Last checked: October 21, 2026
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What remote viewing is (and isn’t)
Remote viewing is the practice of trying to describe a target you can’t see: a place, an object or an event. It follows a set procedure, and the viewer usually doesn’t know what the target is. People sometimes use “remote viewing” as a loose word for any psychic impression. In practice it means something narrower: a structured method with rules, notes and feedback.
The modern story starts in the 1970s. In 1972, physicists Russell Targ and Harold Puthoff began studying psychic perception at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI). Over the next two decades the U.S. government funded related work, including a military and intelligence program best known by one of its later names, Star Gate. In 1995 the CIA commissioned an outside review by the American Institutes for Research. One reviewer, statistician Jessica Utts, concluded the lab results were statistically significant. The other, psychologist Ray Hyman, accepted that the numbers were unusual but didn’t accept that they proved a psychic ability. The panel judged that remote viewing hadn’t produced intelligence anyone could act on, and the program ended. You can read the CIA’s own short account here and the full 1995 evaluation here.
The scientific evidence for remote viewing is still disputed. Some researchers think the lab data shows something real. Others think it reflects flaws in how the experiments were run, or chance. The books below come from both practitioners and journalists. We’ve noted which is which, so you can make up your own mind.
Most people find their way here through a documentary, a declassified file, or a quiet sense that there might be more to perception than we were taught. Wherever you’re starting from, the best approach is the same: read a little, try a little, and keep honest notes.
Start here: our pick for absolute beginners
Natural Remote Viewing by Jon Noble (2013; revised 2nd edition 2018)
In beginner threads on Reddit’s r/remoteviewing, this short, practical guide comes up again and again (see, for example, this beginner thread and “books that actually teach remote viewing”). It skips the long backstory and gives you a step-by-step procedure with exercises you can try at home. The first edition was very short, about 60 pages. That makes it a good first book: you’ll know quickly whether practice suits you before you commit to a 400-page manual.
- Who it’s for: Total beginners who want to try a session this week.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Where to buy: Amazon
Learn to practice
These books teach you a method. Read one, practice for a few weeks, and keep notes before moving to the next.
Remote Viewing: The Complete User’s Manual for Coordinate Remote Viewing by David Morehouse (2011)
David Morehouse is a former Army officer who says he trained as a remote viewer in the government program. This manual is his step-by-step version of Coordinate Remote Viewing (CRV), the structured style used in that program. It’s long: about 420 pages from Sounds True, with a link to a downloadable 77-minute audio track meant to help you relax into the right state. Reddit threads such as “Best CRV book?” often cite it as the go-to CRV manual. Readers there also point out that it’s lengthy and mixes in spiritual and metaphysical material.
- Who it’s for: People who’ve tried a few sessions and want a full, structured system.
- Difficulty: Intermediate. Plan on weeks, not an afternoon.
- Where to buy: Bookshop · Amazon
Mind Trek: Exploring Consciousness, Time, and Space Through Remote Viewing by Joseph McMoneagle (1993; current paperback 2018)
Joseph McMoneagle was one of the Army’s original remote viewers and later worked with the SRI researchers. Mind Trek blends his story with practical guidance. It begins with the near-death experience he says led him to the work, then moves into how remote viewing feels from the inside and how to handle the doubts and fears that come up while learning. The first edition came from Hampton Roads in 1993 with an introduction by psychologist Charles Tart. A newer Crossroad Press paperback came out in 2018.
- Who it’s for: Learners who want a practitioner’s view of the mindset, not just the steps.
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate
- Where to buy: Amazon
If you only read one book from this section, start with Mind Trek. It’s shorter and gentler than the Morehouse manual, and it prepares you for the part most beginners find hardest: early sessions that feel like guesses. That’s normal. Write down your impressions before you look at the target, compare them afterward, and judge your progress over a few weeks rather than one sitting.
History & research
These books won’t teach you a method. They explain where remote viewing came from, who was involved, and why people still argue about it.
