Now the only question becomes ‘is Estabrooks some sort of kook’? Maybe he didn’t really do this, maybe he’s grandiose, or delusional, or just bullshitting, or whatever. So let’s take a look at who G.H. Estabrooks is. How are we going to do that? We are going to talk to a JFK assassination researcher who tells us that Estabrooks’ personal papers are all at Colgate College in Hamilton in Upper State New York-that there’s a whole bunch of boxfulls of all his personal papers, his correspondence, his files, and so on. So what we will do is send our secretary up there for five days to go through those 17 boxes which are un-indexed, un-researched and unpublished in any form and then we will request a bunch of that material to be photocopied and we will bring it back to our office in Richardson, Texas — we will look at it, and then we will talk about it in Orange County, California later on.
What we find is G.H. Estabrooks was born in Newfoundland in Canada-so he is already suspect because he is Canadian. He is not really too dumb, he’s a Rhodes Scholar. He ends up studying, I am pretty sure, under Gardner Murphy at Harvard, takes a Ph.D. and spends really his entire adult professional career at this obscure Colgate College in Upper State New York. So is he just an isolated kook, or is he connected in any way? Well as I am going through all this military mind control research in the library, I am aware that Martin Orne, who we will get to in a while, is one of the people I want to focus in on. And I notice in one of Martin Orne’s papers that he has referenced G.H. Estabrooks’ 1942 textbook, which I have read, where he describes creating Manchurian candidates for the military, so I know that Martin Orne is aware of G.H. Estabrooks’ claim to have created MPD. Can I establish any better connection than that? Well lo and behold I find that G.H. Estabrooks edited a book to which Martin Orne contributed a chapter. So now, Martin Orne is totally connected into the whole picture as you will see later, but if you go to a couple of pages ahead of that material which I just read, you will see a letter from G.H. Estabrooks dated August 22, 1961:
“Dear Martin, I am sending to thee a special delivery, one halo – pure gold, one pair of wings which you can try on for size, and a credit card for use in the hereafter. Your article is, of course, excellent. Upon receipt of your letter, I immediately called Mittendorff, and he informed me before I could even broach the subject that they would of course grant your request for reprints. Some day I am going to have myself examined and find out why I do not consider these matters before I embarrass my friends.
By the way, I will be at the APA meetings on Friday and Saturday, September 1st and 2nd, then I will have to whip back here and head south. If at all possible, I will be up at the Baltimore. If you and Ron (which is Ron Shore?) are anywhere in the vicinity, let us sit down and yack at each other. I am not overlooking the fact that our meeting at Cambridge with yourself and Ron sort of crystallized an idea in my mind.
I had a wonderful month’s vacation in Canada – Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec City, Murray Basin(?)sp, St. John, N.B., and home – and we particularly liked the French country. My wife’s native language is French, although she speaks Italian, English and German as well. I find that with her along, the red carpet is literally rolled out and we see corners of the back country where they would set the dogs on me if I happened to turn up alone.
Thank you tremendously. Hope to see you at the APA. My best regards to Ron.”
So it seems these guys knew each other.
Now if you turn over to the next page, Colgate University Symposium on Hypnosis, April 1 and 2, 1960 in Hamilton, New York, opening address by G.H. Estabrooks, Chairman. The papers are E. R. Hilgard, author of the NeoDissociation Book which is a foundation of the entire field here, member of the DSM IV Dissociative Disorders Committee, Ron Shore, frequent co-author with Martin Orne, Gorton (I don’t know), C.M.R. Fisher, I have seen his name going through different stuff, Wolberg, I have seen his name around, the behavioural guy I think, Martin Orne, G.H. Estabrooks, Oh who’s that guy? Oh, Milton Erickson? Yeah, I’ve heard of him.
So … this G.H. Estabrooks is not just some isolated kook. He is a pretty connected in, well-known guy and all the luminaries in hypnosis in this part of the 20th century know him personally, are corresponding with him on a friendly basis and are coming to workshops he put on and publishing books he has edited. So much for the isolated kook theory. Well, maybe he was just kind of bragging a bit, and he wasn’t really connected to the military. Well. Bad news. A couple of pages back, you see on stationery of the War Department, Office of the Secretary, Washington, D.C., dated February 20, 1942 the name of George H. Estabrooks, Nature of Action, Accepted Appointment.
Expert Consultant to the Secretary of War without other compensation with the payment of actual transportation expenses and not to exceed $10 per diem in lieu of subsistence and other expenses. So he definitely had a Military Intelligence appointment in the Second World War. Turn over the next page. Now we’ve got Navy Department, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. From the Director of Naval Research Laboratory to Professor G.H. Estabrooks via Inspector of Naval Materials, Syracuse, New York.
