618: The First Earth Battalion: America's Strangest Military Experiment

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Why Files: Operation Podcast

Episode 618: The First Earth Battalion: America's Strangest Military Experiment

Date: November 26, 2025
Host: The Why Files

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Overview

This episode explores the bizarre and little-known history of the U.S. Army's "First Earth Battalion"—an experimental unit that investigated the use of psychic abilities, New Age philosophies, and non-lethal techniques in military operations. Blending thoroughly researched facts with the podcast’s trademark dry humor, the episode delves into the origins, practices, outcomes, and modern legacy of this unconventional military experiment.

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Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. Origins of the First Earth Battalion

(Start – 04:00)

• The concept envisioned an army that used music instead of bullets, drank herbal tea, practiced meditation, and engaged in psychic phenomena.
• Inspired by the “Project Jedi” program, the battalion sought to create “psychic soldiers.”
• Notable Experiment: In 1979, experiments included attempting to kill goats with psychic energy. The notorious “men who stare at goats” episode, later immortalized in film, was based on real, though exaggerated, events.

  “Guy Savelli stares at specimen 17… The goat’s ears start to twitch. Its eyes roll back. It falls over… Its heart stops. The experiment worked. These are the men who stare at goats.” (B, 01:35)

2. Lt. Col. Jim Shannon & The Field Manual

(04:00 – 08:00)

• Jim Shannon, a decorated Vietnam veteran, proposed using intuition and unconventional techniques after his own unusually successful combat record.
• Shannon wrote the "First Earth Battalion Field Manual," featuring practices such as herbal supplements, pressure points from Tai Chi, hypnotherapy, “warrior hugs,” and biodegradable uniforms with health sensors.

  “Shannon’s guide read more like hippie New Age philosophy than military tactics. But the U.S. army took Shannon’s ideas seriously. They had to. His combat record proved they worked.” (B, 03:41)

• The manual—now publicly available—outlined methods decades ahead of their time, like wearable tech and adaptive camouflage.

3. The Battalion's Philosophy & Practices

(07:32 – 12:00)

• Focus on consciousness: Sensory training, relaxation tanks, Aikido and martial arts not just for combat, but also for healing.
• Dietary regimens included algae protein bars and fasting for clarity.
• “Psychotronics” or using sound/frequencies as non-lethal weapons was proposed.
• Commanders would use isolation tanks for expanded awareness in decision-making.

  “Commanders would float in darkness to achieve expanded consciousness for better decision making.” (B, 08:17)

4. General Stubblebine and the Age of Psychic Espionage

(12:00 – 16:30)

• Major General Albert Stubblebine III, Army Intelligence chief, became a powerful proponent. Famously tried to walk through walls and bend spoons with his mind.

  “He figured that atoms are mostly empty space. And if he could just get his own atoms to align with the wall’s atoms, he would slip right through.” (B, 11:30)

• Oversaw multiple psychic programs: SCANATE, Gondola Wish, Centerlane, Sunstreak, and Stargate.
• Supported remote viewing—using “natural psychics” to spy by mental projection. Some successes documented, but results ultimately considered inconclusive.

  “Remote viewers described a massive Soviet submarine under construction before satellite imagery confirmed it actually existed.” (B, 14:44)

5. Legacy and Transition to Modern Military Practice

(18:43 – 21:34)

• Official psychic programs ended (CIA shut down Stargate in 1995), but non-violent and mind-honing techniques persisted.
• Special Forces today use controlled breathing, mindfulness, and sensory training.

  “Navy SEALs use mindfulness techniques to maintain focus during operations. And Army Rangers train in heightened sensory perception and intuitive threat detection.” (B, 18:51)

• Non-lethal weapons inspired by the battalion, such as sticky foam and psychological ops using loud music (e.g., Operation Just Cause playing Van Halen to force surrender).

