Alan Watts didn’t rise in opposition to the system — he rose through it. His work circulated in the same academic, media, and intelligence-adjacent spaces that later defined the MKUltra era and the government’s interest in consciousness, ego dissolution, and social control. Whether he knowingly participated or simply benefited is debated, but his message fit the moment perfectly: disengage, transcend, don’t resist. Parts of the counterculture weren’t accidental — they were managed, redirected, and weaponized. Watts became one of its most calming voices.
