Table of Contents
– What is MKULTRA?
– The Black Vault and the 2004 FOIA Document Release
– The Missing Pages
– MKULTRA Documents Released October 2018
– “Behavioral Modification” Documents Released November 2018
– Additional Documents Declassified About MKULTRA
What is MKULTRA?
In the depths of the Cold War’s paranoia and anxiety, there resided a government program enveloped in a cloak of secrecy — Project MKULTRA. A covert operation aiming to explore the darkest possibilities of mind control and human manipulation, MKULTRA has become emblematic of government experiments spiraling far away from ethical and moral boundaries.
Origins: Crafting Minds for Control
Initiated in 1953 by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Project MKULTRA sought to develop techniques for controlling the human mind. Fueled by fears of Soviet and Chinese advancements in mind control technologies, the project was aimed at crafting an arsenal of psychological tools potent enough to manipulate individual psyches, potentially weaponizing the human mind against itself.Unbridled Experiments: Ethical Boundaries Broken
Under the secretive veil, MKULTRA scientists conducted a slew of experiments involving hypnosis, polygraphs, radiation, and a variety of drugs. Among the most notorious were LSD experiments, where subjects, often unwittingly, were administered the hallucinogenic drug to study its effects on mind control and interrogation. From military personnel to the general public, subjects were plunged into these ethically treacherous waters without informed consent, emanating ripples that would last decades.
Techniques and Tools: A Gruesome Toolbox
MKULTRA explored varied methodologies including:
- Chemical Techniques: Utilizing drugs like LSD to manipulate mental states.
- Psychological Strategies: Employing tactics of mental coercion and manipulation.
- Technological Devices: Harnessing emerging technologies for surveillance and control. The scientists envisaged harnessing these tools not merely for defensive protection against enemy tactics but also as offensive weapons on the psychological battlefield.
The Exposure: Illuminating the Dark Corners
MKULTRA came into public light in 1975 through the Church Committee (a U.S. Senate committee led by Senator Frank Church) investigations, revealing a glimpse into over two decades of unbridled experiments. However, with the destruction of most MKULTRA files in 1973 by order of then-CIA Director Richard Helms, the full extent and outcomes of these experiments remain shrouded in mystery.
Sidney Gottlieb: The Man Behind the Program So Dark America Tried to Erase It
Lingering Shadows: The Unsettled Legacy
The shockwaves of MKULTRA permeate through modern discussions about governmental oversight, ethical research, and individual rights. It beckons an eternal vigilance towards the powers wielded by government bodies in the realms unseen by the public eye. The echoes of the past remind us of the potential depths to which endeavors can plunge when unchecked by transparency and accountability.
The Black Vault and the 2004 FOIA Document Release
The Black Vault filed a FOIA request for all documents pertaining to MKULTRA and related projects back in the late 1990s. Despite the reports that MKULTRA documents were destroyed in 1973, the CIA did locate some files and I was told that these documents were being reviewed.
For YEARS I waited, and was never contacted back by the CIA. In time, the CIA DID release the documents on four CD-ROMs. I received these documents back in 2004, and was one of the first (if not the first) to have uploaded the ENTIRE collection of MKULTRA records to the internet.
Below, you will find the links to the data on the CD-ROMS as originally received.
Originally, the CIA directories contained .tif images of the documents (not my favorite format) and two other files. The .txt file is a poor excuse for a OCR (optical character recognition) of the document, and a .dat file which contains a one line description, as found in the index below.
This has been an extremely popular dataset since I first added it, and in March of 2017 — expanded the original CIA release with a newer, updated, searchable PDF format consisting of their original .TIF file releases.
MKULTRA CIA Document Index [85 Pages, 6.2MB] – Start here! This will list documents archived on the CD-ROMs below. You can just start browsing the CD’s below by clicking on one and browsing around. I also included a .ZIP file of the CD-ROM as they were obtained from the CIA. In addition, I have created an archived of .PDF files, all searchable, which are nowOriginal CD-ROM Archive Datasets
Browse CD-ROMs:
- CD-ROM #1 – ( .ZIP file ) 227 MB
- CD-ROM #2 – ( .ZIP file ) 279 MB
- CD-ROM #3 – ( .ZIP file ) 332 MB
- CD-ROM #4 – ( .ZIP file ) 345 MB
Download Entire 1.1 Gigabyte Dataset
In March of 2017, The Black Vault converted the entire above collection into text-searchable .pdf files. I created a .ZIP file of the entire directory structure, and the .PDF files for download. Please note: The original .tif, .dat and .txt files were removed in this .zip since they are now unneeded. (Note: This does NOT include the new 2018 releases below.)
[ .zip (File Size: 1.1GB): MIRROR #1 (TBV) | MIRROR #2 (Internet Archive) ]
[ .torrent: MIRROR #1 (Internet Archive) ]
The Missing Pages
In March of 2016, Oscar Diggs, a visitor to The Black Vault, found the MKULTRA collection I put online. He then painstakingly reviewed the index of files, and the released records for comparison, to see if they matched. He compiled a list of all the missing documents, or portions thereof, and sent me the below index of all that he found that was missing.
