Organisations

The Monroe Institute

The Monroe Institute is a research and educational organisation in Nelliesford, Virginia, known for its work on sound wave forms and consciousness-exploration programmes such as the Gateway Voyage and Gateway Experience.

1972 · Robert Monroe · Nelliesford, Virginia, USA

The Monroe Institute is a research and educational organisation founded by Robert Monroe, who served as its founder and executive director.¹ The facility became active in 1972.² It is based in Virginia Nelliesford.³ The Institute is known internationally for its work on the effects of sound wave forms on human behaviour,⁴ and Robert Monroe remained an active participant in its work.⁵

Its work attracted the interest and co-operation of physicists, psychologists, biochemists, engineers, educators, psychiatrists, corporate presidents, and statisticians, many of whom served on its board of advisers.⁶ By one account it had received over eleven thousand pieces of mail,⁷ more than seven hundred people had participated in its research and experimental training programme,⁸ and around fifty more were awaiting completion of their final indoctrination into the facility.⁹ Its training programmes could qualify for college and university-level credit.¹⁰ A core research group, the Monroe Institute Explorer Team, had six members¹¹ and, by one account, generated data faster than the Institute could process it.¹²

The Institute runs residential courses including the Gateway Voyage seminar and the Gateway Experience (Monroe Institute program), built around its Hemi-Sync audio technology and associated with claims of Out-of-Body Experience (OBE). The Institute championed the use of a particular form of Hemi-Sync meditation intended to connect with something else.¹³ In the autumn of 1983, Joseph McMoneagle attended a Gateway Voyage seminar at the Institute and afterwards asked Robert Monroe for help controlling his out-of-body experiences.¹⁴

Ed Dames used Robert Monroe’s programme on altered states and out-of-body experiences to evaluate potential recruits for Project STARGATE.¹⁵ McMoneagle, referred to within the programme as remote viewer number 001, lived in Nelliesford at the same location as the Institute.³ Chris Ramsay has said that McMoneagle was sent on weekend retreats to the Institute during his time on The Stargate Project to test whether leaving his body would make remote viewing sessions more accurate,¹⁶ travelling from Fort Meade at weekends for the training.¹⁷

Nelson Delis undertook the Institute’s Gateway Experience programme,¹⁸ including a take-home exercise consisting of a 45-minute guided meditation.¹⁹ On 2024-08-07, Graham Nichols used the Institute’s Expand app, which features binaural beats and Monroe sound science technology.²⁰ Jesse Mitchells attended the Institute prior to 2024-11-13.²¹ Whitley Strieber has said he never met Robert Monroe but attended a Gateway programme at the Institute many years before 2026.²² One participant underwent one week of intensive training under the guidance of Institute instructors as part of an evaluation of the Gateway process.²³ Julia Mossbridge has said that the Institute does great things in helping people and that its work can be very healing.²⁴

Ramsay has said that his own first out-of-body experiences happened at home rather than at the Institute.²⁵ During a later out-of-body experience, he found he could not push his hand through a window as taught at the Institute, so he opened the window instead.²⁶ Ramsay has also described hearing a talk at the Institute about meditating on past trauma, in which participants would revisit a traumatic event or one with an unwanted outcome, imagine making the other decision, and live out the different outcome, from which they would feel better.²⁷

References (27)

