<i> [Zachary Quinto]
For thousands of years,
powerful forces,</i> <i> both good and evil,</i> <i> have sought ways
to control the human brain.</i> <i> Ancient tales have described
bizarre rituals</i> <i> involving voodoo
and brainwashing,</i> <i> designed to enslave
the minds of thousands.</i> <i> Today, recent advances
in technology</i> <i> have made this fear
all too real.</i> <i> And no one knows this better
than Kansas native,
James Walbert.</i> In the year 2004,
I had become a victim
of mind control. <i> I had been drugged
and implanted in my own home.</i> I experienced trembling
and shaking, remote burning,
jolts, shocks. The implants have been
inside of my body for 14 years. I know who targeted me,
and I know why. There's 100% possibility that
we are being recorded right now. <i> [Quinto]
How is it possible
for people like James</i> <i> to fall victim
to mind control?</i> <i> Are dark forces
enslaving people
around the world?</i> <i> Can anyone's brain
be manipulated by evil?</i> <i> My search begins now.</i> <i> My Name is Zachary Quinto.</i> <i> As an actor,
I've played many
supernatural characters</i> <i> that blurred the line
between science and fiction.</i> <i> I'm drawn to the unknown,
the otherworldly,</i> <i> and those experiences
so beyond belief,</i> <i> they call everything
into question.</i> <i> I'm exploring some of
the most enduring mysteries</i> <i> that continue to haunt mankind
in search of the truth...</i> <i> wherever it leads me.</i> <i> Since the dawn
of early civilizations,</i> <i> when rival cultures
waged bloody battles</i> <i> to advance
their different ideologies,</i> <i> many have dreamed
of controlling the minds
of others,</i> <i> while preventing enemies
from controlling theirs.</i> <i> Ancient texts,
such as the 15th century </i>
Malleus Maleficarum, <i> reveal our dark appetite
for torture,</i> <i> mysterious potions,</i> <i> and spells to enslave
another's mind.</i> <i> But these handbooks
are only the beginning.</i> <i> During the Cold War,
the Soviet Union</i> <i> spent billions of dollars
on its psychotronic program</i> <i> to control the minds
of its adversaries</i> <i> and create real-life
Manchurian Candidates--</i> <i> brainwashed
political assassins</i> <i> programmed to change
the course of history.</i> <i> These frightening historical
accounts make me wonder:</i> <i> is mind control possible,
and is it happening today?</i> <i> I've located a man
named James Walbert,</i> <i> who claims he was
surgically implanted
by a business rival</i> <i> and placed under mind control
against his will.</i> <i> James is an entrepreneur</i> <i> and an inventor
of antibacterial
plastic products.</i> I woke up in my bed-- Right. ...with blood coming out
of my left ear, my jaw swollen, and my right shoulder
was affected as well. I had been drugged
and implanted in my own home. I started hearing, like,
super high-pitched
static sounds. My body was being disrupted
from a distance. <i> There was most certainly
something there.</i> I could feel it
on my nervous system. My arm would jump.
Or my leg would jump. Did you have
testing done at all to see what was
causing this stuff? I had an MRI done,
and they had found <i> a foreign body
in my left ear</i> <i> and in my neck.</i> Oh, my God.
So, this is the actual-- That is the actual capsule
in my right trapezia. So, like, here, basically. That's what they call
a "tracker chip." <i> I was under a constant state
of mind control.</i> I'm staggered by this
on so many levels. First of all,
that someone would be
so diabolical to do this. It sounds like something
out of a spy movie. So you were
the first person in the history
of the United States to win a court case
that's based in a form of what's considered
electromagnetic terrorism,
in a way, right? Yes, that is correct.
