The CIA has done some truly awful things. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re examining Project MKUltra, a clandestine and controversial program conducted by the Central Intelligence Agency from the early 1950s to the mid-1970s, which remains one of the most infamous chapters in the history of U.S. government experimentation.
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00:00 Under code names like MKUltra, the CIA spent 25 years and 25 million dollars on secret mind control research.
00:08 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're examining Project MKUltra,
00:13 a clandestine and controversial program conducted by the Central Intelligence Agency
00:18 from the early 1950s to the mid-1970s,
00:21 which remains one of the most infamous chapters in the history of US government experimentation.
00:27 It was the most secret program ever conducted by the CIA in the United States.
00:34 Project MKUltra had its roots in the Cold War era,
00:38 marked by heightened tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union.
00:41 Fears of mind control and brainwashing techniques being employed by the Soviets
00:46 prompted the CIA to initiate its own research into mind-altering substances and methodologies.
00:52 At a time of paranoia about the so-called Red Menace,
00:56 the Americans believed the Soviets and Chinese might well have devised an effective brainwashing method,
01:02 and the CIA was determined to crack it.
01:04 In 1953, CIA Director Alan Dulles approved MKUltra,
01:09 assigning it to the technical services staff of the CIA.
01:13 The primary objectives of MKUltra were to develop methods for mind control and interrogation,
01:19 with a focus on chemical and psychological means.
01:22 The new goal is to cause an individual to become subservient to an imposed control,
01:27 to the point where he will perform acts against his will, and then have no memory of the act.
01:33 The program aimed to explore ways to manipulate and control individuals' behavior,
01:38 extract information, and create agents who could carry out tasks without conscious awareness.
01:44 The CIA knew it could be politically difficult to fund brainwashing directly,
01:49 so it set up a front company to do it,
01:52 euphemistically called the Society for the Investigation of Human Ecology.
01:56 MKUltra encompassed a vast array of experiments involving various substances and techniques.
02:02 The program can be broadly categorized into several sub-projects,
02:06 each focusing on different aspects of mind control.
02:10 MKUltra itself was divided into 149 sub-projects.
02:14 Notable sub-projects include...
02:16 Drug Testing
02:17 Sub-Project 3
02:19 MKUltra extensively delved into the effects of psychoactive drugs,
02:23 particularly LSD, on human behavior.
02:26 The program sought substances that could induce confessions, alter memory, and enhance suggestibility.
02:32 "The CIA funded and supported and encouraged hundreds of young psychiatrists to experiment with this drug."
02:39 Unbeknownst to many subjects, including some unwittingly dosed,
02:44 the experiments often resulted in severe psychological distress.
02:47 And in November 1953, CIA employee Frank Olson died after being covertly dosed with LSD at a CIA retreat.
02:57 Hypnosis and Interrogation
02:59 Sub-Project 10
03:00 Researchers explored the potential of hypnosis as a tool for interrogation and mind control.
03:06 They sought to determine whether individuals could be induced into a deep hypnotic state
03:11 to reveal sensitive information or carry out specific actions against their will.
03:16 Behavioral Modification
03:18 Sub-Projects 62 and 63
03:20 MKUltra aimed to develop techniques for modifying behavior
03:24 through a combination of drugs, hypnosis, and sensory deprivation.
03:28 The program sought to create a "Manchurian Candidate,"
03:32 an individual who could be programmatically controlled to carry out tasks or missions.
03:36 "In terms of the Manchurian Candidate, the idea is to use hypnosis, drugs, fear, terror,
03:42 to split off part of the mind, and then you can get control of that part of the mind separately,
03:48 and that part of the mind can carry out missions."
03:50 Electroconvulsive Therapy
03:52 ECT
03:53 Sub-Project 65
03:55 Researchers investigated the use of electroconvulsive therapy
03:58 as a means of erasing and altering memories.
04:01 ECT, commonly associated with treating severe psychiatric conditions,
04:06 was explored for its potential in inducing amnesia and reshaping cognitive functions.
04:12 "In his psychic driving, so-called, type of therapy,
04:18 he would give the patient intensive electric treatment
04:23 in order to make the patient regress deeply, become forgetful."
04:29 Radiation
04:30 Sub-Project 142
04:32 Some MKUltra experiments explored the effects of ionizing radiation on the human mind.
04:38 Researchers sought to understand how exposure to radiation might affect cognition,
04:44 with potential applications in both offensive and defensive military strategies.
04:48 Mind-Controlled Assassins
04:50 Sub-Projects 94 and 149
04:53 Conspiratorial notions of MKUltra often revolve around the idea of creating programmed assassins.
04:59 While there is limited concrete evidence supporting such claims,
05:02 sub-projects like 94 and 149 did explore the potential for using drugs and psychological
05:08 methods to control individuals for covert operations.
05:12 Sexual Blackmail and Surveillance
05:14 Sub-Project 4
05:16 MKUltra also delved into compromising methods such as sexual blackmail to manipulate and
05:21 control individuals.
05:23 The program explored the potential of using covertly recorded sexual activities for leverage
05:28 and coercion.
05:29 And it says in the documents, the purpose of this is to study the effects of an unwitting
05:36 dose of LSD under conditions that mimic a field interrogation.
05:40 The ethical dimensions of MKUltra have long been a subject of controversy and condemnation.
05:45 One of the most glaring ethical violations was the lack of informed consent for many
05:50 of the experiments.
05:51 A decision was made at the highest levels of the CIA to do testing on unwitting Americans.
05:56 As one CIA document says, such testing would be "operationally realistic."
06:02 Subjects were often unaware that they were participating in mind control experiments,
06:06 leading to severe psychological and physical consequences for some.
