#963 - John Lisle - Investigating The True History Of MKUltra & CIA Mind Control

The Mkultra program, a notorious CIA project, was born out of Cold War fears and influenced by former intelligence operations, aiming to develop mind control techniques to counter perceived Soviet advances.

CIA's Mind Control Interest Sparked by Moscow Trials, Korean War POW Confessions Suggesting Soviet Techniques

Alan Dulles, then head of the CIA, was deeply troubled by the Soviet Union's apparent use of mind control techniques. His unease was fueled by events such as the Moscow Trials and confessions from prisoners of war during the Korean War, which suggested that the Soviets had developed effective methods for manipulating the human mind. Concern over these developments culminated in Dulles's speech at Princeton University, and just three days later, Project MKUltra was initiated to investigate and develop mind control techniques in response.

In 1953, CIA Launched Project Mkultra Under Sidney Gottlieb to Counter Soviet Mind Control

Sidney Gottlieb, with no prior experience in mind control or psychedelics, was appointed as the head of Project MKUltra in 1953. This CIA program was launched to delve into the possibility of controlling the human mind to counteract Soviet techniques that were thought to exist.

Gottlieb, CIA Influenced by OSS WWII Truth Drug and Hypnosis Experiments, Sought to Expand Work

To shape the research, Gottlieb turned to past intelligence efforts, particularly those stored in the OSS archives from World War II. Delving into the past, he discovered the work of Stanley Lovell, who had conducted drug experiments using THC as a potential truth serum. The influence of Lovell's work was evident in the Mkultra program's subsequent exploration.

The CIA Viewed LSD and Other Psychoactiv ...

The recent podcast delved into the shadowy past of MKUltra and its lead scientist Sidney Gottlieb, whose role in the infamous program is further illuminated by new documents and depositions.

Sidney Gottlieb, Phd Chemist, Chosen to Lead Mkultra For Scientific Expertise and National Security

Recognized for his PhD in bio-organic chemistry from Caltech, Sidney Gottlieb was recruited by the CIA in the post-World War II era when the scientific acumen became a national security asset.

Gottlieb's Unconventional Personality: Spirituality, Meditation, Psychedelics, Standing Out From "Pale Male in Yale" Cia Operatives

Gottlieb stood out in the CIA not just from his scientific intellect but also from his distinctive character traits. Differing from the archetypal "pale male in Yale" operatives that populated the agency, Gottlieb was known for his new-age spirituality, frequent engagement with meditation and folk dancing, and notably, his routine use of LSD.

Gottlieb Collaborated With Cia Leaders Like Dulles and Helms to Expand Mkultra

The books explore depositions involving key CIA figures, including Gottlieb himself, his deputy Robert Lashbrook, and CIA head Richard Helms, illuminating their involvement in the program.

Despite Being Mkultra's "Mastermind," Gottlieb Later Regretted the Unethical and Destructive Experiments

Driven by a sense of indebtedness to the United States, which welcomed his immigrant parents, Gottlieb, despite a stutter and limp from club feet, pursued a career in intelligence with zeal. Evidenced in his later life depositions, however, he carried a profound remorse for hi ...

MKUltra experiments in mind control and behavior manipulation were extensive, involving disturbing methods and the potential for severe psychological harm to unwitting subjects.

Mkultra: Disturbing Experiments With LSD, Sensory Deprivation, Electroshock, and "Psychic Driving" for Mind Control

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), spearheaded by agents such as Sidney Gottlieb, conducted a series of clandestine experiments with LSD and other mind-altering techniques. CIA operatives, including Gottlieb, administered LSD to themselves to understand its effects and plan for covert operations. LSD was also used in pranks within the CIA office, once resulting in an agent being dosed through the office coffee pot. An incident at a retreat called Deep Creek where the liquor was spiked with LSD led to Special Operations Division scientist Frank Olson suffering a psychotic break and later dying from a fall out of a hotel window.

Ewan Cameron, a psychiatrist at the Allen Memorial Institute, used methods such as electric shocks, sensory deprivation, and psychic driving in attempts to erase patients' minds and rebuild them from scratch. These practices, though effective at breaking subjects down, often left them unable to care for themselves or suffering severe psychological damage. For example, a patient named Mary Morrow became unable to perform basic self-care after undergoing de-patterning sessions.

Proposed Subprojects Confined Individuals in Boxes Until Death, or Dosed Unwitting Victims, Including Prisoners and Psychiatric Patients, With Hallucinogens

There were proposals for drastic subprojects, such as confining individuals in sensory deprivation boxes potentially until death; however, this particular experiment was never carried out. Psychiatric patients and prisoners, however, became guinea pigs for various tests, including being dosed with hallucinogens without their informed consent. Prison inmates were subjected to high doses of LSD for extended periods to observe their reaction and tolerance.

George White, a figure associated with MKUltra, led Operation Midnight Climax, where unknowing individuals were dosed with LSD to study their behavior. Harold Abramson, a doctor connected to Sidney Gottlieb and the CIA, also dosed students with LSD to observe their reactions.

CIA Experim ...

MKUltra, a covert CIA operation aimed at mind control, has left behind a complex legacy shaped by its unethical practices, legal battles, and its place in modern conspiracy lore.

Mkultra's Unethical, Illegal Experiments on Unwitting Humans Exposed In 1970s Investigations

Details of MKUltra have emerged through depositions taken in the 1980s as part of a lawsuit against the CIA. The operation involved drugging individuals without their knowledge, leading to devastating consequences, as in the case of a woman dosed by George White with LSD, which resulted in a psychotic break and a lifelong commitment to a mental institution where she eventually passed away. The exposure of these experiments underscored the agency's brazen disregard for individual rights.

Gottlieb's Destruction of Mkultra Records Impeded Uncovering Program Details

Sidney Gottlieb, central to the program, and Richard Helms, the head of the CIA at the time, destroyed many MKUltra files as they retired in the 1970s. Their actions significantly hindered efforts to fully uncover what transpired under MKUltra’s auspices. John Lisle, highlighting the lack of a paper trail, notes the difficulty in holding Gottlieb and Helms accountable due to the destroyed records.

Settlements Were Given, but Mkultra Perpetrators Largely Avoided Legal Consequences Due to Immunity and Statutes of Limitations

The legal aftermath of MKUltra saw the CIA and its operatives face lawsuits, like that from victim Wayne Ritchie, but the cases often ended in dismissals due to legal technicalities, such as the statute of limitations. The courts' reluctance to p ...