Electronic harassment

This article is about alleged harassment with electromagnetic waves. For the use of information technology to stalk or harass someone, see Cyberbullying.

Electronic harassment is the alleged use of electromagnetic waves to harass a victim. Psychologists have identified evidence of auditory hallucinations, delusional disorders[1] or other mental illnesses in online communities supporting those who claim to be targeted.[2] Individuals suffering from auditory hallucinations, delusional disorders[1] or other mental illness have claimed that government agents make use of electric fields, microwaves (such as the microwave auditory effect) and radar to transmit sounds and thoughts into their heads, referring to technology that they say can achieve this as "voice to skull" or "V2K" after an obsolete military designation.[2]

There are extensive online support networks and numerous websites maintained by people fearing mind control. Palm Springs psychiatrist Alan Drucker has identified evidence of delusional disorders on many of these websites[1] and other psychologists are divided over whether such sites negatively reinforce mental troubles or act as a form of group cognitive therapy.[3]

"Psychotronics"

Main article: Psychotronics

In Russia, a group called "Victims of Psychotronic Experimentation" attempted to recover damages from the Federal Security Service during the mid-1990s for alleged infringement of their civil liberties including "beaming rays" at them, putting chemicals in the water, and using magnets to alter their minds. These fears may have been inspired by revelations of secret research into "psychotronic" psychological warfare techniques during the early 1990s, with Vladimir Lopatkin, a State Duma committee member in 1995, surmising "Something that was secret for so many years is the perfect breeding ground for conspiracy theories."[4]

In the US, there are a growing number of people who hear voices in their heads that claim the government is using "psychotronic torture" against them, and who campaign to stop the use of alleged psychotronic and other mind control weapons.[2][3] These campaigns have received some support from government representatives including Dennis Kucinich[2] and Jim Guest.[3] Yale psychiatry professor Ralph Hoffman notes that people often ascribe voices in their heads to external sources such as government harassment, God, and dead relatives, and it can be difficult to persuade them that their belief in an external influence is delusional.[2] Other experts compare these stories with accounts of alien abductions.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Monroe, Angela (November 12, 2012). "Electronic Harassment: Voices in My Mind". KMIR News. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Weinberger, Sharon (January 14, 2007). "Mind Games". Washington Post. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Kershaw, Sarah (November 12, 2008). "Sharing Their Demons on the Web". New York Times.
  4. ↑ Matthews, Owen (July 11, 1995). "Report: Soviets Used Top-Secret 'Psychotronic' Weapons". The Moscow Times. Retrieved March 5, 2014.

External links