MDA, MDMA, and other “mescaline‐like” substances in the US military's search for a truth drug (1940s to 1960s)

From the 1940s to the 1960s, the United States military explored mescaline and related compounds such as MDA, MDMA, and MDE as potential truth drugs for interrogation and behavior manipulation, following earlier German tests with mescaline. After animal testing, some derivatives were given to patients at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. During tests in 1952–53, an unwitting patient died, a fact kept secret. Subsequent secret animal studies in 1953–54 identified several mescaline derivatives for further human testing. By 1955, military focus shifted to LSD, though interest in mescaline-like compounds persisted for their ability to alter mood and habit without disrupting cognition. Whether any were used operationally remains unclear but probable.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract This article describes the context in which 3,4‐methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and other mescaline‐like compounds were explored as hallucinogens for military and intelligence purposes from the 1940s to the 1960s. Germans first tested mescaline as a “truth drug” in a military context. In the 1940s, the United States military started testing hallucinogenic substances as truth drugs for interrogation and behavior manipulation. After tests carried out using mescaline and other drugs in 1950, some derivatives of mescaline were synthesized by the Army for the exploration of possible “speech‐inducing” effects. After insufficient animal testing, the substances were given to patients at the New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI). 3,4‐Methylenedioxy‐ N ‐ethylamphetamine (MDE), a compound almost identical to MDMA, was among the compounds delivered for testing at the NYSPI. During tests with other derivatives (3,4‐dimethoxyphenethylamine (DMA), 3,4‐methylenedioxyphenethylamine (MDPEA), MDA) in 1952–53, an unwitting patient died in these tests, which was kept secret from the public. Research was interrupted and toxicological animal testing procedures were initiated. The secret animal studies run in 1953/1954 revealed that some of the “mescaline derivatives” tested (e.g. MDA, MDE, DMA, 3,4,5‐trimethoxyamphetamine (TMA), MDMA) were considered for further testing in humans. In 1955, the military changed focus to lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), but some interest in mescaline‐like compounds remained for their ability to change mood and habit without interfering with cognition and sensory perception. Based on the known documents, it remains unclear (but probable) whether any of the mescaline derivatives tested were being used operationally.