The Reality of ESP: A Physicist’s Proof of Psychic Abilities by Russell Targ (2012)
Russell Targ is a laser physicist who co-founded the SRI research program in 1972. This book is his case, from the inside, for why he believes the results were real. It has chapters on well-known participants such as the artist Ingo Swann and the former police commissioner Pat Price. It also covers the experiments, their links to NASA and the CIA, and a closing chapter on learning remote viewing yourself. Keep in mind that this is a strong advocate’s view.
- Who it’s for: Readers who want the story of the research from a scientist who ran it.
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Where to buy: Bookshop
Phenomena: The Secret History of the U.S. Government’s Investigations into Extrasensory Perception and Psychokinesis by Annie Jacobsen (2017; paperback 2018)
If you want the big-picture history from an outsider, start here. Annie Jacobsen is an investigative journalist. She draws on declassified documents and interviews with more than fifty people involved: scientists, analysts, program managers and the government’s psychics themselves. The book is long (over 500 pages in paperback) but reads like narrative nonfiction. It presents both believers and skeptics rather than arguing one side.
- Who it’s for: Curious readers, skeptics, and anyone who wants the full story before deciding what they think.
- Difficulty: Easy to read, long
- Where to buy: Bookshop · Amazon
Reading the Enemy’s Mind: Inside Star Gate: America’s Psychic Espionage Program by Paul H. Smith (2005)
Paul H. Smith served as an Army remote viewer from 1983 to 1990. This is his first-hand account of daily life inside the unit: the training, the people and the missions. It’s one of the most detailed insider histories available. Note: The print edition is out of print. Bookshop.org currently sells it as an ebook, and used paperbacks turn up through other sellers.
- Who it’s for: Readers who want the insider’s view of how the program actually worked.
- Difficulty: Moderate (long, detailed)
- Where to buy: Bookshop (ebook)
Related classic: Journeys Out of the Body by Robert A. Monroe (1971; updated paperback 1992)
This book is about out-of-body experiences, not remote viewing. We include it because many remote viewing learners end up exploring the Monroe Institute, which Monroe founded and which runs the Gateway programs. It’s Monroe’s first-person account, written in a careful, matter-of-fact style, of experiences that began unexpectedly in his own life.
- Who it’s for: Readers interested in the consciousness-exploration side of the field.
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate
- Where to buy: Amazon
A simple reading path
- Week 1: Natural Remote Viewing (Noble). Try the exercises.
- Weeks 2–4: Mind Trek (McMoneagle), for mindset and expectations.
- When you want structure: Remote Viewing: The Complete User’s Manual (Morehouse).
- Alongside, for context: Phenomena (Jacobsen), then The Reality of ESP (Targ) or Reading the Enemy’s Mind (Smith).
FAQ
Can anyone learn remote viewing?
Many teachers say so. Morehouse’s manual is built on the idea that everyone has the ability, and Targ writes that he believes most people can learn it. That claim hasn’t been settled scientifically. A reasonable approach is to try a structured method (Noble’s book is the easiest start), practice with targets someone else picks, and record your hits and misses honestly.
What’s the best remote viewing book according to Reddit?
There’s no single winner. In threads we read on r/remoteviewing (1, 2, 3, 4), beginners are most often pointed to Natural Remote Viewing by Jon Noble. Morehouse’s manual is commonly named for structured CRV, and McMoneagle’s books also come up. Read the threads yourself; opinions vary.
Is remote viewing real?
It’s contested. The 1995 government-commissioned review found statistically significant lab results, but its two expert reviewers disagreed about what those results meant. The program was closed after the panel concluded remote viewing hadn’t produced intelligence anyone could act on (CIA summary). For both sides in one book, read Jacobsen’s Phenomena.
What’s the difference between remote viewing and psychic readings?
Remote viewing uses a set procedure, usually with a target the viewer doesn’t know, written notes, and feedback afterward. Psychic readings are usually freer and focused on a person. Many practitioners treat remote viewing as a skill to train with feedback, not a gift you either have or don’t.
Do I need a course, or are books enough?
Books are enough to start. Courses add feedback, practice targets and a community, and that’s where most people’s progress comes from.
Book details (author, year, edition) checked October 21, 2026, against publisher, bookstore, and library listings. Prices and availability change; check the store page before buying.
