Not Even Remotely Good: Occult "Remote Viewing"

 

A woman with whom I work was leaving work early and asked me if I could cover for her by handling a couple of minor legal matters involving her client. "Cathy" (not her real name---Introibo) was a hard worker, a good lawyer, and we also had a good working relationship. It was not like her to ever leave early or come in late unless it was something serious. "Is everything OK?" I asked. "Yes, all is fine. A friend of mine is having a party and she's having a psychic come over and tell us what the future holds. It's actually scientific; they call it 'Remote Viewing' and this person has developed his innate power. I want to find out what my future brings." I tried to warn Cathy that it was not scientific, and it could actually be dangerous to all involved. She thanked me for the warning, but it had no effect on her decision. She is a member of the Vatican II sect.

Cathy and her friends were walking head first into the occult. The more research I do and the more time goes by in my life, I see that occult influences are ubiquitous. The occult has always been around and influenced world events, but we are now living in an occult revival, the likes of which has never been seen. This is due to the advent of the Vatican II sect, and the Church being reduced to a small remnant. People are now throwing parties with so-called psychics who claim to have the power of "Remote Viewing." 

In this post, I will give a general definition of what "the occult" entails, and expose the manifold dangers of "Remote Viewing."

What Exactly is "The Occult"?

 The word occult comes from the Latin occultus, which means “concealed” or “hidden.” It involves mystic knowledge and "magick powers" received from the demons and dispensed for the benefit of devotees or directed destructively at enemies by those who have been initiated into its secrets. The masters of occult power are known as medicine men (or women), witch doctors, witches, psychics, sorcerers, astrologers, gurus, yogis, shamans, mediums, and psychic healers. (When spelled "magick," the word denotes the paranormal, as opposed to "magic" which is used to refer to sleight of hand parlor tricks). 

Those involved in occult practices attribute the efficacy of what they do to one of four causes: (a) various pagan deities, (b) a "force" that is inherent in nature, (c) natural powers that "lie within people" who need to develop them, and (d) blasphemously asserting they come from the True God of Christianity. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines occult as 1)-hidden; concealed: 2)-secret; esoteric: 3)-beyond human understanding, mysterious: 4) designating or of certain mystic arts or studies, such as magick, alchemy, astrology, etc. The number of people (knowingly or unknowingly) involved with the occult is astounding. 

To give but three examples, author Richard Bach (b. 1936) claims that his bestseller, Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1970), was all dictated by a spirit who appeared to him. (My unsuspecting father read that book to me at night when I was a child). Carl Jung (d. 1961), founder of analytical psychology was deeply into the occult. Jung’s mother became a medium who spoke in tongues, while Carl practiced astrology and tried to communicate with spirits like his mother. (See lifestyle.inquirer.net/294281/carl-jungs-fascination-occult). 

 J.K. Rowling claims to have received her inspiration for Harry Potter from an other worldly source. Rowling, during that train ride in 1990, has stated how the character of Potter came to her: "I was staring out the window and the idea of Harry Potter just came. He appeared in my mind's eye fully formed." (See Reuters, "Harry Potter Just Strolled into My Head" 7/17/00) She also alleges to hear in her head the conversations she writes:  "Dialogue just comes to me as if I'm overhearing a conversation."

(See januarymagazine.com/profiles/jkrowling.html). 

Logically, a belief in the occult could hardly have persisted for thousands of years unless enough people had convincing evidence that there was something to it. Of course, multitudes in primitive societies would vouch for that. The Bible condemns occult practices in both the Old and New Testament, and the Church recognizes them as sinful and evil.

Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD; because of these same detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. (Deuteronomy 18:10-12).

Do not practice divination or sorcery. (Leviticus 19:26).

He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced sorcery, divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger. (2 Chronicles 33:6).

Then the LORD said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds" (Jeremiah 14:14).

 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain girl, having a pythonical [telling the future] spirit, met us, who brought to her masters much gain by divining. This same following Paul and us, cried out, saying: "These men are the servants of the most high God, who preach unto you the way of salvation." And this she did many days. But Paul being grieved, turned, and said to the spirit: "I command thee, in the name of Jesus Christ, to go out from her." And he went out the same hour. (Acts 16:16-18). 

According to theologian Jone, "Spiritism claims to be able to communicate with the spirit world and endeavors to establish such commerce with it. Although spiritism is for the most part fraud, still the intention alone to enter into communication with spirits is gravely sinful. Therefore, it is mortally sinful to conduct a spiritistic seance or to act as a medium." (See Moral Theology, [1961], pg. 100; Emphasis mine).

Remote Viewing

Remote Viewing is often defined as “seeing remote or hidden objects clairvoyantly with the inner eye, or in alleged out-of-body travel.” (See Harper’s Encyclopedia of Mystical and Paranormal Experience by Rosemary Ellen Guiley, [1994]). What makes Remote Viewing different from other forms of divination (i.e., foretelling the future) is the fact that there was a serious scientific study done by both the United States and Russia to see if Remote Viewing could be used for espionage. Yes, at least two governments funded the study of an occult practice.

During the Cold War years, the USA and Soviet Union are known to have been spying on each other using the services of psychic ‘remote viewers’, with the specific objective of gathering intelligence information of military significance. In simple terms ‘remote viewing’ is ‘the ability of human participants to acquire information about spatially (and temporally) remote geographical targets otherwise inaccessible by any known sensory means’.

There were two complementary components to the US Remote Viewing program:

(a) A research program on ‘Anomalous Cognition (AC)’ directed initially by physicists Hal Putoff and Russell Targ at the laboratories of Stanford Research International (SRI) at Menlo Park, California which was shifted in 1988 to Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), under the direction of Edwin May. The findings of their early studies have been reported in prestigious scientific journals during the 1970s.

