Andrija Puharich
American doctor and researcher whose house was burned by arson in 1978 — an attack he directly blamed on the CIA — after conducting classified-level research on ELF (extremely low frequency) electromagnetic weapons and psychic phenomena for the intelligence community.
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Henry Karel Puharić (legal birth name); known as Andrija Puharich |
| Born | February 19, 1918, Chicago, Illinois |
| Died | January 3, 1995 |
| Age at Death | 76 |
| Location of Death | Reynolds estate, Surry County, North Carolina |
| Cause of Death | Heart attack followed by fall down a flight of stairs |
| Official Ruling | Accidental |
| Nationality | American |
| Killed on US Soil | Yes (arson 1978, Ossining NY; death 1995, North Carolina) |
| Alleged Intelligence Connection | CIA (directly accused by Puharich for 1978 arson); also worked with Pentagon, Army, and Naval Intelligence |
| Victim Was Intel Employee | No — independent civilian researcher |
| Category | Scientist / Weapons Expert |
Assessment: HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS (targeting); UNCERTAIN (death)
Puharich spent decades doing contractor research for U.S. intelligence on psychic phenomena, ELF electromagnetic effects on consciousness, and remote sensing — then had his home destroyed by arson in 1978, which he publicly blamed on the CIA. He was subsequently driven into exile in Mexico. His 1995 death at 76, from a heart attack followed by a fall down stairs while fighting eviction, fits his severe documented health conditions — but follows a documented pattern of CIA targeting that had shaped the final two decades of his life.
Circumstances of Targeting
August 1978 — Arson (attempted murder): Puharich's estate at 87 Hawkes Avenue, Ossining, New York was set on fire by arson. According to his son Andy Puharich (in the video below with filmmaker Greg Mallozzi), the investigation definitively concluded arson: the perpetrators had doused both the front porch and the back porch with a highly flammable liquid — blocking both escape routes to trap the occupants. Three people were in the house. One person named Heidi had to jump from the second floor window to escape.
Puharich himself was in California at the time — the arsonists apparently knew he was absent. Andy Puharich had been staying at the house all summer but left just two days before the fire. Both exits being deliberately blocked indicates the intent was to kill whoever was inside, not merely to destroy research materials.
Andy Puharich stated the manuscript Puharich had been working on was called "The Magnifying Transmitter" — directly tied to his ELF research. A fire alarm was triggered from the street and fire trucks arrived quickly, saving most of the structure and much of the research paperwork.
Puharich publicly and directly blamed the CIA. Andy Puharich stated: "There was an agency that was determined to stop him from getting this information out into the world."
1979–1981 — Exile: Following the arson, Puharich fled to Mexico for approximately two years. Andy Puharich stated the attack made his father "really freak out" and that afterward "he was obsessed by the CIA trying to get to him." His son acknowledges the paranoia became severe, but notes it was grounded in a real and documented targeting incident.
1995 — Death: He died January 3, 1995 at the Reynolds estate in North Carolina. Official cause: heart attack followed by a fall down stairs at approximately 7:15 p.m. At the time he was battling severe diabetes, kidney failure, anemia, high blood pressure, progressive dementia, and was fighting an eviction order. No evidence of foul play was established in the 1995 death.
Background
Puharich was born to Croatian immigrant parents in Chicago and graduated from Northwestern University School of Medicine in 1947. He founded the Round Table Foundation in Maine (1948) — a private research center for studying ESP and telepathy — and ultimately held 56 American and foreign patents spanning medical electronics, neurophysiology, and biocybernetics.
His work for the U.S. government spanned CIA, Army, Pentagon, and Naval Intelligence. He conducted research at Edgewood Arsenal Research Laboratories and Fort Detrick on psychological manipulation, hallucinogens, hypnosis, and telepathy for intelligence applications — years before the SRI remote viewing program went public. He is credited with bringing Uri Geller to the Stanford Research Institute for CIA-backed experiments in 1971.
His published works include The Sacred Mushroom (1959), Beyond Telepathy (1962), Uri: A Journal of the Mystery of Uri Geller (1974), and The Only Planet of Choice (1993).
Intelligence Connections
Puharich was not an outsider who stumbled onto government attention — he was actively recruited by and collaborated with U.S. intelligence throughout his career:
- Regular interactions with senior CIA, Pentagon, and Naval Intelligence officials
- Worked at Edgewood Arsenal (chemical/biological weapons research site) and Fort Detrick (biological weapons program base)
- Brought Uri Geller to SRI for what was presented as academic research but had significant intelligence community backing
- His ELF research directly overlapped with classified military concerns about Soviet electromagnetic weapons (see below)
Despite this cooperation, Puharich's independent publication of ELF weapons findings appears to have triggered a break with his intelligence handlers. He alleged CIA involvement in the 1978 arson — the act of a former contractor turned inconvenient independent researcher.
