- Did you ever consider
what would've happened if any of these substances
were given to say, unwitting people?
- Oh, I don't remember
having considered that specifically, I.
- What if you, I trust perhaps
you've thought about it.
- Well, I haven't worried about it.
I, your question again,
what would I have thought had I known that?
- Any of these substances would be.
- Would've been given to?
Unwitting persons.
- You mean a hostile agent of another government?
- No, I mean, test. - I mean, that's probably what I had in mind.
- I mean testing it out
on an American citizen.
- I.
I guess I must seem very, very cold-blooded about this,
but I don't recall ever having been
very much preoccupied with that issue.
- But many drugs were tested in this way.
A decision was made at the highest levels of the CIA
to do testing on unwitting Americans.
As one CIA document says,
"Such testing would be operationally realistic."
A former CIA official who worked on these programs describes
for the first time how the decision was made.
He did not wish to be filmed or recorded.
Thus, his remarks are read by someone else.
- I think every last one of us felt sorry
to attempt this kind of thing.
We knew we were crossing a line.
Every decent kid knows he shouldn't steal,
but he does it sometimes.
We knew damn well we didn't want anyone else
to know what we were doing.
- Come to bed.
- I'll be in soon.
- They're gonna approve the funding. Come.
- This study aims to provide
a chemical enhancement of such memories
as to allow the subject
to replay the role-defining moments
and physicians such as myself,
a path towards reconstruction of the events
with a variable outcome.
- Given the current success rates that we're seeing
with the electroconvulsive therapy,
what would be the reasoning at this time
that the board would consider diverting precious funds
to explore a path, which in my professional opinion,
is already working?
- We're treating trauma, using trauma.
- I'm painting a picture here.
Like I said, Dr. Strauss here
is looking for taxpayer funding
to test psychedelic drugs on patients
to alter people's minds.
- Motion for funding is denied.
Dr. Strauss, thank you for your time.
- They were looking for fundamental information
on compounds that were,
that would be capable of causing changes
in behavior, changes in mental attitude.
- The decision was made
to do testing on unwitting victims.
It was decided they should be on the fringes of society
because they were most vulnerable.
- It was the borderline underworld,
prostitutes, drug addicts, and other small-timers
that would be powerless to seek
any kind of revenge in case they found out.
- We're out of time.
- We had the board denying
Ford's funding today.
It's time to recruit him.
About that subject that escaped,
make sure Townsend gets him before anybody sees him.
I don't wanna have to call Langley.
- Don't, no reason to worry 'em.
You'll hear from me.
- Uh, sorry to keep you.
Right, Brian.
- How is he?
- Nurse, would you and Brian excuse us for a moment?
- Of course, doctor. - Thank you.
- Come on, Brian, let's get you to your room.
- Kevin, it's Kevin, right, and?
- Margaret. - And Margaret,
Kevin and Margaret, um, like I said,
Brian is a very strong young man
and disabilities won't change that.
- Is he still a pig butcher?
It's a simple question, doctor.
He killed eight of my cattle.
Now you fix him or you keep him, ain't that right?
- All right.
This is Dr. Miller's contact.
He's highly regarded.
Like I say,
a strong young man there in Brian,
all he needs is patience and care.
As far as your refund,
feel free to take that up with the state.
Nurse, could you show the Mercers out, thank you.
- Sure, doctor.
- Get in the car.
I wasn't asking.
It's gone to shit.
But this shit reminds me of why we do what we do.
Gives us a reason to get up in the morning.
Reason to iron your suit, shine your shoes.
Gives us men meaning.
You understand that, don't you, Ford?
You're a Kraut, Strauss?
Strauss is a Kraut name, right?
- No.
- Ah, that's too bad.
'Cause then you'd understand.
- Understand what?
- Understand that if we turn our eyes away
for even a moment, one moment,
filth will overcome us.
- What does any of this have to do with me?
- Because I'm gonna fund your research, Dr. Ford.
- Why would the Bureau of Narcotics fund research
into psychological psychedelia?
- Because I'm a company man first.
- What company?
