MK ULTRA Controversy

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During this time, in the 1950’s, the CIA had begun the MK ULTRA experiments, The operation began in the early 1950s, was officially sanctioned in 1953, was slightly reduced in scope in 1964, diminished further in 1967, officially ending in 1973. The program engaged in many illegal activities, including the use of unwitting U.S. and Canadian citizens as its test subjects, which led to controversy regarding its legitimacy. MK ULTRA used numerous methods to manipulate people's mental states and alter brain functions, including the covert administration of drugs (especially LSD) and other chemicals, hypnosis, sensory deprivation, isolation, verbal and sexual abuse, as well as other forms of psychological torture. This is strange but certainly …show more content…

Even though the most talked about aspect of MK ULTRA was the CIA's LSD work there were also many other experiments conducted. The program included many other unusual investigations relating to the science of mind control. CIA researchers investigated the potential of numerous Para psychological phenomena, such as hypnosis, telepathy, precognition, photo kinesis and remote viewing (The ability to leave your body and move around with only your consciousness). These studies werent conducted to merely scratch the CIA's curious itch. The CIA was looking for weapons that would give the United States the upper hand in the mind wars. Because of this objective, the CIA poured millions of dollars into studies investigating literally dozens of methods of influencing and controlling the …show more content…

When an investigation of CIA abuses exposed the facts in 1975, two White House aides named Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld helped set up a meeting at which President Gerald Ford apologized to the Olson family. The goal, according to a declassified White House memo, was to avert a lawsuit in which it "may become apparent that we are concealing evidence for national security

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