Ingo Swann was an American artist and writer who became one of the most studied psychics in history. Born in Telluride, Colorado, in 1933, Swann reported having out-of-body experiences during a childhood surgery.
These early events set the stage for a life filled with unexplained phenomena. In the 1970s, his claims of clairvoyance caught the attention of scientists and the Central Intelligence Agency. He eventually helped develop a protocol known as “remote viewing” to perceive distant locations using only his mind.
Bending Physics in the Lab
Swann participated in rigorous experiments at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) in 1972. Physicists Harold Puthoff and Russell Targ invited him to test his abilities on a shielded magnetometer. This device measured magnetic fields and was buried 5 feet (1.5 meters) beneath the floor inside a vault.
The machine ran silently with a stable output until Swann focused his attention on it. The frequency of the recorder doubled for roughly 30 seconds. When asked to stop the effect, the machine returned to normal. He repeated this feat, startling the scientists present.
The Birth of Remote Viewing
The success of these early tests led to the creation of the Stargate Project. This secret unit investigated the potential of psychic phenomena for military and domestic intelligence. Swann is credited with coining the term “remote viewing” to describe the ability to see targets based solely on geographical coordinates.
He worked with the researchers to refine these techniques. His contributions moved parapsychology from simple card-guessing games to complex intelligence gathering efforts funded by the US government.
A Mental Voyage to Jupiter
The most famous experiment occurred on April 27, 1973. Swann proposed a remote viewing session of the planet Jupiter before the NASA Voyager probes reached the gas giant. He requested 30 minutes of silence to mentally travel roughly 365 million miles (588 million kilometers) through space.
During the session, he described the planet’s atmosphere and specifically mentioned seeing a ring around Jupiter. At the time, astronomers believed Jupiter had no rings. Six years later, in 1979, the Voyager 1 spacecraft confirmed the existence of Jupiter’s ring system.
Encounters with the Unknown
Swann expanded his focus beyond government experiments in his later years. He wrote extensively about ufology and extraterrestrial intelligence. In his autobiography, he claimed to have worked with a secret agency to investigate extraterrestrial activity on the Moon.
He described remote viewing a base on the far side of the Moon and encountering non-human entities. Swann maintained that telepathy was a universal language used by these beings. He passed away in New York City in 2013, leaving behind a vast collection of documented experiments that continue to intrigue researchers today.