Mixtape: The Wandering Soul

During the Vietnam War, the US military sought to exploit a Vietnamese folktale about a ghost for psychological warfare. They used tape recordings of eerie sounds and ghost stories to instil fear in the North Vietnamese. The project, known as "Operation Wandering Soul," aimed to capitalize on the widespread belief in ghosts and eternal damnation in Vietnamese culture. While the effectiveness of the operation is debated, the recordings still resonate today, evoking the psychological horrors of war and its lingering effects. The Radiolab episode "Mixtape" explores the story of Operation Wandering Soul and its haunting legacy, showcasing the power of myth and the enduring impact of psychological warfare.