  “They set up massive speakers and played Van Halen and the Clash at deafening volumes for three days straight. He surrendered.” (B, 20:07)

6. Reflection, Critique, and the True Impact

(23:46 – 26:45)

• Some original stories—like goat-staring or psychic success—were often exaggerated or unreliable.
• Shannon’s core message: using human consciousness for awareness and compassion rather than violence.

  “His soldiers weren’t psychic. They were just really well trained. If you can develop a high sense of situational awareness, it looks like predicting the future when it’s done right.” (B, 25:09)

• Jim Shannon retired to environmental efforts, aiming to use military power for planetary healing.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On contradictions:

  “The guy who murders goats says goats are symbols of nonviolence.” (D, 10:27)

• On outlandish proposals:

  “Then came the gay bomb. They wanted to spray aphrodisiacs over enemy troops to make them sexually attracted to each other. It was a real funded proposal.” (B, 20:45)

• Host’s closing reflection:

  “Colonel Jim Shannon didn’t want us to get better at killing. He wanted us to get better at living. He literally wrote the book on peace. So how many people have to die before we start listening?” (B, 26:35)

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Key Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:48 | Introduction to Project Jedi and “men who stare at goats” | | 03:41 | Jim Shannon’s Vietnam record and inspirations | | 06:26 | Details from the Field Manual: meditation, hugs, smart uniforms | | 08:21 | Description of “cerebral command center” & biohacking practices | | 11:20 | Maj. Gen. Stubblebine tries to walk through walls, psychics, etc. | | 14:44 | Remote viewing success stories | | 18:43 | Psychic programs' end; legacy in modern special operations | | 20:07 | Use of music as a weapon in Panama | | 20:45 | Non-lethal weapons: “gay bomb” and sticky foam, combat psychology | | 25:09 | The real benefit: situational awareness, not psychic powers | | 26:35 | Closing message: peace, compassion, and using human potential |

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Conclusion

"The First Earth Battalion" episode masterfully blends military history, government experimentation, and critical inquiry. What might sound like science fiction is rooted in declassified documents and firsthand accounts, showing the U.S. Army’s experimentation at the fuzzy boundary between mind and warfare. The host reminds listeners that while the most outlandish breakthroughs never materialized, the real victory was in legitimizing the power of heightened awareness, focus, and compassion in modern military training.

Final Reflection:

“Imagine what the human race could achieve if we spent our energy solving actual problems. Climate, disease, hunger. We have the resources. We just keep using them to build better weapons.” (B, 26:24)

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For more stories blending mystery, history, and critical thinking, subscribe to The Why Files: Operation Podcast.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

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[B]

Imagine an army that uses music instead of bullets. That drinks herbal tea and meditates between combat patrols. That studies aikido and carries baby lambs into conflict zones. In 1979, the US army launched Project Jedi, a program to build an army of psychic soldiers. They were called the First Earth Battalion. The program was shut down officially, but those soldiers are still serving and the techniques they developed are still being used. The only thing that changed is the name. It's 0900 hours at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. At the special Warfare Center, Soldiers run urban combat drills. Paratroopers practice jumps. And at Building 4, 1156, another unit runs a different kind of drill. They're trying to kill goats with their mines. Guy Savelli stares at specimen 17, a two year old brown and white goat. The room is silent because the goats are silent. Their vocal cords were removed to keep them quiet during these experiments. For 20 minutes, Savelli stares. Then the goat's ears start to twitch. Its eyes roll back. It falls over. A military veterinarian checks the animal. Its heart stops. The experiment worked. These are the men who stare at goats. And if you saw the movie with George Clooney, it wasn't fiction. It was a real US army program called the first Earth Battalion.

[C]

Ew.

[D]

Have any men tried staring at cats?

