Listen and read

Step into an infinite world of stories

  • Read and listen as much as you want
  • Over 950 000 titles
  • Exclusive titles + Storytel Originals
  • Easy to cancel anytime
Try now
image.devices-Singapore 2x

Havana Syndrome: Mass Psychogenic Illness and the Real Story behind the Embassy Mystery and Hysteria

6 Ratings

4.2

Duration
9H 3min
Language
English
Format
Category

Non-Fiction

A scientific detective story and a case study in the social construction of mass psychogenic illness.

The authors provide dozens of examples of kindred episodes of mass hysteria throughout history, in addition to psychosomatic conditions and even the role of insects in triggering outbreaks.

It is one of the most extraordinary cases in the history of science: the mating calls of insects were mistaken for a “sonic weapon” that led to a major diplomatic row. Since August 2017, the world media has been absorbed in the “attack” on diplomats from the American and Canadian Embassies in Cuba. While physicians treating victims have described it as a novel and perplexing condition that involves an array of complaints including brain damage, the authors present compelling evidence that mass psychogenic illness was the cause of “Havana Syndrome.”

This mysterious condition that has baffled experts is explored across eleven chapters which offer insights by a prominent neurologist and an expert on psychogenic illness. A lively and enthralling listen, the authors explore the history of similar scares from the eighteenth century belief that sounds from certain musical instruments were harmful to human health, to nineteenth century cases of “telephone shock,” and more contemporary panics involving people living near wind turbines that have been tied to a variety of health complaints. The authors provide dozens of examples of kindred episodes of mass hysteria throughout history, in addition to psychosomatic conditions and even the role of insects in triggering outbreaks.

Havana Syndrome: Mass Psychogenic Illness and the Real Story Behind the Embassy Mystery and Hysteria is a scientific detective story and a case study in the social construction of mass psychogenic illness.

© 2021 Blackstone Publishing (Audiobook): 9798200700134

Release date

Audiobook: 28 September 2021

Others also enjoyed ...

  1. The River of Consciousness Oliver Sacks
  2. Other Minds: The Octopus and the Evolution of Intelligent Life Peter Godfrey-Smith
  3. The Sleeping Beauties: And Other Stories of Mystery Illness Suzanne O'Sullivan
  4. Noise Daniel Kahneman
  5. The Brain Fog Fix: Reclaim Your Focus, Memory, and Joy in Just 3 Weeks Mike Dow
  6. The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force Jeffrey M. Schwartz
  7. Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty Patrick Radden Keefe
  8. Know This: Today's Most Interesting and Important Scientific Ideas, Discoveries, and Developments John Brockman
  9. The Nocturnal Brain: Tales of Nightmares and Neuroscience Guy Leschziner
  10. Out of My Skull: The Psychology of Boredom James Danckert
  11. The Plague Cycle: The Unending War Between Humanity and Infectious Disease Charles Kenny
  12. Good Habits, Bad Habits: How to Make Positive Changes That Stick Wendy Wood
  13. The Brain Under Siege: Solving the Mystery of Brain Disease, and How Scientists are Following the Clues to a Cure Howard L. Weiner
  14. The Emperor of All Maladies Siddhartha Mukherjee
  15. Vaccinated: From Cowpox to mRNA, the Remarkable Story of Vaccines Paul A. Offit
  16. On Task: How Our Brain Gets Things Done David Badre
  17. Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us Robert D. Hare, PhD
  18. I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life Ed Yong
  19. What We Cannot Know: Explorations at the Edge of Knowledge Marcus du Sautoy
  20. Opium: A History Martin Booth
  21. Blood and Guts: A History of Surgery Richard Hollingham
  22. The End of the World is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization Peter Zeihan
  23. The Brain from Inside Out Gyorgy Buzsaki
  24. The World According to Physics Jim Al-Khalili
  25. Hard to Break: Why Our Brains Make Habits Stick Russell A. Poldrack
  26. Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom Katherine Eban
  27. The Cult of We: WeWork and the Great Start-Up Delusion Eliot Brown
  28. Kleptopia: How Dirty Money is Conquering the World Tom Burgis
  29. What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing Oprah Winfrey
  30. The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense Gad Saad
  31. To Rule the Waves: How Control of the World's Oceans Determines the Fate of the Superpowers Bruce Jones
  32. A (Very) Short History of Life On Earth: 4.6 Billion Years in 12 Chapters Henry Gee
  33. The Secret Life of Fungi: Discoveries from a Hidden World Aliya Whiteley
  34. Davos Man: How the Billionaires Devoured the World Peter S. Goodman
  35. This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor Adam Kay
  36. The Origins of Everything in 100 Pages (More or Less) David Bercovici
  37. Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It's So Hard to Think Straight About Animals Hal Herzog
  38. Conscious: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind Annaka Harris
  39. The Knowledge Illusion: The myth of individual thought and the power of collective wisdom Philip Fernbach
  40. The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion Jonathan Haidt
  41. Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
  42. Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect Matthew D. Lieberman
  43. The Anatomy of Evil Michael H. Stone, MD
  44. The Heretics: Adventures with the Enemies of Science Will Storr
  45. Range: How Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World David Epstein
  46. Thinking: The New Science of Decision-Making, Problem-Solving, and Prediction John Brockman

Features:

  • Over 950 000 titles

  • Kids Mode (child safe environment)

  • Download books for offline access

  • Cancel anytime

Most popular

Unlimited

For those who want to listen and read without limits.

S$12.98 /month
3 days for free
  • 1 account

  • Unlimited Access

  • Unlimited listening

  • Cancel anytime

Try now

Unlimited Bi-yearly

For those who want to listen and read without limits.

S$69 /6 months
14 days for free
Save 11%
  • 1 account

  • Unlimited Access

  • Unlimited listening

  • Cancel anytime

Try now

Unlimited Yearly

For those who want to listen and read without limits.

S$119 /year
14 days for free
Save 24%
  • 1 account

  • Unlimited Access

  • Unlimited listening

  • Cancel anytime

Try now

Family

For those who want to share stories with family and friends.

From S$14.90/month
  • 2-3 accounts

  • Unlimited Access

  • Unlimited listening

  • Cancel anytime

2 accounts

S$14.90 /month
Try now