Targeted Individuals & Moondance

Featured Articles

For those who hear voices, the ‘broken brain’ explanation is harmful. Psychiatry must embrace new meaning-making frameworks

Aeon • 2 Sep 2024 • ~4700 words

The article explores the experiences of "targeted individuals" (TIs) - people who believe they are being subjected to high-tech harassment and organized stalking. It examines how the dominant psychiatric narrative of mental illness as a "brain disorder" has hindered these individuals and discusses alternative frameworks for understanding their experiences, such as trauma responses, societal critiques, and spiritual awakenings. The article ultimately asks how to expand the range of scientifically plausible alternatives.

Trapped between these two narratives, many opt for the TI narrative. It validates their basic ability to perceive the world and reason about it – precisely what psychiatry’s medical narrative denies. It infuses their frightening experiences with a powerful sense of purpose and coherence. It gives TIs the most precious resource of all: community, belonging, even love.

Moondance

The American Scholar • 3 Sep 2024 • ~3500 words

Leigh Ann Henion takes us on a sensory journey into the world of night-blooming tobacco in western North Carolina. As she and her friend Amy wait for these elusive flowers to bloom under the moonlight, they explore the deeper connections between darkness, light, and our senses. This piece invites us to reconsider what happens when night falls and the unique beauty that emerges in the shadows.

These flowers are basically turning themselves inside out. And they’re doing it together, like synchronized dancers. One by one, they match the stance of the precocious flowers around them. Each motion fills the air with fragrance. Gone is the smell of cigars in a wood-paneled room. Rising is the smell of luscious floral perfume—the likes of which I’ve never experienced. This blooming tobacco is as clean as evergreen with a spoonful of sugar on its breath.

Recommended Articles

The Hem of His Garment

The New Yorker • 2 Sep 2024 • ~3100 words

In a delightful blend of humor and introspection, David Sedaris shares his unexpected experience of meeting the Pope alongside a group of fellow comedians. This piece explores the strange dynamics of faith and laughter, as Sedaris reflects on the quirks of the Vatican and the peculiarities of being in such a revered space. It’s a candid look at how humor can navigate even the most serious of encounters.

I look at the photos of the assembled guests and wonder, What was I doing there? Why not Garrison Keillor, Tina Fey, or Donald Glover, to name just three of a thousand more qualified people? It was like a reproduction of “The Last Supper” with one of the disciples replaced by Snoopy.

That Time a California Lawmaker Tried Getting Rid of Gas-Powered Vehicles

Mother Jones • 2 Sep 2024 • ~2950 words

In the late 1960s, California Senator Nick Petris boldly attempted to ban gas-powered cars altogether, driven by a growing smog crisis and public demand for cleaner air. This article revisits his ambitious yet ultimately thwarted campaign, highlighting the intense pushback from the auto industry and the surprising support he garnered from the public and even labor unions. As we once again face the urgent need to address vehicle emissions, Petris’ story offers valuable lessons for today's environmental movements.

. . . nearly all of this—California leading the charge to prohibit gas-powered cars, other governments following suit, intense industry resistance—has happened once before. Petris’ crusade, though it made the front pages of newspapers across the nation, is little-remembered.

Can You Outsmart a Raccoon?

Atlas Obscura • 28 Aug 2024 • ~1750 words

Have you ever wondered just how clever raccoons really are? This piece from Atlas Obscura explores recent research that reveals the lengths these furry bandits will go for a snack, showcasing their problem-solving skills and surprising social behavior. An incredible bonus read that is also mentioned in this article is Toronto built a better green bin and — oops — maybe a smarter raccoon where the raccoons win, once again.

Alas, raccoons’ mischievous nature made them unruly participants. “They proved to be a handful,” says Stanton. “They were always breaking out of the cages, and were pretty obstinate and difficult to work with. So researchers threw in the towel with raccoons.”

Is grown-up government enough?

Inside Story • 3 Sep 2024 • ~5800 words

Interested in learning more about Australian politics? The article provides an in-depth analysis of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's leadership style and performance during his first term in office. It delves into the contrasts between his approach and that of his rivals, revealing the challenges he faces in a climate of political disenchantment.

Providing “grown-up” administration has not been enough to spare Albanese Labor from the common fate of governments since the end of John Howard’s reign: early loss of public goodwill amid a climate of disenchantment with politics. How do we explain this apparent conundrum — and how much does it owe to the prime minister’s limitations?

REVIEW: The Albigensian Crusade, by Jonathan Sumption

Mr. and Mrs. Psmith’s Bookshelf • 2 Sep 2024 • ~5200 words

In his review of Jonathan Sumption's book on the Albigensian Crusade, we explore the tumultuous history of the Cathars and their clash with the Catholic Church in medieval France. With a blend of historical insight and engaging narrative, this piece invites readers to discover the complexities of faith, power, and the often brutal reality of religious conflict. If you're curious about how a small sect challenged the might of a burgeoning state, this article offers an entry point.

. . . this short history of one of the nastiest little wars in the entire Middle Ages has many weird and unexpected echoes with our own era, not to mention a lot to tell about the creation of the modern nation-state.

Is there a right way to give your children allowances?

The Globe and Mail • 2 Sep 2024 • ~2250 words

Parents are exploring different ways to give their children allowances, some tying it to chores and others separating it to teach financial responsibility. Financial experts suggest that allowances help children understand money management and the importance of saving. Overall, the goal is to instill good money habits and values in kids without making them feel transactional.

You might say she’s hoping to teach her kids there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Instead, the lesson she’s hoping they’ll learn is more complicated: that money is limited, and you have to decide what is important to spend it on and what isn’t.

Who’s afraid of Sahra Wagenknecht? Germany's 'left-conservative' has redefined populism

UnHerd • 30 Aug 2024 • ~2600 words

Sahra Wagenknecht is shaking up Germany’s political landscape with her left-conservative populism, challenging the status quo in ways few expected. As the founder of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, she captures the frustrations of voters disillusioned with mainstream politics, combining leftist economic principles with a culturally conservative stance. This piece explores how Wagenknecht’s unique approach is redefining populism in Germany and why it’s drawing both support and criticism.

This suggests that Wagenknecht’s left-conservative agenda is filling a political space that was previously vacant, hoovering up German voters who are disillusioned with mainstream politics, and even very critical of immigration, but nonetheless feel uncomfortable voting for a party that has undeniably xenophobic or racist traits.