he remote-viewed for moving the large stones used in the construction of the pyramids, describing how they were transported by boats and cranes, with the first third of the pyramid being constructed this way. A caller from Texas asks about remote viewing other dimensions or lost dimensions, to which Joe responds that he believes many interactions thought to be with extraterrestrials might actually be with interdimensional beings, suggesting the existence of a multiverse.
Another caller, a physicist, asks if remote viewing can be used to advance understanding in physics. Joe affirms that it can, sharing an example of how he and a physicist colleague used remote viewing to explore high-energy physics with accurate results.
A blind caller from Colorado Springs inquires if remote viewing is possible without sight. Joe reassures him that remote viewing relies on perceptions beyond just visual ones, such as sound, taste, and touch. He suggests that the caller use clay to model what he perceives, leveraging his enhanced sense of touch to express the information gathered during remote viewing.
Joe McMoneagle discusses various topics with callers, including the Phoenix Lights, which he admits he hasn’t specifically targeted due to the difficulty in confirming the validity of such sightings. He prefers to work on targets with more reliable verification.
When asked about remote viewing the miracles of Jesus, Joe shares a profound experience he had at the Monroe Institute, where he felt an overwhelming sense of divine love, though he hasn’t formally targeted any specific miracles.
Another caller asks about the future of the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency. Joe explains that while there have been attempts to unseat the dollar, the U.S. dollar remains strong due to the robust system of valuation behind it. He predicts that despite challenges, the dollar will remain strong, and he foresees a bull market and significant growth in the American economy over the next 5 to 7 years.
Joe also addresses a physicist’s question about using remote viewing to understand complex physical processes and how to manage “analytical overlay,” where personal biases can interfere with remote viewing. Joe suggests taking breaks, engaging in simple tasks, and writing down spontaneous insights to manage this issue.
Finally, Joe promotes the Monroe Institute, where he teaches remote viewing, praising it as one of the best places in the world to learn about remote viewing and gain practical experience.
The show concludes with Art Bell thanking Joe McMoneagle for his time and contributions, noting how quickly the time passed. Joe encourages listeners interested in learning more about remote viewing to contact the Monroe Institute, where they can begin their own journey into the subject. Art closes the show, expressing gratitude to the audience and wishing everyone a good night from the high desert.