Grateful Dead Lyricist: Subject in the CIA's MKUltra Program

In the summer of 1964, novelist Ken Kesey (author of "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"), poet Allen Ginsberg, and Grateful Dead lyricist, Robert Hunter; had beensubjects of an MK-ULTRA (CIA) test of the effects of LSD, conducted at Stanford University in California. Shortly thereafter, Kesey launched a year long cross country trip in a day-glow painted school bus filled with friends called the "Merry Pranksters."

They distributed thousands of doses of LSD along the way, which had been supplied to them by Ronald Stark, a CIA operative. The hallucinogenic drug, LSD (Lysergic acid dithalymide), was first developed in federal government labs, even though its discovery is attributed to Leary and Owsley, who both worked for the government initially. More information is available in the book, "Drugging America," by Rodney Stitch, a former federal investigator. [See http://www.serendipity.li/dmt/nsand/leary.htm and http://www.druggingamerica.com]

One of the Grateful Dead songs entitled, "U.S. Blues," contains the line: "I'm Uncle Sam. That's who I am. Been hidin' out in a rock and roll band." Was Robert Hunter just being facetious when he wrote those lines, or did he know something more?



The effect of LSD on the body have never been scientifically observed as far as what goes on with the bio-chemistry of the body. A literal microscopic amount of LSD, once ingested, snorted, or even touching the skin, becomes undetectable after combining with body fluids. Yet this tiny amount can cause solid objects to appear as if they are liquid and in motion; sounds take on varying degrees of loud and soft and distortion that isn't really there; and when a ball is tossed in the air from one hand to another, the eye perceives a "trail" of the ball's flight from beginning to end. These are some of the effects of LSD on a person.



We often hear about "crank" (home made amphetamines, "speed," etc.), cocaine, marijuana, ecstasy, and heroine; and how the governing authorities are working to stop those kinds of drug traffic. However, very little is spoken of anymore about LSD, yet it is just as abundant as ever. The widespread home production of "crank" was practically non-existent before the federal government made it illegal for professional pharmaceutical companies to manufacture amphetamines that were "clean" and available only by a doctor's prescription. There is a great deal of evidence showing government officials directly involved in international drug trafficking.



I am suggesting that people under the influence of LSD are highly susceptible to hypnotic suggestion. It has been my first hand experience that when I have been in the midst of others using the drug, I have been caught up in the intensity of their activity, even though I had not used the drug at that particular time. When using LSD, I discovered that I was quite good at "conning" people, ie. deceiving them, or making them believe a lie. In spite of the "weird" side effects of using LSD, it does not render the user to be dysfunctional as would too much alcohol or heroine. Taking doses of LSD in close proximity requires larger and larger doses to achieve the same affects.



Having said all that, I will now say that I would not be surprised if the MK-ULTRA government program was never closed down, but rather went more underground.

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