Cathy O'Brien was born on December 4, 1957. She is an American writer who says she was a victim of a government mind control program called "Project Monarch," which she claims was connected to the CIA's Project MKUltra. O'Brien shared these ideas in two books she wrote with her husband, Mark Phillips: Trance Formation of America (1995) and Access Denied: For Reasons of National Security (2004). Scholars say there is no strong evidence to support her claims, and her story has many problems that do not match facts.

Conspiracy theories

In Trance Formation of America, O'Brien says she was sexually abused as a child by her father and later by a group of people involved in child pornography. She claims the CIA forced her to take part in Project Monarch, which she says is connected to other projects called Project MKUltra and Project ARTICHOKE. According to O'Brien, she used hypnosis to remember details about sexual abuse she and her daughter allegedly suffered at the hands of international groups, including people involved in drug trafficking and satanic rituals. She says these groups used methods to control people's thoughts through trauma to make her a sex slave.

O'Brien accuses many important people, including government officials from the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia, as well as country music stars, of being involved in Project Monarch. She says people like George H. W. Bush and Miguel de la Madrid appeared to her in unusual forms, such as through holograms. She describes one moment when Bush seemed to change into a lizard-like figure, which she says was part of a special visual trick.

O'Brien claims that Project Monarch caused her to develop a condition called dissociative identity disorder, which was previously known as multiple personality disorder. During times when she experienced different identities, she says she had clear memories of events. Her book Trance Formation of America is known for presenting one of the most extreme and influential theories about mind control. Her ideas about connections between satanic rituals and MKUltra have shaped how some people think about conspiracy theories.

Scholars who study religion and politics have criticized O'Brien’s claims for not having any proof. David G. Robertson said her ideas are examples of unfounded fears and noted that no one has ever been charged with the crimes she described, nor has any evidence been found to support her. Michael Barkun said that serious studies about MKUltra do not mention Project Monarch and called O'Brien’s account "sensational" even compared to other conspiracy theories. He also said that some people who believe in other conspiracy theories, like Jim Keith, considered her claims "fraudulent or delusional." Jodi Dean used O'Brien’s story as an example of how conspiracy theories often include wild ideas that ignore common sense.