Yes. <i> And how long
did it take you
to build a case?</i> <i> It took me a year and a half
to build a solid case.</i> <i> Uh-huh.</i> <i> Hired two
private investigators.</i> <i> They both researched
every single thing I said.</i> I presented all of my evidence,
and the FBI immediately
identified suspects. Wow. I took them to court
and won. <i> Now there's 21 laws
against illegal implantation
in the United States.</i> Prior to that,
if you'd ever even
mention an implant, you were paranoid,
you were delusional. <i> [Quinto]
When you talk
to someone like James,</i> <i> what seems farfetched
and unbelievable...</i> <i> then becomes
really understandable.</i> <i> Having these implants
in his body--</i> it's a very real example
of "mind control." <i> Now I understand
how something like that
could actually happen.</i> <i> But James is not alone.</i> <i> The U.S. government
has been conducting</i> <i> mind control experiments
for decades.</i> <i> In 1953, the CIA launched
the MKUltra program</i> <i> in order to develop
their own mind control methods.</i> <i> But because MKUltra
was top secret,</i> <i> the agency could use anyone
as test subjects.</i> <i> Experts,
such as John Greenwald, Jr.,</i> <i> an author who's been studying
the secret inner workings</i> <i> of the U.S. government
for over 20 years,</i> <i> used the Freedom
of Information Act</i> <i> to uncover the fact
that the CIA</i> <i> was targeting
innocent civilians.</i> Back in 1953,
the general public had no idea that the CIA was doing these
really horrific experiments <i> on prisoners
and mental health patients,</i> <i> literally grabbing people
off the streets</i> and subjecting them
to experiments with LSD
and hypnosis. <i> They also started experimenting
with physical torture,</i> <i> subjecting people
to the lack of sleep
for days at a time</i> <i> to really experiment
with how far the human body
would go until it snapped.</i> <i> They had instances where they
actually killed people.</i> People died because
of their experiments. <i> [Quinto]
To this day,
the United States government</i> <i> has never fully disclosed
all aspects of MKUltra,</i> <i> but many speculate
the program rewrote the book</i> <i> on the use
of mind control in war.</i> <i> [Greenwald]
In the world
of government research,</i> <i> if you do something
for 20 years,</i> you know darn well
that they did something
worthwhile and worth pursuing. <i> [Quinto]
Could this still
be happening today?</i> <i> If it is, how do you control
someone's mind?</i> <i> At a laboratory
called Backyard Brains...</i> <i> neuroscientist Greg Gage
is developing ways</i> <i> to override the brains
of other humans.</i> When you're talking
about mind control, you're talking about
actually controlling something, and you're consciously
aware of it, right? That's right. Roll up your sleeve.
And I'm going to put
some electrodes on your arm. There's a little bit of gel
inside of here, and that gel allows the ions
to flow through your skin,
into the metal. <i> [Quinto]
Greg's technology allows me</i> <i> to send my brain signals
to a machine--</i> And so, if I
plug this into here-- <i> [Quinto]
...like this prosthetic hand,
to remotely move objects.</i> This is called
a "neural prosthetic." It's so crazy. You're controlling it
through your nervous system. This is a way that we can
tap into your brain to make a computer
do something. What would happen now if,
instead of controlling
a robotic arm, I sent your brain signal
into my body? Then your brain
will control not only your arm,
but also my arm. I would like to see
how that works. [laughs] And I'll put
some electrodes on me. I'm gonna put one here,
and I'll put another one here. If I plug us together,
you will take away my free will. So when you're ready,
go ahead and move your hand. So, right now, you have
complete control over that.
And I can try to fight it. But I can also turn up the game
so that I can't
fight it anymore. What level is this? I'm at 3, and it goes up to 8. What happens if you turn it up? I'll turn it all the way up. Ah! Okay.
It just...
[chuckles] But how amazing. Yeah. The electrical waves of my brain
were controlling the computer, ultimately,
which was stimulating
the electrodes on his muscles <i> that then led
to his arm moving.</i> That's a pretty cool feeling. Actually,
it's a little bit painful. I'm gonna turn it back down.
[laughing] Don't hurt yourself, Greg. It was the most evident version
of control. So we're gonna switch it up now.
So, I'm gonna take
the electrodes off you. And I will be in control
of your free will. You're gonna relax
your hand here. I'm gonna hook up
on the other side. And I'm gonna turn this on.
So, I have you on 2. I can just turn it up
a little bit more. Now, you can look away. <i> I'm in Michigan,
at a laboratory
called Backyard Brains.</i> <i> My search to uncover whether
mind control is possible</i> <i> has led me
to neuroscientist Greg Gage.</i> This is called
a "neural prosthetic." You're calling it
through your nervous system. <i> [Quinto]
He's developing
breakthrough techniques</i> <i> to allow one human
to control the actions
of another--</i> I'm going to plug you into here.
Go ahead and move your hand. <i> ...using only impulses
from the brain.</i> Ah! Okay.
It just... <i> [Quinto]
With the help
of a small computer,</i> <i> I seized control
of Greg's body.</i> You want to see what it's like
to be out of control? All right. Yeah. <i> Now it's my turn.</i> I will be in control
of your free will. <i> [Quinto]
My only fear is,
what is it gonna do to me?</i> And I'm going to turn this on.
