Just a story… or not? Most people think mind control is just fiction. But behind Hollywood thrillers and conspiracy-filled TV shows lies something real. The government actually ran these programs — MK-Ultra, Stargate, Project Grill Flame, Artichoke, Bluebird. They truly explored the limits of the human mind. What made it into movies is often exaggerated — but sometimes it’s closer to the truth than you’d expect. Buried in those screenplays are fragments of real techniques, actual protocols, and experiments pulled straight from classified files. Remote viewing. ESP. All tested.
If you’re curious about exploring these abilities yourself — the same ones once studied in those secret projects — check out Verevio. It’s a tool for training remote viewing with over 22 trainers designed to help you gradually develop and strengthen every ESP skill you can imagine: intuition, telepathy, precognition, and more.
Classic tools like partner exercises still work. But if you’re looking to level up solo, this app is your best bet.
#1 Remote Viewing Memories (2017)
This found-footage-style documentary digs into the strange afterlife of Ed Dames. He was one of the most controversial figures to emerge from the U.S. military’s psychic spy programs. After leaving work, he set out to build a public-facing remote viewing empire. But instead of secret bases and shadow ops, what followed were VHS tapes, late-night infomercials, and a scramble for legitimacy.
The film also explores his turbulent collaboration with Jonina Dourif (wife of actor Brad Dourif), whose DIY-style training videos briefly captured public interest. But the momentum fades fast. A bitter lawsuit, a hijacked company, and New Age opportunism unravel Dames’ psychic brand. This is how remote viewing came close to pop fame.
#2 Dreamscape (1984)
What if the government was already weaponizing dreams? The story of the next film follows Alex Gardner, a young telepath dragged into a government-run dream project that claims to be helping people.
What starts off looking like therapy turns into something way darker — a program training people to hijack dreams, mess with minds, and even kill without leaving a trace. One of the recruits, Tommy Ray, is basically a psychic hitman in the making.
What makes the film hit harder is when you realize how close it is to real Cold War paranoia. Released just as actual government programs like Stargate were winding down, the movie channels that exact fear: that our own institutions were messing with minds in ways we weren’t supposed to know about. Even the President plays a key symbolic role, as the story asks: What if your mind isn’t safe, even in sleep?
#3 The Dead Zone (1983)
Another movie to explore is David Cronenberg’s The Dead Zone. It is about seeing the future and the weight of knowing it. Christopher Walken plays Johnny Smith, a quiet schoolteacher who wakes up from a coma only to discover he’s developed a kind of psychic sixth sense. One touch, and he’s pulled into other people’s lives — their pasts, their fates, sometimes even their deaths. It’s not treated like a superpower, though. It’s a burden, and you feel that in every scene. The visions aren’t flashy — they’re tragic, personal, sometimes horrifying. What makes the film stick with you isn’t just the mystery or the suspense, but the heartbreak of Johnny’s isolation. It’s one of those rare films that tackles the big stuff — fate vs. free will, doing the right thing when it costs everything — but keeps it grounded in one man’s pain.
#4 Scanners (1981)
Scanners will seriously blow your mind. David Cronenberg mixes his trademark body horror with a wild story about people called “scanners” who can read minds and move things with their thoughts. The plot follows Cameron Vale (Stephen Lack), a guy just discovering his powers, who gets dragged into a showdown between two scanner groups. One side, led by Dr. Paul Ruth (Patrick McGoohan), wants to use their abilities for good. The other, headed by the ruthless Darryl Revok (Michael Ironside), has way darker plans — think world domination.
What really sticks with viewers (besides the unforgettable exploding-head scenes) is how Scanners dives into the terrifying possibilities of psychic powers and what they say about human nature when pushed to the edge. It’s no surprise the film has become a cult favorite for fans of sci-fi horror — still fresh and intense decades later.
#5 The Fury (1978)
Released in 1978 and directed by Brian De Palma at the height of his powers, The Fury is a wild supernatural thriller that mixes psychic powers with shadowy government conspiracies. The story follows Peter Sandza (Kirk Douglas), a former government agent on a desperate mission to find his son Robin, who’s been kidnapped by a secret group looking to exploit the boy’s incredible psychokinetic abilities. At the same time, Gillian (Amy Irving), a young woman with similar powers, gets pulled into the mess when she’s recruited to help track Robin down. The film balances intense psychological drama with explosive supernatural moments.