⚠️ Content Warning

This episode contains discussion of unethical medical experiments, torture, and patient abuse. Listener discretion is advised.

Buckle up, listeners. This episode runs longer than usual, but every minute is packed with revelations. We’re diving deep into the CIA’s mind control experiments, armed with receipts in the form of declassified documents. For the full experience, we recommend listening on YouTube or Patreon, where we’ve edited images of each document—complete with highlights—as we walk through the evidence.

🔎 Episode Highlights

• What sparked this deep dive:
  A new Charles Manson documentary suggesting MKULTRA connections to the case.

• Cold War backdrop:
  The Iron Curtain, U.S. paranoia, and the obsession with Russian power in the 1950s.

• Naming names:
  Private companies, universities, psychiatric hospitals, doctors, and scientists tied to CIA-funded research projects that violated public trust.

• Ethics in psychiatry:
  Then vs. now—how these abuses shaped the fragile trust between patient and doctor.

• Bluebird’s raunchy research questions:
  A shocking list of operative queries pulled straight from declassified files.

• Evolution of the projects:
  From Bluebird to Artichoke to MKULTRA, and the sprawling web of subprojects that followed.

• Mental health facilities in the 50s & 60s:
  A sobering look at how vulnerable patients were exploited and discarded.

• Chilling medical summaries:
  Real cases of unknowing patients subjected to experimental techniques. Discretion advised.

• Project Midnight Climax:
  The CIA’s bizarre brothel-based experiments.

• The mysterious death of Frank Olson:
  A CIA operative entangled in these projects whose story still raises questions.

🎧 Why You Should Listen
This isn’t just history—it’s a cautionary tale about power, secrecy, and the fragile ethics of science. By the end, you’ll understand why these projects still haunt America’s collective memory.

This week, we’re taking a break from our regular programming to bring you something a little different. We’ve dug into the archives to share some behind-the-scenes moments, bloopers, and bonus clips from past guest interviews. It’s a lighthearted look at the laughter, surprises, and off-script moments that usually stay on the cutting room floor.

Whether you’re traveling, cooking, or just taking it easy, we hope this episode brings a smile to your face.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Hex Haven.

In this episode, Heather dives deep into the mysterious and often misunderstood history of the Ouija board—from its spiritualist roots to its pop culture reign and scientific scrutiny.

We begin in the mid-1800s with the rise of the Spiritualist movement, a time when grief and curiosity collided in the wake of the Civil War. We explore practices like table-turning (No DJs involved apparently) and alphabet boards, precursors to the talking boards we know today.

We spotlight Margaret and Kate Fox, whose “spirit rapping” (knock once for yes, twice for no) helped launch the movement. Their claimed mediumship sparked a wave of interest in communicating with the dead. We also break down the difference between a psychic and a medium.

From 1850 to 1870, Spiritualism had its own newspapers and a growing public presence. We discuss Mary Todd Lincoln’s séances in the White House following the tragic death of her son Willie in 1862, and touch on the broader cultural backdrop of grief, tuberculosis, and the infamous Typhoid Mary.

The first reports of a talking board emerged in 1886, used in Ohio spiritualist camps. In 1890, Elijah Bond patented the board, and Charles Kennard helped commercialize it. We explore the legends behind the name “Ouija”.

We trace the board’s evolution through the Parker Brothers and Hasbro eras, with William Fuld often credited for popularizing it in the early 20th century. By the 1960s, it was a household staple, outselling Monopoly at one point.

Heather and Sharon muse about the original instructions—did they include a way to “close” the session? Turns out, modern Ouija boards do include closing guidance.

Finally, we unpack the ideomotor effect—the unconscious muscle movements that could explain how the planchette seems to move “on its own,” driven by our expectations and subconscious cues.

Whether seen as a game, a gateway, or a psychological mirror, the Ouija board remains a cultural icon—one that continues to fascinate, frighten, and fuel conversation.

#Ouija #Hasboro