Subject: Information on Military Uses of Hypnosis;
Request for: enclosed three copies of receipt for classified matter and return addressed envelope.
“The Naval Research Laboratory has received a request for information regarding the possible military uses of hypnosis. This request comes from a Naval Officer who is primarily interested in hypnosis as a possible facilitator of training, but also wishes to know about any other uses which may have been tested. Members of the Psychology Branch of this Laboratory have discussed the matter informally with several psychologists versed in hypnosis, including Dr. Robert White of Harvard University. (Ross: which is where Martin Orne did his residency.)
Dr. White thought that you had done some experimental work on a person during the war and requested that the Naval Research Laboratory communicate with you. If you have done any work along this line, would you please let us know the purpose and results of your investigations. We have been unable to find any mention of such a project in the Washington files of the Armed Services, and so we must trouble you directly for information. Thank you for your consideration at this enquiry.”
So we know that we’ve got very secret documents which are not readily available to the usual classified Military personnel looking through their own filing system. So we know he’s not an isolated kook. We know he had a Military appointment. We know he’s connected in with all the major hypnotists and we know that he’s claiming from 1943 through 1971 to have created Manchurian candidates successfully for operational use during WWII. Is there any other correspondence that might bear on the reality of his claims? Well, there’s a whole bunch of correspondence back and forth spanning the 1930’s to the 1960’s (that is, spanning four decades) between him and some guy called J. Edgar Hoover.
So you’ll see on Federal Bureau of Investigation stationery, July 12, 1939:
“Dear Dr. Estabrooks:
Permit me to acknowledge receipt of your letters of June 19th and 27th and July 6th, 1939. I read with great interest the hypothesis which you put forward concerning the sinking of submarines. I realize of course (Ross: and this was the Military use of hypnosis scheme for sinking submarines) that you are only suggesting things that could conceivably happen upon the basis of your experiments and the experiments of others and you are not suggesting that such a situation actually did occur in any of the recent submarine disasters.”
1962:
“Dear Dr. Estabrooks:
Your letter of February 27th with enclosures has been received, and it was good of you to advise me of the Symposium you have scheduled. I appreciate your inviting us to participate; however the pressure of official business will not permit me to designate a representative to attend.”
Now, in between those two letters, there is massive correspondence back and forth between J. Edgar Hoover and Estabrooks. There are visits of FBI personnel to Estabrooks. There are many Military and FBI psychological warfare personnel attending various workshops and symposia of Estabrooks, and there is overt discussion of offensive uses of hypnosis in clandestine operations. So, from this, I conclude that probably G.H. Estabrooks actually did create MPD in World War II and that an awful lot of people knew about it. Well maybe it was just G.H. Estabrooks and that was the end of the story.
We have to have some other body of evidence that indicates that this continued beyond World War II. And this is material that is not in your packet, that’s from Operation Artichoke and Bluebird, CIA Mind Control research from 1951-53. I am going to read you some Artichoke and Bluebird documents that were obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. A lot of stuff is whited out, so I will just say blank whenever it is necessary to do so. To the Files.
On 6th April, 1954, Tuesday, SI&H (Ross: I haven’t figured out what SI is, H is hypnosis) Experimentation and Research was carried on in Building 13 with the following subjects present: Mrs. __ , in addition to Misses ______. ______ attended in a consultant capacity. (Ross: one of these Misses was age 19 according to the document).
The session opened with slow induction for all hands, and then a subsequent induction for Miss ____ to enable her to reconstruct a strange dream she had had the previous week. This was successful, although in the wake state she could remember no details. The major experiment of this evening was then conducted as follows. Miss ____ was taken to Room 23 under full hypnosis and she was instructed by the writer that she would find a secret document in or on Mr. X at desk in his room. She was told that she was to conceal this document next to her person and then she was to return to Room 21, Operations Room, pour herself a drink of water which she would find on a bookcase, and then stretch out on the sofa, face down and go into a deep sleep.
She was instructed she would not awaken under any circumstances. She was told she would only awaken if somebody whispered to her a specific code word and would recall nothing except sleeping on the couch. Miss ____ performed the entire test in exact as detail outlined above and had no subsequent memory whatsoever of any of this activity. During the experiment Miss ____ was taken to the same room and she was told that a person whom she had never seen had taken a secret document from the Agency. She was told that this person or suspected person had been given a drug and was unconscious on the sofa in Room 21. She was told she was to enter the room and find the document which would probably be on the person on the sofa. She was given specific instructions that she must locate the document. She was told that if she found the document, she was to conceal it on her person and return to Room 23, sit in the chair, and go at once into a deep sleep.
