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FWIW there were deaths caused by the MKULTRA program[1], but the implication that LSD caused the deaths is probably not correct.

This is sort of just a historical dump since it’s a fascinating story: The notable death people remember is the Army officer who “jumped” out of his hotel window in NYC. Years later the Watergate investigation revealed the MKULTRA program and connected it to the Army officer’s death. CIA sort of implied “yeah we were doing stuff with LSD mind control and he went crazy,” but some (like the officer’s son) believe that is also a cover story. AFAIK the son still believes his father was going to blow the whistle on some sort of chem or bio weapon development (the father was a scientist at Fort Detrick, the US military’s bioweapon development center at the time) and he was assassinated before going public.

Anyway, the son’s theory almost seems like the most believable part of the whole MKULTRA universe.

[1] Among MKULTRA’s damage is arguably the creation of the Unabomber. Ted was an unknowing test subject at Harvard where he was basically emotionally tortured by a CIA agent posing as a fellow student. He had his beliefs — which he was always strongly identified with — systematically dismantled in order to cause emotional distress.



For anyone who wants a good background "Poisoner in Chief" is a maddening and captivating read that describes much of the CIA's use of LSD: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43565322-poisoner-in-chi...


It's been suggested that the experiments were a part of MKULTRA, but it's not been proven AFAIK.

There was plenty of unethical psychological research going on at the time, so there's no need to assume the CIA was involved at all.


Ah yes this looks more correct, I was mistaken. Apparently TedK was subjected to these experiments by a professor who also happened to have been employed by US intelligence but it’s unclear whether the experiment was part of MKULTRA itself. Thanks for the correction!


Errol Morris made a docu-drama series about those events. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wormwood_(miniseries)


Errol is the father of Hamilton Morris, author of the Vice series Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia.


Best TIL of the day, thanks for noting that!




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