- The potential that you have
to accomplish here is singular.
To push the boundaries of science,
with the full support of the government.
- And in exchange?
- The chance to learn.
With access to your research, your patients,
maybe even a chance to help fix the broken, hm?
Ford, look forward to hearing from you soon.
Understand?
That's good.
- In the Guatemalan foothills
there's a mysterious training depot,
where some of the raiders may have been based.
The government there denies that Cubans
are among the soldiers being instructed,
but observers have said otherwise.
Professional soldiers are among the teachers
and once trained, a man can seriously disappear.
Guatemala has held no briefs with the Castro regime,
and has aided the rebels.
In Cuba itself, the people have been exhorted by Castro
to push back the invaders.
And 300,000 militia men have mobilized.
The invasion was successful in its early hours
with Castro of course blaming-
- Ford?
Sweetheart, I picked up dinner.
Are you in your office?
I brought us supper.
Denies that Cubans
are among the soldiers being instructed,
but observers have said otherwise.
- What can I do?
- I told you, nothing.
- Come.
- Hey.
Hey.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
It's not you, okay?
It's not you. - Then what is it?
- I don't, I don't know.
- Is it, is it us?
- No, no, it's not us.
- Then is it me? Because I can't-
- No, of course, of course not, no.
Something happened today.
- What?
- After they passed, I got an offer.
- By who?
- It's federal.
- Federal, why I thought that's what you always wanted.
- Yeah, but this is different,
they want control, access.
I can't figure out what to make of 'em.
- Who?
- I don't know.
- Come on, wake up.
There you go.
Thank you.
Won't you get in, get in, watch your head.
There you go.
- Nurse Irwin?
Nurse Irwin.
Nurse?
Nurse, what are you?
What in the hell do you think you're doing?
- The patient is prepped for the leukotomy.
- Thank you, nurse.
- Un-prep him, you're not lobotomizing my fucking patient.
- Mr. Mercer is no longer your patient, Dr. Strauss.
Step aside.
- The hell I will.
- You gotta be careful, Dr. Strauss.
- It's me. - Yes, okay, I'll do it,
but I need a favor, right now.
- Will you fucking get that, please?
- It's for you.
- For fuck sake.
- Um, I have to be work at some point,
so how long you?
What's this?
- Hello, Dr. Strauss, I'm Agent Dwyer.
I'm a colleague of Agent Morgan's.
And I'm here to ask you a few questions this morning.
- All right, what is this place?
- All right, I'm gonna need you to relax.
Take a few deep breaths.
- It's a little hard with the hood, and-
- Breathe.
Huh, are you ready to begin?
- Yes.
- State your full name.
- You just said it a moment ago.
- Don't make him repeat himself.
- Again, state your full name.
- Ford Joseph Strauss.
- State of birth. - Pennsylvania.
- Answer each of the following questions
with only a yes or a no.
Are you connected to or pledge allegiance
to the beliefs of the communist party
or organizations within the communist party?
- No.
- Are you a member or have ties
to extremist groups or organizations
with desire to overthrow or challenge
the sovereignty of the United States government?
- No.
- Do you have any debt or financial obligations?
- No.
- Do you use drugs or alcohol?
- Socially, but only really only on-
- Yes or no?
- Yes.
- Both?
- Yes.
- Do you consider yourself reliable and trustworthy?
- I do, yes.
- I have one more question.
Do you trust Agent Morgan?
- What? - I said,
do you trust Agent Galvin Morgan?
- That's a joke.
- You're good to go, doc.
Ah, pleasure meeting you.
- Yeah, you as well.
- All right, open up your arm there.
- Yeah.
- Thank you, Dr. Strauss.
- It's your consulting in confidentiality agreement.
It's just procedural, we all sign in.
- Well, what's it say?
- To keep your fucking mouth shut.
- Oh, you, you mean my, my work,
it's gonna be my research.
- About us, not to talk about us, ever, that's all.
Go ahead.
That enough to keep you busy?
- It's enough to drug the whole fucking state.
Are, ah, we gonna be okay here?
- We got it handled.
