From the nineteen sixties until the early eighties, China, as well as the USSR, experimented with unconventional programs regarding the use of ESP as a source of information gathering. Research in remote viewing was a top priority because of the threat of nuclear war. Therefore, information gathering, regardless of the method, was vital. When word got out that the USSR’s programs were yielding surprising results in their psych ops programs, the US military began their own research.
Enter Joel and Michelle Levey, pioneers of the mind, body, spirit training program. They and twenty-five Green Berets designed and participated in the Jedi Warrior Training Program. Their mission was to create the ultimate warrior; one based on deep spiritual commitments, ethics and wisdom. The book focused primarily on martial arts such as Akido, deep meditation, and biofeedback. The elite soldiers didn’t take the program seriously at first, but their perceptions changed once they worked through the mission. By the end of the mission, the squad’s physical fitness improved by 85%. The Biosybernautics (biofeedback, neurofeedback,mind fitness training, meditation, etc.) rose to an impressive 50%. Biosybernautics.
This is not an actual training manual like one you would see if you spent any time on a military outpost. As a former humble clerk typist working at an army ammunition plant, training manuals and SOPs (standard operating procedures) were the equivalent of watching drywall crack. The narrative style of the text intrigued me. By using narrative prose, the author places the reader into the scene. For instance, the men and their instructors went on a hike with their guns and heavy rucksacks. They walked for a certain amount of time, then stopped to meditate. The goal of this exercise was to bring more focus and clarity to their surroundings. When they sat, they remained utterly still, made no noise and became part of the backdrop of the forest. A young couple accidentally stumbled upon them. They were so startled at the troops that they ran away. After they had gone, the troops collapsed into fits of laughter.
The results of the training sessions were impressive, so impressive in fact that participants drew assignments such as Delta Force, and other highly classified assignments such as working behind the Iron Curtain in places like West Berlin, where they spied on Soviet forces and carried back logistics to their commanders. One soldier reported the biofeedback lessons kept him warm when he was stranded in freezing weather. Unfortunately, the budget was cut for the program, so the project was not continued.
I found this book intriguing and filled with information that is useful to the average citizen. Biofeedback, for example, is often used to treat hypertension and pain management. Martial arts like Tai Chi and Akito are helpful in staying fit. Meditation and mindfulness contribute to a calmer, more centered mind. I wish the authors had explored their techniques further, but you can still use this book as an interesting resource.
~review by Patricia Snodgrass
Authors: Joel and Michelle Levey
Destiny Books, 2025
pp., 431, $24.99
