paul rogers
In 2016, a CIA employee in Havana, Cuba began experiencing unexplained health problems. They reported a persistent stinging sound followed by symptoms such as headache, nausea, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, and memory loss. Was it in new condition? Or was it a recent outbreak of the centuries-old phenomenon of mass psychogenic illness, formerly known as mass hysteria?
Since 2016, hundreds of incidents, now called „Havana Syndrome,“ have been recorded by U.S. intelligence and Foreign Service officials in a list of locations around the world, including Russia and China.Working in a hotbed of espionage, mostly surrounded by traditional enemies of America, much of the American government and media quickly became suspicious. Foul.
Others are skeptical, theorizing that mass psychogenic illness (MPI) is behind Havana syndrome. „Mass hysteria is an outbreak of physical illness within a group that appears to have organic or physiological causes, but actually stems from psychological causes, often anxiety.“ says Gary Small, M.D., professor of psychiatry at UCLA.
This question is far from resolved. However, MPI is not a new phenomenon. Examples appear throughout history. Although symptoms, patients, and locations vary, some trends remain constant. These illnesses often result from stress and spread like wildfire among close social networks. No two “epidemics” are exactly the same, but history may shed some light on the current ambiguous situation. If Havana syndrome is another his MPI, how does it compare to his past MPIs? Could historical cases of mass psychogenic illness contribute to a deeper understanding of this elusive medical mystery? Or?
MPI has been recognized since the Middle Ages. Dance mania was first reported in Europe in the 7th century and reappeared throughout Europe until the 17th century, consisting of large crowds dancing erratically, sometimes for days at a time. The remarkable fad of 1518 began when a woman began frolicking enthusiastically on the streets of modern-day Strasbourg, France. Theories as to why the group of up to 400 people followed suit include stress-induced psychosis caused by widespread disease and famine in the area.
The infamous witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts from 1692 to 1693 were held in response to a large number of young girls suffering from strange and unexplained seizures. The cause of these convulsions and their interpretation as evidence of witchcraft are still debated. However, collective tensions from recent epidemics and post-traumatic stress disorder from the ongoing King William's War, many of the girls affected were refugees, have been cited as contributing factors.
„It's easy to see patterns,“ Small says. „The affected people are often in an isolated situation. The group is under some kind of stress and there is no way to resolve it.“
The 1962 Tanganyika Laughter craze began at a mission-run girls' boarding school in Kashasha, Tanzania. Starting with three students, the laughter spread throughout the school and lasted for several days, forcing the school to close. The plague then spread to the village where several students had returned.
small co-author study An incident that occurred at an elementary school in Boston in 1979. In this case, an influential boy was performing in a year-end play when he became dizzy and fell, causing him to bleed profusely. This caused psychogenic reactions in his third of the students, including dizziness, hyperventilation, and abdominal pain.
„Along with the performance anxiety that children are experiencing, there are many psychological stressors among children,“ Professor Small said, adding that the findings showed that young children, such as parental divorce or death in the family, This suggests that there is a relationship between phase loss and susceptibility to MPI.
In 1983, a mass fainting and nausea outbreak in the occupied West Bank affected 943 Palestinian girls and several female Israeli soldiers. Although Israel and Palestine traded suspicions of chemical warfare, local health authorities eventually concluded that the first 20% of cases were probably caused by an unidentified gas, while the rest were psychosomatic in nature. He concluded that. time magazine.
a UCLA study Similar to the 1989 incident at the Santa Monica Municipal Auditorium where 247 student performers, most of them women, became seriously ill, children who saw their friends get sick also developed symptoms. It said that most likely, the symptoms were transmitted through social networks.
Hundreds of girls attending a boarding school near Mexico City experienced unexplained leg pain, nausea and fever between 2006 and 2007. It was a closed community, and students were denied access to television and radio. As a result, a family-like bond developed between them, which may have contributed to what Naciela Roa-Zavala, the psychiatrist who investigated the case, called MPI's „audiovisual contagion.“ .
Commonalities exist between at least some cases of Havana syndrome and past outbreaks of MPI. MPI typically begins among small, close-knit groups of high-status people in stressful situations and then spreads.
„The involvement of four[CIA employees]from the same agency is a defining feature of mass psychosomatic disease, which is known for its social network following,“ said New Zealand-based medical sociologist Dr. Robert Bartholomew. says.
Most Havana syndrome cases are staff members isolated in foreign embassies far from home, similar to boarders involved in many MPI outbreaks. They bond over stressful work conditions, constant surveillance, and perhaps an awareness of Russia's previous suspected use of microwave transmissions to thwart U.S. intelligence operations. Dew. However, for national security reasons, they are usually unable to share their associated anxieties with their families or „civilian“ friends.
Some symptoms previously thought to be caused by MPI, such as headache, dizziness, and nausea, are now thought to be related to Havana syndrome. Bartholomew said „reframing“ these common complaints by affected people to reflect what doctors and government officials have said could be contributing to this phenomenon. he suggested. In other words, people may experience common symptoms common to MPI and be susceptible to ominous explanations despite the lack of evidence.
Havana syndrome outbreaks are sometimes separated by thousands of miles, ostensibly ruling out audiovisual transmission. However, the Internet has redefined the concept of „community“ and goes beyond geographic proximity. With social media and online news, U.S. diplomats and intelligence officers are undoubtedly familiar with graphic accounts of Havana syndrome symptoms from colleagues around the world, some of which they have personally known from previous posts. Some people may have.
However, Havana syndrome does not meet all common MPI criteria. „Symptoms[of MPI]are more prevalent in girls and women compared to boys and men,“ Professor Small said. In fact, MPI has a disproportionate impact. young girl more than any other layer. However, the majority of patients with Havana syndrome are middle-aged men.
There is still no consensus on the cause of Havana syndrome. Theories range from crickets' mating calls to sonic weapons. Some experts claim that early cases of Havana syndrome show clear evidence of neurological damage consistent with exposure to microwave radiation. However, it remains possible that psychosocial factors may contribute, at least in some cases.
„We found that[microwave radiation]was the most plausible explanation for some cases, but not all cases,“ said Stanford University microbiologist who led the National Academy of Sciences study on Havana syndrome. says David Relman, MD. Relman said this is made up in part of staff from the U.S. Embassy in Cuba and the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou, China, the second location to report symptoms.
Dr. James Giordano, a professor of neurology at Georgetown University and an adviser to the Department of Defense, said the first case at the Havana embassy had „some evidence of clinically relevant, objectifiable, valid and evidentiary signs. „There were objective characteristics that indicated its form.“ It is due to trauma or insult to the nervous system. However, he noted that only a small number of global incidents to date have been identified as fully meeting objective clinical criteria for the type of unusual health incident known as Havana syndrome. He pointed out that it was not too much.
After five years, hundreds of cases on multiple continents, and ongoing inconclusive research, there is no definitive answer as to whether Havana syndrome is physical or psychogenic. may never come out. But history may provide more clarity than Cold War espionage. Havana Syndrome has some major differences from past MPI outbreaks, but it is also dissimilar in many ways, and the paranoia in the American intelligence community is by no means unprecedented.
Paul Rogers is a British-born journalist based in Los Angeles. He graduated from the School of African and Asian Studies at the University of Sussex.His work includes: Los Angeles Times, National Geographic Traveler, LA Weeklyand many more.