The Montauk Project The Human Experiments That Inspired Stranger Things
There are many mysterious things in the world that we will probably never discover and will remain as crazy theories. One of many is the Montauk Project, a dark and terrifying subject about which little is known and which, if true, we wish had never happened.

Many legends and conspiracy theories exist around this project, such as time travel, teleportation and even metal control. In fact, the Montauk Project is said to have inspired literary and cinematographic productions as well as one of the most acclaimed series of the moment: Stranger Things.
The truth is that it is a little-known subject and it is very likely that everything that has been said about this project is mere fiction. Still, there are documents from the Central Intelligence Agency that speak of disturbing secret experiments; despite attempts by the US government to deny their existence.
With the popularity of the Stranger Things series, theories about the Montauk Project have returned and it seems that they are here to stay.

Source
It all started in 1992 with the book titled The Montauk Project: Experiments in Time , written and edited by Preston B. Nichols.
At the time there were rumors that the US military was conducting psychological warfare experiments on eastern Long Island. Specifically at Montauk Air Force Station, because a large radar antenna was needed and this military base had it. Since the early 1980s these rumors began about the experiments of the Montauk Project, which was also said to be a continuation of the Philadelphia Experiment.

Nichols claimed that he wrote the book because he had “recovered” memories of his time as a researcher on the project. In the text he recounts in detail the interior of the facility, the advanced technologies they possessed, the procedures, and the numerous paranormal incidents he claims to have witnessed.
He mentions mind control and telepathy experiments, opening portals to other dimensions, contact with aliens, and even child abductions. According to the book, these disturbing experiments were financed with Nazi gold recovered from a train on the French-Swiss border during World War II.
Following the publication of the book, many people began to say that they were also aware of the illicit research of the Montauk Project; giving way to a great conspiracy theory.
Philadelphia experiment.

There is another older conspiracy theory that dates back to 1943 and is said to have been the precursor to the Montauk Project. This is the Philadelphia Experiment, which according to unofficial history; It was based on finding ways to evade enemy army radar. This experiment was aimed at making the USS Eldridge disappear from Nazi radar. But according to rumours, she was also invisible to the naked eye.
Supposedly, during World War II, the army used electromagnetic fields so that the radars did not detect the ship. However, stationed in a shipyard near Philadelphia, those fields also made it invisible to the bystander’s eyes.
Several versions claim that the ship also reached Norfolk, Virginia, which is more than 300 kilometres away, in a matter of seconds and that after a few minutes, it reappeared in Philadelphia. However, what could have been an impressive feat turned into tragedy as upon returning, some of the crew “melted” with the structure of the ship, or had materialized from the inside out. According to reports, most of the crew went crazy from the disorientation caused by being in the so-called “hyperspace bubble”.

These incredible historical events have been disproved as having chronological inconsistencies or going against the laws of Physics. Similarly, the legend became very popular and haunted the entire United States, before helping to give rise to the story of the Montauk Project.
Testimony
In 1988 , a 57-year-old man named Al Bielek watched a movie about the Philadelphia Experiment and said he had an overwhelming sense of deja vu . According to him, this film rescued the repressed memories of him since he was apparently part of the Philadelphia Experiment and another one that he called the Montauk Project.
Bielek claimed that his memory had been wiped with the CIA’s MK-Ultra techniques to keep the program secret. He also said that his real name was Edward Cameron and that he and his brother, Duncan Cameron, were part of the crew of the USS Eldrige in 1943.

In 1990 , the man told his story at the Mutual UFO Network conference, where he discussed all the details of his experience. He even claimed that Nikola Tesla designed the equipment that made the ship travel through space-time. In general, his testimony is confusing but it is noted that after his participation in Philadelphia, Bielek and his brother joined the Montauk Project.
Supposedly, this new project grew out of the electromagnetic investigation of the Philadelphia experiment. Bielek also stated that in Montauk he met a certain Nichols in 1970 and that they both developed “the Montauk chair”; a device for reading minds.
The Montauk chair
In his book, Preston Nichols details his work on the chair. This device used electromagnetism to increase the psychic powers of those who sat on it. Apparently, users could move objects with their minds.
For those who have seen at least the first season of Stranger Things , you will know that the character of Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown, has mental powers. Also, she uses a similar device, with many wires attached to her head, when she opens the portal to a parallel dimension.

According to Montauk Project legend, the chair was used to create time-space portals. Nichols also claimed that young children were kidnapped to perform various psychic experiments and that they were so psychologically affected that most forgot all about their experiences at Montauk Air Force Station.
The story about what happened in Montauk is certainly quite murky and resembles the plot of Stranger Things in many ways. However, it cannot be said for sure if any of this really happened or if they are simply made-up stories. Although it seems quite far-fetched to believe that such experiments were carried out; Often times, the reality is stranger than fiction.