Victim of CIA's Secret Mind Control Experiments Fights for Justice in Landmark Lawsuit

In November 2025, Lana Ponting, a former patient at the Allan Memorial Institute in Montreal, Canada, is one of two named plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against the Royal Victoria Hospital. The lawsuit seeks justice for victims of the CIA's top-secret MK-Ultra mind control experiments, which were conducted at the institute in the 1950s.

Ponting, who was just 16 years old at the time, was sent to the Allan Memorial Institute in April 1958 after a judge ordered her to undergo treatment for "disobedient" behavior. It was there that she became an unwitting participant in the covert CIA experiments, which involved the use of psychedelic drugs, electroshock treatments, and brainwashing techniques.

According to Ponting's medical files, she was given a cocktail of drugs, including LSD, sodium amytal, and nitrous gas, and was forced to listen to the same tape recording hundreds of times as part of a process called "psychic driving." The experiments had a profound and lasting impact on Ponting, who says she has suffered from mental health issues and recurring nightmares her entire life.

After decades of struggling with the aftermath of the experiments, Ponting is now seeking closure and justice through the class-action lawsuit. The lawsuit comes after a judge recently denied the Royal Victoria Hospital's appeal, paving the way for the case to proceed.

While the MK-Ultra experiments first came to light in the 1970s, many victims like Ponting were unaware of their involvement until much later. The Canadian government has previously paid out settlements to some victims, but Ponting was not among them, as she did not know she was a victim until recently.

As the lawsuit moves forward, Ponting and the other plaintiffs hope to finally get the recognition and closure they deserve for the horrific experiments they were subjected to without their consent.