- Wow.
- Millions of dollars
would be spent on LSD research
at universities throughout the country.
And word would begin to spread on campus
about this so-called mind-blowing drug.
And suddenly there was the counterculture of the '60s.
- I give the CIA a total credit
for sponsoring and initiating
the entire consciousness movement,
counterculture events of the 1960s.
The CIA funded and supported and encouraged
hundreds of young psychiatrists
to experiment with this drug.
- Who's that?
- Research assistant.
- Should I introduce myself?
- Doesn't talk much.
- First patient, Luther Donovan, diagnosed schizophrenic.
- Bring him in.
I am Dr. Strauss.
Tell me about yourself.
- Shelly Powers, arsonist.
- Show her in.
Shelly, tell me what happened the night of March 3rd, 1959.
- My parents died.
- And how did that fire start?
- Doctor, patient nine, Desmond Wallace.
- Hello, Mr. Wallace, I'm Dr. Strauss.
Tell me about your addiction.
I like Wallace and Shelly.
Let's see what the afternoon brings.
- Keep moving.
- Who is that?
- Laurence Stanley, he was transferred in this morning.
- Arrest? - It was non-voluntary.
- Schedule her in. - Him.
- Why were you arrested?
- Look at me.
- I am.
- Then why ask?
- It's my job to ask questions.
- Doesn't sound like much of a job.
- It can be.
- You have a cigarette?
- I do.
- Well, can I have one?
- Don't see why not.
- How long do I have to be here?
- Until you're healthy.
- You think I'm sick?
- I don't know, Laurence.
Did I say something wrong?
- It's Laura.
- Laura, I'm running a drug study.
- So you wanna drug me up and?
- Help you re-find yourself.
- I'm sorry to disappoint doctor,
but this is all you'll find.
- Then you'll be released and at least you'll have some fun.
- I'll do it if I can be transferred
to the ward with the other girls.
- That is not an option.
- Nurse, wait outside. Now.
She's right.
But what if I find you your own room?
- And I want my cross and my hair.
- Good, look forward to be working with you, Laura.
Send in the next patient, please.
- I have Mr. Mercer for you.
- Good afternoon, Brian.
You ready to try something new?
Gender dysphoria and addiction.
It's a good spectrum.
Could have guessed you wouldn't say anything.
- Goodnight, doc.
- Goodnight.
- The hallucinogens are drugs
whose primary effects are on the mind.
So they are frequently called psychedelic.
They include mescaline and psilocybin.
The best known is lysergic acid diethylamide
derived from a fungus that grows on rye grain.
Pure LSD is very powerful.
One ounce is enough for 300,000 average doses.
Extensive experimentation has failed to establish
a medical use for LSD, but study continues,
and the legal supply of the drug is restricted
for use in these carefully supervised research settings.
- This is where I have my effect, in the mind.
That seven inches of inner space
between the root of the nose and the back of the head.
It is, on all accounts, man's most prized possession.
And in many ways, his most complicated.
I'm like a depth charge here,
among the brain's 12 billion cells,
but it's one of my most perplexing secrets
that no one really knows yet how I work.
Some have suggested that I affect the midbrain,
the brain's computer,
and prevent it from regulating signals
from the eyes and the ears and the other sense organs.
But while there's much uncertainty about how I work,
there is no uncertainty about what I can do.
With just a very few micrograms of me inside the body,
colors, shapes, smells, textures,
the whole range of things that can be seen,
heard, smelled, touched, and tasted
take on incredible distortions
which seem absolutely and totally real.
With just a few micrograms of me,
all sorts of hallucinations are possible.
- I couldn't see anything except colors.
And I thought, "Well, you know,
this is supposed to be reality," but it wasn't.
It wasn't anything except just things that weren't objects.
And after a while you don't know who you are
and you don't know who the other person is.
It's happening and it's happening so fast,
and you can't stop it and you just can't do anything.
You just have to.
- The most dangerous act
can look attractive and easy to accomplish
because I can make those sparkling lights
look colorful and inviting,
a moving tapestry which can beckon and lure
a traveler to join them.
