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CIA report suggests 'Havana Syndrome' is not what it seems


Eldorado

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The CIA believes it is unlikely Russia or another foreign adversary used microwaves or other forms of directed energy to attack the hundreds of American officials who claim to have been affected by "Havana syndrome".

The agency's findings, according to one official familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the intelligence, drew immediate criticism from those who have reported cases and from advocates who accuse the government of long dismissing the array of ailments.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-21/cia-most-havana-syndrome-cases-not-linked-to-foreign-powers/100771802

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The idea that this syndrome was caused from an outside agent has been disputed from early on.

One of the claims is that this was due to some sort of sonic weapon. The person making the claim even recorded the sound. Turned out to be the mating call of some insect.

https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2022/01/havana-syndrome-a-primer-for-skeptics-in-an-age-of-alternative-facts/

Quote

If you remove the claims of brain damage and hearing loss (which were never documented), you are left with a classic outbreak of mass psychogenic illness. Of course, not all of the affected diplomats in Cuba were suffering from psychogenic illnesses. Some victims were simply redefining a laundry list of vague symptoms under a new label – ‘Havana Syndrome.’ Some may even have had other illnesses.

Brain changes reported in the Havana patients are consistent with findings one would expect to find in people exposed to prolonged stress. Importantly, brain dysfunction is not the same as brain damage – the latter of which has never been demonstrated.

 

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2 hours ago, stereologist said:

The idea that this syndrome was caused from an outside agent has been disputed from early on.

One of the claims is that this was due to some sort of sonic weapon. The person making the claim even recorded the sound. Turned out to be the mating call of some insect.

https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2022/01/havana-syndrome-a-primer-for-skeptics-in-an-age-of-alternative-facts/

 

No doubt the cause of many similar types of syndromes plaguing Europe...

"At a length of only 50 micrometers, this pygmy aquatic insect’s penis is the secret behind its impressively loud mating call. Yes, the insect plays its penis like a musical instrument to attract the ladies."

https://www.themarysue.com/insect-loudest-matingcall/

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The CIA has played down the idea that the phenomenon is due to attacks by a hostile foreign power.

 

I interpret the CIA's stance as hiding the idea that Extra Terrestrials are to blame. :geek:

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10 minutes ago, Earl.Of.Trumps said:

The CIA has played down the idea that the phenomenon is due to attacks by a hostile foreign power.

 

I interpret the CIA's stance as hiding the idea that Extra Terrestrials are to blame. :geek:

I love it!

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Say, does anyone here have a suggestion as to what might be causing this?

The "unknown-cause" cases of course, because I guess some of the incidents have reportedly been medically explained or strongly suggested to have an answer.

Edited by pallidin
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Jeezo. Ha!!! They have thrown their own employees under a bus big time. Was it not the CIA who came up with it and gave it a name? Talk about screw with folks heads. Maybe this was the point.
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1 hour ago, pallidin said:

Say, does anyone here have a suggestion as to what might be causing this?

The "unknown-cause" cases of course, because I guess some of the incidents have reportedly been medically explained or strongly suggested to have an answer.

Not quite correct. The claims of demonstrable injuries are completely false.

The testable questions have not been tested. That leaves such minor items as head aches as questionable

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1 hour ago, Gumball said:

Jeezo. Ha!!! They have thrown their own employees under a bus big time. Was it not the CIA who came up with it and gave it a name? Talk about screw with folks heads. Maybe this was the point.

Actually no.

 

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3 hours ago, stereologist said:

Not quite correct. The claims of demonstrable injuries are completely false.

The testable questions have not been tested. That leaves such minor items as head aches as questionable

Huh. That's a confusing response, because I based my question on the recent New York Times article.

 

Edited by pallidin
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13 hours ago, Earl.Of.Trumps said:

The CIA has played down the idea that the phenomenon is due to attacks by a hostile foreign power.

 

I interpret the CIA's stance as hiding the idea that Extra Terrestrials are to blame. :geek:

Haha, funny. "Blargh, you get the mission to go to a planet far away and use this weapon against diplomats around the planet sent out by one particular powerful country ".

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11 hours ago, pallidin said:

Huh. That's a confusing response, because I based my question on the recent New York Times article.

