Revisiting Havana Syndrome

Skeptical Inquirer, March 2023, by Rob Palmer:

Iranian Schoolgirl Gas Attacks and Havana Syndrome: A Conversation with Robert Bartholomew

The Non-Prophets, Episode 22.33.2 featuring Helen Greene, The Well-Known Skeptic, Aaron Jensen and"Jimmy Jr"

Today we are discussing Havana syndrome and Iranian school girls' Mass poisoning reports. An article in the Skeptical Inquirer which is called Iranian School girl cast attacks and Havana Syndrome a conversation with Robert Bartholomew.
What do these two situations have in common? One began in late 2016 when the US government claimed there were ongoing attacks against its Embassy Personnel in Cuba by unknown forces using unknown weapons. In subsequent years the scope of these claimed attacks include intelligence agents other government officials and even family members stationed in a very long list of countries. Eventually, it was even claimed to have happened on the White House grounds.
The symptoms of these attacks were eventually called Havana syndrome. They included everything from brain fatigue to brain damage. The mysterious unidentified Weaponry speculated for these attacks included ultrasound, infrasound, pulsed electromagnetic energy microwaves, and many other things.
The second involves Iranian girls. This started in November 2022. Reports surfaced about a poison gas attack at a girl's school in Iran affecting 200 students. Reports of gas attacks then happened all across the country of Iran.
As of early this year, the count of victims stood at nearly 7,000 young girls. The victims are mostly girls, there were some teachers and extraneous victims, but mostly school girls. It has been reported at over 100 schools in nearly that many cities.
Speculation ranged on who caused this. The usual suspects range from either the Iranian government seeking revenge for the recent and ongoing hijab protests, to the government saying it was a false flag operation by people who wanted it to look like it was the government doing it.
Functionally the diplomats have this close-knit tie to one another. They perform the same job, they're going through the same things, and they're separated from their natural environment.
On the other hand, the girls in these schools have a close-knit relationship in proximity. Unfortunately, throughout recent history you can go back decades and in different countries, very often if not exclusively in Muslim majority rule countries you will find similar events. and it's always schoolgirls.
There's something about being in an environment as part of a population that has no control. When you feel that you can't control things, and you're under other people's thumbs this can happen. The people in Cuba were in hostile territory always under surveillance by the Cuban government.
This reeks of mass hysteria, when you have a group of diplomats that are feeling something it's likely to encourage other diplomats to say well maybe that's what I'm feeling too. Maybe we actually are under attack. When in reality it's something else completely.

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