--- born: 1946-10-16 category: Key Figures created: 2026-06-03 died: 2019-09-01 location: San Francisco, California summary: U.S. Army Lt. Col. in Military Intelligence and psychological operations who founded the Temple of Set, co-authored the MindWar doctrine, and was investigated during the 1986-87 Presidio child abuse scandal. tags: - Person - MKULTRA - PsychologicalWarfare - CIA updated: 2026-06-03 --- Michael A. Aquino was a Lieutenant Colonel in the [U.S. Army](/organizations/us-army/) Reserve, serving in Military Intelligence and psychological operations. He was attached to the 7th Psychological Operations Group at the Presidio and held Top Secret security clearance. Born October 16, 1946, he earned bachelor's and master's degrees in political science from the University of California Santa Barbara before launching concurrent careers in military intelligence and the occult.[^1][^2] ### MindWar Doctrine In 1980, Aquino co-authored "From PSYOP to MindWar: The Psychology of Victory" with Colonel Paul E. Valley. The paper proposed using psychological warfare techniques, including the manipulation of electromagnetic frequencies and mass media, as strategic weapons. MindWar went beyond traditional propaganda to encompass what Aquino described as the deliberate shaping of an adversary's perceptions and beliefs using every available technological means. The paper circulated within military intelligence circles and influenced subsequent thinking about information warfare.[^1] ### Temple of Set Aquino founded the Temple of Set in 1975 after leaving the Church of Satan. He established himself as the High Priest of the new organization, which he described as focusing on the Egyptian deity Set rather than the Judeo-Christian figure of Satan. Aquino claimed the title of 13th Baron of Rachane through Clan Campbell. He authored several books on occult subjects, including The Crystal Tablet of Set and Black Magic.[^2] ### The Presidio Child Abuse Scandal In November 1986, allegations of child sexual abuse surfaced at the Presidio Army base Child Development Center in [San Francisco](/places/san-francisco/). Investigations expanded over the following months, and in August 1987, a young girl identified Aquino as one of her abusers. At least 58 of approximately 100 children who attended the daycare showed physical or psychological signs of abuse. Aquino was investigated by Army and civilian authorities but was never charged. The case became one of the most prominent of the 1980s satanic ritual abuse controversies, and Aquino aggressively denied all allegations through legal channels and public statements.[^1][^2] ### Project Monarch Allegations Aquino was alleged to have participated in [Project Monarch](/programs/project-monarch/) conditioning of subjects at [NASA](/organizations/nasa/) bases, serving as a handler for programming operations. [Cathy O'Brien](/people/cathy-obrien/) identified Aquino as one of her handlers during her alleged Monarch programming. The allegations placed Aquino at the intersection of military psychological warfare expertise and the claimed Monarch programming operations. Pettie's network also intersected with Aquino's circle through Christopher Bird, a former CIA officer who served in [Japan](/places/japan/) as an Army psych warfare specialist and who was associated with Pettie.[^3] [^1]: Los Angeles Times, August 11, 1987. [^2]: Aquino vitae and published works at rachane.org. [^3]: A.B.H. Alexander, "Sex, Drugs, the CIA, MIND CONTROL and Your Children," PROBE, c. 1996; Kenn Thomas and Len Bracken, "The Finders' Keeper," Steamshovel Press #16, 1998.