Human Experimentation in the US

Shortly after WWII, and under the pressure of the burgeoning Cold War, the US initiated a massive program of research projects centering on interrogation techniques and psychological control. As Alfred W. McCoy termed it, this veritable Manhattan Project of the mind spanned several decades and required billions of dollars of tax money. The umbrella name for these projects was MK-ULTRA.

Project MK-ULTRA was first brought to light through Congressional investigations in the late 1970's by the Church Committee. The investigation revealed that the CIA had conducted countless experiments on unwitting US and Canadian citizens, using various drugs including LSD, and numerous psychological tricks such as hypnosis, and psychic driving. For a meticulously documented history of these programs, including the earliest recorded LSD-related death of a CIA operative, see Hank Albarelli's book A Terrible Mistake: The Murder of Frank Olson and the CIA's Secret Cold War Experiments.

Subsequent to the hearings, the government claimed its research was fruitless, however, survivors of all ages who recount experiences of behavioral conditioning sessions continue to surface today. A few published their autobiographies, yet these stories have not broken through into the maintsream of public consciousness. What survivors and researchers today have to say points to an almost unfathomable reality, that the documented goal of the earliest programs, an effective system of behavioral control, has been achieved, and is now operational.

This art show is one attempt among many to bring this secret history to life. Lynn Schirmer and Patricia Davis are survivors of these programs. Jeremy Begin is an advocate and activist.

Download a pamphlet summarizing the background of the Unwanted Exhibit(pdf).