ELF Research — Why It Was Sensitive
Puharich conducted research on extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic wave effects on human consciousness and mental states. Key findings:
- Discovered that certain psychics produced an 8 Hz ELF wave during their most effective sessions
- Found human brains could be trained via biofeedback to produce 8 Hz ELF waves consciously
- Concluded 8 Hz was a fundamental frequency linked to consciousness and psychic ability
- Invented devices allegedly designed to block or convert ELF waves to prevent harm
Published: "A Way to Peace through ELF Waves" — Journal of Borderland Research (Vol. 39, No. 2, March–April 1983).
The research carried direct weapons implications: Puharich claimed the Soviet Union was testing "low frequency radiation beams" based on Nikola Tesla's work that could be weaponized for mind control. He alleged these beams were responsible for climatic disturbances, disease outbreaks (including Legionnaires' disease), and violent civil unrest. An independent U.S. civilian researcher openly publishing on ELF mind-control weaponry, with documented access to classified research facilities, had obvious appeal as a target for suppression.
Why This Case Raises Questions
- Puharich explicitly and publicly accused the CIA of orchestrating the 1978 arson that destroyed his home and research materials
- The fire was an attempted murder, not just research destruction: both exit points were deliberately blocked with accelerant, with three people trapped inside
- The arsonists surveilled the house — they knew Puharich was in California and knew who was inside
- He fled to Mexico after the arson, describing himself as under threat — not a decision consistent with believing the fire was accidental
- His ELF research directly intersected with classified military interests in electromagnetic weapons and mind control — the same technology type later implicated in Havana Syndrome
- He collaborated with researcher Bob Beck, who was developing ELF-based devices, further extending the network of people whose work overlapped with classified military programs
- He had deep insider access to intelligence-linked research facilities (Edgewood Arsenal, Fort Detrick, SRI) — making him a potential threat as an independent publisher
- The "Space Kid" explanation for the arson was never independently verified and was contested by Puharich himself
- His subsequent exile effectively ended his most productive research period
- His 1995 death — while medically explicable given his health — occurred under circumstances (heart attack + fall down stairs, fighting eviction, severe isolation) that preclude easy dismissal
Key Quotes
"In the 1970s, Puharich claimed he had investigated 'the effects of a low frequency radiation beam' that the Soviet Union had been testing. According to Puharich the beam was based on the work of Nikola Tesla and could be used as a weapon to control people." — Summarized from his Journal of Borderland Research article, 1983
"The spookiest bastard in America." — Nonsense Bazaar podcast
Video Evidence
Puharich's son Andy and filmmaker Greg Mallozzi explain why his ELF research likely got him in trouble and who wanted it silenced. Source: @JonesDanny on X, May 1, 2026.
See Also
- Philip K. Dick — Sci-fi author under documented FBI/CIA surveillance; home safe professionally blown open in 1971
- Frank Olson — CIA scientist dosed with LSD (MKULTRA); died in fall from hotel window
- Paul Vigay — British UFO/crop circle researcher found in sea; open verdict
- Christopher Fallen — AFRL physicist and former HAARP chief scientist; found bound and suffocated
Other Shocking Stories
- Frank Olson: CIA dosed him with LSD without consent. He fell from a hotel window. Medical examiner ruled homicide.
- Philip K. Dick: FBI surveillance confirmed. His home safe was blown open with professional explosives. Never solved.
- Gary Webb: Exposed CIA-Contra cocaine pipeline. Found with two bullets in his head. Ruled suicide.
- Karen Silkwood: Nuclear whistleblower carrying documents to the NY Times. Rear-bumped off the road. Settlement paid.
Counterarguments / Alternative Explanations
On the arson: The official explanation — a disturbed "Space Kid" research subject set the fire independently — is not impossible. Puharich ran a controversial program housing troubled youth (the "Space Kids") and at least one participant made the admission. The CIA accusation comes from Puharich himself, an interested party with a history of extraordinary claims.
On the death: At 76 with severe diabetes, kidney failure, anemia, high blood pressure, and progressive dementia, a fatal heart attack and fall is entirely consistent with his documented medical condition. No forensic evidence of foul play was established.
On ELF research suppression: While Puharich's ELF work intersected with military interests, other researchers in the same field were not targeted. The suppression theory assumes the CIA would target a contractor who had already cooperated with them — plausible given MKULTRA-era precedents, but not proven.
Sources
- Andrija Puharich — Wikipedia
- Andrija Puharich — Psi Encyclopedia (Society for Psychical Research)
- Journal of Borderland Research — "A Way to Peace through ELF Waves" (1983)
- CIA FOIA Reading Room — Puharich documents
- SourceWatch — Andrija Puharich
- New Thinking Allowed — Andrija Puharich and His Space Kids
- New Thinking Allowed — Andrija Puharich and The Nine
- Anomaly Archives — Puharich Collection
- UFO Insight — Cosmic Communication or Secret Intelligence Operation
- Annie Jacobsen, Phenomena — US Government Psychic Research
- CIA-Initiated Remote Viewing Program at Stanford Research Institute
- Danny Jones Podcast — X post with Puharich's son Andy and filmmaker Greg Mallozzi
Status: Deceased (1995)
This information was built by Grok and Claude AI research.