 

I reread the NYT article and nowhere does it state that the claimed injuries were checked.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/20/us/politics/havana-syndrome-cia-report.html

It does say that people were checked by doctors, but the injuries portion has not been checked. For example, there are claims of brain injuries. Where is the evidence? Permanent hearing loss is claimed, but where is the evidence?

A headache or migraine is not an injury. Trouble sleeping is not an injury. Temporary balance issues is not an injury.

 

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Here is a JAMA study from March of 2018

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2673168

Neurological Manifestations Among US Government Personnel Reporting Directional Audible and Sensory Phenomena in Havana, Cuba

Quote

For 18 of the 21 individuals (86%), there were reports of hearing a novel, localized sound at the onset of symptoms in their homes and hotel rooms (Table 2). Affected individuals described the sounds as directional, intensely loud, and with pure and sustained tonality. Of the patients, high-pitched sound was reported by 16 (76%), although 2 (10%) noted a low-pitched sound. Words used to describe the sound include “buzzing,” “grinding metal,” “piercing squeals,” and “humming.”

That was due to the mating call of an insect. Below we see that the report shows no brain injury as has been claimed.

Quote

MRI neuroimaging was obtained in all 21 patients. Most patients had conventional imaging findings, which were within normal limits, at most showing a few small nonspecific T2-bright foci in the white matter (n =9, 43%). There were 3 patients with multiple T2-bright white matter foci, which were more than expected for age, 2 mild in degree, and 1 with moderate changes. The pattern of conventional imaging findings in these cases was nonspecific with regard to the exposure/insult experienced, and the findings could perhaps be attributed to other preexisting disease processes or risk factors. Advanced structural and functional neuroimaging studies are ongoing.

More on the sound

Quote

It is currently unclear if or how the noise is related to the reported symptoms. In particular, sound in the audible range (20 Hz-20 000 Hz) is not known to cause persistent injury to the central nervous system and therefore the described sounds may have been associated with another form of exposure.

And here is the conclusion It suggests there must be some brain injury although it was not picked  up on the MRI scans.

Quote

In this preliminary report of a retrospective case series, persistent cognitive, vestibular, and oculomotor dysfunction, as well as sleep impairment and headaches, were observed among US government personnel in Havana, Cuba, associated with reports of directional audible and/or sensory phenomena of unclear origin. These individuals appeared to have sustained injury to widespread brain networks without an associated history of head trauma.

 

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Here is another article in JAMA from July 2019

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2738529?resultClick=1

Advanced Neuroimaging Findings in US Government Personnel With Possible Directional Phenomenon Exposure in Havana, Cuba

Here is what they state about the article posted above

Quote

In a previous issue of JAMA, Swanson et al1 described the neurological signs and symptoms experienced by 21 US government personnel with possible exposure to directional audible and sensory phenomena in Havana, Cuba, beginning in late 2016. Many of the individuals reported that they experienced sleep disturbances, visual and auditory symptoms, cognitive difficulties, headache, and balance problems that required rehabilitative therapies. The initial report indicated that brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed evidence of nonspecific white matter hyperintensities in some of the individuals, but it was uncertain whether these findings were clinically relevant or related to the potential exposure.

Here is what was found. It doesn't state injury.

Quote

When analyzed at the group level, differences were observed in regional brain volumes (including areas of both gray and white matter in the cerebrum and cerebellum) and in measures of tissue microstructural integrity. Additionally, functional MRI demonstrated decreased functional connectivity in the auditory and visuospatial subnetworks of the US government personnel compared with controls.

And what do those findings suggest or mean?

Quote

However, despite the differences in advanced neuroimaging metrics between patients and controls reported in this study, the clinical relevance of these differences is uncertain, and the exact nature of any potential exposure and the underlying etiology of the patients’ symptoms still remain unclear. The best way to continue to evaluate these patients is with thorough and objective consideration of rigorously collected scientific evidence.

Although there are some findings it is unclear what happened.

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I've found the insect that has been mentioned as the cause of the sound. Play it but beware it is a piercing sound.

https://todayheadline.co/secret-2018-state-dept-report-said-havana-syndrome-noise-was-crickets/#:~:text=A 2018 State Department inquiry into the loud,BuzzFeed News using a freedom of information request.

