Unpacking The Eerie

17. Psychedelic Nightmare Pt. 1: Fucked Up Set & Setting

Unpacking the Eerie Episode 17

Send us a text

  DARK HISTORY: MKULTRA, Intro/History

In our second series, we explore our first ever conspiracy theory, that is absolutely wild & incredibly true. Project MKULTRA was a secret CIA project that took place between the early 1950s to the early 1970s, in which hundreds of tortuous experiments were conducted on (mostly) unsuspecting human subjects. The project, Sidney Gottlieb, aimed to develop strategies and identify drugs (such as LSD), that could be used for the purposes of “mind-control” (read: how can we psychologically torture, force confessions and manipulate the consciousness of the human mind?). In the first part of this multi-part series, we dig in to Allan Memorial, one of the many institutions where these experiments took place & set the stage for MKUltra. Learn about how the Cold War and the Red Scare motivated the creation of this project, the discovery of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide and its unique characteristics and  of course, the project’s lead “Poisoner in Chief”, Sidney Gottlieb.

content warning: gun violence, torture, homophobia, racism, drugs 

Uvalde/Buffalo Shooting Resources & References







Outro last updated April 2023

FYI: we've recently unpublished older episodes  as we are in process of re-editing for a smoother flow & audio experience. they will be available again as we finish. 

Support the show

Thank you for listening to our passion project <3 You can find us on social media here! We're a team of 2 people & have always been ad-free. If you are enjoying, please consider supporting our sustainability on Patreon or by making a one-time contribution via CashApp $unpacktheeerie.

- your grateful hosts

Podcasts we love

Check out these other fine podcasts recommended by us, not an algorithm.