Well, that's just a rough idea
of what a few micrograms of me can do.
About the same amount
that you saw in the point of a pin, remember.
But in spite of my overwhelming power,
I have yet to kill anyone from an overdose.
They don't think I'm physiologically addicting.
And when I'm swallowed I disappear,
because they haven't yet perfected a good field test
to detect me inside the body.
Altogether, I'm one of the most perplexing
and powerful drugs conceivable.
- Day one, initial observation
of patients during administration
of 400 micrograms of lysergic acid diethylamide,
without outside interference.
- That's a heavy dose.
- Might as well jump right in.
- What now? - We wait.
The effects of the lysergic acid diethylamide
I'd first seen in subject two, Shelly Powers.
She exhibits increased energy and excitement
mixed with minor hallucinations.
- Ah.
It's so, so fucking hot.
- Subject's pupils are dilated
and she exhibits extreme perspiration.
She's removed her clothing.
- Subject one is having a reaction.
- Subject one, Brian Mercer,
shows signs of hyperreflexia onset
and visual discomfort.
- I should get in there. - Standby.
Subject is experiencing emesis
of common side effect with chemical induction.
We'll continue monitoring with suggestion
of lower dosage for further trials.
Patient one is experiencing paranoia
and fear of being watched by unseen being or beings.
Grab a guard and give him 200 milligrams of chlorpromazine
to reduce the effects. - Yes, doctor.
- And start an IV for dehydration.
We'll substitute diamorphine for the patient moving forward.
Patient three, Laurence Stanley,
is subdued in a fetal position.
His knees to his chest.
- Give us this day our daily bread.
- He mouths words.
- And forgive us our trespasses.
- Can you tell what he's saying?
Is he praying?
- Fuck you. Fuck you.
What the fuck is this shit?
Give me a hit, man, I'm need it.
What the fuck! - Patient four,
Desmond Wallace shows heightened emotions.
He is less affected by the LSD
than the other patients due to potential buildup
of chemical tolerance.
Recommend alternative 0.7 micrograms,
3-part quinuclidinol benzoate.
- How long will it last?
- Eight hours.
- Eight hours, woah.
- The last person I'd expect.
- I was just grabbing the, ah, the Mercer file.
Are you moving offices?
- No. No, I'm, um, I'm not.
- Sorry. - Don't be.
I mean, you played the game. I could have.
Have a drink with me.
- I really should be- - No, no, sit.
You're a good man Ford.
But you need to be careful.
- I'm not sure what you're talking about.
- Politics and science make the worst of friends.
- I'm just doing my job.
- I know you believe that.
But medicine is business
and in business you always have to ask yourself
why, why do they pay?
What do they want that has that much value to them?
- My intentions are good.
- Your intentions never worried me.
But what do I know?
I'm just an old man without a job.
- What, what are you suggesting?
- Into whatsoever houses I enter,
I will enter to help the sick.
I will abstain from all intentional wrong-doing and harm,
especially abusing the body as a man.
- Or woman, bond or free.
- Follow it and pray.
You laugh.
And science can't explain everything.
Just a continual evolution without consequence,
but in life, Jesus, that's all there is.
Action, consequence.
- What if I just don't believe?
- Hmm, then you haven't yet been lost.
We all need something to save us.
- I need your notes, doc.
- Where are you taking all of this?
- Ask Morgan.
- Tell him I'd like to talk to him.
- You got his number.
Call him.
- Other experiments were not as conventional.
Neurophysicist, Dr. Jose Delgado was financed
by the office of Naval Research.
In this experiment the bull is sedated.
Electrodes are implanted in its brain.
Delgado transmits an electronic impulse
to the center of the bull's brain.
Delgado has remote control of the animal.
Recently released CIA documents refer
to the feasibility of remote control of animals,
and that special investigations will be conducted
toward the application of selected elements
of these techniques to man.
- Dallas, you sees me, Dallas?
Ict see rot, rot, I say.
- Yeah.
- You called? - Yeah.
Ford's asking questions.
- Just keep him focused,
we need the facade to continue for the funding.