[B]

Stop it. The unit was created by Lt. Col. Jim Shannon, a decorated Vietnam veteran with one of the most unusual records in military history. Shannon spent 319 days in combat. He led search and destroy operations in Vietnam. His unit was part of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, one of the first major army units deployed to Vietnam in 1965. They operated in the Iron Triangle, one of the war's deadliest zones. The 173rd suffered massive casualties in 1967 during Operation Junction City. The brigade took over 400 casualties in a single month. But Shannon lost only one soldier, and he was killed by a sniper on his first day. For the next 317 days, his platoon suffered zero casualties, and they never killed a single innocent civilian. On one patrol deep in enemy territory, Shannon's men froze. They didn't make a sound or signal each other. They just stopped. Thirty seconds later, a large group of North Vietnamese soldiers walked past them 20ft away, and the enemy never knew the platoon was there. When Shannon returned From Vietnam in 1979, he knew soldiers needed better tools. Not bigger guns, better mines. He spent months writing the 1st Earth Battalion field Manual, a guide that detailed his operations and techniques. It contained things like herbal supplements, mindfulness music used in combat. Soldiers were supposed to hug every day to exchange energy. Shannon's guide read more like hippie New Age philosophy than military tactics. But the U.S. army took Shannon's ideas seriously. They had to. His combat record proved they were. So instead of dismissing Shannon's techniques, the army began using them. You know what's not fun? Cleaning three litter boxes for three Maine Coon cats. But ever since I switched to Pretty Litter, my life and my nose have been so much happier. Pretty Litter isn't just regular litter. It's made with ultra absorbent crystals that trap odors and moisture on contact. So my house smells like a home, not a cat box. And here's the real magic. Pretty Litter changes color based on what's in your cat's urine. It's like a built in health monitor. With three cats, that peace of mind is priceless. It's soft on their big fluffy paws, dust free, and ships right to my door. No more lugging giant tubs from the store. Right now. Try your first bag for just $14.99 and get a free cat toy at PrettyLitter.com TheWifiles that's PrettyLitter.com TheWIfiles to get your first bag for just $14.99 PrettyLitter.com TheWhithFiles Pretty Litter cannot detect every feline health issue or prevent or diagnose diseases. A diagnosis can only come from a licensed veterina. Terms and conditions apply. See site for details.

[E]

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[B]

What do you think makes the perfect snack?

[F]

Hmm, it's gotta be when I'm really craving it and it's convenient.

[B]

Could you be more specific?

[F]

When it's cravinient.

[C]

Okay.

[F]

Like a freshly baked cookie made with real butter, available right down the street at a.m. p.m. Or a savory breakfast sandwich I can grab in just a second at a.m. pM.

[B]

I'm seeing a pattern here.

[F]

Well, yeah, we're talking about what I.

[B]

Crave, which is anything from AM pm.

[F]

What more could you want? Stop by AM PM where the snacks and drinks drinks are perfectly craveable and convenient. That's cravenience. Am PM Too much. Good stuff.

[B]

Jim Shannon believed he had a special kind of intuition that saved his platoon in Vietnam. And he wanted to teach that skill to the entire US Army. And all those techniques are outlined in the 1st Earth Battalion field Manual. And this might sound made up, but it's a real document and you can read it right now. It's been declassified and archived online. Shannon wrote it at Fort Leavenworth in 1979. He taught future generals from 11 nations while he developed his vision for warfare's future. The manual was a self help book for creating warrior monks. Soldiers would receive ginseng regulators, natural supplements for night vision and divining rods for locating hidden enemies for hand to hand combat. Pressure points from Tai Chi. And these weren't just to disable enemies, but to heal wounded allies. Shiatsu massage for combat first aid. Hypnotherapy for weapons effectiveness. The manual also covered hygiene and affection. A specific hand soap cost $7,600 a gallon. Shannon claimed it had mystical capabilities that could alter time. Then there was the warrior hug. Soldiers were expected to hug each other three times a day to exchange energy.

[C]

Ah.

[D]

Did he look into the benefits of a little friendly towel snapping?

