Manchurian Candidate

A Manchurian Candidate is an unofficial term that refers to a programmed assassin, one who is subjected to mind control — where the mind goes into "kill mode" once a sensory queue is activated. This type of assassin may or may not be aware of his actions while engaged in "kill mode". If he is aware, he is programmed to be desensitized to whatever he is deliberating, or whatever is inflicted upon him. The concept of a "Manchurian candidate" was an object study of the CIA's Project MKUltra (1953), however its use may be far older in nature, even early than Nazi Germany.

United States involvement

As early as the 1950's, assassins resembling Richard Condon's The Manchurian Candidate, were once lost boys who were picked up by US government operatives. It is likely that the selection process began on the Island of New York; rumored to be at Montauk Point. In time, certain genetic features were desired, and the selection process widened out to many US cities. Girls and/or prostitutes were also picked up and used for the desensitizing part of the program. It is likely that none of the female specimens survived. If the males survived the torture process, which was designed to break their minds for programming, then they would become "Manchurian Candidates".

Early techniques of the 'breaking of the mind' can be traced back to Nazi human experimentation. By the mid '50s, Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) was introduced in covert CIA programs to amplify the effects of breaking the conscience and mind, for easier access to mind programming. The results have led to multiple personality or dissociative identity disorders among victims. The covert program may also be responsible for the statistical trend of "white male" assalants in the US, as MKUltra primarily targeted males with a specific gene criteria.

Awareness

James Woods in Videodrome (1983) playing Max Renn under mind control to assassinate (while hallucinating), then kills himself

• The expression "Manchurian Candidate" was the title of Richard Condon's 1959 book: The Manchurian Candidate. Condon has stated, "Every book I've ever written has been about abuse of power. I feel very strongly about that. I'd like people to know how deeply their politicians wrong them."."

• In David Cronenberg's 1983 Videodrome, Max Renn (James Woods) is subjected to hallucinations from video signals (specifically photochromic) that induce desensitizing images. His mind becomes altered to the point that he could be programmed to carry out assassinations. Cronenberg's character finale may even reveal the answer as to why a belligerent kills himself after killing others. The surreal and science-fiction feel of the movie only glosses over the true nature of this real operation, at the very least conducted within the United States.

See also

• War Games