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Montauk Project
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<h2 id="origin">Origin</h2> <p>Stories about the Montauk Project have circulated since the early 1980s. According to <a href="/facts/UFO/EcXogHdh">UFO</a> researcher <a href="/facts/Jacques_Vall%C3%A9e/uVbhdzGH">Jacques Vallée</a>, the Montauk Experiment stories seem to have originated with the highly questionable account of <a href="/facts/Preston_Nichols/BFAhb4Kl">Preston Nichols</a> and Al Bielek, who both claimed to have recovered <a href="/facts/Repressed_memory/tCa7utpj">repressed memories</a> of their own involvement. Preston Nichols also claims that he was periodically abducted to continue his participation against his will.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> Nichols, born May 24, 1946, on <a href="/facts/Long_Island,_New_York/u42NF647">Long Island, New York</a>, claims to have degrees in <a href="/facts/Parapsychology/0cTMNMfD">parapsychology</a>, <a href="/facts/Psychology/duoqW7Sz">psychology</a>, and <a href="/facts/Electrical_engineering/YYXW1KLW">electrical engineering</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> and he has written a series of books, known as the <i>Montauk Project</i> series, along with Peter Moon, whose real name is Vincent Barbarick. The primary topic of the Montauk Project concerns the alleged activities at Montauk Point. These center on topics including United States government/military experiments in fields such as time travel, teleportation, mind control, contact with extraterrestrial life, and staging <a href="/facts/Moon_landing_conspiracy_theories/SmmYUI35">faked Apollo Moon landings</a>, framed as developments that followed the 1943 <a href="/facts/Philadelphia_Experiment/V44HzceD">Philadelphia Experiment</a>. </p><p>Both Peter Moon and Preston Nichols have encouraged speculation about the contents; for example, they wrote, "Whether you read this as science fiction or non-fiction you are in for an amazing story" in their first chapter, describing much of the content as "soft facts" in a <i>Guide For Readers</i> and publishing a newsletter with updates to the story. </p><p>The work has been characterized as fiction, because the entire account was fabricated by Preston Nichols, and to some extent, Stewart Swerdlow, who has consistently been shown to contradict his own backstory, and it does appear as if Swerdlow just wanted to become famous in the New Age Community, and establish a reputation for himself.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="in-media">In media</h2> <p>In 2015, <i><a href="/facts/Montauk_Chronicles/6UA9sMM3">Montauk Chronicles</a></i>, a film adaptation of the conspiracy featuring Preston Nichols, Alfred Bielek, and Stewart Swerdlow, was released online and on DVD and Blu-ray. The film won the best documentary award at the <a href="/facts/Philip_K._Dick/9at9kt0N">Philip K. Dick Film Festival</a> in New York City<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> and has been featured on <i><a href="/facts/Coast_to_Coast_AM/PCtT1FLq">Coast to Coast AM</a></i><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> and <i><a href="/facts/HuffPost/91nLV4zo">The Huffington Post</a></i>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> </p><p>The <a href="/facts/Netflix/TKtlFVY9">Netflix</a> TV series <i><a href="/facts/Stranger_Things/nNFByTRv">Stranger Things</a></i> (2016) was inspired by the somewhat dubious Montauk Project, and at one time <i>Montauk</i> was used as its <a href="/facts/Working_title/PpYbHY7G">working title</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> </p><p>The Montauk Experiment was featured on a season 8 episode of <a href="/facts/Discovery_Channel/mmhjAhgr">Discovery Channel</a>'s <i><a href="/facts/Mysteries_of_the_Abandoned/RzDWSzCY">Mysteries of the Abandoned</a></i> on October 23, 2003. The episode, titled, "The Montauk Conspiracy" documented the conspiracies that "swirled around an abandoned military base" (<a href="/facts/Camp_Hero/6rn5Ln3r">Camp Hero</a>) in Long Island. Experts discussed the critical role that the base played in defending America's coastline.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/List_of_conspiracy_theories/QDx803dj">List of conspiracy theories</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Project_MKUltra/AIz0S18a">Project MKUltra</a></li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://www.de173.com/the-montauk-project/">"The Montauk Project: Stranger Times"</a>. <i>The Philadelphia Experiment from A–Z</i>.</li> <li><a href="https://www.de173.com/montauk-project-questioning-character/">"The Montauk Project: Questioning Their 'Story'"</a>. <i>The Philadelphia Experiment from A-–Z</i>.</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20181009201438/http://www.bielek-debunked.com/">"Alfred Bielek debunked"</a>. <i>Bielek-Debunked.com</i>. Archived from <a href="http://www.bielek-debunked.com/">the original</a> on October 9, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2006.</li> <li><a href="http://www.bielek.com/">"Alfred Bielek: The Philadelphia Experiment and Montauk Survivor Accounts"</a>. <i>Bielek.com</i>.</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20131214062234/http://disinfo.com/2012/07/the-montauk-project/">"The Montauk Project"</a>. <i>Disinfo.com</i>. Archived from <a href="http://disinfo.com/2012/07/the-montauk-project/">the original</a> on December 14, 2013. Retrieved May 16, 2013.