Here was his list from the above index that were not put onto the original CD-ROMs:
21787, 21788, 21789, 21790, 21791, 21792, 21793, 21794, 21795, 21796, 21797, 21798, 21799, 21800, 21801, 21802, 21803, 21805, 21806, 21808, 21809, 21811, 21812, 21813, 21814, 21816, 21817, 21818, 21821, 21823, 21824, 21825, 21826, 21827, 21828, 21829, 21830, 21831, 21832, 21833, 21834, 21835, 21836, 21837, 21838, 21839, 21840, 21841, 21842, 21843, 21844, 21845, 21846, 21849, 21850, 21851, 21852, 21853, 21854, 21855, 21856, 21857, 21858, 21860, 21861, 21862, 21863, 21864, 21865, 21866, 21867, 21868, 21869, 21870, 21871, 21872, 21873, 21875, 21876, 21877, 21878, 21879, 21880, 21881, 21882, 21884, 21885, 21886, 21887, 21888, 21889, 21890, 21891, 21892, 21893, 21894, 21895, 21896, 21897, 21898, 21899, 21900, 21901, 21902, 21903, 21904, 21905, 21906, 21907, 21908, 21909, 21910, 21911, 21912, 21913, 21914, 21915, 21916, 21917, 21918, 21919, 21920, 21921, 21922, 21923, 21924, 21925, 21926, 21928, 21929, 21930, 21931, 21932, 21933, 21934, 21935, 21936, 21937, 21938, 21939, 21940, 21941, 21942, 21943, 21944, 21945, 21946, 21947, 21948, 21951, 21952, 21953, 21955, 21957, 21958, 21959, 21960, 21961, 21962, 21963, 21964, 21965, 21966, 21967, 21968, 21969, 21971, 21972, 21973, 21974, 21975, 21976, 21977, 21978, 21979, 21980, 21981, 21982, 21992, 21993, 21994, 21995, 21996, 21999, 22000, 22011, 22013, 22014, 22016, 22017, 22018, 22020, 22021, 22022, 22024, 22026, 22027, 22028, 22029, 22030, 22031, 22032, 22033, 22037, 22038, 22040, 22041, 22042, 22043, 22044, 22046, 22047, 22048, 22050, 22051, 22052, 22053, 22054, 22055, 22056, 22057, 22058, 22059, 22060, 22061, 22062, 22063, 22064, 22065, 22066, 22068, 140389, 140390, 140391, 140392, 140393, 140394, 140395, 140396, 140397, 140398, 140399, 140400, 140401, 140402, 140403, 140404, 146325, 146329, 149501, 149502, 149503, 149504, 149505, 149506, 149507, 149508, 149509, 149510, 149511, 149512, 149513, 149514, 149515, 149516, 149517, 149518, 149519, 149520, 149521, 149522, 149523, 149524, 149525, 149526, 149527, 149528, 149529, 149530, 149531, 149532, 149534, 149535, 149536, 149537, 149538, 149539, 149540, 149541, 149542, 149543, 149544, 149545, 149546, 149547, 149548, 149549, 149550, 149551, 149552, 149553, 151511, 151512, 151513, 151514, 179067, 184497, 263377, and maybe 179066.
308 (or 309) documents in all.
Documents that are missing pages:
17373, 17440, 17456, 17457, 17460, 17466, 17468, 17472, 17479, 27417, 40176, 149456
12 documents in all.
I filed a FOIA request to the CIA, for these specific records, since they did not include it in their initial release to me. Sadly, after a long wait, they informed me that there would be no way to find them, and only supplied me a “new copy” of their MKULTRA collection. I ran a scan to compare file to file, and it was exactly the same release that I originally received (which is available for download above).
I then began a “FOIA Battle” with the CIA about this entire issue. According to their own letter, they stated the index (again, available for download above) was supposed to ALL be on the CD-ROMs. Obviously, they were not, and I double and then later TRIPLE checked the work of Oscar Diggs to ensure accuracy. There was no error, and I stood by the documents were missing.
After sending a 97 page fax proving that the records were not on the original disks (which is what they required me to do) they changed their story once they realized I proved what I said. They then claimed they made a “mistake,” and they should have been better at clarifying, but the documents regarding “behavioral modification” were NOT supposed to be on the CD-ROMs, and I only paid for the “MKULTRA” material. After wasting hours upon hours of time stretching over months, I then officially requested a “fee waiver” to see if I could get the fees waived. I felt I put up a good argument for one, but I was ultimately denied.
So in August of 2018, I started a GOFUNDME campaign to help raise the $425.80 that the CIA required to release the 4,358 additional pages. Again, I was told I needed to pay for them, because they did not fit the scope of my original request in the late 1990s. After extensive media coverage about my “FOIA Battle” that was covered by Vice News / Motherboard, Newsweek and many other outlets, the funds were raised in a matter of days. I immediately wrote the check, and waited for my documents.
Fast forward to the end of October 2018. I received a box from the CIA that I knew, was what I had been waiting for. I opened the box, and on the top of the stack (keep in mind, about 2 1/2 months had passed since I sent payment) was my original/uncashed check, made payable to the United States Treasury Department. I knew instantly, there was an issue.
I read their letter (available below). In short, the CIA changed their story yet again. First, even though they said I already got 100% of the MKULTRA material, it was now proven untrue. I now had a stack of pages that they finally agreed, SHOULD HAVE been on the CD-ROMs, and therefore, they sent them for free (remember that fee waiver denial? Someone should have caught the fact I was right about asking for the records.) According to their letter, the contents of the box they sent me totaled 791 pages (which actual totaled 800 exactly, but close enough). Now the question was, if the 791 (actual: 797) pages were part of the 4,358 I paid for, then what about the remaining 3,567 (actual: 3,555) pages? Well, that got even more bizarre. Now the number of remaining pages was only 2,316 pages. That means at least 1,245 pages of MKULTRA / Mind Control / Behavioral Modification documents just vanished from their original quote to me. What I can’t deduce from the CIA’s letter (available below) is if these 797 pages released were a part of that original quote, so the number of missing pages could be closer to 2,000!
That said, the more frustrating thing, is that I have to “start over.” It took 2 1/2 months for the CIA to not cash my check, and then send me a letter stating that what I had already paid for months prior, would need to be purchased again, and therefore, I needed to start over by writing a new check, sending it via postal mail, and just wait… again.
