The modern Department of Defense now funds research into "anomalous cognition" and "transcendent mental states." The names have changed, and the goats are probably safe, but the desire remains: the desire to win a war without firing a shot.
The Men Who Stare at Goats doesn’t answer that question definitively. Instead, it does something more interesting: it invites us to peer into a forgotten corner of military history where the New Age and national security collided, producing both laughter and, at times, genuine horror. As Ronson himself writes in his opening pages, the whole thing is “a true story.” And that—whether you laugh, shiver, or both—is what makes it unforgettable. The Men Who Stare At Goats
The most infamous training exercise of the First Earth Battalion occurred at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Military operatives set up a secret laboratory containing over 100 de-barked goats. The modern Department of Defense now funds research
and a 2009 satirical film starring George Clooney and Ewan McGregor. Both explore the bizarre true story of the U.S. Army's attempts to harness New Age and paranormal powers for military use. The Real-Life "New Earth Army" The story is centered on a classified program known as the First Earth Battalion , founded in the late 1970s by Lt. Col. Jim Channon. The Men Who Stare at Goats - PopMatters As Ronson himself writes in his opening pages,
Jim Channon’s idea of using discordant, repetitive sounds to disorient enemies was directly adapted by the military into "tactical psycho-acoustics." During the invasion of Iraq and at detention facilities like Guantanamo Bay, interrogators used high-volume loop tracks of children's television show theme songs, heavy metal music, and crying babies to break the psychological resistance of detainees.
Cassady claimed he could walk through walls. “But only the cheap ones,” he admitted. “Drywall. Particleboard. Anything with a stud, forget it.” His specialty, however, was goats.
Funded by the DIA and CIA and operated out of Fort Meade, Maryland, Project Stargate employed individuals who claimed to possess psychic abilities. These viewers were placed in isolated rooms, given geographic coordinates, and asked to sketch or describe what was at that location.