---
title: "Havana Syndrome": A Post Mortem
created: 2026-04-24
updated: 2026-04-24
type: article
tags: [evidence, analysis]
sources: [raw/articles/Havana_Syndrome_A_post_mortem_-_PMC.md]
---
Overview
This article examines the history of "Havana Syndrome" and analyzes the factors that led to its erroneous categorization as a novel clinical entity. The author argues that the condition represents an old moral panic in new packaging, combining xenophobic fears with health anxieties about emerging technologies.
Key Findings
1. Studies Drew Conclusions Not Warranted by Data
Multiple studies made claims exceeding what their evidence supported:
- Swanson et al. (2018) claimed widespread brain network injury without head trauma history, but standard MRIs were normal and neuropsychological thresholds for impairment were excessively high.
- Ragini et al. (2019) found "brain anomalies" via functional MRI in a small cohort, but such anomalies represent normal individual variation; 12 of those affected had concussion histories compared to none in controls.
- Hoffer et al. (2018) claimed otolith organ damage regulating balance and spatial awareness, but otolith function tests are notoriously unreliable with no appropriate control group.
- Friedman et al. (2019) suggested neurotoxin exposure from pesticides, but symptoms were inconsistent with pesticide exposure and failed to explain the condition's spread outside Cuba.
2. Media Leaks Distorted Public Understanding
In 2017, the Associated Press reported on a study finding "mysterious white matter tract changes" that would later prove within normal range (only 3 of 21 patients exhibited such changes). In August 2017, reports emerged of hearing loss in forthcoming studies—when published, only two subjects showed pre-existing hearing conditions.
3. Prevalent Misconceptions About Mass Psychogenic Illness (MPI)
The intelligence community's March 2023 assessment emphasized that victims "sincerely and honestly reported their experiences," yet noted the framing of symptoms as possible attacks played an influential role in perception. This addressed common misperceptions about MPI:
- Feigning myth: A former CIA operative called Spratlen's position "insulting to victims"; a Canadian diplomat dismissed psychogenic illness as "ridiculous" for resilient military personnel.
- Collusion requirement: One researcher claimed MPI requires all patients "in collusion together to make sure all their symptoms match."
- Mental disorder misconception: A psychiatrist told journalists, "I haven't found any evidence of psychiatric disorder," suggesting MPI is a mental illness occurring in weak-minded persons rather than a collective stress reaction based on shared belief.
4. National Academy of Sciences Panel Actions
The NAS panel's December 2020 report stated they could not exclude microwave radiation involvement and could not assess MPI due to "no epidemiological evidence about patterns of social contacts"—despite detailed accounts published in February 2018 by investigative journalists who conducted over three dozen interviews. Simon Wessely, the panel's only MPI specialist, was removed after publicly expressing that psychogenic factors may have played a role.
5. Withholding of Skeptical Information
While the U.S. Government released NAS findings, they withheld other investigations:
- The FBI concluded in 2018 that mass psychogenic illness was most likely responsible (report remained classified until leaked to media).
- A second classified report released September 2021 found microwave radiation "highly unlikely" and noted psychogenic illness appeared to play a role. It identified mysterious sounds as the mating call of Indies short-tailed crickets—contradicting victim counseling about hyperawareness of unusual sounds from foreign adversaries.
Theoretical Framework: Old Wine in New Skins
The article frames Havana Syndrome as embodying two longstanding moral panics:
1. "Enemy at the gate": Fear of imminent threat from nefarious foreigners, with common American xenophobic scapegoats including Chinese, Russians, Japanese, Jews, and Muslims.
2. Health threats from new technologies: Traced back centuries from concerns about musical instruments causing illness to electric lights inducing blindness, to contemporary worries involving mobile phones, Wi-Fi, 5G, and wind turbines.
Historical Parallels
The article draws parallels to past compensation decisions for dubious conditions:
- Railway spine in the U.K. (Gasquoine, 2020)
- Telephone sickness in German switchboard operators (Killen, 2003)
- October 2021 U.S. Congress law authorizing financial compensation for government victims
Conclusion
The article concludes that over six years of investigation by U.S. officials expended considerable human capital and financial resources searching for exotic explanations—"rabbits" rather than secret weapons or foreign conspiracies. The lesson stated is to "follow the science" toward prosaic explanations.