Mistakes happen, but they had an exact page count in their original demand for payment. They were adamant about having to pay for 100% of the responsive pages, and that I was not to get ANY for free. They even processed my fee waiver, and denied it outright after “considering it.” Why wasn’t any of this found during the process of that fee waiver request? After all of that work, all of that time wasted,in the end, I still did not get all of the documents, and the CIA changed their story, yet again.
I will let you all decide what that all means, but for now, I have scanned in the 797 pages of material, and they are all available below, which I have indexed and organized by the order they were received.
MKULTRA Documents Released October 2018
Below you will find the 800 pages released to me, that were NOT included in the original MKULTRA document releases above.
[ .zip (File Size: 180MB): MIRROR #1 (TBV) ]
1 – FOIA Response Letter dated 24 October 2018 [2 Pages, 0.5MB] 2 – Attachment A – Not Identified on the MKULTRA Master Report [4 Pages, 0.9MB] 3 – Attachment B – Identified on the MKULTRA Master Report [2 Pages, 0.6MB] 4 – Project MKULTRA, Subproject 116, 15 June 1960 [1 Pages, 0.6MB] 5 – Various Memorandums and Check Disbursements [170 Pages, 24.6MB] 6 – MKULTRA Subproject 58, Invoice #1 Allotment, 28 March 1956 [5 Pages, 1.1MB] 7 – Various Funds and Financial Records, MKULTRA Subproject 58, Invoice #1 Allotment, 28 March 1956 [185 Pages, 1.1MB] 8 – MKULTRA, Subproject 66, Invoice #6, 17 August 1960 [6 Pages, 1.3MB] 9 – Complete Accounting, April 1, 1957 – June 30, 1960 [1 Page, 0.6MB] 10 – Various Financials and Check Disbursements [142 Pages, 25.7MB] 11 – Various Financials and Record Keeping [61 Pages, 15.6MB] 12 – Representative Leo J. Ryan Biographical Information [1 Page, 0.5MB] 13 – FOIA and Responsive Documents, Dr. Sharon F. Kleefield, Harvard University (Re: Orlikow v United States, Civil Action No. 80-3163) [8 Pages, 1.5MB] 14 – Project ARTICHOKE, October 29, 1952 [1 Page, 0.5MB] 15 – Memorandum Regarding Hypnosis, January 29, 1954 [2 Pages, 0.5MB] 16 – Memorandum Regarding Hypnosis, July 15, 1954 [2 Pages, 0.5MB] 17 – Letter Regarding Hypnosis, February 6, 1957 [1 Page, 0.5MB] 18 – Letter Regarding Hypnosis, July 9, 1951 [2 Pages, 0.7MB] 19 – Interview Synopsis Regarding Hypnosis, February 25, 1952 [8 Pages, 0.7MB] 20 – Memorandum, Research Projects, Project Artichoke, February 15, 1952 [2 Pages, 0.7MB] 21 – Special Training, Memorandum, December 14, 1950 [1 Page, 0.7MB] 22 – Memorandum Regarding Interview on Project Artichoke, March 11, 1952 [2 Pages, 0.7MB] 23 – Letter Regarding Book on Hypnotism, March 4, 1952 [2 Pages, 0.8MB] 24 – Artichoke Report, January 22, 1954 [4 Pages, 1.2MB] 25 – Possible Fallibility of Polygraph Testing of Subjects in Posthypnotic States, Date Unknown [3 Pages, 1.2MB] 26 – Special Research, Bluebird, Date Unknown [8 Pages, 1.6MB] 27 – The Military Application of Hypntism (sic), June 22, 1954 [3 Pages, 0.8MB] 28 – Memorandum Regarding I & I. Hypnotism, March 25, 1952 [3 Pages, 0.6MB] 29 – Hypnotism and Covert Operations, May 5, 1955 [6 Pages, 1.3MB] 30 – Memorandum Regarding Consultants, April 2, 1953 [1 Page, 0.5MB] 31 – Memorandum Regarding Renewal of Contract, April 16, 1954 [1 Page, 0.6MB] 32 – Undated Handwritten Notes [2 Pages, 1.9MB] 33 – Project Artichoke Letter, June (?) 11, 1952 [2 Pages, 1.9MB] 34 – Memorandum Regarding Project Artichoke and Chemical Agents Used, February 27, 1952 [22 Pages, 7.3MB] 35 – Memorandum Regarding Alcohol Antagonists [5 Pages, 0.9MB] 36 – Memorandums Regarding 1955 Meetings, Redacted Project Name [6 Pages, 2.9MB] 37 – Progress Report (Redacted) 7/1/54 – 8/15/55 [2 Pages, 2.9MB] 38 – Narrative Description of the Overt and Covert Activities of (Redacted), Date Unknown [5 Pages, 0.9MB] 39 – Project Artichoke Memorandums, July and November 1953 [2 Pages, 0.8MB] 40 – Memorandum Regarding Use of Drugs for Interrogation, February 9, 1953 [1 Page, 0.8MB] 41 – Memorandum Regarding Medical Requests, November 15, 1952 [1 Page, 0.6MB] 42 – Memorandum Regarding Project Artichoke, November 10 (?), 1952 [1 Page, 0.5MB] 43 – Memorandum Regarding Dispatch