Quote

But the 2018 State Department report, led by the JASON, a group that provides scientific advice to the Pentagon on matters of national security, found that the “most likely source is the Indies short-tailed cricket,” BuzzFeed reported.

What about pulsed weapons?

Quote

A 2020 National Academies of Science found that the most plausible explanation for the symptoms appeared to be “pulsed radio frequency energy,” although it could not rule out other leading theories such as chemical exposures, infection, or psychological issues.

Cheryl Rofer, a retired chemist from Los Alamos National Laboratory, previously told Insider that if a microwave weapon had been used, there would be physical marks of the attack.

“The evidence would be on the outside of their body,” she told Insider’s Aylin Woodward, adding: “It would be like a thermal burn.”

 

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It primarily happens to American diplomats & officials, it happens all over the world, and I remember reading a while back that if it is a weapon it is almost certainly a close proximity weapon. So if it is not a foreign advisory with the ability to be in close contact with American officials like a florigen diplomat, who else might be able to be in constant close proximity to American officials abroad?

CIA operatives perhaps?

 

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20 hours ago, Socio said:

It primarily happens to American diplomats & officials, it happens all over the world, and I remember reading a while back that if it is a weapon it is almost certainly a close proximity weapon. So if it is not a foreign advisory with the ability to be in close contact with American officials like a florigen diplomat, who else might be able to be in constant close proximity to American officials abroad?

CIA operatives perhaps?

 

If you read the reports you see that these people are often not by others such as in their hotel rooms, at home, or in the office.

That seems to preclude a "close proximity weapon".

Besides there does not appear to be anything due to a weapon.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Intelligence experts believe around 1,000 US diplomats and intelligence officers hit by a mysterious illness known as Havana Syndrome could have been targeted by electromagnetic energy pulses.

MSN

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13 hours ago, Eldorado said:

Intelligence experts believe around 1,000 US diplomats and intelligence officers hit by a mysterious illness known as Havana Syndrome could have been targeted by electromagnetic energy pulses.

MSN

Oh brother. The headline mentions thousands but the report is really about 20 cases.

https://news.yahoo.com/microwaves-ultrasound-might-explain-open-233608949.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

Quote

The expert panel report released Wednesday is a complement to that report, looking only at possible mechanisms for the injuries in those remaining cases. Essentially it finds that pulsed microwaves or ultrasound beams were “plausibly” causes for the injuries, meaning they were not impossible (as opposed to “likely”) explanations, and that researchers should examine them further.

Oh brother. Talk about dragging this out.

Quote

UCLA neurologist Robert Baloh says the expert study not finding a smoking gun to explain the injuries, along with the recent intelligence report dismissing most cases, points to a simpler answer in mass psychology. "I believe that they are coming around to the conclusion that there was no weapon but they are bending over backward not to offend 'victims'," he said, by email.

 

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This reminds me of sick building syndrome. Anyone remember that issue?

People claimed the office paper used by millions made them sick. It was replaced with special paper. Then they continued to be sick and the toner also used worldwide by tens of millions made them sick. New toner and they were still sick. Special air filters and on and on and on till the building went vacant. Later occupants reported nothing.

It is possible for some chemical contaminants to be in buildings. It is possible for ventilation systems to spread some diseases such as norovirus or some molds. But many of he cases turn out to be psychological in nature.

In this case we have thousands of people whittled down to 20. I am sure we could find something interesting in a group of 1000 people whittled down to 20, i.e. 0.2% of a study group.

 

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On 1/22/2022 at 9:53 AM, pallidin said:

Say, does anyone here have a suggestion as to what might be causing this?

The "unknown-cause" cases of course, because I guess some of the incidents have reportedly been medically explained or strongly suggested to have an answer.

Human Resonant Frequency Injury?

How would you go about detecting it?

Edited by Golden Duck
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If you collect a pile of data you will find patterns in it. It doesn't mean that the patterns are meaningful. In science t might mean not publishing this data but using this data to suggest an experiment to find out something new.

In this syndrome enough data was collected to make a large enough pile of data to find a  pattern. But checks show that the patterns were  not meaningful. They reduced this data time and again until there was a nugget of something to talk about. They get these few people and then decide a weapon was involved. Weird right?

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I wonder what Fran has to say about it?

 

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