She was further told that she would have no memory other than falling asleep. Miss ____ complied in specific detail and immediately discovered the document in ____’s sweater sleeve. Miss ____ concealed the document on her person, returned to Room 23 and at once went into a deep sleep. Subsequently she was brought back into the Operations Room and she and _____ were awakened. The experiment was carried off successfully, particularly by _______ with entire amnesia of the work, and cannot even recall it under hypnosis. ____ however was able to remember a certain part, though some of her details seemed vague.”
Here’s another separate Artichoke document.
“3. Agents might be given cover stories under hypnosis and not only learn them faultlessly, but believe them. Every detail could be made to sink in. The conviction and apparent sincerity with which an individual will defend a false identity given as post-hypnotic suggestion is almost unbelievable. One’s memory for detail under such conditions appears to be boundless. Analogous Case #3. A CIA Security Office employee was hypnotized and given a false identity. She defended it hotly, denying her true name and rationalizing with conviction the possession of identity cards made out to her real self. Later, having had the false identity erased by suggestion, she was asked if she had ever heard of the name she had been defending as her own five minutes before. She thought and shook her head and said, ‘That’s a pseudo if I ever heard one.’ Apparently she had a true amnesia for the entire episode.” ”
4. Hypnosis would make the recruitment and handling of high level political action agents, in particular under ideal control. Convictions could be reinforced, political courses suggested, appointments influenced, and with a really good subject only the imagination and skill of the handling operator and the inherent limitations of hypnosis as a technique would limit the possibilities. Double agents could be both discovered and used with a much higher degree of assurance if hypnotic control sufficient to permit regression were operative. They could be given suggestions which would have the force of true compulsions to tell if approach was made, targets, briefing, true identity, etc. There is also the possibility that such persons could be used under control much stronger than any we now possess.”
So that’s experimental use. It’s clearly creation of Manchurian candidates, there is no question whatsoever. This is now in operational use in the United States. This is not Manchurian candidates, but it’s the use of sodium amytal and hypnosis for the creation of amnesia barriers and deliberate insertion of false memories.
“To Director of Security Via Deputy Director of Security Via Chief Security Research Staff from _____.
Subject: Report of Artichoke Operations 20-23 January 1955.
Between Thursday 20 January and Sunday 23 January 1955, the Security Office Artichoke Team conducted a special operations _____. In the opinion of Team Members, in this case Officers of the _____, the Artichoke operation was successful. Details follow. It should be noted at this point that because these operations were the first Artichoke Operations undertaken in the USA, which is a violation of the CIA’s Charter, the full names of those participating are omitted from this report and will not be revealed without consent of the Security Office. First names, titles, or pseudonyms will be used throughout this report.
In view of the highly sensitive nature of the Artichoke techniques and in view of the fact that this was the first Artichoke operation carried out in the USA, the operation was conducted _______. This Safe House is far removed from surrounding neighbours, it is a large tract of land, and is thoroughly isolated. A limited, and security-cleared household staff maintain functions of the House and ____ by unwitting ______ Actual Artichoke operations as usual were carried out in a special area on the second floor of the House, and neither the household staff nor the _____ were permitted in the area during any of the processing. SSD Division furnished one security officer during the entire period of the operation to act as special guard and to handle any unusual situations which arose during the operation. This guard is hereinafter referred to as ____ in this report.
For a matter of record, it should be noted that the subject was not a confinement problem, and has been at all times fully cooperative. Guard detail was not present in connection with the subject, except in a general sense. Technical matters in the case were handled entirely by the TBPSD under the personal supervision of _____. Full tape recordings were made of the entire case, and tapes are to be turned over to the participating Division in the immediate future.
It should be noted that during this particular operation, a special device was used in conjunction with the recording. This device, which is easily concealable, worked with remarkable efficiency and at no time during the entire recording was there any break due to technical failure. It should al so be noted that a complex two-way transmitting/receiving unit was again used in this Artichoke operation. Cover for the actual operation followed standard procedure. The subject was informed in general terms that before being sent for further work it was necessary that certain tests be made on him physically and psychologically as well as his. Hence a complete physical and psychological/psychiatric examination was acquired.
Subject readily accepted this medical cover and the Artichoke technique was introduced easily and with the full consent of the subject. The Case: Prior to the commencement of the actual Artichoke operation, a number of conferences had been held with the various participating personnel involved. All hands had been briefed and procedures had been worked out. A general time schedule was prepared and operating instructions for Artichoke were issued. On the afternoon of the 20th of January the subject and _______ They were met by ________ of the interested Division. Under a covert car subject was taken to the _____, arriving there at approximately 9:30 pm. Prior to this, that is during the day of 20th of January, the technical equipment had been checked out and installed, and _____ had arrived at the covert area at approximately 8 pm for operational purposes. By previous arrangement the _____ was picked up by _____ at approximately 9:30 pm. _____ was brought to the Safe House at 10:50 pm. Shortly after the arrival of ____, a preliminary conference began at approximately 11:10 pm with the subject.