06:10 The use of unwitting civilians, including psychiatric patients, prisoners, and military
06:15 personnel, as subjects in MKUltra experiments raised serious ethical questions.
06:20 The line between legitimate national security research and human rights abuses became blurred.
06:26 As the program sought to push the boundaries of scientific knowledge, without adequate
06:31 regard for the well-being of the participants.
06:33 We knew we were crossing the line.
06:35 Every decent kid knows he shouldn't steal, but he does it sometimes.
06:39 We knew damn well we didn't want anyone else to know what we were doing.
06:44 Furthermore, the program operated in a shroud of secrecy, with the CIA deliberately withholding
06:50 information from Congress, other government agencies, and the public.
06:53 The whole thing was basically discovered because of a whistleblower named John Marks,
06:59 who wrote the first book really about the program called "The Search for the Manchurian Candidate."
07:04 In 1973, CIA Director Richard Helms had MKUltra files destroyed.
07:09 This lack of transparency not only violated principles of democratic governance,
07:14 but also hindered any external oversight or accountability for MKUltra activities.
07:20 The program would quietly be shut down in 1965.
07:23 But the truth about what happened there would be protected for another decade and a half longer.
07:31 In response to growing concerns about the program's ethics,
07:34 a series of investigations and hearings were initiated.
07:38 The most significant of these was the Church Committee.
07:41 Led by the U.S. Senate in the mid-1970s, the committee exposed the existence of MKUltra to
07:46 the public and criticized the program for its ethical shortcomings and lack of oversight.
07:52 In 1977, the Senate subcommittee heard testimony from many of them,
07:56 but the testimony was not that revealing.
07:58 The revelations about MKUltra prompted legal and policy changes
08:02 aimed at preventing similar abuses in the future.
08:05 Informed consent standards were strengthened, and federal regulations were implemented to
08:10 ensure ethical considerations in research involving human subjects.
08:14 Informed consent, as we now know it, was not a part of research at that time.
08:20 The legacy of MKUltra continues to influence contemporary debates on government oversight,
08:26 accountability, and the delicate balance between national security interests and individual rights.
08:31 I've often, when I've been alone at home, thought,
08:34 "How can you fight the CIA? Who in heck do you think you are? How can you fight the CIA?"
08:42 The individuals who unwittingly became subjects of MKUltra experiments often experienced severe
08:48 and lasting consequences. Many reported psychological trauma, including anxiety,
08:53 depression, and hallucinations, stemming from the effects of mind-altering
08:57 substances administered without their knowledge or consent.
09:01 I was reduced to a baby and wearing diapers and being fed.
09:09 I can't imagine it. I don't remember that, thank goodness, because it would haunt me in my dreams.
09:15 The experiences of these subjects underscore the profound impact that covert government
09:21 experimentation can have on the lives of ordinary citizens. While compensation and
09:25 acknowledgment were eventually provided to some victims through legal settlements,
09:29 the scars of MKUltra persist as a dark chapter in the personal histories of those who unknowingly
09:36 became pawns in the pursuit of national security objectives.
09:39 I feel like I've been completely used. I feel like my mind has been completely invaded.
09:44 I had to be toilet-swept. I was a vegetable. I had no identity. I had no memory. I'd never
09:51 existed in the world before. I had lost.
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10:06 MKUltra's legacy extends beyond the realm of covert government programs. The program has
10:14 permeated popular culture, inspiring numerous books, films, and conspiracy theories. The
10:20 concept of mind control, fueled by the real-world experiments of MKUltra, has become a recurring
10:25 theme in literature and entertainment.
10:27 You just killed two guys?
10:29 They were trying to, like, stab me, Phoebe.
10:32 Why are people trying to stab you?
10:33 I don't know!
10:34 The term MKUltra itself has taken on a symbolic meaning, representing the inherent dangers
10:40 of unchecked government power and the ethical dilemmas surrounding human experimentation.
10:45 The CIA knew that it was breaking, you know, every moral, ethical, and legal law in the
10:52 books to do these experiments.
10:53 Conspiracy theories related to MKUltra often weave together elements of truth and fiction,
10:59 further complicating the public's understanding of the program.
11:03 In academic and ethical discussions, MKUltra serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences
11:09 of prioritizing national security interests over individual rights. It prompts ongoing
11:14 reflections on the fine line between the pursuit of knowledge and the potential for abuse in
11:19 the realm of scientific and government research.
11:22 How dare they do that to a human being?
11:24 How dare they do that to a human being?
11:26 The program's experiments, often conducted without proper informed consent and shrouded
11:32 in secrecy, have left an indelible mark on the individuals who unwittingly became part
11:36 of MKUltra's dark history. The ethical lapses and human rights abuses associated with MKUltra
11:43 have influenced legal and policy changes, contributing to a heightened awareness of
11:47 the need for rigorous ethical standards in research involving human subjects.
11:51 I'm still dealing with this, and still struggling with it. There have been negative
12:00 ramifications in my life that have prevented me from being happy.
12:07 As the story of MKUltra continues to resonate in the realms of history, ethics, and popular
12:12 culture, it serves as a poignant cautionary tale, urging societies to remain vigilant
12:17 against the potential misuse of power in the pursuit of knowledge and security. The lessons
12:22 learned from MKUltra underscore the enduring importance of transparency, accountability,
12:27 and ethical considerations in all scientific and governmental endeavors.
12:32 I certainly know that an intelligent, ethical scientist today would not do an awful lot
12:40 of things that an ethical scientist would do in those days.
12:44 What do you think about the impact of MKUltra? Let us know in the comments.
12:48 They all knew what they were doing, but they weren't doing it out of care or love. They
12:54 were doing it out of military and political reasons.
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