No. (Redacted), November 18, 1953 [1 Page, 0.5MB] 44 – Memorandum Regarding Project Artichoke, May 5, 1953 [2 Pages, 0.5MB] 45 – Project Artichoke Consultant Documents, 1951-1953 [6 Pages, 1.7MB] 46 – Incomplete (?) Document, Date Unknown, Regarding Chemical Agents [3 Pages, 0.9MB] 47 – Check Disbursement Letters, 1951 [5 Pages, 2.5MB] 48 – Memorandum Regarding Conversation Between (Redacted) and (Redacted) on 7 September 1951 [1 Page, 0.5MB] 49 – Memorandum Regarding Conversations with (Redacted) in Washington – 12 September 1951 [1 Page, 0.5MB] 50 – Memorandum Regarding Interrogation Study, September 27, 1951 [1 Page, 0.5MB] 51 – Memorandum Regarding (Redacted) Trip to (Redacted) 19-20 October 1951 (Conversations with [Redacted]) [1 Page, 0.5MB] 52 – Memorandum Regarding Report by (Redacted), November 2, 1951 [1 Page, 0.5MB] 53 – Memorandum Regarding Conversations with (Redacted), 9 November 1951 [1 Page, 0.5MB] 54 – Memorandum, August 4, 1951 [1 Page, 1.1MB] 55 – Minutes of Meeting, June 11, 1951 [2 Pages, 0.5MB] 56 – Meeting on Project BLUEBIRD held 9 May 1951 at 1600 Hours [1 Page, 1.0MB] 57 – Meeting Minutes, May 4, 1951 [3 Pages, 2.7MB] 58 – Memorandum Regarding Miscellaneous Items, May 1, 1951 [1 Page, 0.7MB] 59 – Memorandum, May 2, 1951 [1 Page, 0.6MB] 60 – Memorandum for “BLUEBIRD” File, April 18, 1951 [1 Page, 0.8MB] 61 – Letter Regarding Subjects for a Psychogalvanic Machine, April 9, 1952 [1 Page, 0.6MB] 62 – Memorandum Regarding ARTICHOKE, August 31, 1951 [1 Page, 0.5MB] 63 – Memorandum Regarding (Redacted) Case, January 25, 1952 [3 Pages, 0.9MB] 64 – Conversations with (Redacted), April 25, 1951 [1 Page, 0.9MB] 65 – Memorandum Regarding Testing of Bulbocapnine, May 20, 1954 [2 Pages, 0.8MB] 66 – Memorandum Regarding Project Artichoke Drug Reviews, December 6, 1951 [2 Pages, 0.8MB] 67 – Check Disbursement, January 31, 1955 [1 Page, 0.7MB] 68 – Report on Special Trip Authorized by (Unreadable) of 13 October 1954 [18 Pages, 6.7MB] 69 – Memorandum Regarding Travel Approval for (Redacted), August 11, 1953 [1 Page, 0.8MB] 70 – Memorandum Regarding Proposed Trip, May 22, 1953 [2 Pages, 0.8MB] 71 – Memorandum Regarding Artichoke Conference, 20 March 1953 [1 Page, 0.8MB] 72 – Handwritten Document, Hard to Read, 1953 [1 Page, 1.2MB] 73 – Letter Regarding Import Permit, February 10, 1953 [1 Page, 0.8MB] 74 – Letter Regarding Project ARTICHOKE, October 13, 1953 [2 Pages, 0.7MB] 75 – Memorandum Regarding Proposed Research Project ARTICHOKE, November 25, 1952 [6 Pages, 1.3MB] 76 – Memorandum Regarding Drug Use Testing, January 27, 1961 [2 Pages, 0.5MB] 77 – Letter Regarding Drug Use, Amnesia and Secret Induction of Foreign Substances, December 6, 1956 [2 Pages, 0.9MB] 78 – Letter Regarding Use of Hypnosis, February 8, 1957 [2 Pages, 0.7MB] 79 – Memorandum Regarding Various Drugs, March 3, 1953 [1 Page, 0.5MB] 80 – Memorandum Regarding Proposal for Research on Methods of Eliciting Information (redacted), May 29, 1952 [1 Page, 0.8MB] 81 – Letter Regarding Request to Forward Medicines, Drugs, Onstensible Toilet Articles, etc. Secured from Captured Hostile Agents, Operatives or Defectors [1 Page, 0.5MB] 82 – Memorandum Regarding Interrogation Techniques, May 8, 1950 [1 Page, 0.6MB] 83 – Letter Regarding Use of Artichoke Techniques, April 29, 1953 [6 Pages, 1.4MB] 84 – Memorandum Regarding ARTICHOKE, Evaluation of Hypospray [2 Pages, 0.8MB] 85 – Federal Security Agency, Public Health Service, Letter dated October 26, 1953 [1 Page, 0.6MB] 86 – Federal Security Agency, Public Health Service, Attached Report to Above Letter [10 Pages, 1.8MB] 87 – Report by Harris Isbell, M.D., Addition Liabilities of Synthetic Substitutes for Codeine, January 1, 1954 [1 Page, 0.6MB] 88 – Letter Regarding Federal Security Agency, Public Health Service, Annual Progress Report [1 Page, 0.5MB] 89 – MKULTRA (Subproject 78) Cover Sheet Part 2 of 3 [1 Page, 0.5MB] 90 – MKULTRA (Subproject 78) Cover Sheet Part 3 of 3 [1 Page, 0.5MB] 91 – Memorandum Regarding Use of Drugs During Intelligence Gathering, January 2, 1954 [3 Pages, 1.1MB]
The check for the rest of the pages was (re)sent on November 1, 2018. They were finally released, and are available below.