Interrogation lasted until 12:25 am when all except the subject ____ left the Operations Room. Tape recording was cut off at this time. As a result of this interview _____ stated that subject’s mental and physical condition was good and noted that the pulse (Ross: which is actually the blood pressure) at 12:25 am was 120/80 (Ross: so these guys are not total wizards). The doctor also commented he had noticed an increased amount of talk after a drink of whiskey and although there was some nervousness present, it was not excessive.
_____ stated he had given subject two grams of anibarbitol to the subject to assist him to sleep and it was later confirmed the subject had taken this prior to going to sleep. (Ross: a half a paragraph is whited out.) Because of the successful penetration and because of the extremely high quality of information which the subject was obtaining, the case is regarded as most sensitive and important by the participating Division. Since the subject’s information had been checked and cross-checked many times by the Operating Division’s Case Officers, and the Division was of the uniform opinion that the subject was fully legitimate and fully cooperating with our efforts; they however desired Artichoke to give added assurance to the subject’s story and to help them determine absolute suitability for further use of the subject in his work.
For the record, it should be noted that no polygraph techniques had been applied in this case, since a physical examination by _____ apparently a cleared physician had indicated too much nervousness for successful polygraph testing. Following established patterns using medical cover as explained above, the ____ began a physical and psychological examination at 10 am on the morning of Friday 21 January. This examination continued until l pm when an hour was taken for lunch. At 2 pm _____ again continued the general examination of the subject with _____ being used, as before lunch, as interpreter. This examination lasted until 3 pm when the ____ concluded the first medical session and a portable polygraph was taken in by ____ for the purpose of polygraph testing.
(Ross: there’s a bunch of blanked out stuff.)
On Saturday 22 January 1955 subject had breakfast with ____. At 9:35 am ____ arrived at the Safe House and at 9:45 am ____ arrived. At 10:35 am the subject again, with ____ acting as interpreter, was examined briefly by Dr. ______. At 10:50 am _____ left the operations area and began polygraph testing. This examination lasted until 12:37 pm when it was concluded. (Ross: then it goes on … I’ll skip a little bit.) Subject was taken into the Special Operations Room with only the ____ present and at 2:36 pm the first intravenous infusion began.
Slow injections were continued until 2:46 pm when the ____ signaled that the subject was fully affected by the chemicals and at this time special recording and transmitting equipment was brought into the Operations Room. Also at this time ____ left the room and ____ entered. From this point until approximately 4:15 pm when the interrogations ended, Artichoke techniques were applied. These techniques, which followed a previously agreed-upon plan, were in three stages: (Ross: this is now deliberate implantation of false memories.)
A. A fantasy which ______. Results during this phase were good and subject had no control. Time approximately 15-20 minutes.
B. A fantasy in which _____. Results were again very good. Time approximately 40-45 minutes.
C. Following development of the fantasies as noted above, the subject was more or less directly interrogated by _____, and ____ introduced as _____.
Results only fair, although subject had little control. Time approximately 15 minutes. Immediately following the conclusion of the Artichoke treatments, a general conference was held with all hands present. It was agreed at this time that further Artichoke treatments were unnecessary, that results were as conclusive .. that in view of the subject’s importance, additional work with chemicals or with the H technique might possibly antagonize the subject, hence would be unwarranted and unwise.
Following the conclusion of the general discussion all technical apparatus was removed from the premises, and all participating personnel with the exception of _____ left the area after the ____ had checked the subject. On Sunday 23 January between approximately twelve noon and l:30 pm, the _____ returned to the Safe House and again re-examined the physical and mental condition of the subject. At this time the subject reported he had slept fairly well but he had a persistent headache.
The _____ pointed out that the headache was a natural consequence of the “examination” and it would gradually disappear. In addition the ____ wrote a prescription which was to be picked up in another name for future use by the subject as a general sedative. At 1:50 pm approximately _____ left the Safe House and the subject was turned over for handling to Case Officers of his participating Division. CONCLUSIONS: In the opinion of the Artichoke Team the operation was profitable and successful. In this case the subject was aware that he had been given certain types of solutions but as to what he had been given or amounts given, he had no knowledge.
Checks were made by ___ and later ____ and apparently indicated that the subject, although not having specific amnesia for the Artichoke treatment, nevertheless was completely confused and his memory was vague and faulty. This vagueness and failure of memory was intensified by the _____ explanation that the subject had been dreaming an opinion which it appeared the subject shared in part.”
Continued on next page…
