Eleven is a powerful psychic and the hero of Stranger Things – and here's her history before she escaped from Hawkins Lab. As uncanny as Stranger Things may be, it's (very) loosely inspired by real-world history. It's inspired by Project MKUltra, a secret CIA operation that launched in the 1950s that attempted to weaponize psychic powers - and went to pretty unscrupulous lengths to attempt to prove such abilities existed.
During the Cold War, the CIA came to believe the Soviets had found a successful method of controlling minds, and in the '50s they established MKUltra with the primary goal of discovering their own way to control people's minds. They tried all manner of different techniques, ranging from sensory deprivation to LSD, and many of their test subjects were unwilling. Some of the experiments were conducted at universities and research centers, others at prisons, and some even in detention centers in Japan, Germany, and the Philippines.
This is the disturbing real-world history that Stranger Things fits into because Eleven originates from a fictional offshoot of MKUltra - one in which the project successfully created a powerful psychic who tore a hole between the dimensions.
The Tragic Story of Terry Ives
Eleven's story really begins with that of her mother, Terry Ives, who was a test subject for Project MKUltra in the late 1960s. Dr. Martin Brenner headed up that particular division, and he already believed he was on the verge of unlocking the full potential of the human mind; he'd identified one child who appeared to show promising signs of illusion-casting powers, while another had received a vision foretelling a powerful girl who would eventually find her way into Brenner's hands. When Brenner learned Terry Ives was pregnant, he realized his experiments on her could have had a profound effect on the development of the fetus within her, and was intensely curious to see what effect this had. Jane Ives was born in June 1971, with Dr. Brenner himself present at the birth - and he spirited the newborn away, with Terry told her child had not survived.
Eleven's Childhood At Hawkins Lab
Eleven was one of a small number of kids brought up at Hawkins Lab, with Dr. Brenner encouraging them to refer to him as "Papa" and carefully filling the children's need for a parent figure so they would remain obedient to him. Eleven was allowed limited social interaction with other test subjects, notably Eight (an older girl who could cast illusions), Nine (a girl who could generate heat), and 9.5 (Nine's twin, who - to Brenner's disappointment - possessed no powers). It is reasonable to assume all their social interactions were carefully choreographed to ensure the children developed along the lines Brenner wished, and many activities would be designed to help encourage their gifts. Some of these games may be seen in the Stranger Things season 4 teaser.
Dr. Brenner's Experiments With Eleven
Dr. Brenner was fascinated by Eleven's psychic abilities, and he subjected her to at least four stages of experimentation. These were: Initial attempts to demonstrate telekinesis by crushing a soda can with her mind; using her powers to manipulate a living creature, with Eleven refusing to cause a cat to harm itself; experiments to listen remotely to conversations a great distance away; and, further attempts to amplify Eleven's eavesdropping powers by placing her in a sensory deprivation tank (this instead made Eleven aware of the Demogorgon in the Upside-Down).
It's likely there were many other experiments that took place during Eleven's childhood at Hawkins lab as well. Eleven was not always compliant with Dr. Brenner's wishes, and she was punished by being placed in isolation. On at least one occasion her fear and rage at being imprisoned caused her to lash out telekinetically against the guards, and Brenner was pleased with her demonstration of raw power, rewarding her with comfort rather than disciplining her. The experiments in the sensory deprivation tank were among the most dangerous, though, because they appear to have transferred Eleven's consciousness into the Upside-Down, where she drew the attention of the Demogorgon. Her second encounter with the Demogorgon tore the fabric of reality itself apart, creating the Gate to the Upside-Down - and kicking off all the chaos and drama of Stranger Things.