The Michael Shermer Show

Inside the CIA’s Mind Control Experiments

11 snips
May 20, 2025
Join historian John Lisle, author of 'Project Mind Control', as he unveils the chilling secrets behind the CIA's MKULTRA. Lisle discusses the dark tactics employed by Sidney Gottlieb to manipulate minds, from hallucinogenic drugs to psychological torture. Dive into the harrowing stories of victims seeking justice and the complex ethical landscape of covert operations. With newly uncovered testimonies, he sheds light on the legacy of these experiments and their lingering impact on society, while questioning the very nature of human behavior and accountability.
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INSIGHT

Origins of MKUltra

  • MKUltra was sparked by fears that communist forces used mind control on prisoners of war.
  • The CIA sought to develop methods of mind control to defend against or use in covert operations.
INSIGHT

CIA's Early Operational Shift

  • The CIA shifted early from intelligence gathering to offensive covert operations, provoking concern from President Truman.
  • This shift laid groundwork for secretive, often unaccountable programs like MKUltra.
ANECDOTE

Operation Midnight Climax: LSD and Spies

  • The CIA secretly dosed unwitting San Francisco clients with LSD via prostitutes while agents observed behind one-way mirrors.
  • The real key to extracting information was the post-experience social interaction, not the drugs themselves.
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