“Behavioral Modification” Documents Released November 2018
.ZIP File Available of ENTIRE Collection Below [459MB]
| Name | Description | Date | Page Count | File Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| !F-2018-00976.pdf | Original FOIA Response Letter | 11/18/2018 | 1 | 409K |
| C00017440.pdf | Various MKULTRA Financial Records / Documents | Various | 821 | 227M |
| C00021787.pdf | U.S. Government Agreement Contract w/ Unknown Company | 01/26/1970 | 3 | 895K |
| C00021788.pdf | Negotiated Contract for Behavioral Control Support w/ Unknown Company | 11/01/1970 | 5 | 1.4M |
| C00021789.pdf | Contract Inspection Assignment Record | 11/09/1970 | 1 | 525K |
| C00021790.pdf | Project OFTEN Records, 1965-1973, Records Retirement Request | 05/22/1974 | 7 | 1.3M |
| C00021791.pdf | Memorandum for the Record, Handwritten | 03/18/1971 | 2 | 829K |
| C00021792.pdf | Memorandum for the Record, Handwritten | 03/29/1971 | 1 | 583K |
| C00021793.pdf | Memorandum for the Record, Handwritten | 05/05/1971 | 1 | 557K |
| C00021794.pdf | Request to Procurement, Edgewood Arsenal, Transfer of Funds | 02/01/1971 | 2 | 685K |
| C00021795.pdf | Contract Action, Edgewood Arsenal, Transfer of Funds | 02/16/1971 | 1 | 518K |
| C00021796.pdf | Request to Procurement, Edgewood Arsenal, Contract Amendment | 08/01/1969 | 2 | 591K |
| C00021797.pdf | Notice of Expiration/Renewal Request, Edgewood Arsenal | 05/06/1971 | 1 | 535K |
| C00021798.pdf | Covert Action Program Wide/Behavioral Act, Assessment & Selection | 10/01/1971 | 1 | 733K |
| C00021799.pdf | Image Temporarily Unavailable | Unknown | 1 | 364K |
| C00021800.pdf | Request to Procurement, OFTEN/Tissue Culture Screens | 03/01/1972 | 2 | 646K |
| C00021801.pdf | Request to Procurement, Organic Materials Synthesis | 08/01/1972 | 2 | 702K |
| C00021802.pdf | Outside Activity Approval Request, Employee Activity Branch | 11/27/1968 | 1 | 513K |
| C00021803.pdf | Letter regarding demonstration | 03/24/1965 | 3 | 1.4M |
| C00021805.pdf | Report on Electro-Sleep and Electro-Anesthesia in Europe and the Soviet Union | 07/07/1965 | 16 | 2.7M |
| C00021806.pdf | Letter regarding unsolicited proposal to provide a chemical screening facility | 11/26/1965 | 1 | 438K |
| C00021808.pdf | Letter regarding research proposal on physiological short term stress inducers | 01/25/1966 | 1 | 564K |
| C00021809.pdf | Letter regarding “Factors Affecting [REDACTED]” Research Proposal | 02/24/1966 | 1 | 444K |
| C00021811.pdf | Letter regarding research program | 05/25/1966 | 2 | 582K |
| C00021812.pdf | “Psychophysiologic and Verbal Correlates of Altered Consciousness during Amytal Interview” Proposal | 06/15/1966 | 20 | 2.3M |
| C00021813.pdf | Letters with Progress Report Attachment | 06/27/1966 | 5 | 627K |
| C00021814.pdf | Letter from unknown, regarding “Amytal Interviews” | 09/23/1966 | 1 | 493K |
| C00021816.pdf | Letter regarding various items discussed with CIA | 10/10/1966 | 4 | 616K |
| C00021817.pdf | Letter of Correspondence | 10/10/1966 | 1 | 434K |
| C00021818.pdf | Letter refusing support of electronarcosis research | 10/18/1966 | 1 | 394K |
| C00021821.pdf | Letter regarding “Electroncephalographic” Indicators | 03/14/1967 | 1 | 533K |
| C00021823.pdf | Letter regarding article clearance/approval | 06/21/1967 | 1 | 472K |
| C00021824.pdf | Letter regarding proposal under unknown contract number | 09/25/1967 | 1 | 417K |
| C00021825.pdf | Remote Control of Behavior with Rewarding Electrical Stimulation of the Brain, 1 July 1962 – 30 September 1965 | 09/28/1967 | 113 | 14M |
| C00021826.pdf | Letter regarding Project OFTEN | 12/19/1967 | 1 | 464K |
| C00021827.pdf | Letter regarding budgets about an “animal program” | 12/29/1967 | 2 | 473K |
| C00021828.pdf | Studies of Screening of Chemical Compounds for Detection of Behavioral Effects | 03/04/1968 | 14 | 1.4M |
| C00021829.pdf | Letter regarding chemical compound supplier | 03/14/1968 | 1 | 444K |
| C00021830.pdf | Report regarding testing sedatives, hypnotics, hallucinogens, stimulants etc. on mice | 10/24/1968 | 14 | 1.4M |
| C00021831.pdf | Letter and proposal for contract extension | 02/26/1969 | 17 | 1.7M |
| C00021832.pdf | REM Electro-Therapy Report | 10/22/1969 | 16 | 2.4M |
| C00021833.pdf | Letter regarding progress report on prototype to detect [REDACTED] | 02/06/1970 | 1 | 471K |
| C00021834.pdf | Third Quarterly Report, Behavioral Screening Program | 02/18/1970 | 15 | 2.2M |
| C00021835.pdf | Technical Proposal, Pharmocological Screening of useful new agents | 03/12/1970 | 26 | 3.1M |
| C00021836.pdf | Proposal to Study the Toxic Properties of Highly Poisonous Natural Products | 09/04/1970 | 5 | 1.0M |
| C00021837.pdf | Letter regarding update on an unknown contract | 09/14/1970 | 1 | 469K |
| C00021838.pdf | Letter regarding use of pyrotechnic material to bring about visual incapacitation | 11/02/1970 | 1 | 499K |
| C00021839.pdf | Letter regarding update of contract and order of chemicals | 02/10/1971 | 2 | 545K |
| C00021840.pdf | Letter regarding completion of update report | 09/17/1971 | 2 | 575K |
| C00021841.pdf | First Quarter, FY72 Activity Management Report, Edgewood Arsenal (Just letter, no report) | 12/21/1971 | 1 | 420K |
| C00021842.pdf | Studies on the Mechanism of Action of Compounds Affecting the Central Nervous System Using Tissue Culture Techniques | 03/27/1972 | 11 | 1.2M |
| C00021843.pdf | Letter regarding Kirlian Photography | 06/05/1972 | 2 | 590K |
| C00021844.pdf | Letter regarding contract acquisition | 08/03/1972 | 1 | 383K |
| C00021845.pdf | Letters regarding unknown contract and funding approvals | 10/25/1972 | 3 | 560K |
| C00021846.pdf | Letter regarding funds for unknown contract | 04/06/1973 | 1 | 461K |
| C00021849.pdf | Screening of Compounds Effecting Behavior Proposal | 11/26/1965 | 12 | 1.3M |