Robert Monroe founded and served as executive director of the Monroe Institute.
“He is the founder and executive director of the Monroe Institute”
Journeys Out of the Body ch2:444-499
The Monroe Institute research facility was formed and became active in 1972.
“Yes, a research facility was formed and became active in 1972.”
Journeys Out of the Body ch7:4626-4683
Joseph McMoneagle, remote viewer 001, lived in Nelliesford, Virginia, the same location as the Monroe Institute.
“And not by coincidence, also the location of Joe McMoneagle, remote viewer number 001. It was time to head to Nelliesford, Virginia.”
How The CIA Spent Millions On Psychic Spies - PROJECT: STARGATE (Documentary 1 of 3) 00:38:12.1-00:38:19.5
The Monroe Institute is internationally known for its work on the effects of sound wave forms on human behaviour.
“internationally known for its work on the effects of sound wave forms on human behavior”
Journeys Out of the Body ch2:510-589
Robert Monroe plays an active part in the work of the Monroe Institute.
“Mr. Monroe plays an active part in the work of the Monroe Institute”
Journeys Out of the Body ch2:803-861
The Institute's work attracted physicists, psychologists, biochemists, engineers, educators, psychiatrists, corporate presidents and statisticians, many serving on its board of advisers.
“Our work has attracted the interest and co-operation of physicists, psychologists, biochemists, engineers, educators, psychiatrists, corporate presidents, statisticians, many of whom serve on our board of advisers.”
Journeys Out of the Body ch7:4690-4895
The Institute had received over eleven thousand pieces of mail.
“Among the eleven thousand plus pieces of mail received to date, many sighs of relief were reported.”
Journeys Out of the Body ch7:4905-4995
Over seven hundred people had participated in the Institute's research and experimental training programme.
“Over seven hundred persons have participated in our research and experimental training program.”
Journeys Out of the Body ch7:5123-5210
Around fifty more people were awaiting completion of their final indoctrination at the facility.
“Some fifty more are waiting for our facility to handle their final indoctrination, and their number is growing daily.”
Journeys Out of the Body ch7:5260-5371
Training programmes at the Institute may qualify for college and university-level credit.
“This year, training programs at the Institute may qualify for credit at the college and university level.”
Journeys Out of the Body ch7:5511-5610
The Monroe Institute Explorer Team had six members.
“Our first Explorer Team has six members.”
Journeys Out of the Body ch7:5219-5251
The six-member Explorer Team was bringing back data faster than the Institute could process it.
“our Explorer Team of six is bringing back data faster than we can process it, far more rapidly and diverse than I alone could accumulate.”
Journeys Out of the Body ch7:5629-5755
The Monroe Institute championed a particular type of Hemi-Sync meditation intended to connect with something else.
“which championed the idea of using a particular type of hemisync meditation to connect with something else”
Whitley Strieber Reveals What 40 Years of Encounters Taught Him | Reality Check Rewind 00:24:58.3-00:25:07.3
In autumn 1983 Joseph McMoneagle attended a Gateway Voyage seminar and asked Robert Monroe for help controlling his out-of-body experiences.
“So, I attended a Gateway Voyage seminar at the Monroe Institute, Virginia, in the fall of 1983, after which I asked if he could help me.”
Remote Viewing Secrets ch25:16413-16546
Ed Dames used Robert Monroe's altered-states and out-of-body-experience programme to evaluate potential Project STARGATE recruits.
“One thing that we did use, and I especially as an operations officer, to evaluate potential recruits for the program was the Bob Monroe's program developing altered states and out-of-bodies.”
How The CIA Spent Millions On Psychic Spies - PROJECT: STARGATE (Documentary 1 of 3) 00:37:42.6-00:37:55.8
Chris Ramsay: McMoneagle was sent on weekend retreats to the Institute during the Stargate Project to test whether leaving his body improved remote-viewing accuracy.
“I remembered a conversation I had with Joe McMoneagle, Joseph McMoneagle. during the time that he was at Stargate, that they had sent him, you know, on weekend retreats to the Monroe Institute to see if he can leave his body and to see if that would be more conducive for a more accurate remote viewing session.”
Non Human Intelligence, GATE Program and Psi Ability with Dr. Julia Mossbridge | ep. 99 00:41:29.5-00:41:46.7
Chris Ramsay: McMoneagle travelled from Fort Meade to the Institute at weekends for out-of-body training during the Stargate Project.
“And so he would do this over the weekends, right? From Fort Meade and go there.”
Non Human Intelligence, GATE Program and Psi Ability with Dr. Julia Mossbridge | ep. 99 00:41:47.5-00:41:49.8
Nelson Delis signed up for the Institute's Gateway Experience programme.
“Nelson decided to sign up for the following Gateway program after me, which we'll talk about more on an upcoming podcast.”
I LEFT MY BODY - The Gateway Experience (Part 3) 00:22:14.7-00:22:20.7
Nelson Delis performed a take-home 45-minute guided meditation exercise from the Gateway Experience programme.
“I should do one of the... exercises I got from, it was like a take home exercise from the Monroe Institute, the Gateway Experience. It's basically a 45 minute guided meditation.”
I LEFT MY BODY - The Gateway Experience (Part 3) 00:30:44.0-00:30:53.3
On 2024-08-07 Graham Nichols used the Institute's Expand app, featuring binaural beats and Monroe sound science technology.
“August 7th, 5.35 a.m., I get up to go to the bathroom, come back into bed... I put the headphones on, and I open my Expand app, which is the app from Monroe Institute that has, you know, the sort of binaural beats and this Monroe sound science.”
I LEFT MY BODY - The Gateway Experience (Part 3) 00:30:17.2-00:30:34.9
Jesse Mitchells attended the Monroe Institute prior to 2024-11-13.
“Ever since I got back from the Monroe Institute, take this as you will, but 11-11 has been showing up once a day at least”
UAPs in Washington - I wasn't supposed to be there.. 00:02:03.6-00:02:10.7
Whitley Strieber never met Robert Monroe but attended a Gateway programme at the Institute many years before 2026.
“I wish I could say I met Bob Monroe, Robert Monroe. briefly at the gateway I went to many years ago.”
Whitley Strieber Reveals What 40 Years of Encounters Taught Him | Reality Check Rewind 00:24:42.1-00:24:51.7
An individual underwent one week of intensive training under Institute instructors as part of an evaluation of the Gateway process.
“Over the course of one week, I underwent intensive training under the guidance of the Monroe Institute instructors.”
I LEFT MY BODY - The Gateway Experience (Part 3) 00:36:05.6-00:36:10.1
Julia Mossbridge said the Institute does great things helping people and that its work can be very healing.
“And I know that the Monroe Institute does great things with helping people. It can be very healing.”
Non Human Intelligence, GATE Program and Psi Ability with Dr. Julia Mossbridge | ep. 99 00:35:46.5-00:35:52.3
Chris Ramsay's first out-of-body experiences happened at home, not at the Institute.
“Julia Mossbridge: were you at Monroe? Chris Ramsay: nope i was at home and i'd never heard about this stuff before”
Non Human Intelligence, GATE Program and Psi Ability with Dr. Julia Mossbridge | ep. 99 00:38:55.7-00:38:59.4
Ramsay could not push his hand through a window as taught at the Institute, so he opened it instead.
“so I was trying to go through the window and I couldn't get my hand through the window. Like they taught me in Monroe. ... And then I went to go open the window in the out of body state.”
Non Human Intelligence, GATE Program and Psi Ability with Dr. Julia Mossbridge | ep. 99 02:05:08.5-02:05:19.0
Ramsay described a talk at the Institute about meditating on past trauma to reach a different, better outcome.
“when i was at Monroe there was a brief uh talk because they they'd also mentioned something uh along the lines of you know, meditating on your past trauma, going back, healing yourself. One thing they would do is have you go back to this, like, whether it's traumatic or whether it was just an event you would rather have a different outcome to and live the different outcome.”
Non Human Intelligence, GATE Program and Psi Ability with Dr. Julia Mossbridge | ep. 99 02:29:36.1-02:29:58.9

The Monroe Institute

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