So, you're going to feel
a little bit tingly. I already feel something. Your hand is going
to naturally want to turn. All right.
So, that's-- that's the-- Oh! [laughing] So...
[laughing] You don't know when I'm
going to do it, but I'm going
to do it whenever I want. So, you have lost
your free will. [laughs]
Isn't that weird? It felt like these snaps.
Like pebbles being
thrown against my brain. What if I try to resist? You can try to resist it. You're gonna notice that
this finger is gonna go first. <i> [Quinto]
It makes me understand
how technology exists</i> to get into people's heads. Is there anything
about this work
which has a dark side? I mean-- One of the biggest fears
people have when they hear
about brain control is, uh-- is the idea of someone
surreptitiously recording
from your brain or being able to read
what you're doing. All of your thoughts and desires
are all held inside of here. If you can control something
with your mind, then someone might be able
to read from your stuff. You weren't controlling
your arm, right? My brain
was controlling your arm,
and so that made-- You lost your free will.
Could that happen
surreptitiously? Could someone all of a sudden
command someone else to shoot somebody
or do something evil, right? For example,
the top neuroscientists
in the world are implanting monkeys with
electrodes inside their brain-- Wow. ...and now humans as well. <i> [Quinto]
That's the same thing
James is talking about</i> in terms of being targeted
and having these implants and chips in his body
that were interrupting his own motor function. That gets back to the point
of all the myth and mystery around brain function and how
it comprises a human being. <i> But when you really
break it down,</i> it's able to be manipulated
and interrupted as a result. <i> Greg's technology is one way</i> <i> to manipulate the brain
of another human.</i> <i> But what if this capability
fell into the wrong hands?</i> <i> Recent reports have surfaced,</i> <i> describing how
other nations are creating
cutting-edge devices</i> <i> that allow humans to control
the minds of others remotely,</i> <i> without their knowledge.</i> <i> In 2017,
reports began to surface</i> <i> that dozens
of American diplomats
stationed in Cuba</i> <i> were experiencing
bizarre injuries,
such as vertigo,</i> <i> hearing loss,
and brain damage
consistent with a concussion.</i> <i> And in 2018,
similar reports emerged</i> <i> from a U.S. official
in China.</i> All medically confirmed cases
have described
some combination of symptoms beginning within minutes
to hours of their exposure
of the event. <i> [Quinto]
An investigation by the FBI
in the Cuban incident</i> <i> revealed the diplomats
may have been the target
of a sonic weapon</i> <i> capable of using sound waves
to inflict brain injuries.</i> Do we know what they can do
to protect themselves
from these sorts of injuries? Senator, I don't think
we can say categorically that we can guarantee
that they would be safe
from this. <i> [Quinto] Unexplained
incidents like these are on
the rise around the world,</i> <i> and I want to hear
what it's like to be a victim
of this strange phenomenon.</i> <i> So I've located a man
who survived
a similar sonic attack</i> <i> while he was stationed
in Cuba back in 2014.</i> It's nice to meet you. <i> Good to meet you.</i> <i> [Quinto]
Four years ago,
Chris Allen was in Havana</i> <i> when he experienced
something truly horrifying.</i> As I understand it,
you were in Cuba in 2014? <i> That's right.</i> <i> Within five minutes
of laying down on the bed
to go to sleep,</i> <i> a weird sensation in my feet
and my hands</i> <i> began to gradually grow,
from the tip of the fingers,</i> <i> down through my hands,
forearms,</i> <i> through the calves,
that really woke me up.</i> <i> I wasn't able to concentrate
at that point.</i> <i> So, it went into my face,
ears, back of my neck.</i> <i> Exact same story the next day.</i> <i> At that point,
I kind of freaked out
and beelined to the airport.</i> To be clear,
you were staying
in the same hotel where these diplomats
were experiencing
similar symptoms that you had. <i> That's right.