- He wants to see you.
- I'll be there in a week or two,
very busy here.
Our German is making some progress.
How are things there?
- We moved in.
Dwyer's at work.
- You'll hear from me.
- If I wasn't here, would you wanna hold it?
- Maybe.
I like you.
- Why do you like me?
- You see me.
- Do others not see you?
- They choose not to.
Always so high.
So I make them.
- Shelly, keep your shirt on.
- Do you want me, Dr. Ford?
I want you to fuck me.
Look at me.
- Nurse.
- Don't make me burn you, motherfucker.
- Can you get me the deprivation mask, thank you.
Do you trust me, Brian?
- You can't keep them away.
You, you can't keep them away.
- I'm going to help you now.
So I need you to relax for a moment.
Sh, sh, sh.
Slow your breathing.
There you go.
Now this is just a mask.
Can you breathe?
Are you in that field you've been talking about?
- Yes, it's dark.
And cold.
- Is anyone with you?
- No, alone.
- Alone?
- No. No.
No.
- What is it?
- I, I hear them, they're coming.
- Who's coming? - The beasts.
- Leave the field. - I can't, I can't leave.
- Why not?
- It's locked, the door's locked.
- Then knock.
- They won't answer. - Try.
- They won't, they won't let me in,
and they're coming. - Who?
- Not till I'm a man. - Brian?
Who won't let you in Brian?
- They're, they're here. - Who?
- No, no, no! - Who?
- No, no, no, no!
No, stop!
- I need a hit.
I'm dying here.
I'm hurting inside.
- You see this?
- Give it to me.
Give it to me now.
- It's empty.
- You fucking with me.
You fucking with me.
- This is all it provides your life, nothing.
Makes you empty inside.
Makes you meaningless, meaningless and empty.
- Fucking with my head.
- You should rest, drink fluids.
- What's Laura's status.
- The 500 micrograms of lysergic acid diethylamide
kicked in about an hour ago.
- Then we continue.
Would you hand me my spare glasses,
they should be in the top drawer.
- Yes, doctor.
- Thank you.
- Everything okay?
- It's just a different prescription.
- Good.
- Nurse, make sure someone stays
with patient Powers at all times.
I'll be right in. - Yes, doctor.
- What was all that about?
- He's out. Too much of a liability.
We transfer him to rehabilitation.
- Talking about the girl.
Why can't you leave her alone?
- Shelly, she, ah,
she seems to,
Shelly's actions seem to be based on a past series
of neglect, based on an addicted parental structure.
She's ah, she acts out for attention
and she's after the result, not the desire.
- She liked your pretty face.
- Well, drugs seem to be working, at least for these two.
The real mystery.
Was this before you were Laura?
- I have always been Laura.
- Always?
- Yes.
- What about Laurence?
- Always Laura.
- All right, tell me,
tell me again about your parents.
- I love them.
They love me.
- Did they ever do anything to hurt you?
- No. I'm their daughter.
- Then why did you leave home?
- So people would stop judging them.
- Why do people judge them?
- Only God can judge.
- I understand.
And what does God think about your lying?
- That's between him and me.
- What do you think?
- That he forgives.
Our father who art in heaven. - What's going on?
- Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come.
- Didn't know you were coming.
- Should I have called first?
- No, it's fine.
- What happened?
- One of the patients turned violent.
- Oh, that's a shame.
This one over here is interesting.
- Actually, she's the only one
who doesn't seem to be responding to the treatment.
You should actually take a look
at the progress from patient Brian Mercer.
- I like this one.
I heard you asked for me.
- Yes, I asked weeks ago.
- Well, I'm here.
- I had some questions
about where my research is being taken.
- I like questions.
- Agent Galvin, I wanna be very sure
that we are both on the same page here.
- Has your funding been arriving?
It's been coming, the money?
- Yes, but that has nothing to do with the subject at hand.
- Do your job.
Anything else?
- No. - Good.
Keep up the good work, doc.
- You okay?
Lucky it wasn't worse.
- It's not that.
- What is it then?
- I can't figure her out.
