CIA Mind Control: Operation MKUltra

Rachael Riggs

Henley-Putnam

National American University

CIA Mind Control: Operation MKUltra

In 1953 the CIA began a research project titled Operation MKUltra. This research took place throughout the United States, mostly on unwitting test subjects. The study took place for twenty years. The goal was to test the effects of different drugs, mostly LSD, but also drugs such as MDMA and Methamphetamines. (History.com Editors, 2018) The testing of these drugs was to see if the human brain could be manipulated for mind control and also to increase the effects of hypnosis. (Eschner, 2017)

In January 1973, Richard Helms, then CIA Director, ordered the destruction of all documents related to MKUltra. In the mid-1970s, the government authorized three different investigations into this operation. The main goal of Mkultra was to influence human behavior. At least 149 subprojects were created under this operation. Almost all subjects were unaware they were being used for testing and research. (O'Neill & Dan, 2019)

References

Eschner, K. (2017, April 13). What We Know About the CIA’s Midcentury Mind-Control Project. Retrieved from Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-we-know-about-cias-midcentury-mind-control-project-180962836/

History.com Editors. (2018, August 21). MKUltra. Retrieved from History.com: https://www.history.com/topics/us-government/history-of-mk-ultra

O'Neill, T., & Dan, P. (2019, November 24). Inside the Archive of an LSD Researcher With Ties to the CIA’s MKUltra Mind Control Project. Retrieved from The Intercept: https://theintercept.com/2019/11/24/cia-mkultra-louis-jolyon-west/