Behind the Bastards

ICHH: That Time the CIA dosed a French Town with Acid: Spooky Week #1

9 snips
Oct 25, 2021
Dive into the shocking story of how the CIA covertly dosed a French town with LSD, leading to mass hallucinations and bizarre behavior. Explore the eerie effects on Pont Saint-Esprit's residents, as they faced altered states of reality and grappled with spiraling confusion. From tales of possession to a baker's mysterious flour, this dark chapter unveils the unsettling truths behind government-sponsored mind games. With a mix of humor and gravity, the discussion reveals the bizarre interplay between experimentation and its innocent victims.
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ANECDOTE

French Town Madness

  • In Pont-Saint-Esprit, France, 1951, hundreds experienced nausea, stomach pains, and insomnia after eating bread.
  • Symptoms escalated to hallucinations, delirium, and bizarre behavior, leading to hospitalizations and some deaths.
ANECDOTE

Vivid Hallucinations

  • A postman hallucinated shrinking and serpents, while others saw tigers, imagined children as sausages, and fought beasts.
  • One man believed he was a dragonfly, jumped from a window, broke his legs, and continued running.
INSIGHT

Context Matters

  • In 1951, hallucinogenic drugs were largely unknown, so the townspeople interpreted their experiences as demonic possession or insanity.
  • This lack of understanding likely worsened their fear and reactions compared to someone who knowingly took a drug.
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