Overview
Project CHATTER was a secret U.S. Navy program initiated in 1947 in response to reports of "mind control" success by the Soviet Union. The project aimed to identify drugs—both natural and synthetic—that would make a subject more compliant during interrogation.
Experiments
Researchers tested substances including anabasine (an alkaloid), scopolamine, and mescaline on both animals and human subjects. The goal was to find a "truth serum" that would compel a prisoner to speak without the need for physical torture.
Conclusion
The project was terminated in 1953, shortly after the end of the Korean War, as the focus of mind-control research shifted to the CIA's more expansive MKUltra program. CHATTER served as the blueprint for ethical violations in behavioral research during the early Cold War.