Blog #12 - Annotated Research 2

Lux, . "MKULTRA: Psychedelic Mind Control and Its Legacy".." Erowid Extracts. N.p., 27 Mar 2009. Web. 8 Apr 2011. <http://www.erowid.org/psychoactives/war/mkultra/mkultra_article1.shtml>

This fascinating article details some of the actions of the CIA under the MKULTRA project. During the Cold War, the U.S. tried to find various ways to use mind control to gain an advantage over communism. Seeing psychedelics as having the most profound effect on the mind, they strongly went with that route. MKULTRA was basically a covert operation that tested LSD and other psychedelics on unwitting participants. In doing so, the CIA hoped to gain a truth serum, or a form of mind control. Seemingly, neither was obtained. Most of MKULTRA was illegal and violated ethical standards. In one project, prostitutes were paid to take men to a certain building and drug them with LSD. The testing had negative effects at points, even driving one man to apparently kill himself. This article relates strongly to the Firefly movie. In the movie, the Alliance tests drugs on an unwitting planet, also with their hopes set on a form of mind control. Similarly, the CIA tested LSD on various participants, although with a much less severe outcome. Although the participants weren't turned into Reavers, the LSD tests did seem to provide much of the background for the psychedelics usage of that time. Thankfully, MKULTRA was shut down in the early 70's, although the impact that it had on the government's reputation was minimal, and no charges were pressed against the former operatives in the project. This seemingly relates to the Alliance, as its only damage proved to be a bit of a reputation loss.