Lyn Buchanan's The Seventh Sense is two books in one.
It is a riveting - often chilling - account of his own participation
in one of the U.S. military's most significant and formerly classified
remote viewing projects. But it also is one of the best discussions
yet in print of the "Controlled Remote Viewing" (CRV)
methodology that was developed and exploited by Ingo Swann and the
military for espionage purposes.
Lyn Buchanan was a remote viewer and trainer in the U.S. Army during
the later years of the so-called "Stargate" program. The
Seventh Sense is his first book on the subject of remote viewing,
and it chronicles his involvement in the military's remote viewing
unit. As per Mr. Buchanan's own observation, this book is written
through his own lens with regard to what happened during those interesting
years, a statement that applies equally to other books with historical
content written by former members of the military's remote viewing
espionage project. Sometimes the "facts" of who did what,
when, and how appear in conflict when the various books and their
lenses are compared. This, of course, adds to the complexity of
the history, but it does not detract from the basic facts of the
military's involvement with remote viewing. It happened, the results
were often considered highly profound, and the former members of
the program authentically reaped a harvest of highly interesting
and valuable experiences. Mr. Buchanan's retelling of his own story
in this sense is highly significant, and his book will certainly
find a valuable place in the libraries of readers who are interested
in both the history and current status of the field.
Mr. Buchanan's story begins with experiences he had when he was
a child. In this case, his early experiences involved not remote
perception as much as psycho kinesis (PK - the movement of objects
through mental means). An early and traumatic encounter with local
religious authorities who considered his "demonstrations"
to be works of evil powers produces a powerful hook for the book
that helps to rivet the reader to the remaining pages as he describes
in elegant detail how he eventually came to peace with his psychic
self. I suspect that many readers will sympathize with Mr. Buchanan's
autobiographical account, especially considering that intuitive
perceptual abilities seem common to all humans, and that we live
within societies that tend to forcefully deny this reality.
The Seventh Sense follows Mr. Buchanan's psychic military
career all the way through his retirement from the U.S. Army. Along
the way, the reader is treated to an astounding account things that
he was ask to do, as well as the equally surprising listing of the
things that he ended up doing. By no means should this suggest a
need to dismiss the reality of Mr. Buchanan's claims. This is his
story, and it reads as an autobiography told by a man who deeply
wants to let people know what really happened in his life. I must
also add at this point that I have met Mr. Buchanan on a number
of occasions, and my reaction to him is that he is a fiercely honest
individual who authentically desires to make a positive contribution
to this world. The truth of the matter is that lots of nearly incredible
things probably did happen during the military's RV hey days, and
Mr. Buchanan's book gives the reader a window (through his own lens)
into some of those things. I suggest that readers consider Mr. Buchanan's
historical re-counting with an open mind. His generous inclusion
of so many interesting historical scenarios add to the reader's
understanding of how much Mr. Buchanan's experiences influenced
his outlook on life, something I suspect many readers will be happy
to appreciate.
This book also continues Mr. Buchanan's story after he left the
military. It is clear that he wishes to use remote viewing for some
positive end. One of his efforts involves coordinating his work
with various police departments, and his "Assigned Witness
Program" is an important part of his agenda. He both works
as a remote viewer himself and trains other remote viewers to work
on cases for which there exists a significant potential for positive
return. I am not in a position to evaluate the effectiveness of
his work in this regard, but it is clear from his writing that he
takes his efforts use remote viewing to help people with the greatest
of seriousness.
One of the most valuable extra benefits of The Seventh Sense
is Mr. Buchanan's inclusion of so much information regarding the
"Controlled Remote Viewing" (CRV) methodology that was
developed by Ingo Swann in contract with the U.S. government. This
book is one of the best discussions in print on this methodology.
Moreover, Mr. Buchanan adds a great deal of information about how
to evaluate remote viewing data, and he even includes copies of
detailed worksheets that are used in this regard. Many readers will
also appreciate his generous discussion of remote viewing terminology,
which is much more than a normal glossary of definitions. Mr. Buchanan
additionally offers exercises that he suggests may be used by his
readers to enhance their own perceptual abilities.
All in all, I suspect that many readers will find this a valuable
introduction to the remote viewing field. The book covers a great
deal of historical territory, and Mr. Buchanan's writing is easy
to follow. But readers will also find that the book yields a great
deal more than simply a historical account. It offers a deeper understanding
of the remote viewing phenomenon and its complexities, and many
readers will discover that this is no small contribution for any
volume.
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