Operation Midnight Climax was a covert CIA program conducted in the 1950s and 1960s as part of the larger MKUltra project, which was a series of mind control experiments. The purpose of Operation Midnight Climax was to test the effects of LSD on unwitting individuals, often in controlled environments such as safehouses, using prostitutes as intermediaries to lure men into the experiments.

Key details about the operation:

1. LSD Testing: The CIA wanted to understand the potential use of LSD as a mind-altering substance for espionage and interrogation. They believed it might help with brainwashing or the creation of "Manchurian candidates" (sleeper agents who could be triggered to carry out covert operations).

2. Safehouses: The operation involved setting up secret "safehouses" in San Francisco and later in New York. These locations were equipped with one-way mirrors so that the CIA could observe the subjects without their knowledge. Prostitutes would lure men into the safehouses, where they were dosed with LSD without their consent or knowledge.

3. Unethical Experiments: The individuals involved in the experiments were often unaware that they were part of a CIA operation, and they were not told they were being dosed with LSD. Some people were also given additional substances, like alcohol, to alter their behavior and reactions.

4. Surveillance and Observation: The safehouses were equipped with surveillance tools, and the CIA agents behind the operation observed the effects of the LSD on the individuals. The goal was to assess the drug’s ability to alter a person’s behavior, decision-making, and personality.

5. Ethical Violations and Exposure: The operation, like other MKUltra experiments, was highly controversial and unethical. It was kept secret for many years, but details began to surface in the 1970s, particularly after a 1975 investigation by the Church Committee and further revelations from whistleblowers and declassified documents. Many of the individuals who were subjects of the experiments never knew they were part of a government study, raising serious ethical and legal concerns.

Operation Midnight Climax is one of the more notorious examples of MKUltra's abuses, shedding light on the extreme and unethical methods used by the U.S. government in the name of national security during the Cold War era.