Nexus - 1302 - New Times Magazine-pages

Page Content (OCR)

accelerated learning and relaxation is a growing area of interest to security officers first noticed that the Soviets were bombarding the many people. Moreover, the use of these tools in conjunction with | US embassy in Moscow with microwave radiation, the US govern- biofeedback has been the subject of quickly evolving research. The — ment still has not determined conclusively—or is unwilling to combined technologies of brain state inducement and biofeedback reveal—the purpose behind the beams".* The US government did offer exciting possibilities. It has been found with the combination know what was happening. The Soviets had developed methods for that a person, in a matter of several weeks, can learn to modify pur- disrupting the purposeful thought of humans and were using their posefully his/her brain activity in a way which would have taken a knowledge to impact diplomats in the United States embassy in Zen master twenty years to accomplish. It has been shown that Moscow. some children with attention deficit disorders can be taught to regu- In 1994, a report concerning the MKULTRA program was late their brain activities so that they can learn efficiently without issued, containing the following information: chemicals. It has been demonstrated that recovering stroke victims "In the 1950s and '60s, the CIA engaged in an extensive program can more rapidly recover when working with brain-biofeedback of human experimentation, using drugs, psychological, and other practitioners and these new tools. means, in search of techniques to control human behavior for coun- The research is also teaching us a good deal about our sug- terintelligence and covert action purposes. gestibility in terms of influences which have an impact on our "In 1973, the CIA purposefully destroyed most of the behaviour. The underlying message that comes with the new tech- MKULTRA files concerning its research and testing on human nology is the necessity of providing safeguards against misuse. behaviour. In 1977, the agency uncovered additional MKULTRA Additionally, recognition of the everyday files in the budget and fiscal records that were stimulation we all get and the effect of these not indexed under the name MKULTRA. information inputs on our learning processes These documents detailed over 150 subprojects becomes more clear. The suggestibility of that the CIA funded in this area, but no humans, particularly when in a fatigued condi- The 1980s and 1990s evidence was uncovered at that time tion, has been exploited by terrorists, cults and | were focused on building concerning the use of radiation. - Give suggestiily of radio and television as | UP the physical body. The | ic owves on human beings in esponse ta we weave in and out of the semi-sleep states is 21st century will see a a Soviet practice of beaming microwaves on for the most part not even recognised. The focus on building the the US embassy. The agency determined that passive learning situations become even more this was outside the scope of the Advisory relevant when we consider how we "receive mind and optimising Committee's purview. the news" in our daily lives. The ability to mental performance. ",..The Church Committee found some influence thinking, behaviour and perfor- records, but also noted that the practice of MKULTRA at that time was ‘to maintain no records of the planning and approval of test programs’. .. MKULTRA itself was technically closed out in 1964, but some of its work was transferred to the Office of Research and Development (ORD) within the DS&T under the name MKSEARCH and continued into the 1970s. "The CIA worked closely with the Army in conducting the LSD experi- ments. This connection with the Army is function is no different than the control significant because MKULTRA began at of the muscles in our bodies. Learning to the same time that Secretary of Defense control or coordinate the activity of our minds will propel our Wilson issued his 1953 directive to the military services on ethical bodies through a much more productive and fuller life. The new guidelines for human experiments. tools may offer just such opportunities. "Throughout the course of MKULTRA, the CIA sponsored On the other side of the issue is the potential for misuse and numerous experiments on unwitting humans. After the death of exploitation of the science. Military planners, law enforcement one such individual (Frank Olson, an army scientist, was given mance is indeed a two-edged sword. The 1980s and 1990s were focused on building up the physical body. The 21st century will see a focus on building the mind and optimising mental performance. The idea of merging the new technologies into education is interesting and also calls into question who will decide what is to be learned. In the interim, the possibilities are incredible for those interested in such pursuits. The control of our mental The idea of merging the new technologies into education is interesting and also calls into question who will decide what is to be learned. officials and others are now seeking the covert use of these tech- LSD in 1953 and committed suicide a week later), an internal CIA nologies for controlling the ultimate "information processor"—the investigation warned about the dangers of such experimentation. Human Being. The CIA persisted in this practice for at least the next ten years. After the 1963 IG [Inspector-General] report recommended termi- MK-ULTRA nation of unwitting testing, Deputy Director for Plans Richard "Dr Gottlieb, born August 3, 1918, was the CIA's real-life ‘Dr Helms (who later became Director of Central Intelligence) contin- Strangelove'—a brilliant bio-chemist who designed and headed ued to advocate covert testing on the ground that ‘positive opera- MK-ULTRA, the agency's most far-reaching drug and mind-control _ tional capability to use drugs is diminishing, owing to a lack of real- program at the height of the Cold War. Though the super-secret istic testing. With increasing knowledge of state of the art, we are MK-ULTRA was ended in 1964, a streamlined version called MK- less capable of staying up with the Soviet advances in this field’. SEARCH was continued—with Gottlieb in charge—until 1972."" ..Helms attributed the cessation of the unwitting testing to the high During this period, substantial interest in mind control was stimu- risk of embarrassment to the Agency as well as the 'moral problem’. lated by Soviet use of microwaves. In 1988, "thirty-five years after He noted that no better covert situation had been devised than that The idea of merging the new technologies into education is interesting and also calls into MK-ULTRA "Dr Gottlieb, born August 3, 1918, was the CIA's real-life 'Dr Strangelove'—a brilliant bio-chemist who designed and headed MK-ULTRA, the agency's most far-reaching drug and mind-control program at the height of the Cold War. Though the super-secret MK-ULTRA was ended in 1964, a streamlined version called MK- SEARCH was continued—with Gottlieb in charge—until 1972."" During this period, substantial interest in mind control was stimu- lated by Soviet use of microwaves. In 1988, "thirty-five years after 38 + NEXUS The 1980s and 1 990s www.nexusmagazine.com FEBRUARY — MARCH 2006