[B]

I don't think so. Even the uniform was unique. Biodegradable materials that wouldn't harm the environment. Built in solar panels for charging equipment and color changing fabric that adapts to surroundings. There are embedded health sensors to monitor vital signs in real time. Shannon described all this in 1979. Smart fabrics, wearable health monitors, adaptive camouflage technology that wouldn't exist for another 30 years. Now the unit's command center wouldn't be a sterile room with Maps and radios. It would be a cerebral environment with breathing exercises, relaxation, music, and isolation tanks. Commanders would float in darkness to achieve expanded consciousness for better decision making.

[D]

It sounds like a tech startup. Did they have beanbag chairs and kombucha on tap too?

[B]

Actually, yes. Shannon taught something very similar to modern biohacking.

[D]

Suckerberg is a warrior monk. A lizard warrior monk.

[B]

One of the crazy things when you do these live Q&As is some of them are very silly. So we got one. Mark, Are the allegations true that you're secretly a lizard? I'm gonna. I'm gonna have to go with no on that. I am not a lizard. But, you know, keep the high quality comments coming in. There were lots of food recommendations. No more turkey loaf sea rations. Instead they ate algae based protein bars, Dehydrated vegetable cubes, and fasting protocols were designed to enhance mental clarity. Then there was psychotronics, the use of sound frequencies to affect the mental states of the enemy. In November 1979, Shannon presented the 1st Earth Battalion Manual at the task force Delta conference. Military leaders from multiple commands attended, and when they heard Shaddin's ideas, they didn't laugh. They took notes. One general specifically was fascinated. General Max Thurman, future commander of the 1989 invasion of Panama and considered one of the army's most brilliant strategic minds. After the presentation, Thurmond pulled Shannon aside with an build and lead the 1st Battalion. Not on paper, not in class, in combat. General Max Thurman saw the potential in Shannon's manual, and he wanted him to lead the new unit into battle. Shannon said no. He felt the 1st Earth Battalion was more powerful as a concept than as a literal fighting force. He believed the 1st Battalion should fight for the planet, not just for the United States. He wanted troops to carry loudspeakers into hostile territory to play indigenous music and words of peace. He wanted soldiers to bring baby lambs into combat zones as living symbols of nonviolence.

[D]

Hold on. The guy who murders goats says goats are symbols of nonviolence.

[B]

I admit I see the contradiction. Shannon even described a sparkly eye technique, A form of nonverbal influence to calm enemies through eye contact.

[D]

Yeah. Oh, sparkly eye technique. That's in a combat strategy. That's how I ended up with tree XY wives and guppy support payments up the wazoo.

[B]