- Who?
- Patient, down to three now,
so it's hardly a study.
Stands little chance of getting published,
but there's this one,
she perplexes me.
It's like the deeper I look the less I find.
- Well, maybe there isn't anything.
Maybe you're searching so hard
because you want there to be something,
but there really isn't anything.
- 50% Success rates.
It's nothing, it's the toss of a coin.
- Then maybe you should stop.
It's okay to stop.
Something isn't right.
- Sorry I'm late.
- How do you feel?
- Like shit. Is everyone prepped?
Where's Laura?
- The state came and took Laurence this morning.
- What you talking about?
- I thought you knew.
- Of course I didn't fucking know.
- She's gone.
- That can't happen.
- It happened. - That, I, look, look!
I'm down to two patients, that is not a fucking study.
- Get some more.
- You, this, we're weeks in,
you can't just replicate information,
it doesn't work like that.
It, it takes time and I need her back, come on.
- You're not gonna see her again.
- What's he doing with her?
Come on, fuck you with the silence.
Come on, there's gotta be something, okay?
- There's nothing.
- All right, well I, I guess
I don't like that answer very much.
- No one needs you to be happy.
- Yes, so what if I'm out too?
- It's not your choice anymore.
That's not an option anymore for you.
So I suggest you take a moment
and breathe.
And then I'll see you back in there.
It's time to go to work.
- The existence of these safe houses
was disclosed last year.
Details of what took place within them
has not been told.
A former CIA official who worked in the safe houses,
reveals that they were used not only for drug testing,
but to study sexual behavior
and how it could be used to manipulate people.
- We did quite a study
of prostitutes and their behavior.
How do you take a woman
who's willing to use her body to get money out of a guy
to get him to talk about things
which are much more important, like state secrets?
- You ready, Brian?
Okay.
That's good.
- Meh.
- Laura, Laura?
Laura! Laura?
Laura!
- Police department, how may I help you?
- It's me.
- Where the fuck you been?
- Sarah?
- She's fine.
Ford's seen too much, scrub it all.
- I gotta go.
- The day was already underway
when the Senate prepared the subcommittee,
holding hearings on this issue.
The White House responded rapidly
to the board's recommendations.
Dr. James Killian,
who had just assumed his new position
as special assistant to the president.
- And some technology.
Arranged a meeting
for the first week of December among the president,
the director of Central Intelligence,
Mr. Allen Dulles.
- It's Nurse Irwin, there's been an incident.
- What happened?
- There was a fire in your office.
Everything is gone.
- My files. What about my files?
- Shelly escaped from her quarters
shortly after we left.
She doused herself in accelerant before she lit up the room.
- Oh, fuck.
No, it wasn't her.
- Okay. The moment of truth.
Will you let us know when you're through?
- Yes. - All right.
- Shelly?
Shelly, it's Dr. Strauss.
Listen to me.
I know this wasn't you.
And I am so sorry.
What?
- Cameraman.
- Yeah, cameraman.
- I'm sorry.
- And one of those
who took part in these programs.
In 1977, the Senate subcommittee heard testimony
from many of them,
but the testimony was not that revealing.
According to one of them,
they agreed amongst themselves to keep the inquiry
within bounds that would satisfy the committee.
Former narcotics officer Charles Siragusa
says that he was asked to limit his testimony
by the man he reported to at the CIA.
- He warned me not to say anything.
- To perjure yourself.
- That's right.
Well, either that, I'd have to perjure myself
or take the fifth amendment.
and I'm not about to take the fifth amendment for anybody.
- Has mind control been achieved?
From all of the available evidence it appears doubtful.
The human will has prevailed up to this point.
But as we have seen, work is continuing in this field.
Work that we still don't know very much about.
How deeply are the Russians
and other dictatorships into all of this?
We really can't say,
and the CIA is reluctant to give out information about it.
But the basic question remains.
What place does all of this have within a democracy?
One final point should be made.
As one of the persons who worked on these programs told us,
"We have very capable, conscientious,
and very dedicated scientists working for our country.
Their work speaks for itself."