David Michael Dunbar’s CIA Project Monarch is an intricate, yet enlightening text that sheds light on the activities of the CIA using the Bible, psychology, and public education. Dunbar explains how the CIA is able to condition people through public education and thus, achieve its desired results. The book is imbued with a distinctly dark overtone.
The quote that stands out as a thematic trigger for the rest of the book is, “Psychology is the cloak of an Invisible Empire. Psychology is not truth nor is truth psychology. Psychology is often the perversion of truth.” Dunbar’s focus is on the MK ULTRA project, which he states is part of the “Negro Project.” What’s interesting about the moniker “MK ULTRA” is that it is an acronym of Martin Luther King Jr.’s name. He states, “Project MK ULTRA involves universities, attorneys, the CIA, and the mental health system.”
Though the text is somewhat compacted, Dunbar does a remarkable job of presenting his ideas coherently and in mostly layman’s terms, so the average person can understand his argument. As with Martin Luther King Jr., Dunbar identifies a name scheme (a perfect 3,4 integer set) within President “Barack Hussein Obama,” which translates into MONARCH. Anagrams such as Russia, China, Korea, USA, UN, and ABA are all present in the President’s name as well, adding to the intrigue and rearing for a thought-provoking discussion.
Getting to the nuts and bolts of the piece, Dunbar’s purpose in writing CIA Project Monarch is to expose the brainwashing tactics of the Central Intelligence Agency and its role in determining the DSM. In fact, the DSM states that belief in mass undetected conspiracy is a symptom of schizophrenia or mental illness-and MK ULTRA falls into this category UltraBooksReview.
Ultimately, Dunbar emphasizes several take-home messages for his audience. First, he wants to make sure everyone is aware that the CIA is tampering with the DSM, the mental health criterion, using classical conditioning principles developed from Pavlov. Second, he questions the credibility of the American Psychiatric Association because of its relationship with the CIA. Dunbar emphatically shows how the CIA is using manipulation to brainwash the nation into believing that those who believe in mass unexpected conspiracies are mentally ill.
Theoretical principles such as Pavlov’s classical conditioning are explained thoroughly, such that it’s purpose and uses become apparent to all. Though this book presents various allegations of manipulation against the CIA, the claims are not baseless. To reinforce his argument, Dunbar compiles and presents a series of primary and secondary sources (e.g., letters) including the 1977 MK ULTRA hearing documents to support his claim.
Overall, this book is intriguing on many levels. The concept of the “Invisible Empire,” will force the reader to think about what is going on behind the scenes and what subliminal messages are conditioning the population into thinking a certain way. This is a must read for anyone who wishes to learn more about the CIA’s activities behind the scenes and its impact on the lives of the ordinary person.