I used the travel agent
who recommended the hotel</i> <i> because the hotel had just
come out of renovation.</i> Do you feel,
from your experience, like this was something
that was targeted? <i> I'm not a conspiracy theorist
by nature,
but you got a hotel</i> <i> full of people
for four years now,</i> <i> from other countries,
that have no issues.</i> If you have a hotel
in which hundreds of people
are staying every night, <i> and over the course
of this time,
20-some people,</i> <i> all of whom are diplomats,
are experiencing these
physical symptoms--</i> I mean, there's nothing
accidental about that. <i> [Allen]
Some people think that
if there was some sonic attack,</i> <i> they were still testing out
whatever the technology was
when I was there.</i> I've never heard
anything like this. The idea that this could be
a whole new branch of mind control-- You know, that's the darker side
of what we're talking about in the applications
of this kind of stuff. <i> If sound is being weaponized</i> <i> to damage or hijack
the human mind,
how does it work?</i> <i> There are sound waves
that vibrate at such
extreme frequencies,</i> <i> humans can't hear them.</i> <i> Some believe these waves
are powerful enough</i> <i> to penetrate the skull</i> <i> and interrupt millions
of neuron connections
inside the brain.</i> <i> Could something
as common as sound</i> <i> be the key to controlling
the human mind?</i> <i> To find out, I'm heading
to Arizona State University's</i> <i> Biological and Health Systems
Engineering Lab,</i> <i> where Dr. Jamie Tyler
is exploring</i> <i> how high-frequency sound waves
called "ultrasound"</i> <i> can be used
to manipulate the brain.</i> The story that recently
came out of Cuba. Diplomats that were
working in Cuba-- Right. ...were experiencing
unexplained physical symptoms, and it's been talked about
in terms of a sonar attack. There's lots of people around
the world that have their own
theories about what happened. A lot of people say
that ultrasound
cannot affect brain activity. That's wrong. We can't hear
the ultrasound frequencies. Mm-hmm. But what's really
dangerous about it, when you can't hear it, is
you don't know how loud it is. Right. [jet engine whooshes] <i> And so,
it can be 140 decibels--</i> <i> so as loud as a jet engine--
but you cannot hear it.</i> <i> But the air pressure
is still 140 decibels.</i> I know that there was
a kind of range of symptoms-- Yeah. ...some of which were auditory. And headaches, which you can
produce with ultrasound. And headaches, yeah. So, as soon as I heard
about the story, to me, it was pretty obvious
that ultrasound was
one of the candidates that you would suspect
at creating those types
of problems, even if it was airborne. <i> [Quinto]
But Dr. Tyler and his team
have been researching ways</i> <i> ultrasound can actually
boost brain performance.</i> [Dr. Tyler] We're going to
put you on a treadmill
and see if we can make you fall. Really?
See if you can make me fall? Yeah. Yeah. It's a treadmill
that's designed
to trick your body and brain circuits,
and get you to fall. Okay. <i> I'll be put to the test</i> <i> to see how sound waves
can control my mind.</i> We'll hook you up and get
your brain stimulated with some
transcranial-focused ultrasound. [technicians chattering] [device beeping] <i> [Quinto]
Dr. Tyler and his team
will give me</i> <i> a dose of ultrasound
at key areas of my brain--</i> [Dr. Tyler]
That's the ultrasound now.
It transmits through your skin. <i> ...which should affect
the neurons controlling
balance and coordination.</i> This is so crazy. Isn't it crazy? <i> Dr. Tyler has been conducting
this type of research
for over ten years.</i> <i> In the majority of cases,
when someone tries
to walk the treadmill,</i> <i> they stumble and sometimes fall
within seconds.</i> <i> However, with a boost
of ultrasound
altering my mind,</i> <i> Dr. Tyler believes I should be
able to stay on the treadmill
no matter what happens.</i> [Dr. Tyler]
It's a quite advanced treadmill that allows us to do
motion tracking of your body, and allow you to interact
in a virtual environment. You're good to step up there. <i> [Quinto]
My brain has never been zapped
with ultrasound.</i> <i> And I've never been strapped
into a jerry-rigged
treadmill before.</i> [clicks] All right. Good. My goal is to
just walk normally? Just walk normally. <i> Will my mind be sharpened
by the intense power
of sound waves?</i> [man] Go for it. [click] Make him go faster. Increasing the speed. Increase the pitch
and try to mess him up. Whoa. There you go. [Quinto]
What the hell? Aah! [laughs] [yells] [clicks] [man] [Dr. Tyler]
All right. Good. [Quinto] Go for it. <i> I'm at Arizona State University</i> <i> with ultrasound expert,
Dr. Jamie Tyler.</i> [laughing] <i> Recent reports indicate
governments around the world</i> <i> may be developing
top secret sonic weapons</i> <i> capable of controlling
the human mind
using only sound.</i> <i> I want to understand
how sound waves
can manipulate our brains,</i> <i> so Dr. Tyler
is putting me through
a revolutionary experiment.</i> Now what we're gonna do
is we're gonna try
to stimulate your brain. <i> [Quinto]
After giving me
a powerful dose of ultrasound</i> <i> to the part of my brain
regulating balance,</i> <i> coordination,
and motor function--</i> Make him go faster. Whoa. What the hell? <i> ...Dr. Tyler has placed me
on a virtual reality treadmill</i> <i> that makes most people
stumble and fall.</i> Aah!