So Shannon passed, but the army didn't need him. They had his field Manual by 1980. Special forces operators meditated before weapons drills and practiced aikido in full combat gear. They studied ancient martial arts, pressure Points between live fire exercises. They implemented Shannon's nutrition strategies, intermittent fasting, optimized macronutrients, supplements for cognitive enhancement. In 1979, military nutritionists dismissed this as hippie nonsense. Now it's standard practice at Fort Bragg. In a classified facility, Project Jedi tested whether human minds could be weaponized. The goat lab was just the beginning. The program's biggest champion was Maj. Gen. Albert Stubblebine III. West Point graduate, master's degree in chemical engineering. 32 years of military service. Stubblebine was commander of the U.S. army Intelligence and Security Command, responsible for all army intelligence operations around the world. 16,000 soldiers under his command. Every spy, every analyst, every code breaker. He stood in his office in the Pentagon. He stared at the wall across from his desk. He took a breath, focused his mind, and ran straight into the wall. He hit his head hard. Again. And again and again. Sublebein believed he could walk through walls. He figured that atoms are mostly empty space. And if he could just get his own atoms to align with the wall's atoms, he would slip right through. He practiced every day. He also tried to levitate, which probably didn't work either. Sometimes Stubblebine stood on his porch and stared at the sky. He tried to break clouds with his mind. A major general, he screamed mentally at cumulus clouds until they disappeared. This man commanded army intelligence during the height of the Cold War. He's in the Military Intelligence hall of Fame. And he was absolutely convinced that Jim Shannon's 1st Earth Battalion manual was a blueprint for the future of warfare. Under Stubblebine's command, the military's psychic programs escalated. He hosted spoon bending parties. High ranking officers were required to attend. They gathered in a room with silverware. They stared at the metal until it melted. Some of them swore it worked. He brought in psychic Uri Geller. Stubblebine wanted to know if Geller could telepathically erase computer disks or even better, possibly trigger nuclear launch codes. And Stubblebine had believers everywhere. Colonels, majors, intelligence officers. They'd all read the 1st Earth Battalion manual, and they saw the possibility. Millions were invested in classified psychic warfare programs, driven by the fear that the Soviets were doing the same thing and the Soviets were doing the same thing. Soviet research into psychotronics is well documented. The Cold War wasn't just missiles and tanks. It was minds. And whoever harnessed human consciousness first would have an unbeatable advantage. So Stubblebein gave the order. The psychic programs were going operational. General Stubblebine had turned the 1st Earth Battalion's concepts into operational projects. Now the military needed soldiers who could actually do the work. What started as Jim Shannon's one man vision became a network of classified psychic programs. Scana Ape became Gondola Wish. Gondola Wish became Brillflame. Brillflame evolved into Centerlane, then Sunstreak, then finally Stargate. Different names, same goal. Weaponize human consciousness. The CIA recruited people with natural talent for remote viewing, Gave them nothing but geographical coordinates, and asked them to describe what they saw thousands of miles away. Remote viewers described a massive Soviet submarine under construction before satellite imagery confirmed it actually existed. They sketched building layouts that later matched actual facilities. They provided details that went beyond chance. One remote viewer codenamed Subject372 was given coordinates, nothing else. He described a large building with a distinctive curved roof. He said it was near water. He drew a sketch that showed unusual architectural features. The target was a Soviet shipyard 4,000 miles away. His drawing matched satellite photos taken three days later. Same building, same curved roof, same unusual features. The CIA couldn't explain it, but they kept using him. Subject 372 was Pat Price, A former police commissioner from California who became one of the most gifted remote viewers in the program. He died under mysterious circumstances in 1975, but not before he proved he could see things that no one should be able to see. Ingo Swann, another legendary viewer, claimed he could see Jupiter's rings before NASA discovered them. Joe McMonnigle spent years remote viewing Soviet facilities. His accuracy was so consistent, he received a legion of merit for his intelligence work. These were trained professionals with documented results. But in 1995, the CIA reviewed the entire program. They said that remote viewing had not been proven to work by a psychic mechanism. So they shut it down. Allegedly. But the people didn't disappear. Major General Stubblebine retired and founded scitech, a private remote viewing company. And other viewers also went into business, offering their services to private clients. But the techniques from Shannon's manual, grounded in physics and psychology, were quietly absorbed into standard military training. And to nobody's surprise, these techniques worked.

[C]

Foreign.

[B]

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[F]

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[B]

The CIA officially shut down its psychic spy programs in 1995, but the military didn't throw away Jim Shannon's manual. Walk into any US Special Forces training facility today. You won't find soldiers staring at goats, and you won't see generals running into walls. But you will see other techniques from the First Earth Field Manual. Special operators practice controlled breathing for high stress exercises. Navy SEALs use mindfulness techniques to maintain focus during operations. And Army Rangers train in heightened sensory perception and intuitive threat detection. Shannon provided the philosophy the modern army provided the budget. In the 90s, the army released two documents, Force 21 and the Army After Next. These documents are almost identical to Shannon's manual. They just removed the hippie language. Neuroscience confirms what Shannon intuitively understood. The prefrontal cortex responds to meditation. The parasympathetic nervous system activates with controlled breathing. Pattern recognition improves with mindfulness training. These are techniques that you can try for yourself. They're easy to learn but hard to master. But once you master them, you'll see that they work. The non lethal weapons survived too. And they got weird. In 1989, the army tested Shannon's psychotronic sound weapons during operation Just Cause they surrounded Manuel Noriega's compound in Panama. They didn't shoot. They set up massive speakers and played Van Halen and the Clash at deafening volumes for three days straight. He surrendered. Yeah.

