The CIA’s mind control experiments, some of the darkest secrets in U.S. history, are finally being revealed. A new collection of over 1,200 documents published by the National Security Archive and ProQuest sheds light on one of the most infamous and cruel programs ever run by the CIA. The program, known as MKULTRA, along with other secret projects like BLUEBIRD and ARTICHOKE, involved shocking experiments where the CIA tested drugs, hypnosis, and other extreme methods on people, including American citizens, often without their knowledge.

These experiments were designed to control the human mind, using techniques like sensory deprivation, isolation, and even powerful drugs like LSD. Victims, many of whom didn’t know they were being tested, were subjected to these procedures in hospitals, prisons, and secret CIA safehouses. The goal was to find ways to manipulate people’s behavior, but the methods were cruel, and the effects were devastating for those involved.

The documents recently released give us a glimpse into these terrifying programs. They include detailed records from the early 1950s showing how the CIA used drugs like LSD and hypnosis in their efforts to break down and rebuild people’s minds. One document describes a 1950s CIA plan to create “interrogation teams” using drugs and hypnosis to extract information. Another report talks about a “safehouse” run by a federal narcotics agent, where CIA researchers secretly dosed victims with LSD and other drugs.

One of the most chilling parts of this new collection is the story of Sidney Gottlieb, the CIA’s chief poisonmaker. Gottlieb led many of these mind control experiments and was known for his role in administering LSD to unsuspecting people. His team carried out these experiments without oversight, using vast resources to explore techniques that would later be used in brutal interrogations in places like Vietnam, Latin America, and Guantanamo Bay. Gottlieb’s experiments weren’t just limited to drugs. He also explored sensory deprivation, electroshock, and other extreme methods to try and control the mind.

This was all happening under the authority of top CIA leaders, like Allen Dulles and Richard Helms, who approved these secret operations. But the truth began to leak out in the 1970s when investigative journalists like Seymour Hersh uncovered details of MKULTRA. The CIA attempted to erase the evidence, destroying most of the original documents. But thanks to efforts from people like John Marks, a former State Department official, many of these records were recovered and are now part of the collection being published.

One of the most disturbing aspects of MKULTRA was how the CIA used trusted medical professionals and scientists to carry out these experiments. Many of the doctors and researchers involved in the project were well-respected figures in the medical field. They willingly participated in the tests, often turning a blind eye to the harm they were causing. The experiments left many victims mentally shattered, some of whom never recovered.

While MKULTRA officially ended by the mid-1970s, its legacy continued to influence CIA practices for decades. The techniques developed during these experiments were used in other areas of government and military operations, including the interrogation of prisoners in the U.S. war on terror.

The release of these documents offers an unsettling look into the CIA’s secret history. It reveals how the agency’s experiments on human beings, done in the name of national security, crossed ethical lines and caused lasting harm to many innocent people. Despite the CIA’s efforts to cover up the program, these records now shine a light on one of the darkest chapters in intelligence history, revealing the terrifying lengths the CIA went to in their quest for control over the human mind.

Please leave this field empty

Daily Counter-Intelligence Briefing Newsletter

We will send you just one email per day.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.