[yells] <i> But he believes
ultrasound waves</i> <i> can help sharpen my mind,</i> <i> allowing me
to stay on my feet.</i> That's it. <i> [Quinto]
Dr. Tyler's data suggests
I should have fallen</i> <i> when I navigated the course
on the treadmill. </i> Okay. <i> But I didn't fall. </i> All right. Good. <i> He believes
the dose of ultrasound
allowed my brain</i> <i> to maintain my balance
and coordination</i> <i> better than
it normally would.</i> In a sense,
it is a way of interrupting someone's natural relationship
with their own brain. Yeah. Are there any potential
drawbacks or side effects that you've noticed
in your studies
that are concerning? You know, there are
some ethical issues. Before we got to the point
where we were using ultrasound to modulate
human brain activity,
we did a lot of safety studies. Ultrasound certainly
can be used in a negative way, and that is a little
concerning to me, 'cause when people
are using sonic weapons, it kind of changes
the landscape. <i> [Quinto]
I feel like it is
a version of mind control,</i> and I think it's
a very real example of how technology allows us
to get inside someone's head. <i> If the incident involving
American diplomats in Cuba</i> <i> was some form
of mind control attack
using a sonic weapon,</i> <i> I want to know
who could be behind it.</i> <i> And what does
one of these weapons
actually sound like?</i> <i> To find out,
I'm meeting with Alex Berezow,</i> <i> a science writer
who's been investigating
the Cuban incident</i> <i> to see who could carry out
such a bold attack.</i> You studied the sonic attacks
that took place in Cuba
last year. Have you come up
with any ideas about who did this and/or why
they might've done this? What we do know is that in 2014,
the Russians are back in Cuba. They closed down
one of their spy bases in 2001
because of financial reasons. They reopened it in 2014. We also know that they
have a long penchant
for poisoning people. <i> They've poisoned spies
in Britain.</i> It's completely possible
that Russians are behind it. It's interesting
that you say it was 2014
when the Russians came back, and the idea that maybe this
was some kind of a-- Guinea pig? Exactly.
Some kind of a beta phase-- Yeah. ...of the operation. Correct. It's U.S. diplomats
being targeted. <i> People that have
government affiliation.</i> It would seem to imply
that it was on purpose
and not accidental. Right. <i> It's not common for people
to have concussions</i> <i> and signs of some sort
of severe distress,</i> <i> and for no one to have any idea
what's causing it.</i> Do you have an example
of what the people who heard something
might have heard? I do. Is it okay for us
to listen to it? Uh, we might handle it for a few seconds. Uh-huh. Are you ready? I guess so. Psychological warfare
has a long, long history. Messing with people's minds
is a part of warfare. <i> [Quinto]
I'm meeting with Alex Berezow,</i> <i> a science writer
who investigated
an alleged sonic attack</i> <i> against American diplomats
in Cuba in 2017.</i> <i> Some speculate they were
targeted by a sonic weapon</i> <i> which uses sound waves
to damage the human brain.</i> <i> Reports have surfaced
that recordings of this
dangerous sound may exist.</i> <i> If the reports are true,
I want to hear the sound</i> <i> that could inflict
those kinds of injuries.</i> Do you have an example of what the people who heard
something might've heard? I do. Is it okay for us
to listen to it? Uh, we might handle it for a few seconds. Uh-huh. Are you ready? I guess so. <i> [high-pitched static sound]</i> <i> [high-pitched static sound
continues]</i> <i> [sound stops]</i> That's really unsettling. It's-- It feels, to me, like a form
of brainwashing, in a way. It's a form
of psychological warfare. If you know that you're going
to be assaulted if you were
just going to do your job, you may not want to do it
if you know that--
"My goodness, "I might go to Cuba
and come back with a concussion, <i> and I don't know
what caused it."</i> <i> That's scary.</i> I think this is
a new form of terrorism
that we will see more of. <i> [Quinto]
Psychological warfare</i> <i> waged with 21st century
sonic weapons</i> <i> may be the newest form
of mind control.</i> <i> But this kind
of mental manipulation</i> <i> can trace its roots back
to the ancient art of voodoo.</i> <i> For centuries, voodoo priests
would perform bizarre rituals</i> <i> and dismember dolls</i> <i> to unleash dark spirits
many believed</i> <i> could penetrate
an enemy's brain</i> <i> and inflict maximum
psychological harm.</i> <i> But in recent years,
these psychological
warfare techniques</i> <i> have given way
to more modern methods