[D]

They played Van Halen.

[B]

Yep.

[D]

Yeah. Come on. Playing Panama in Panama, that's just lazy, right? If the US Military makes a K pop playlist, they might conquer the world.

[B]

In 1994, the Air Force Wright Laboratory proposed a halitosis bomb, a chemical weapon to give enemies severe bad breath.

[D]

Ugh. I guess it's still better than the flatulence grenade.

[B]

Then came the gay bomb. They wanted to spray aphrodisiacs over enemy troops to make them sexually attracted to each other. It was a real funded proposal.

[D]

Oh. Did the gay bomb work?

[B]

I didn't ask and they didn't tell.

[D]

Nice.

[B]

Other non lethal technologies Shannon envisioned are now standard equipment. Sticky foam that immobilizes targets. Calming techniques for crowd control. Electronic vehicle stopping devices. Colonel John Alexander, a former member of the 1st Earth Battalion, became known as the father of non lethal weaponry. Shannon had a technique called omnidirectional thought. And today the army calls it multi domain operations. The idea is that soldiers have to perceive threats across land, air, sea, cyber, and space simultaneously. The warrior hug is also used. Soldiers build emotional bonds through physical contact.

[D]

Oh, did they get hit with the gay bomb?

[B]

No. But this became the foundation for modern combat psychology. In units that emphasize team cohesion and emotional support, they show lower rates of ptsd. Modern counterinsurgency emphasizes winning hearts and minds. Special forces train in cultural sensitivity, language skills, and community engagement. It's warrior diplomacy. All of these techniques come from Jim Shannon, so his vision wasn't wrong. In fact, it was way ahead of its time. As the air turns crisp and the holidays draw near, comfort becomes the best gift of all. And quince makes it easy to give something that's both luxurious and practical. Quince has it all. $50 Mongolian cashmere sweaters made for everyday wear. Denim that never goes out of style. Silk tops and skirts that add polish and down outerwear. Built to take on the season. I've actually picked up a few cashmere pieces as gifts. As for me, I gifted myself the Italian wool coat. It's made from a warm wool blend, sharp enough to dress up any look and built for just about any weather condition. I've been wearing it to the studio during the week and out to dinner on the weekends. And Quint works directly with ethical top tier factories and skips the markups so you get premium quality for up to 50% less than similar brands. Step into the holiday season with layers made to feel good, look polished and last. From quints perfect for gifting or keeping for yourself. Go to quints.com thew files for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com thewaifiles to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com thewifiles what do you think makes the perfect snack?

[F]

Hmm, it's gotta be when I'm really craving it and it's convenient.

[B]

Could you be more specific when it's cravenient?

[F]

Okay, like a freshly baked cookie made with real butter, available right now in the street at a.m. p.m. Or a savory breakfast sandwich I can grab in just a second at a.m. pM.

[B]

I'm seeing a pattern here.

[F]

Well yeah, we're talking about what I.

[B]

Crave, which is anything from AM pm.

[F]

What more could you want? Stop by AMPM where the snacks and drinks are perfectly craveable and convenient. That's cravenience am pm too much good stuff.

[B]

Save over $200 when you book weekly. Stays with vrbo this winter. If you haven't seen your college besties since, well, college. You need a week to catch up in a snowy cabin. Take a week long vacation and save over $200. Book [e-mail]. We looked at goat experiments, psychic spies, and the general who walked into Waltz. It's a strange story. It's a good one. But how much of it is true? Well, soldiers never learned to walk through walls, but it is true that General Sublebbein kept trying. And the goat lab stories? They happened, but they were mostly exaggerated. One of the goat starers, Guy Savelli, claimed he stopped the goat's heart with his mind, but he later admitted he was aiming for goat 16 but accidentally killed goat number 17.

