4 ms·

I read most of the report when it was released, and their conclusion was based on nothing. Their section on whether the syndrome was psychological basically sai

I read most of the report when it was released, and their conclusion was based on nothing. Their section on whether the syndrome was psychological basically said "all available evidence fits the hypothesis that it's psychological, but there isn't enough to conclusively state it is." They shouldn't be surprised that a bunch of people are coming forward with a myriad of symptoms after a report like that. Nothing in these two cases described have anything in common, just felt ill somewhere near the White House. I doubt that's uncommon.

BitwiseFool 5y ago
This whole thing really seems like some Psychosomatic Disorder. But I suspect that the people affected won't want to believe "it's all in their head". But there are plenty of historical parallels where groups of people started reporting the same malady with no apparent rational cause. And I suspect our modern day focus on rationality will lead to people looking for increasingly outlandish explanations because they don't want to believe that this is just some shared delusion that got out of hand.
- tantalor 5y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_plague_of_1518 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_plague_of_1518
  - amirhirsch 5y ago
    I'm calling it now: Covid-22 will be a Dancing Plague -- Also a good name for an ironic book about an air force pilot who wants to become a ballet dancer, but how can he learn to dance, if no one will dance with him...?
- boomboomsubban 5y ago
  Most people have a very recent experience with a similar thing. Someone you know mistook their allergies or some cough for COVID and convinced themselves it was serious. This is a similar concept, except a negative test result only makes things worse.
- jonny_eh 5y ago
  It does, except the first case. That one was the most descriptive, about a very loud noise in the victim's room. It turns out that it may have been a particular type of cricket that can produce shockingly loud noises, when in an enclosed space (like a hotel room). My guess is that the first "strange" report, and its mysteriousness, led to people being on-edge and starting to report any and all weirdness, creating this global "pattern". Source: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/science-vs/76hgkmv/havana-syndrome-did-a-secret-weapon-fry https://gimletmedia.com/shows/science-vs/76hgkmv/havana-synd... Sound recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw5MLAu-kKs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw5MLAu-kKs
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
meowface 5y ago
I was a little skeptical at first, too, and I saw the same report, but at this point I'd bet serious money that the majority of cases are real and not psychosomatic. The psychological explanations have increasingly had less support over the past few years. It's definitely quite bizarre that there are now at least 3 reports of it happening in the DC area. In one case, someone's dog was also reported as simultaneously being affected. There were also unrelated reports of another dog being affected (vomiting blood, among other things) in a hotel overseas. In both cases, humans and adults were simultaneously affected, and the symptoms both were experiencing wouldn't make sense if it were just a dog reacting to their owner's anxiety. I have no idea if it's microwaves, and I'm not quite sure if the DC attacks are real, but I think there likely are some sort of deliberate attacks occurring against US diplomats and spies. Maybe a collection method that's inadvertently causing harm, at least. Here's an interesting article on it: https://www.gq.com/story/cia-investigation-and-russian-microwave-attacks https://www.gq.com/story/cia-investigation-and-russian-micro.... I wouldn't be surprised if some of the cases are psychogenic (someone hears about it and then thinks they have it, etc.), but I suspect the majority are real.
- boomboomsubban 5y ago
  >It's definitely quite bizarre that there are now at least 3 reports of it happening in the DC area No it's not. DC is one of the most paranoid areas around, a significant portion of the population constantly thinks someone is out to get them. Three of those people now have symptoms without a clear medical cause. >wouldn't make sense if it were just a dog reacting to their owner's anxiety But it would make sense that the sick, stressed owner accidentally fed the dog something bad, or accidentally kicked the dog without realizing it, or forgot to feed the dog forcing it to eat something bad. As for Polymeropoulos, he felt sick, completely got over it, then started worrying that the illness may have been the Havana syndrome. Only then did the more serious ailments occur.
  - meowface 5y ago
    I definitely acknowledge the DC cases are the ones that are most likely to be psychogenic. I just found it interesting that different dogs were allegedly affected both there and overseas. And as for Polymeropoulos in particular, I'm not sure.

BitwiseFool 5y ago

This whole thing really seems like some Psychosomatic Disorder. But I suspect that the people affected won't want to believe "it's all in their head". But there are plenty of historical parallels where groups of people started reporting the same malady with no apparent rational cause. And I suspect our modern day focus on rationality will lead to people looking for increasingly outlandish explanations because they don't want to believe that this is just some shared delusion that got out of hand.

tantalor 5y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_plague_of_1518 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_plague_of_1518
- amirhirsch 5y ago
  I'm calling it now: Covid-22 will be a Dancing Plague -- Also a good name for an ironic book about an air force pilot who wants to become a ballet dancer, but how can he learn to dance, if no one will dance with him...?
boomboomsubban 5y ago
Most people have a very recent experience with a similar thing. Someone you know mistook their allergies or some cough for COVID and convinced themselves it was serious. This is a similar concept, except a negative test result only makes things worse.
jonny_eh 5y ago
It does, except the first case. That one was the most descriptive, about a very loud noise in the victim's room. It turns out that it may have been a particular type of cricket that can produce shockingly loud noises, when in an enclosed space (like a hotel room). My guess is that the first "strange" report, and its mysteriousness, led to people being on-edge and starting to report any and all weirdness, creating this global "pattern". Source: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/science-vs/76hgkmv/havana-syndrome-did-a-secret-weapon-fry https://gimletmedia.com/shows/science-vs/76hgkmv/havana-synd... Sound recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw5MLAu-kKs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw5MLAu-kKs
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]

meowface 5y ago

I was a little skeptical at first, too, and I saw the same report, but at this point I'd bet serious money that the majority of cases are real and not psychosomatic. The psychological explanations have increasingly had less support over the past few years. It's definitely quite bizarre that there are now at least 3 reports of it happening in the DC area. In one case, someone's dog was also reported as simultaneously being affected. There were also unrelated reports of another dog being affected (vomiting blood, among other things) in a hotel overseas. In both cases, humans and adults were simultaneously affected, and the symptoms both were experiencing wouldn't make sense if it were just a dog reacting to their owner's anxiety. I have no idea if it's microwaves, and I'm not quite sure if the DC attacks are real, but I think there likely are some sort of deliberate attacks occurring against US diplomats and spies. Maybe a collection method that's inadvertently causing harm, at least. Here's an interesting article on it: https://www.gq.com/story/cia-investigation-and-russian-microwave-attacks https://www.gq.com/story/cia-investigation-and-russian-micro.... I wouldn't be surprised if some of the cases are psychogenic (someone hears about it and then thinks they have it, etc.), but I suspect the majority are real.

boomboomsubban 5y ago
>It's definitely quite bizarre that there are now at least 3 reports of it happening in the DC area No it's not. DC is one of the most paranoid areas around, a significant portion of the population constantly thinks someone is out to get them. Three of those people now have symptoms without a clear medical cause. >wouldn't make sense if it were just a dog reacting to their owner's anxiety But it would make sense that the sick, stressed owner accidentally fed the dog something bad, or accidentally kicked the dog without realizing it, or forgot to feed the dog forcing it to eat something bad. As for Polymeropoulos, he felt sick, completely got over it, then started worrying that the illness may have been the Havana syndrome. Only then did the more serious ailments occur.
- meowface 5y ago
  I definitely acknowledge the DC cases are the ones that are most likely to be psychogenic. I just found it interesting that different dogs were allegedly affected both there and overseas. And as for Polymeropoulos in particular, I'm not sure.