The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) recently declassified a series of documents that shed light on their past involvement with magic. These documents, spanning several decades, reveal an intriguing relationship between the CIA and practitioners of the occult. One document from the 1950s discusses the CIA's interest in using magic as a means of psychological warfare. It suggests that by understanding the principles of magic and illusion, CIA agents could manipulate perceptions and deceive enemies. The document even includes a list of suggested books for agents to study, including works on stage magic, hypnotism, and mind reading. Another declassified document from the 1970s reveals the CIA's collaboration with renowned magician and illusionist, John Mulholland.
ARE THERE PROVISIONS FOR INFORMATION THAT WAS INADVERTENTLY NOT REVIEWED BEFORE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF AUTOMATIC DECLASSIFICATION?
A declassified record may still contain information covered by additional restrictions that would require continued withholding of information from disclosure. An equity is information that was originated, classified by, or concerns the activities of another government agency or organization and only they can declassify it.
Another declassified document from the 1970s reveals the CIA's collaboration with renowned magician and illusionist, John Mulholland. Mulholland, who had previously worked as a consultant for the agency during World War II, was tasked with creating deceptive techniques for use in espionage operations. His expertise in sleight of hand and misdirection proved valuable in developing innovative methods of hiding and revealing information.
Secret CIA 'Magic' Manual Reveals Cold War Spy Tricks
Declassified: Magician wrote manual of "trickery and deception" for C.I.A.
By ABC News December 2, 2009, 2:05 PMDec. 4, 2009— -- For decades, rumors of top-secret "magic" manuals swirled within CIA circles.
The long-lost guides were said to have been written by a prominent magician, but many officers dismissed them as myth, believing them too fantastical to be true.
But in 2007, retired CIA officer Robert Wallace unearthed an extraordinary archived file and is now making its contents available to the public for the first time.
The file contained once highly-classified manuals written in the early 1950s by American magician John Mulholland that detailed the secrets of magic that could enhance the art of espionage.
It was thought that every copy of his reports had been destroyed in 1973.
But Wallace obtained surviving copies and, with intelligence historian H. Keith Melton, combined the two manuals -- one examining sleight of hand techniques and the other on covert signaling -- into one book, recently released by publisher HarperCollins.
Complete with illustrations, "The Official C.I.A. Manual of Trickery and Deception" describes a wide range of Mulholland's Houdini-like tricks designed to help spies pull off a number of clandestine operations, such as slipping poison into an enemy's drink or surreptitiously removing documents.
Other magician-historians previously established Mulholland's connection to the CIA and printed portions of his reports – and one, Michael Edwards, said he received full copies of the reports from the CIA in 2003. But the authors say their book is the first to publish the historical documents in their entirety.
WHAT IS THE INFORMATION SECURITY OVERSIGHT OFFICE (ISOO)?
In the 1980s, the CIA's interest in magic shifted towards its potential use in intelligence gathering. One document discusses experiments conducted to study the psychic abilities of individuals claiming to have supernatural powers. While these experiments did not yield conclusive results, they indicate the CIA's willingness to explore unconventional methods in their pursuit of intelligence. Perhaps most intriguing is a document from the 1990s, which suggests that the CIA even established a team of psychic spies. These individuals, known as "remote viewers," claimed to possess the ability to perceive remote locations and gather information through extrasensory perception. The document outlines various covert operations in which these remote viewers were employed, highlighting their alleged success in locating hidden targets and providing valuable intelligence. Overall, the declassified documents on magic and the CIA provide a fascinating glimpse into the agency's fascination with the occult and their belief in its potential applications in intelligence operations. While much of the information presented remains speculative and unverified, it underscores the CIA's ongoing pursuit of unconventional methods and their willingness to explore uncharted territories in the world of intelligence..
Reviews for "Unlocking the Mystery: Declassified CIA Files on Magical Powers"
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