From psychics to extraterrestrial communication, new temporary and permanent exhibits at the National Cryptologic Museum will have you scratching your head.
With exhibit labels like "Mind over Matter" and "What the What?"—museum visitors will go from, “What in the world?” to “What if?” The exhibits explore the extraordinary practice of using psychics to gain information from the enemy.
New Temporary Exhibits
Project Star Gate was used by the U.S. Government during the Cold War. Many of the psychic spies were at Ft. Meade, tasked with collecting intelligence, locating enemy agents and determining American vulnerabilities by using “remote viewing.” Remote viewing is mentally viewing a distant location they have never visited to gather insights on a person, site, or specific information. As outrageous as it sounds, the secret program was very successful and was in use until 1995.
A standout in the remote viewing field, Agent 001 of Project Star Gate Joe McMoneagle has been involved in over 200 intelligence missions utilizing his unique set of skills. His distinct collection of drawings (as a result of his remote viewing missions) were used to assist in combat and are a part of the current exhibit.
The exhibit even explores the brief moments in history that the U.S and Russia’s relationship wasn’t quite as contentious. See astounding sketches and the landscapes they match up to!
Plus, see the machine, altered by the mind to change its output! Don’t believe us? Come see for yourself, only at the NCM!
Psychics aren’t the only twilight zoneish content this fall.
SETI (The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) also makes its debut at the NCM. The museum created a theatre room for guests to watch a video about the search for alien life and how researchers go under the sea to make connections.
Using anticryptography methods (a cryptographic message that is easy to decipher), the scientists detail their use of radio signals in their search for intelligent life in the universe. See a circuit board that digitized cosmic signals and more in the quest to communicate with alien life.
Be sure to plan your next visit soon as these temporary exhibits will only be on display through mid-December!
New Permanent Exhibits
The Museum has also added several permanent new exhibits as well.
The Language Whiteboard is a linguists’ delight! It’s a compilation of all the languages we make use of at the agency. It came from the National Cryptologic University’s College of Language and Area Studies, where instructors created the artwork to use a teaching tool. It hung in a language classroom for many years before being “retired” to the National Cryptologic Museum.
While the museum has had several pieces of the Berlin Wall in its collection, the “You Are Leaving the American Sector” sign is a new addition. It was acquired by an American after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The iconic symbol of the Cold War is on display now.
The National Cryptologic Museum is open Mon-Sat from 10am-4pm. Admission is free, reservations are not required. For more information on scheduling a visit or a field trip visit nsa.gov/museum/