[D]

Wait, wait wait wait wait wait wait. This guy's supposed to be a trained psychic soldier and he can't even hit the right goat? What'd he do, use Yahoo Maps?

[B]

No human.

[D]

I once tried to order a pizza and accidentally bought a timeshare. At least I can admit I was drinking on Ambien. What's his excuse?

[B]

And remote viewing. Despite 16 years of research at least, and millions in funding at least the CIA said it never produced reliable results. They said it was just good guessing. Though personally I think Pat Price had a gift of something. Probably Esper and Ingo Swann and Joe McMoneagle also got a lot of things right. But the skeptics say that if you spend thousands of hours remote viewing, eventually you'll get some things right. But the failure of psychic programs doesn't mean the 1st Earth Battalion was worthless. In high stress situations, the human mind is capable of far more than we realize. Shannon's Vietnam platoon proved that his soldiers weren't psychic. They were just really well trained. If you can develop a high sense of situational awareness, it looks like predicting the future when it's done right. And soldiers who can settle their minds during combat can compartmentalize fear and make better decisions. The 1st Earth Battalion's biggest mistake wasn't the ideas. It was the branding. If Shannon had called it Neurological Combat Optimization instead of Warrior Monks with esp, the program might still be running under its original name. But here's what Jim Shannon got right. War doesn't have to be about maximum violence. Soldiers can be trained to operate with precision, awareness, and minimal collateral damage. They can use technology to achieve objectives without massive body counts. Today, that's not a conspiracy theory. That's a fact. Eventually, Jim Shannon retired to Hawaii where he built an eco friendly home. And in his final years, he tried to mobilize the military to plant trees and restore coral reefs. He founded Footprints for the Future. He taught communities how to live sustainably. The man who wrote a manual about Warrior Monks fighting for the planet had become exactly that. Not as a soldier anymore, as an environmentalist. When Shannon passed away in 2017, and he never got to see Special Forces operators use his techniques or non lethal weapons become standard. Maybe that's the real tragedy. Not that his psychic experiments failed, but that his core message got lost in the noise. Soldiers should be aware, but also compassionate. War should be a last resort, not a first response. Imagine what the human race could achieve if we spent our energy solving actual problems. Climate, disease, hunger. We have the resources. We just keep using them to build better weapons. Shannon understood that 40 years ago and knew that we can do better, that we can be better. Colonel Jim Shannon didn't want us to get better at killing. He wanted us to get better at living. He literally wrote the book on peace. So how many people have to die before we start listening? Thank you so much for hanging out today. I'm AJ the psycho fish.

[D]

Yeah, I'm looking for some cats to steer out where my evil powers.

[B]

This has been the wife files. If you had fun, learned anything, or felt like this was a good way to kill a few minutes, do him a favor and subscribe. Comment Like Share that stuff really helps them out. And like most topics we cover here, today's is recommended by you. So if there's a story you'd like to see, go to the wifiles.com tips send us an email. Hop on Discord. Leave a comment with your suggestion. We're always looking for new topic ideas. Remember, the why Files is also a podcast you can take us on the road. About twice a week, I post deep dives into the stories we cover here on the channel. And I also post episodes that wouldn't be allowed on the channel. And those are labeled unredacted. They're kind of. Kind of dangerous. Anyway, the podcast is called the Y Files Operation Podcast and it's available everywhere. And if you're listening on an audio platform, if you hit like or thumbs up or follow or any of that stuff, it really does help us out. Now, if you need more WI fi in your life, maybe adjust your medication. No, I'm kidding. Check out our Discord server. We have about 100,000 members on there, so 24. 7 is somebody talking about the same stuff we talk about here, all the same weird topics. It's a great community, It's a lot of fun, and if you're feeling down, it is really a good place to hang out because it's a really supportive place. Plus, it's free to join. Speaking of 24. 7, make sure you check out our 24. 7 stream on the Y files backstage. There should be a link down there somewhere. Over there we run episodes back to back, so all day, all night long. But in between there's a lot of fun, unique content, but the live chat is really, you gotta. You gotta check it out. Special thanks to our patrons who made this episode possible and made this channel happen. I couldn't do any of this without the support of the Patreon community. So I thank you guys. And if you'd like to support the channel, keep us going and join this amazing community. Become a member on Patreon for as little as three bucks a month. You get access to perks like videos early with no commercials, exclusive merch only available to you early access to merch that nobody else can get. Plus you get two private live streams every week, all just for you. And the whole Y Files team is on the stream. And we got our webcams on, so we're hanging out at home with the cats. You can meet everybody who's behind the scenes here. Plus you can turn your camera on, jump up on stage, ask a question if you want more information. About a topic, ideas, tell a joke, make fun of the way I look. Whatever you want to do. It's a lot of fun. It's a great way to get to know us as people because we are flawed human beings, some of us more flawed than others. Another great way to support the channel is grab something for the WI file store.

