(UNTITLED) 4. SUBJECT OF INVESTIGATION

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00144862
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: November 22, 2024
• Document Release Date: January 15, 1983
• Publication Date: October 21, 1951

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4. Subject of investigation: se.e .� je:r1 -7-4;:eL t ' J fe.C...geer erCee l>"4..eee
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a. Purpose of study:
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Otir principal goal remains the same as it ims in the beginning: the,investigat4o:
of drug effects on ego controls and volitional activities, i.e., can wilfully- sup�'
pressed information be elicited through the aid of drugs affecting higher nerveus
centers? If so, which agents are better for this purpose? lirnal.1 are the initial
signs and symptoms of drug effects? Can these be recognized by the subject or
observers? . .
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We now add to these the following: Can these signs and syr4toms be taught to
security officers so that they can detect the uSe of such agents in themselves or
others? � e �
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Practical purposes of this study are to gain .information which will pernit us
to detect what work of a similar nature may be in progress in enemy hands (to be
judged in escaped or returned priscners). In my judgment this is less Leportant
than ourselves discovering how to elicit wilfully suppressed infcreeticn free:
wartime prisoners. Both of these purpcses are to my mind less urgent than obtaining
information which will serve to guard individuals who possess tep-level information
Iron indiscretions caused by the use of drugs of the type studied here. There is
no question that drugs are already on hand {and new ones are being produced) that
can destroy integrity and make indiscreet the most dependable individual. Becample:
a physicist with top-level information could be made careless without his knewledge."
In practical terms a table of signs and symptoms arising from the use of old and
especially new drugs for the use of security officers will be prepared as inforna-
tion is obtained. a:uch is already known about the vstandarin agents, little or:
nothing about the r_tre.Y Such information is high:147 desirable for cbv4euz reeccee.
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Background: General plan of study:
(1) Pi1ot Study: This is at present nearing corpletion.
It haS consisted of a series of experiments employing an experimental design
ra. study of the effects of drugs on conscious suppression of experimental or non-
threat secrets. Drugs used have included pentothal sodium, sodium amytal, tenze-
drine� ethyl alcohol, scopolamine, morpjine, rethedrine, and multiple combinations
of these drags as eell as hypnosis (c.f. semi-annual report of June 19, 1551).
Since this initial report, modificaticns of ,this technic have been utilized in .
study of ether and mescaline subjects. These findings as well as thcse_of marihuana
and lysergic acid, on the agerda for the remainder of the year, will be described
in the annual report.
In this pilot study the enphasis has been directed primarily at the effects of
the above drugs on the overt behavior of the subjects, specifically on the ability
of the subject to retain nexperimentel secrets" and maintain control of his
voluntary activities. The procedure utilized has been outlined in the above-
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menticned progrezi report.
In general, the results'of this part of the investigation, with the exceptice.
of ether, have indicated that within the limits of the amounte.edrinistered,
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4 a.. Continued
� intellectual functioning and volitional control has not been impaired eufficiently
to break down the experimental set produced by the risecretn. Thus the next etep
involves the evaluaticn of the various drugs as to their differential alterntica
of psychological functions essential to the maintenance of wilful control.
(2) As a result of the above pilot studies, it seams clear thai the
practical and security aspects of the investigation are only to be answered by
evaluation cf the differential effects of various drugs on peychological functions
basic to ego control and voliticnal suppression. To this end, a systematic eval-
uation of the effect of drug agents on the functions necessary to the maintenance of
ego controls has been instituted and constitutes the next step in the prcposed
continuation of the study.
This involves necessarily an erducue, steo-by-ctep investigation of the effects
of prog-fessie-e anonnts of drug as well as variation of interrogation procedure,
in that drug effects do not bear a constant linear relation to the amount or dreg
given. The object of this phase of the investigation is to discover .the best agent
as well as the optinal doses (conbined with the most effective interrogation pro-
cedure) to ncdify volitional control. For exanple, too large a dose of mescaline
will induce such marked anxiety and loss of rea/ity contact that information can-
not be reliably obtained.
It is proposed that this further step .in the investigation will be effected
in the prccedures to be subsequently.descrited (of (c), infra).
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b. Nature of control work (of (c) infra).
o. Method of procedure:
The prospectus for further work accordingly includes systematic survey, in the
light of experience gained frcm the pilot ef4Periments, of thug effects underlying
the suppreesion mechanism. These include: (1) activaticn of anxiety associated:
with basic conflicts as well as that induced by the experimental situation,
(2) breakdcwn of character defenses for the handling of anxiety, in particular
those related to intellectual functions, (3) memory disturbance, (4) disorientation
as to time, place, and person (particularly in regard to the change induced by the
drug in the individualis capacity for realistic identification of the interroga-
tion situation), (5) language changes (alteration of symbol-referent relationeMp).
Experimental Design:
I. Baseline evaluation of above functions by:
(a)
(b)
(c)
Physical examination
Psychiatric interview
Psychcnctric exzmination
Rorschach �
Thematic epperception Test
Projective Drawings
Coetalt Perception
Langunge analysis based on 3,000 work saeTle of standardiaed
interview
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We% Continued
II. Administraticn of drug and repetition or evaluative procedures as above,
plus the nexperimental secret', technic.
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III.. Placebo Experiments and the nUnknowns Technic: placebo session will be
interposed in a series of drug sessions to control suggestive effects of
experimental procedure and to establish as objectively and soundly as �
possible the observations of the e'perdmental team. These will be a part
of the study where the agents used are erployed as unknowns, unkno,m to
all rerbers of the team engaged in evaluation. Previous work in this
laboratory has sham that the ',unknowns technic" is absolutely essential
when subjective respo.'ses are dealt with. The investigator's bias
be removed in this way. Using the same subject for at many .different
drugs as is medically feasible constitutes a control on individual
differences. In the light of previous e?:periments it is judged that
pentothal sodium, marihuana, scopolamine, morphine, ether: mescaline,
and probably lyserzic acid and its derivatives will be drugs of particular'
interest in this stage of the investigation.
� Completien of this phase of the study will provide the infcrmaticn
needed to draw up a table of drug signs -and symptoms - subjective and ob-
jective - referred to in the uPUriosen section above.
IV. A fourth phase of the work will be concerned in the future, as in the
past, with the neurological effect's of the agents studied, in this in-
stance under eYperimental conditions. ,
Tte basic knowledge of the effects of these drugs on psychological functioning
will then permit specific informed hypotheses of the "which drug for which purpose'
nature, Which should then te critically tested under conditions, i.e.,
prisoners of war, if possible, Federal prisoners, if possible, security officers)
etc.) unsler threat conditions beyond the scope of civilian experimentation.