Mark Gagnon

He wasn't a regular therapist.

Abramson was literally one of the guys helping the CIA understand how LSD and other drugs affected the mind.

Instead of grounding this man who was having a break with reality, Abramson reportedly gave him more medication.

It's unsure exactly what it was, potentially sedatives and maybe even more psychedelics.

And the sessions were described as confusing and chaotic, essentially causing Olson to feel even worse.

And then from there, things got even more controlled.

The CIA decided Olson should be observed even further.

So he traveled again to New York, but this time with Robert Lashbrook.

This is Gottlieb's deputy.

They checked in at the Statler Hotel under fake names and went up to their rooms, but Lashbrook actually stayed in the same room as Olsen in order to keep an eye on him.

Just a few days before this trip, Olsen had actually told his boss back at Fort Detrick that he wanted to resign.

He didn't want to work on biological warfare anymore.

And that's when his boss had something terrifying to say.

He said to him, it would be a serious mistake to resign right now.

Now, on its face, it sounds like just simple advice.

Like, hey, we got so much going on.

Your career is so, you know, so bright.

Like, there's so much coming.

Like, just hang on for a little bit more.

But in hindsight, with everything that we now know, it seems like it was more of a warning.