The mind really is a battlefield.
Advances in neurological medicine might seem like a boon to humanity. However, UK scientists are warning that the tech could also be used to develop “brain weapons” that can alter human consciousness, perception, or behavior.
This apocalyptic “wake-up call” was floated in the book, “Preventing Weaponization of CNS-acting Chemicals: A Holistic Arms Control Analysis,” by researchers Michael Crowley and Malcolm Dando of Bradford University.
Dando, a biological and weapons control expert, said that the “same knowledge that helps us treat neurological disorders could be used to disrupt cognition” and “induce compliance,” per a release by the university.
It could even be used in the “future [to] turn people into unwitting agents,” like something out of a dystopian thriller, he argued.
But what might “sound like science fiction” could become “science fact,” according to Crowley, an honorary visiting senior research fellow at Bradford’s peace studies and international development division.
He claimed that humanity has entered a new age of warfare where the “brain itself could become a battlefield” due to the increased ubiquity and sophistication of pharmaceutically-induced mind control.
“The tools to manipulate the central nervous system – to sedate, confuse or even coerce – are becoming more precise, more accessible and more attractive to states,” Crowley said.
To highlight the dangers of this weaponization of the brain, Dando and Crowley traced the history of central nervous system (CNS)-acting chemicals, which were notably developed by China, the US and Russia during the 1950s and 60s.
Their goal? To incapacitate the enemy by inducing “loss of consciousness,” paralysis, sedation and other effects like synthetic Cordyceps, per Crowley.
Infamous examples include the US development of BZ (quinuclidinyl benzilate), a chemical weapon that could cause delirium and hallucinations. While this hallucinogen was intended for use in Vietnam — and was allegedly tested on soldiers — there’s no evidence that the agent was ever deployed.
However, the only instance of large-scale CNS-acting chemical use occurred in 2002 during the Moscow Theater Siege, when Russian security forces used fentanyl derivatives against Chechen militants that had taken 900 theatergoers hostage, the Guardian reported.
Unfortunately, the plan had some unfortunate collateral effects. While most of the hostages were rescued, 120 died in the chemical attack, while an unspecified number suffered from long-term complications or premature death.
Now, neuroscientists are making major strides in understanding how the brain’s “survival circuits,” neural pathways that control fear, sleep, aggression, and decision-making.
Comprehending this neural circuitry is essential to treatment of brain disorders, but could also pave the way for more precise and potent neurochemical weapons.
The issue has become so dire that Dando and Crowley are traveling to the Hague in the Netherlands this weekend for a key meeting of the Conference of the States Parties (CSP), an international body that oversees the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
The duo pointed out that while the convention prohibits the use of chemical weapons in war, there is a loophole that might permit their use in other sectors like law enforcement. This oversight could potentially allow bad actors to exploit mind-altering substances under the scope of the law.
“There are dangerous regulatory gaps within and between these treaties,” said Crowley. “Unless they are closed, we fear certain States may be emboldened to exploit them in dedicated CNS and broader incapacitating agent weapons programs.”
To safeguard against this possibility, Dando and Crowley propose a multi-pronged “Holistic Arms Control” approach.
This campaign entails involving “multiple layers of governance, including international human rights law, international humanitarian law, UN drug conventions, medical ethics, and the codes of conduct of scientific professional bodies,” per the release.
They would be responsible for updating treaty definitions and protocols to reflect new scientific studies on CNS-acting agents and making ethics training an integral part of neuroscience and chemical science education.
The body would also encourage scientists and civil society to be more active in keeping tabs on the implementation of arms control treaties.
“We must act now to protect the integrity of science and the sanctity of the human mind,” warned Crowley.
