Donald Ewen Cameron

Donald Ewen Cameron
Cameron, c. 1967
Born(1901-12-24)24 December 1901
Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire, Scotland
Died8 September 1967(1967-09-08) (aged 65)
Lake Placid, New York, U.S.
NationalityScottish-American
Spouse
Jean C. Rankine
​
(m. 1933)​
Children4
Scientific career
FieldsPsychiatry, mind control
InstitutionsAlbany Medical College, McGill University

Donald Ewen Cameron ((1901-12-24)24 December 1901 – (1967-09-08)8 September 1967)[1] was a Scottish-born psychiatrist. He is largely known today for his central role in unethical medical experiments, and development of psychological and medical torture techniques for the Central Intelligence Agency. He served as president of the American Psychiatric Association (1952–1953), Canadian Psychiatric Association (1958–1959),[2] American Psychopathological Association (1963),[3] Society of Biological Psychiatry (1965)[4] and the World Psychiatric Association (1961–1966).[5]

In spite of his high professional reputation, he has been criticized for, among other things, his experimentation on adults and children as well as his involvement in child sexual abuse, administering electroconvulsive therapy and experimental drugs, including poisons such as curare and hallucinogens such as lysergic acid diethylamide, to patients and prisoners without their knowledge or informed consent. Some of this work took place in the context of the Project MKUltra program for the developing of mind control and torture techniques, psychoactive poisons, and behavior modification systems.[6] Decades after his own death, the psychic driving technique he developed continued to see extensive use in the torture of prisoners around the world.[7]

  1. ^ "Obituary Notices". British Medical Journal. 3 (5568): 803–804. 1967-09-23. doi:10.1136/bmj.3.5568.803. ISSN 0959-8138. PMC 1843238.
  2. ^ "Past Presidents & Board Chairs". Canadian Psychiatric Association. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  3. ^ "Presidents of the APPA". American PsychoPathological Association. Archived from the original on 5 November 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  4. ^ "Society of Biological Psychiatry 65th Annual Meeting Program Book (p. 14)" (PDF). Society of Biological Psychiatry. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 December 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  5. ^ "World Psychiatric Association Chronology". World Psychiatric Association. Archived from the original on 19 May 2015. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference lemoy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Gordon Thomas (1988-08-01). Journey into Madness: Medical Torture and the Mind Controllers. Bantam Press. ISBN 0593011422.