of mind control,</i> <i> such as brainwashing.</i> There is evidence
that they actually believe <i> that Charles Manson
is Jesus Christ.</i> <i> [Quinto]
Experts believe some
of the most notorious cults</i> <i> and terrorist groups in history
were formed by brainwashing.</i> <i> In 1978, People's Temple
founder, Jim Jones,</i> <i> brainwashed nearly 1,000
members of his cult
to kill themselves...</i> <i> because he believed
U.S. intelligence agencies</i> <i> were planning to invade
his Jonestown commune.</i> <i> [Quinto]
He convinced all of his members</i> <i> to drink Kool-Aid
laced with cyanide.</i> <i> Could this have been
a case of mind control?</i> <i> In recent years,
leaders of the ISIS
terrorist group</i> <i> have brainwashed
countless followers
to blow themselves up</i> <i> in suicide missions
around the world</i> <i> to advance their ideology.</i> <i> David LaPorte believes
these leaders</i> <i> force their followers
to commit
the ultimate sacrifice</i> <i> by relying on
key brainwashing techniques</i> <i> refined by evil manipulators
over the centuries.</i> Studies identified
a number of elements that
lead to better brainwashing. You isolate the individuals. You give them
message repeatedly. You deprive them of something. So, you make them cold,
or you don't
feed them adequately, you don't give them
enough water. And you also
induce high emotion. The outside environment
can exert a tremendous influence
in very powerful ways. <i> [Quinto]
So, how do evil individuals
control the minds</i> <i> of vulnerable people
around the world?</i> <i> To find out,
I've located someone</i> <i> who mastered
this mind control technique
to recruit new members</i> <i> to join one of
the most dangerous
terrorist groups on earth.</i> [car door alarm dinging] I understand that you have
a pretty unique background. You know, in 1998, a previously unknown guy
named Osama bin Laden <i> emerged on the jihadist scene,</i> <i> calling on attacks against
the Jews and the crusaders.</i> And we wanted
to answer the call. <i> [Quinto]
Mubin Shaikh
was a recruiter for Al Qaeda</i> <i> from 1995 until
the 9/11 attacks in 2001,</i> <i> when he deserted
his terror cell and became</i> <i> a counterintelligence
informant,</i> <i> sharing his insider knowledge
to prevent future attacks.</i> [sirens wailing] <i> With incidents
on the rise worldwide,</i> <i> I want to know
if Mubin can shed light
on how brainwashing techniques</i> <i> are being used
to control the actions
of terrorists.</i> In terms of the mentality
of a terrorist organization and how they recruit
and condition people-- I mean, there has to be
some kind of element of mind control or manipulation
in that process. Extremist groups of any kind--
far right, jihadists-- <i> They look for certain people.</i> People who are searching
for something. Searching for meaning,
belonging, a family. Those were the people that
we would target deliberately, because we knew that they were
in that vulnerable state. [men shouting] In terms of the mind control
we've been exploring, it feels very much like
what he both experienced
and then perpetrated, in some ways,
was a kind of brainwashing. There's the psychology
of terrorist acts. How is it seen that destroying
property and lives is furthering a cause? Media gives terrorism
a longevity it might
not otherwise enjoy. <i> That's the idea
of terrorism as theater.</i> <i> When we see these images,
we are actually
reinforcing that idea</i> that extremist groups
understand very well-- is that fear
really motivates people. <i> And extremist groups know
what the fear will do.</i> <i> It works.</i> <i> And it's as simple as that,
and they know it.</i> It's not the number of people
that are killed. It's the number of people
that are watching. [Shaikh]
The group that I went with,
their whole mantra, if you will, is "If you want to change
the world, you do it with this,"
and he picked up the AK-47. Right. And what did it
do to you in that moment? I was bit by the jihadi bug. <i> [Quinto]
I'm in Austin, Texas,
meeting with Mubin Shaikh,</i> <i> a former Islamic terrorist
who fled his cell</i> <i> to become an informant
for law enforcement.</i> Do you have
any pictures of yourself
when you were undercover? Yeah. This is me
for almost 15 years. Yeah, you look like-- Look like the Taliban. Black turban, long beard,
long robes. <i> [Quinto]
I've seen how mind control</i> <i> has been used by leaders
throughout history</i> <i> to manipulate small groups
of followers.</i> <i> But while Mubin
was with Al Qaeda,
he used brainwashing methods</i> <i> which controlled
thousands of terrorists.</i> <i> I want to know the secrets
