In the annals of clandestine intelligence, the CIA's Project MKUltra stands as a haunting reminder of the agency's darkest days. Begun in the 1950s under the guise of researching mind control techniques, MKUltra subjected unknowing subjects to a litany of horrors: electroshock therapy, brain surgery, and the administration of experimental drugs like LSD. The CIA's goal was to create a "Manchurian Candidate," a programmed assassin who could be remotely controlled. However, the project spiraled out of control, as subjects were left with permanent psychological damage and even died. The true extent of MKUltra's horrors remained a secret until congressional hearings in the 1970s, forcing the CIA to acknowledge its shameful past and forever marring the agency's reputation.