| C00021850.pdf | Development of improved techniques in drug interrogation of criminals | 02/09/1966 | 2 | 596K |
| C00021851.pdf | Listing of Document Numbers / Report Titles for Approval | Unknown | 1 | 440K |
| C00021852.pdf | To Do List for ? | Unknown | 2 | 458K |
| C00021853.pdf | List for ? | Unknown | 1 | 401K |
| C00021854.pdf | Bibliography List of Documents | 06/01/1971 | 2 | 534K |
| C00021855.pdf | Bibliography List of Documents | Unknown | 2 | 590K |
| C00021856.pdf | Documents Relating to Personnel Incapacitation | 09/08/1972 | 21 | 3.3M |
| C00021857.pdf | Letter Regarding Use of [REDACTED] in Operational Situations | 01/21/1964 | 1 | 556K |
| C00021858.pdf | Memorandum Regarding the Training of [REDACTED] | 02/07/1964 | 1 | 434K |
| C00021860.pdf | Wildlife Telemetry — A Potential Intelligence Collection Media | 04/16/1964 | 2 | 562K |
| C00021861.pdf | Extension of Project Letter | 12/03/1964 | 2 | 545K |
| C00021862.pdf | Letter Regarding Unknown Study | 12/21/1964 | 1 | 496K |
| C00021863.pdf | Requirements for Animal Field Testing | 03/12/1965 | 2 | 1.4M |
| C00021864.pdf | Letter Regarding Animal Testing Study | 03/27/1965 | 3 | 719K |
| C00021865.pdf | Contract Assistance for Project TUMS Radiometer Development | 09/27/???? | 1 | 450K |
| C00021866.pdf | HEALTH Hazard Radiometer Report | 10/06/1965 | 4 | 1.1M |
| C00021867.pdf | Soviet Microwave Permissible Doses | 10/27/1965 | 2 | 513K |
| C00021868.pdf | Training Project for [REDACTED] | Unknown | 1 | 500K |
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CIA’s MK-Ultra LSD Experiments: How Mind Control Tests Created the Counterculture
The CIA’s secret MK-Ultra program used LSD experiments on unwitting subjects in a failed attempt to develop mind control techniques, accidentally sparking the 1960s counterculture movement that would transform American society. This covert operation, which ran from 1953 to 1973, represents one of the most significant intelligence failures in U.S. history — not because it failed to achieve its goals, but because it produced the exact opposite of what the agency intended.
The Cold War Backdrop: Why the CIA Started Mind Control Research
The aftermath of World War II created a new kind of warfare between the United States and the Soviet Union. Intelligence agencies on both sides sought psychological weapons that could break enemy agents without physical torture or provide strategic advantages in interrogation and espionage.
CIA officials became convinced that the Soviets had developed advanced brainwashing techniques after observing the confessions of American prisoners during the Korean War. These concerns intensified when Cardinal József Mindszenty appeared to have been “programmed” during his 1949 trial in Hungary, displaying behavior that suggested mental manipulation.
The agency’s paranoia reached its peak when they learned that Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann had discovered lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in 1938. Intelligence reports suggested the Soviets were purchasing large quantities of the compound, leading CIA leadership to fear they were falling behind in the race for chemical mind control weapons.
Sidney Gottlieb: The CIA Chemist Behind MK-Ultra
Sidney Gottlieb, a Brooklyn-born chemist with a club foot and a passion for folk dancing, became the architect of America’s most controversial intelligence program. Despite his mild-mannered appearance, colleagues would later refer to
him as the CIA’s “poisoner in chief” for his role in developing chemical weapons and mind control techniques.
Gottlieb joined the CIA in 1951 and quickly impressed his superiors with his expertise in biological and chemical warfare. When Director Allen Dulles approved the MK-Ultra program in April 1953, he placed Gottlieb in charge of Technical Services Staff, giving him virtually unlimited authority to pursue mind control research.
One of Gottlieb’s first major decisions shaped the entire counterculture movement that would follow. In 1953, he purchased the world’s entire supply of LSD —approximately 100 million doses worth $240,000 — from Sandoz Pharmaceuticals in Switzerland. This massive acquisition ensured that nearly all LSD research in the United States would flow through CIA-controlled channels, at least initially.
The chemist established a network of universities, hospitals, and research institutions to conduct experiments under the guise of legitimate scientific research. He personally oversaw projects at psychiatric hospitals, prisons, and safe houses, often attending sessions where subjects were dosed without their knowledge or consent.
Inside MK-Ultra: The CIA’s Secret LSD Program
MK-Ultra officially launched in 1953 as an umbrella program encompassing 149 different sub-projects across multiple institutions. The program’s scope extendedfar beyond LSD experiments to include research into hypnosis, electroshock therapy, sensory deprivation, and various drug combinations designed to break down human consciousness.
The CIA funded research at prestigious institutions including Harvard University, Stanford University, and McGill University in Montreal. Researchers received grants through front organizations like the Society for the Investigation of Human Ecology, which concealed the intelligence agency’s involvement from both subjects and many researchers themselves.
LSD became the program’s primary focus because of its potentconsciousness-altering effects and the agency’s belief that it could serve as a truth serum or memory-erasing agent. Scientists administered doses ranging from 25 to 1,500 micrograms, often without subjects’ knowledge, to observe behavioral changes and test the compound’s potential for interrogation and mind control.