[D]

Grab your hangovers T shirt. All right? This little coffee mug that you can stick your psychic fist in or your real fist. What have you got hanging off your torso there? Grab a hoodie, get something on my face. On it. I'll get one of these. Squeezy animal stuff talking.

[C]

Look.

[D]

Oh, look how adorable. Oh, he's so cute. I can't even stand it. Heather Shogun daughter.

[B]

But if you're gonna buy merch, make sure you become a member on YouTube first. It's only $3 a month, but you get a coupon code for 10% off everything in the Wi Fi store. That means everything. So if you're going to spend 40 bucks on fist double coffee mugs or T shirts or something like that, if you come a member, get the code, it pays for itself. Then if you want to cancel, that's totally fine. The code is there to save you money and make life easier for you. It's not there as a profit center. In fact, I don't keep that money. It goes to team. So if you want to support the team, save a few bucks. That would really be appreciated.

[D]

Keep that secret close to you. Gil.

[B]

Zach, we got it all. It felt like it Lot of plugs More are coming. I keep threatening but they are coming. But until then, be safe, be kind and know that you are appreciated.

[C]

Oh, oh yeah I play Polypius in Area 51 a secret code inside the Bible said I was I love my UFOs and paranormal fun as well as music so I'm singing like I should within another the conspiracy theory becomes the truth, my friends and it never ends.

[F]

No, it never ends.

[C]

I fear the crab cat and got stuck inside Mel's home with MK Ultra I being only too aware Did Stanley Kubrick fake the moon landing alone on a film set or were the shadow people there? The Roswell aliens just fought the smiling man I'm told and his name was cold But I can't believe I'm dancing with the fish Bitch head go fish on Thursday next Wednesday J2 and the wow bout it all through the night All I ever wanted was to just hear the truth all through the night. The mothman sightings and the solar storm still come to Agatha, the secret city underground, mysterious number stations, Planet Circle 2, Project Stargate, and what the dark watchers found in a simulation. Don't you worry though, the Black Knight satellite. It told me so. I can't believe I'm dancing the Fish handle fish on Thursday nights with day J2 and the weapons weapon to the night. All the weapons. On Thursday nights when they change you and weapons every bit. All through the night all I ever wanted was to just hear the truth. To dance on the dance floor because she is a camel and camels love to dance when the feeling is right. On Facebook.

[A]

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[B]

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[E]

This is the story of the One as a maintenance supervisor at a manufacturing facility, he knows keeping the line up and running is a top priority. That's why he chooses Grainger, because when a drive belt gets damaged, Grainger makes it easy to find the exact specs for the replacement product he needs, and next day delivery helps ensure he'll have everything in place and running like clockwork. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.

[F]

This is the Story of the One as head of maintenance at a concert hall, he knows the show must always go on. That's why he works behind the scenes, ensuring every light is working, the H Vac is humming, and his facility shines with Grainger's supplies and solutions for every challenge he faces. Plus 24. 7 customer support his venue never misses a beat. Call quickgranger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.