MDMA and the Military

In the 1920s, physicians discovered that psychoactive substances could induce speech. The German Nazis first experimented with 'truth drugs' for interrogation. After American prisoners of war in the Korean war allegedly confessed to using biological weapons, the US Army suspected drug manipulation, triggering research into behavioral manipulation. Hallucinogens like mescaline and LSD were found mentally too 'irritating' for interrogations, shifting focus to less irritating euphoria-inducing substances like MDA. Research paused after an accidental death of an unwitting patient in an MDA experiment, leading to animal tests including with MDMA. Most documents from that period have been destroyed, but it seems unlikely MDMA was tested or used operationally on humans.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract In the 1920s, physicians discovered the potential for ‘speech induction’ offered by psychoactive substances. The German Nazis were the first to conduct experiments on the use of ‘truth drugs’ for interrogation purposes. Later, after some American prisoners of war ‘confessed’ to the use of biological weapons in the Korean war, the United States (US) Army suspected that they had been manipulated by drugs. This triggered research into drug use for behavioural manipulation by the US military. Research concluded that hallucinogens, such as mescaline and LSD, were mentally so ‘irritating’ that they are not helpful in interrogations. Consequently, the focus of research changed direction towards less irritating substances with more consistent euphoria-inducing effects (such as MDA and similar ‘mescaline derivatives’). However, due to the accidental death of an unwitting patient in an experiment with MDA, research was put on hold until animal tests had been conducted, including with MDMA. Most of the documents related to the years in which the testing was done have been destroyed, but it seems unlikely that MDMA had been tested or used operationally on humans.