The program operated under extreme secrecy, with compartmentalized information and code names protecting the identities of researchers and subjects. Gottlieb maintained detailed records of experiments, though he would later destroy most documentation when congressional investigations began in the 1970s.
The Secret History of MK Ultra w/Tom O'Neill | Joe Rogan
MK-Ultra Test Subjects: Unwitting Victims of CIA LSD Experiments
The individuals targeted and methods used in theMK-Ultra program raise seriousethical questions about human experimentation.
The CIA conducted LSD experiments on thousands of unwitting subjects across diverse populations, viewing vulnerable individuals as ideal test subjects who were unlikely to report their experiences or be believed if they did. Mental patients, prisoners, military personnel, and ordinary citizens all became subjects in this massive human experimentation program.
At Allan Memorial Institute in Montreal, Dr. Ewan Cameron used CIA funding to conduct “psychic driving” experiments on psychiatric patients. Subjects underwent weeks of drug-induced comas combined with electroshock therapy and repetitive audio messages designed to erase existing memories and implant new ones.Many patients suffered permanent psychological damage from these procedures.
Federal prisons provided another testing ground for MK-Ultra researchers. At the Federal Narcotics Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, Dr. Harris Isbell administered LSD to African American inmates for up to 77 consecutive days, offering them heroin and other drugs as payment for participation. Prison subjects were considered ideal because their isolation prevented them from reporting their experiences to outside authorities.
The CIA also established safe houses in major cities forOperation Midnight Climax, where prostitutes, recruited as unwitting agents, would drug clients with LSD while researchers observed the effects from behind one-way mirrors. Operation Midnight Climax, as this program was known, allowed scientists to study the compound’s effects in sexual situations while gathering intelligence on prominent individuals who frequented these establishments.
Military personnel faced involuntary dosing during training exercises and medical examinations. Soldiers at Fort Detrick and other installations received LSD without their knowledge, leading to several documented cases of severe psychological trauma and at least one suicide when Army researcher Frank Olson died after being secretly dosed by his CIA colleagues.
From CIA Lab to Counterculture: Ken Kesey and the Acid Tests
Ken Kesey’s participation in CIA-funded LSD experiments at Stanford University in 1960 created the crucial link between government mind control research and the emerging counterculture movement. Kesey, then a graduate student in creative writing, volunteered for psychological studies that paid $75 per session — unaware that his experiences were funded by MK-Ultra.
The experiments, conducted at Stanford’s psychology department under Dr. Leo Hollister, introduced Kesey to LSD’s transformative effects. Rather than serving the CIA’s purposes, these sessions inspired Kesey’s novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and convinced him that psychedelic experiences could liberate human consciousness from societal constraints. After leaving Stanford, Kesey began hosting “Acid Tests” with his group the Merry Pranksters, sharing LSD with hundreds of participants in multimedia events that combined music, light shows, and communal drug experiences. These gatherings, which began in 1965, introduced thousands of young Americans to LSD and established many of the cultural patterns that would define the hippie movement. The irony was profound: CIA research intended to develop techniques for controlling human behavior instead produced a cultural leader who used the same compounds to encourage individual freedom and resistance to authority. Kesey’s philosophy directly contradicted everything the intelligence agency hoped to achieve through mind control research.
The Acid Tests also connected Kesey with the Grateful Dead, whose music became synonymous with psychedelic culture. Band members participated in early experiments and helped create the soundtrack for a movement that would eventually challenge American foreign policy, social norms, and government authority — the exact opposite of what MK-Ultra was designed to accomplish.
Acid Culture Takes Shape
The LSD that escaped CIA control through figures like Ken Kesey found fertile ground in the emerging youth culture of the 1960s. College campuses, particularly in California, became centers of psychedelic experimentation as students soughtalternative legal approaches to health and consciousness exploration outside traditional medical frameworks. Timothy Leary, a Harvard psychology professor, became the movement’s most prominent advocate after his own LSD experiences in the early 1960s. His famous advice to “turn on, tune in, drop out” provided a philosophical framework for a generation seeking alternatives to conventional society. Leary’s research at Harvard, though eventually shut down by university administrators, legitimized psychedelic use as a tool for personal and spiritual development.
Underground chemists began producing LSD independently of CIA sources, most notably Augustus Owsley Stanley III, whose high-quality “Owsley acid” supplied much of the West Coast psychedelic scene. Stanley’s operation produced millions of doses that fueled the expansion of acid culture far beyond Kesey’s initial circle. The compound’s effects — ego dissolution, mystical experiences, and altered perception — aligned perfectly with the era’s questioning of authority and traditional values. Users reported insights that challenged everything from personal relationships to political systems, creating a generation more willing to oppose war, racism, and social conformity than any before it.
Changes in Societal Culture and Norms
LSD use contributed to broader cultural transformations that reshaped American society throughout the 1960s and beyond. The compound’s ability to dissolve conventional boundaries between self and other, individual and community, created new forms of social organization and artistic expression. Music underwent radical transformation as artists like the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Jefferson Airplane incorporated psychedelic experiences into their creative processes. The resulting sounds — complex arrangements, unusual instruments, and lyrics exploring consciousness and spirituality — provided a soundtrack for cultural revolution that reached mainstream audiences.
Fashion and visual art reflected LSD’s influence through bright colors, flowing patterns, and designs that mimicked the compound’s visual effects. The aesthetic of “flower power” emerged directly from psychedelic culture, spreading through advertising, television, and consumer products to influence popular taste far beyond drug-using communities.
Sexual attitudes shifted as psychedelic experiences broke down inhibitions and traditional gender roles. The “free love” movement, while not caused solely by LSD use, gained momentum from the compound’s tendency to dissolve social boundaries and encourage experimentation with new forms of relationships and sexual expression.
