A declassified CIA document reveals the agency’s interest in a mysterious program designed to help people leave their bodies, explore other dimensions, and even travel through time. This is the story of the Gateway Process.
In 1983, the Central Intelligence Agency asked U.S. Army Lt. Col. Wayne M. McDonnell to investigate something extraordinary: a way for people to convert the energy of their mind and body into a laser beam that can transcend spacetime.
The result was a 28-page report called “Analysis and Assessment of Gateway Process” — a document that remained classified until 2003, with one crucial page missing until 2021. It outlines what the CIA called the Gateway Process: a procedure claimed to help people access intuitive knowledge of the universe, travel in time, and commune with other-dimensional beings.
The Origin: Robert Monroe and Out-of-Body Experiences
The Gateway Process was originally the brainchild of Robert Monroe, a radio producer who, in the 1970s, began studying the effects of certain sound patterns on human consciousness.
Monroe experienced his first out-of-body experience spontaneously and spent years trying to understand and replicate it. He founded what would become the Monroe Institute in Virginia to continue his research.
As Popular Mechanics reports, Monroe claimed that his experiments led to out-of-body experiences through what he called “Hemi-Sync” — brain hemisphere synchronization.
How It Works: Binaural Beats
The core of the Gateway Process relies on binaural beats — sounds played at different frequencies in each ear. When the brain receives these contrasting sounds, it attempts to reconcile the difference, causing a shift in brainwave patterns.
According to Monroe’s theory, this causes the left and right hemispheres of the brain to synchronize into a coherent pattern — essentially creating a “single, powerful stream of energy, like a laser.”
The process involves:
- Relaxation techniques to quiet the conscious mind
- Binaural beats to synchronize brain hemispheres
- Focus exercises to direct consciousness beyond the physical body
- Exploration of “non-physical” realities
What the CIA Found
McDonnell’s report for the CIA borrowed heavily from Monroe’s research as well as the work of Itzhak Bentov, a Czech-born Israeli-American engineer known for his theories about human consciousness.
The report explored various consciousness-altering methodologies including:
- Biofeedback
- Transcendental meditation
- Hypnosis
- Kundalini yoga
The CIA was particularly interested in whether the process could be used for intelligence gathering — specifically, whether operatives could use out-of-body states for “remote viewing” of distant locations.
The Missing Page
One crucial piece of the document — page 25 — was missing when the report was first declassified. Its contents, finally made public in 2021, revealed more about the report’s true nature and conclusions.
The document has since become something of a cult classic in consciousness research circles, spawning countless YouTube videos, podcasts, and even TikTok trends explaining how to replicate the experience.
Is It Real?
Here’s where science and speculation diverge. There is no peer-reviewed scientific evidence that the Gateway Process produces genuine out-of-body experiences or allows access to other dimensions.
However, as WIRED reports, the U.S. military has taken an interest in Monroe’s methods — which also include “remote viewing,” a form of clairvoyance in which one allegedly leaves the body to investigate the real world using only the mind.
In 2025-2026, with apps, Spotify playlists, and virtual retreats, more people than ever are accessing these tools from home. The Cold War paranoia about Soviet “psychic espionage” that originally led the U.S. military to investigate Monroe’s methods has given way to a new generation of curious seekers.
The Legacy
Whether the Gateway Process actually works as described — or whether it’s an elaborate form of autosuggestion — remains debated. But one thing is certain: the CIA took it seriously enough to commission a 28-page analysis.
In the meantime, the Monroe Institute continues to offer its Gateway program, now available as audio files for home use. And the question that haunted CIA analysts in 1983 remains: can consciousness really leave the body?
For those who have tried the Gateway Experience, the answer is a definitive yes. For skeptics, it’s all in the mind — literally.
Read the original CIA document on the CIA Reading Room.