behind these techniques,</i> <i> which are powerful enough
to convince members</i> <i> to carry out heinous missions,</i> <i> even if it terminates
their own lives.</i> So, I'm interested
in the psychology
of these acts of violence when they involve
pushing someone past their normal instinct
for survival. To get them over that
is difficult. The number
one thing you have to do
is to convince the person, not necessarily
that they want to die, but where they're gonna go
after they die, playing on their insecurities
and convincing them that, in fact, they're off
to a better place. Number two,
the mission has to be
a holy mission. It has to transcend
beyond this world. They must be convinced
that actually they are
doing the right thing. Because they know that this is
actually the wrong thing. [sirens wailing] <i> [Quinto]
Mubin has helped me
uncover the secrets behind</i> <i> the mind control techniques
used by Al Qaeda</i> <i> and other terrorist
and cult organizations.</i> <i> But I've also seen
compelling evidence</i> <i> about how
cutting-edge technology,
such as implants--</i> I had been drugged
and implanted in my own home. Oh! <i> ...computers, even sound waves,
can control the human mind.</i> <i> It went into my face,
ears, back of my neck.</i> <i> [Quinto]
So all of this
makes me wonder:</i> <i> is it possible for someone else
to take control of my brain</i> <i> using nothing more
than their mind
and the power of suggestion?</i> <i> To find out,
I'm going head-to-head
with Matt Cooper,</i> <i> a mentalist
who has spent decades</i> <i> mastering the dark art
of manipulating
other people's thoughts</i> <i> and reading their minds.</i> <i> Matt's goal is to show me
what it's like to experience</i> <i> total mind control.</i> <i> He's going to attempt
to control my thoughts.</i> You are a mentalist? Mentalist, mind reader,
thought reader. A mentalist replicates
extraordinary mental powers using techniques of illusion
and some psychology. Do you believe
in mind control? Oh, mind control?
Absolutely. I think that there are ways
to manipulate people. You are eliciting a feeling
in someone through suggestion. In your daily life,
when you interact with people, are there ways
that you can benefit
from techniques like this? Yes, there are
certain techniques
that you can use that will allow you
to have an edge to take advantage of people,
which is a very powerful thing. But we're talking about
more nefarious applications
of this stuff. Do you look back at--
I don't know--
famous cult leaders and, say, like, you can see techniques
that they've used? Uh, historical examples,
with Hitler getting people
to do atrocious acts <i> and convince them that
it's the right thing to do.</i> I mean, it's not really
my area of expertise,
because I have chosen the good side,
I guess you could say, but-- The white magic version of it. Yeah. I suppose, yeah. Should we put this
into practice a little bit? Try something? Yeah, absolutely. <i> [Quinto]
Matt will put his
mind control powers to the test</i> <i> through a series
of demonstrations.</i> I'm more interested
in more specific information. Things that come
from your history.
All right? So I want you to think
of anything you want. Could be a person,
a place, an object. Whatever you want,
but it has to have
some meaning to you. Does that make sense?
Okay. Mm-hmm. You've got something?
Okay. Yeah. Look at me
and just picture this thing. Maybe interact with it.
If it's a person,
say hello to this person. If it's a place,
see yourself in this place. Okay. Hold on.
Just, you know,
stand up for me. Uh, right there is fine.
Shoulders back. Take a deep breath in. Let it out. So... you thinking of a place? Mm-hmm. Yes? Mm-hmm. Do palaces make any sense
to you? Because that's
the image I'm getting. Like grand palaces, gardens,
that kind of thing. Sure. Mosques, even? Sure. So, we're talking about
a location somewhere, um,
with a Muslim-leaning side. Mm-hmm. Um, Morocco?
Does that make sense? Yeah. Sure. Yes? I think I have it. Okay. Um, this is a place
that you visited recently? Mm-hmm. Yeah? Um... I hope you had a good time
in Marrakesh. Yes? [muttering] [laughing] So weird.
You guys, it's so weird. Like, he didn't tell me
to choose a place.
He told me to choose anything. I could've chosen my dog
or a car or-- I mean, I could've
chosen anything.
How would he have known that? Is a part of this
about manipulating me to give the answers away? We're always giving up
information, constantly. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. It's in our nature
to give up information. Right. Part of it is picking up
on things that
you're giving away. But some of the time it's not.
