The work of Donald Ewen Cameron: from psychic driving to MK Ultra

Abstract

Donald Ewen Cameron is known as the Canadian psychiatrist behind the Montreal Experiments, a series of brainwashing experiments. As part of a larger Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) project known as MK Ultra, the CIA regarded these experiments as a potential military weapon during the Cold War. However, a closer look into Cameron’s research and project MK Ultra shows that these experiments began long before Cameron was contacted by the CIA. Additionally, Cameron received funding for his experiments indirectly, so he was probably never aware the money was from the CIA. In this paper, I analyse the published work of Dr Cameron from the beginning of his career to his role in MK Ultra, and evaluate his own possible reasoning behind these experiments.