(b) Mission-oriented operational assignments overseen by various intelligence agencies of the US Government, code-named Project STARGATE.

Information regarding this top-secret program was partly declassified by the CIA in July 1995 following the thaw in the Cold War. Since then, several research articles and many books have been published by some of the persons who were closely associated with this program. These authors have, however, expressed regret that they had not been permitted to reveal much of the ‘sensitive’ details of the program. 

(See ciaotest.cc.columbia.edu/olj/sa/sa_jan02srm01.html). 

This program served as the basis of the 2009 movie, The Men Who Stare At Goats, staring George Clooney. The movie, in turn, was based on the non-fiction work of Jon Ronson of the same name published in 2004. The book explores the use of the occult in the military, which began circa 1975 and was defunded in 1995. The title refers to attempting to kill goats by staring at them and stopping their hearts using the "mental power" that also gave them Remote Viewing. Good to know where your tax dollars go. 

The source above is inaccurate in describing Putoff and Targ as "physicists." Targ (b. 1934) has a Bachelors Degree in physics and two years of graduate work in physics at Columbia University, New York, without ever completing a Masters or Doctorate. (See David Kaiser, How the Hippies Saved Physics: Science, Counterculture, and the Quantum Revival [2011], pg. 70). He was also fascinated by Theosophy, an esoteric, occult sect. Putoff (b. 1936) has a Doctorate in electrical engineering from Stanford University, and worked in physics related projects. He was also a member of the cult of Scientology. The Scientologists claim he has a Doctorate in physics, but I've seen no corroborating source. (See Hugh Urban, The Church of Scientology: A History of a New Religion, [2013], pg. 113).

Although in certain instances, government scientists could not explain the ability of some people to see things far removed and predict future events, there simply was not enough evidence for Remote Viewing to qualify as scientifically proven. (See An Evaluation of Remote Viewing: Research and Applications [1995], by Michael D. Mumford, PhD Andrew M. Rose, PhD, David A. Goslin, PhD; The American Institutes for Research). Hence, STARGATE was scrapped. However, that didn't stop people from claiming it to be true and scientific--and its popularity increased. 

Remote Viewers are convinced they can gather information of any kind whatsoever, wherever it is located in space and time—even in the future because time is nonexistent in the nonphysical universe, where the occult operates. Most Remote Viewers deny that they leave their bodies, even though they “see” remote locations. It is all mental. The mind is not physical, is not tied to the brain, and is therefore outside of space, time, and matter. It is only to be expected that science, which can only deal with the physical universe, has no explanation for Remote Viewing.

Some cases of Remote Viewing are false because the person thought they had a "gift" which they did not; some false cases are the work of charlatans, and some remain unexplained. It is those unexplained instances which will be examined next.

Differing Views

• Remote Viewing (RV) is an innate human ability that people can develop. There are a number of problems with this theory. If  Remote Viewing is a normal function of the human mind—and thus all knowledge on any subject, whether it has to do with the past, present, or future, is available to anyone—then the Bible presents a false picture. Biblical prophets were nothing special, they did not need to be “holy men of God,” and they were not inspired “by the Holy Ghost,” but were picking up information from the “collective unconscious” available to anyone, with or without faith in God. Furthermore, there is no proof that the mind can do this, which is why the government gave up on funding research regarding RV.

• RV is a special power that only certain people are born with an can use. Besides lack of any proof, it has theological problems. Vatican II sect "theologian" John J. Heaney claims Christ was one such "special person:" It seems to me that Jesus as a human being was blessed and gifted with incredible paranormal and psychokinetic powers. These powers he used at will. Others had such powers occasionally and in a limited way. Jesus seemed to be master over these powers...(See The Sacred and The Psychic: Parapsychology and Christian Theology, [1984], pg. 21).This is blasphemous and an implicit denial of Christ's Divinity. He performed miracles because He is God Incarnate.

• The power is occult and the work of demons. This explanation comports perfectly with the facts and Catholic theology. Demons are also, like the mind, not tied to matter and subject to scientific investigation. Interestingly, those who were most successful in Remote Viewing practiced Transcendental Meditation or other pagan forms of meditation that can open one up to diabolic possession 

The Power of Satan.

According to theologian Sagues, the signs of someone possessed are: (1) to speak a foreign language never studied or to understand someone speaking it; (2) to know things hidden far away; (3) to possess strength beyond one's age or natural condition. (See Sacrae Theologiae Summa, II B:221; these signs are also mentioned in the Rituale Romanum.).  According to theologian Ott, being fallen angels, Satan and his demons have a higher intellect than humans, and can discern the future with a high probability. However, angels cannot know the secrets of God (1 Corinthians 2:11), cannot know the thoughts of men (3 Kings 8, 39), and have no certain knowledge of the free actions of humans in the future (Isaiah 46, 9). 

(See Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma [1955], pg. 117).

Am I claiming that psychics are possessed? They are either possessed or under demonic influence that transmits to them the information. 

Conclusion

Remote Viewing’s connections to Eastern mysticism, and other non-Catholic sects reveals much. The ultimate root of these philosophies is the belief that man is god in a not-fully-evolved state and has a latent power that needs to be tapped to solve the world’s problems. Remote Viewing is seen as one of many potential abilities of the human mind. The Christian God is banished, and this is why the forces of Hell promote it. The future is for God to know with certainty, and we must not seek it out, but live one day at a time in faith. The only true source of power is God—not ourselves, not Satan, not occult practices. So if anyone invites you to a party with a "psychic" use your "remote control," and stay away.