In this gripping episode of Unexplained History, host Tom McKenzie explores one of the CIA’s most bizarre and ethically questionable experiments called Operation Midnight Climax. Part of the infamous MK-Ultra program, this covert operation saw unsuspecting individuals lured to CIA-run safe houses and secretly dosed with LSD, all under the watchful eyes of agents hidden behind two-way mirrors.
Tom unravels the unsettling details of these experiments, including the use of sex workers to recruit participants and the agency’s goal to crack the code of mind control. With a backdrop of Cold War paranoia and a desire to outmatch perceived Soviet psychological advancements, the operation pushed the boundaries of morality in the name of national security.
Listeners will hear the startling claims of deeper conspiracies, unaccounted victims, and government cover-ups, followed by a hard look at the evidence that separates fact from fiction. Was Operation Midnight Climax a misguided attempt at scientific progress, or does it hide a more sinister agenda? Tune in as Tom examines the historical, ethical, and conspiratorial dimensions of this chilling chapter in U.S. history.