Sometimes it's just a trick-- Mm-hmm. ...designed to look like
I'm picking up on things. Mm-hmm. I may be able to teach you
how to read my thoughts, wherein,
I'm kind of helping you,
but you wouldn't be aware of it. <i> [Quinto]
Matt has set up a test.</i> <i> We'll each get a matching set
of five cards.</i> <i> We'll need to put down
those cards one at a time--</i> <i> him first, and then me.</i> You take those.
There's five there. <i> [Quinto]
With Matt employing
a form of mind control</i> <i> to get me to place
cards on the table</i> <i> in the same order he does.</i> You can mix them up
if you like. <i> [Quinto]
If it works,
all five of our cards</i> <i> should end up
in the exact same order.</i> Three out of five
would be considered psychic. <i> [Quinto]
I'm with Matt Cooper,</i> <i> a mentalist who's
perfected his ability</i> <i> to manipulate the thoughts
of other people,</i> <i> not with computers
and sound waves,</i> <i> but only his mind.</i> <i> Right now, he's putting me
through a test.</i> <i> We're both holding five cards
containing symbols.</i> <i> Matt will attempt to take
complete control of my mind</i> <i> by making me sequence my cards
in the exact same order as his.</i> We're going to do all five
and see how many match. Three out of five would be
considered psychic. I'm just saying, okay? Okay. I'm gonna through these
and kind of-- kind of
choose them at random, and I'll try
and send them to you. Yeah. So, don't think of one yet. Okay. I'll put one down first. [cards rustling] Okay. Look at me. Allow yourself to just see
all the shapes in your mind. I want just one of the symbols
to kind of present itself
to you. You don't choose it,
it just shows itself. All right.
I can see that you have it. Put it facedown.
I've already put mine down,
so I can't change mine. Have a look at them again.
Same feeling. Just allow--
Okay. Hold on. Now, you thought of two.
But there's a sense of doubt
with the first one. I want you to go back to
the first one you thought of. Okay. All right.
Put that one down. All right? Three left.
Just jumble them up
in your head. Just kind of see them
kind of jumbling up. Look at me.
That one there.
Just put one down now. Just put one down.
Don't think about it.
Put one down. All right.
There's two left. I'm trying to choose.
How about this one? All right.
Go ahead. Put one down. Stop.
You have to feel as if
you know it to be true. Okay? So don't worry
about getting it wrong.
You already know what it is. Uh-huh. So put it down. That's the last one. Uh-huh. The odds of getting
all of them right
is very unlikely. Um, but just pick them up.
We're gonna deal them down
from the top, okay? Same-- From the top. Wait. From here? Yeah, from the top. Okay. So the last one
was a circle. So far, so good. So far, so good. And then we had... [chuckling, muttering] Square. [chuckling] [chuckling]
You-- You realize
if this one's right,
that's all five, right? Yeah. I'll put mine down first. That's all five. Oh, dude, that's so crazy! There it is. That is so crazy. <i> The thing that really threw me
was the cards.</i> 'Cause I'm sitting there like,
if I'm looking for something, I
don't know what I'm looking for. And there were times
when I just was like,
"It's the cross. It's the cross.
It's the cross." And I just went with it
like he told me to, and I just believed
that I could do it. <i> So, I mean,
it was pretty impressive to me,
I have to say.</i> It's a bit
of a superpower, in a way. You were somehow helping me to arrive at this order
of cards. Were there things
that you were doing to trigger
my unconscious mind-- Mm-hmm. ...to know what shapes
you were putting down? If you're thinking
about mentalism,
you don't really want to think in terms of magical thinking,
and illusion,
tricks like that, but you want to think
psychologically. Always just about
reading signals. Okay. There are
other things at play that allow me to gather
information about you that isn't just about
you communicating them
unconsciously. Obviously,
there is something to it. He's employing techniques--
suggesting and, like,
planting seeds-- <i> that I could feel
him employing,</i> <i> even though I didn't know
what they were.</i> <i> The mystery of the human brain
and how to manipulate it</i> <i> continues to perplex
and terrify mankind
to this day.</i> <i> And while history has shown us
that powerful forces
of both good and evil</i> <i> may have already mastered
the ability
to control our minds,</i> <i> the future of our civilization
may well depend</i> <i> on our ability to defend
against these dark forces</i> <i> at all costs.</i> <i> Otherwise, we may be
entering an era</i> <i> where are thoughts
may never again
be entirely our own.</i>
