Lysergic acid diethylamide, also known as acid, and referenced by the Beatles in their song titled, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, was created by Dr. Albert Hoffman. The Swiss chemist first synthesized LSD working at a pharmaceutical company in 1938. By the 1950s, the CIA became deeply interested in LSD as part of Project MK-Ultra, a secret program aimed at developing methods for mind control, interrogation, and psychological manipulation. The substance was tested on military personnel, prisoners, and psychiatric patients.
George Magazine’s Spy Issue in 1997 featured stories about the CIA and secret operations. “How the CIA saved the Dalai Lama,” “Top 10 Spy Missions,” and “The CIA Secrets & Lies” are all seen on the cover with Elizabeth Hurley. In John Huang’s story, “Frank Olson Files: The CIA’s Bad Trip,” Huang discusses the CIA’s experimentation with LSD on Frank Olson, an army scientist who became one of their “experimental monkeys.” Olson ultimately fell 13 stories to his death from a Manhattan hotel window. The police later ruled his death as a suicide leaving his son, Eric Olson, always questioning his fathers death.
Fast forward to today—Jeffree L. Meek revisits this topic in the 27th issue of George Magazine. The December 2024 edition, titled “Determination” features Donald Trump on the cover. In his piece, Meek underscores how the power of influence has evolved into a subtle, yet pervasive form of brainwashing—affecting all of us, whether we realize it or not. With unseen forces woven into everything we consume and use to unwind, there’s little room for escape—and even fewer people left to escape with. Many of our famous actors, actresses, authors, and influencers are all working hand in hand with these unconfirmed forces. From the movies we watch to the music we listen to, to the books we read and who’s lives we watch on social media—not all of it is true and not all of it is as innocent as it may seem.
The modern landscape of influence is insidious. It’s no longer about overt control; it’s about subtle manipulation. Algorithms curate our feeds, shaping our perceptions and desires. Advertisements are tailored to our psychological profiles, nudging us toward certain behaviors and choices. The lines between entertainment, information, and propaganda have blurred, creating a reality where truth is malleable and perception is the ultimate currency.
Netflix’s 2024 documentary series CHAOS: The Manson Murders reignited public interest in MKUltra by exploring the possible links between Charles Manson and government mind control experiments. Journalist Tom O’Neill spent two decades investigating the case, suggesting that Manson may have been influenced—or even manipulated—by the very techniques MKUltra pioneered
You begin to question: Are your thoughts truly your own? Or are they the result of carefully crafted narratives and unseen forces guiding your consciousness? The trip deepens, and with it, the realization that the boundaries between self and society are porous, easily influenced, and often indistinguishable. In this altered state, the interconnectedness of all things becomes apparent. The divisions between individuals, cultures, and nations seem artificial, constructed to maintain control and perpetuate power structures. The trip reveals the illusion of separation, urging a collective awakening to the shared human experience.
LSD use in the U.S. has been on the rise over the last few decades. Based on the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 0.6% of Americans aged 12 and up said they had used LSD in the past year—that’s more than 2 million people. It’s especially common among younger adults aged 18 to 25, where the rate jumps to 1.5%, while for those 26 and older, it drops to around 0.5%.
A separate study from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health found that in 2019, over 5.5 million adults in the U.S. had used hallucinogens (including LSD) in the past year. That’s a pretty big jump from 2002, when only about 1.7% of the population reported using them. By 2019, that number had climbed to 2.2%. Even more striking, LSD use specifically among 18- to 25-year-olds went from 0.9% in 2002 to 4% in 2019.
“I was able to acknowledge the depth of my thought,” recalls Michael Peppe of New York. As Peppe recounts the experience he had with his best friend in high school taking LSD, he explains how his thoughts would start looping into what he described as, “chain-thinking.” With an onslaught of visual hallucinations, Peppe’s friend faced extreme emotional distress triggered by a Star Wars film. By the tenth hour of their trip, Peppe started to feel like he was going insane and couldn’t even sleep to find relief from the seemingly never ending trip. “Acid was one of the more transformational experiences I had,” he explains to me. “I felt overall (mentally) better since taking acid—but I don’t know how people do this casually.” He then tells me that although everything is funny and visually beautiful and you feel the mind open up to new horizons, anything slightly distressing can trigger a bad trip and no matter what, your brain will feel like “cooked hamburgers” the next day.
With this awareness comes a sense of vulnerability. The systems designed to control and manipulate are sophisticated, deeply embedded in the fabric of society. Escaping them requires more than individual resistance; it requires a collective effort to dismantle the structures that perpetuate division and control.
As the trip subsides, you’re left with a lingering question: How do you navigate a world where perception is malleable, truth is contested, and control is often invisible? The journey inward has illuminated the complexities of the external world, leaving you with a heightened awareness and a renewed sense of responsibility to seek truth, foster connection, and challenge the forces that seek to divide and control.
Large-scale studies show that the actual risk of “going insane” after using LSD is statistically low for most people. A meta-analysis of clinical and observational research found that the incidence of persistent psychosis or serious psychiatric episodes following psychedelic use, including LSD, was around 0.002% in the general population. In more controlled experimental settings, the rate slightly increased, with randomized clinical trials showing about a 0.6% incidence.
That said, the risk rises considerably for individuals with a predisposition to mental health conditions, especially schizophrenia. Among users who already have a history of psychotic disorders, about 3.8% experienced long-lasting psychotic symptoms following LSD use. Furthermore, approximately 13.1% of individuals who had a psychedelic-induced psychotic break were later diagnosed with schizophrenia. A separate longitudinal study in Ontario, Canada, which tracked over 9.2 million people over a 13-year period, found that those who visited emergency rooms due to hallucinogen-related complications were 3.5 times more likely to develop schizophrenia compared to the general population. Within three years of that ER visit, around 4% had received a schizophrenia diagnosis, as opposed to just 0.15% of the broader population.
These statistics suggest that while LSD does not commonly lead to lasting insanity, it is not without psychological risk—particularly for those with latent or active mental health vulnerabilities. The substance may act as a catalyst, accelerating or amplifying underlying conditions that might have otherwise remained dormant. This underscores the need for careful consideration and screening, especially in medical or therapeutic contexts where psychedelics are being reintroduced as potential treatments.
The story of LSD is far from just one of counterculture or consciousness expansion. It also exposes a chilling reality: in the hands of those in power, mind-altering substances can become tools of control, coercion, and even warfare. What began as a scientific curiosity and spiritual catalyst was quickly rebranded as a strategic asset—proof that a molecule, just a few micrograms in mass, could dissolve a person’s grip on reality. When wielded by governments or shadow institutions, LSD becomes more than a drug; it becomes a weapon of psychological warfare.
Chemical influence doesn’t always leave bruises or bloodshed. It distorts perception, fractures identity, and disrupts the very mechanisms we use to resist oppression. Unlike conventional warfare, chemical psychological operations leave no clear battlefield—only the aftershocks in a person’s behavior, beliefs, and sense of self. This is the danger of substances like LSD in state hands: they can be used to dismantle not just the enemy’s body, but their very sense of autonomy. When the mind becomes the battleground, victory doesn’t require violence—it only requires submission.
Today, we like to think such tactics belong to history books or conspiracy theories, but the truth may be far more insidious. In a world where influence is currency, the manipulation of consciousness is the ultimate power move. Whether through chemicals, algorithms, or cultural programming, the end goal is the same: to guide perception, shape behavior, and eliminate resistance before it ever begins.
Psychedelics, like any powerful tool, carry dual potential. In the hands of the enlightened, they open doors. In the hands of the powerful, they close them—quietly, invisibly, and often for good.
