Project MKUltra was a secret program run by the Central Intelligence Agency beginning in 1953 during the Cold War. Its goal was to study mind control, psychological manipulation, and interrogation techniques that could potentially be used on enemies or prisoners.

Researchers experimented with methods such as LSD and other drugs, hypnosis, sensory deprivation, sleep deprivation, and psychological conditioning to see if a person’s thoughts or behavior could be controlled or altered. Some experiments were conducted without the subjects’ knowledge or consent, which later became one of the biggest controversies surrounding the program.