</li> <li><a href="http://www.expansions.com/">"Stewart Swerdlow"</a>. <i>Montauk Boy - Expansions.com</i>.</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Vallée, Jacques F. (1994). "Anatomy of a hoax: The Philadelphia Experiment fifty years later" (PDF). Journal of Scientific Exploration. 8 (1): 47–71. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 22, 2009. Retrieved January 13, 2010. <a href="/wiki/Jacques_Vall%C3%A9e" target="_blank">/wiki/Jacques_Vall%C3%A9e</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Frissell, Bob (2003). Something in This Book Is True, Second Edition: The Official Companion to Nothing in this Book Is True, But It's Exactly How Things Are. Frog Books. p. 76. ISBN 978-1-58394-077-8. Retrieved May 27, 2011. <a href="978-1-58394-077-8" target="_blank">978-1-58394-077-8</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Preston Nichols". bibliotecapleyades.net. <a href="http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/montauk/esp_montauk_1.htm" target="_blank">http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/montauk/esp_montauk_1.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Vallée, Jacques F. (1994). "Anatomy of a hoax: The Philadelphia Experiment fifty years later" (PDF). Journal of Scientific Exploration. 8 (1): 47–71. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 22, 2009. Retrieved January 13, 2010. <a href="/wiki/Jacques_Vall%C3%A9e" target="_blank">/wiki/Jacques_Vall%C3%A9e</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>The Montauk Project: Experiments in Time, Chapter 1 <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Nichols, Preston B. "Montauk Revisited: Adventures in Synchronicity". FictionDB. Categorises Nichols's work as "speculative fiction" and "science fiction". <a href="http://www.fictiondb.com/author/preston-b-nichols~montauk-revisited-adventures-in-synchronicity~314888~b.htm" target="_blank">http://www.fictiondb.com/author/preston-b-nichols~montauk-revisited-adventures-in-synchronicity~314888~b.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Clingman, Marlo (January 20, 2015). "The 2015 Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival Winners!". scifibloggers.com. Retrieved July 19, 2017. <a href="http://www.scifibloggers.com/the-2015-philip-k-dick-science-fiction-film-festival-winners" target="_blank">http://www.scifibloggers.com/the-2015-philip-k-dick-science-fiction-film-festival-winners</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Connie Willis (host), Preston Nichols, Christopher Garetano (guests) (February 14, 2015). Montauk Chronicles (Radio). Coast to Coast AM. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2017. <a href="/wiki/Connie_Willis" target="_blank">/wiki/Connie_Willis</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Speigel, Lee (May 24, 2012). "'Montauk Chronicles' Claims Time Travel, Mind Control, Aliens At Camp Hero". The Huffington Post. Retrieved July 19, 2017. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/24/montauk-chronicles-time-travel-aliens_n_1543063.html" target="_blank">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/24/montauk-chronicles-time-travel-aliens_n_1543063.html</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Guerrasio, Jason (September 20, 2016). "This Is The Crazy Government Conspiracy Theory That Inspired 'Stranger Things'". sciencealert.com. Retrieved July 19, 2017. <a href="http://www.sciencealert.com/there-s-a-crazy-government-conspiracy-theory-that-inspired-stranger-things" target="_blank">http://www.sciencealert.com/there-s-a-crazy-government-conspiracy-theory-that-inspired-stranger-things</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Schladebeck, Jessica (September 1, 2016). "A look at 'Stranger Things' and the secret government experiments that inspired it". New York Daily News. Retrieved July 19, 2017. <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/stranger-inspired-secret-government-experiments-article-1.2774525" target="_blank">http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/stranger-inspired-secret-government-experiments-article-1.2774525</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>Anderton, Ethan (September 6, 2016). "'Stranger Things' Was Inspired By a Creepy, Supposedly Real Experiment Called The Montauk Project". /Film. Retrieved September 7, 2016. <a href="http://www.slashfilm.com/stranger-things-inspired-by-the-montauk-project/" target="_blank">http://www.slashfilm.com/stranger-things-inspired-by-the-montauk-project/</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>Stranger Things Cast Answer the Web's Most Searched Questions, Wired, November 21, 2017, archived from the original on December 22, 2021, retrieved November 25, 2017 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EvMYEfF_hQ" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EvMYEfF_hQ</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>"The Montauk Conspiracy". <a href="https://www.discovery.com/shows/mysteries-of-the-abandoned/episodes/the-montauk-conspiracy" target="_blank">https://www.discovery.com/shows/mysteries-of-the-abandoned/episodes/the-montauk-conspiracy</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>