Political consciousness evolved as LSD users developed skepticism toward authority and conventional wisdom. The antiwar movement drew heavily from psychedelic communities, whose experiences had shown them the arbitrary nature of many social rules and the possibility of organizing society around different principles.
A Crashing of the Wave of the 1960s
The psychedelic movement that emerged from CIA laboratories eventually faced its own limitations and contradictions. By the late 1960s, widespread LSD use had produced negative consequences that undermined the compound’s utopian promise and provided ammunition for government crackdowns.
High-profile incidents of psychological trauma, including publicized “bad trips” and cases of lasting mental health problems, shifted public opinion against psychedelic use. The media focused on sensational stories of users jumping from buildings or suffering permanent psychological damage, creating fear that overshadowed positive reports about therapeutic and creative benefits.
The Manson Family murders in 1969 became a turning point in public perception of psychedelic culture. Charles Manson’s use of LSD to manipulate followers demonstrated the compound’s potential for harm when combined with charismatic leadership and criminal intent, providing a dark mirror image of the CIA’s original mind control aspirations.
Government prohibition intensified as authorities recognized LSD’s role in fuelingantiwar protests and countercultural movements. The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classified LSD as a Schedule I drug, making research difficult and driving use underground where quality control and safety measures were impossible to maintain.
Internal contradictions within psychedelic culture also contributed to its decline. The movement’s emphasis on individual consciousness expansion often conflicted with efforts to create lasting social change, leading to political fragmentation and the withdrawal of many users from collective action into purely personal spiritual pursuits.
The MK-Ultra Revelation: CIA’s Greatest Backfire
The exposure of MK-Ultra in 1975 revealed the ultimate irony of the CIA’s mind control program: their research had created the very countercultural movement that challenged American government authority and foreign policy throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. Congressional investigations led by Senator Frank Church uncovered the scope of illegal human experimentation and its unintended consequences.
The Church Committee hearings revealed that the CIA had violated fundamental principles of medical ethics and constitutional rights while pursuing mind control capabilities that proved scientifically impossible. Rather than creating compliant subjects, LSD consistently produced unpredictable effects that made it useless for interrogation or behavioral control purposes.
Sidney Gottlieb’s decision to destroy most MK-Ultra records in 1973 limited investigators’ ability to fully document the program’s scope, but surviving evidence showed clear connections between CIA research and the psychedelic movement. The agency’s own internal assessments acknowledged that their experiments had failed to achieve their objectives while contributing to social upheaval.
The revelation damaged CIA credibility and contributed to broader public skepticism about government institutions that continues today. The irony was complete: a program designed to enhance American intelligence capabilities instead undermined public trust in the very agencies it was meant to strengthen.
Legal settlements eventually compensated some victims of MK-Ultra experiments, though many subjects were never identified or notified of their participation. The program’s legacy serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unethical research and the unpredictable consequences of attempts to manipulate human consciousness.
MK-Ultra’s Legal Legacy and Government Accountability
The exposure of MK-Ultra led to unprecedented congressional oversight and legal challenges that reshaped intelligence agency operations and established new protections for research subjects. The Church Committee investigations of 1975-1976 revealed systematic violations of constitutional rights and medical ethics that had continued for over two decades.
Survivors and families of subjects fromthe CIA’s MK-Ultra program filed numerous lawsuits against the CIA and associated institutions throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The most significant case, filed by the family of Frank Olson — the Army researcher who died after being secretly dosed with LSD — resulted in a $750,000 settlement in 1975 and renewed investigations decades later.
The Canadian government faced separate legal challenges over experiments at Allan Memorial Institute, eventually reaching a $100 million settlement with affected families in 1992. These cases established important precedents for government accountability in human experimentation and compensation for victims of unethical research.
Congressional reforms following the MK-Ultra revelations included stricter oversight of intelligence activities and new requirements for informed consent in federally funded research. The National Research Act of 1974 created institutional review boards to protect human subjects, directly responding to abuses revealed in CIA experiments.
However, significant gaps remain in the historical record due to Gottlieb’s destruction of most program documents. This deliberate obstruction of justice has prevented complete accountability and left many victims without knowledge of their participation in experiments or access to appropriate compensation.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What was MK-Ultra and how did it involve LSD?
MK-Ultra was the CIA’s secret mind control program that ran from 1953 to 1973, using LSD experiments on thousands of unwitting subjects. The program aimed to develop techniques for interrogation and behavioral control but instead contributed to the 1960s counterculture movement.
How much LSD did the CIA purchase for MK-Ultra?
Sidney Gottlieb, the program’s director, purchased the world’s entire supply of LSD in 1953 — approximately 100 million doses worth $240,000 from Sandoz Pharmaceuticals. This massive acquisition gave the CIA control over most LSD research in the United States during the program’s early years.
Who were the victims of MK-Ultra LSD experiments?
MK-Ultra subjects included mental patients, prisoners, military personnel, and ordinary citizens who were dosed without their knowledge or consent. Vulnerable populations were specifically targeted because they were unlikely to report their experiences or be believed by authorities.
How did Ken Kesey become involved with LSD?
Ken Kesey volunteered for CIA-funded LSD experiments at Stanford University in 1960, receiving $75 per session for participation in psychological studies. These experiences inspired his novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and led him to organize the Acid Tests that introduced LSD to counterculture communities.
When was MK-Ultra exposed to the public?
The Church Committee congressional investigations in 1975 exposed MK-Ultra to the public, revealing the scope of illegal human experimentation. The exposure came after Sidney Gottlieb had already destroyed most program records in 1973, limiting investigators’ ability to document the full extent of the program.
What legal consequences followed the MK-Ultra revelations?
Survivors filed numerous lawsuits against the CIA and associated institutions, resulting in settlements including $750,000 to Frank Olson’s family and $100 million to Canadian victims. The revelations also led to stricter oversight of intelligence activities and new protections for research subjects.
