Framing the Havana Syndrome Mystery: Imaginaries of the Second Cold War?

This article explores the ‘mysterious’ phenomenon known as ‘Havana Syndrome’ in the context of IR’s growing interest in imagination and imaginaries. It argues that the social-psychological imaginary of Havana Syndrome is illustrative of the emerging geopolitical imaginary of the Second Cold War. To examine these imaginaries and the relationship between them, the study’s primary methodology is based on an interpretivist frame analysis of the Havana Syndrome discourse in US government and media texts. This is complemented by a content analysis of relevant scientific and medical research, the results of which show how and why Havana Syndrome presents itself as a mystery. Through frame analysis, the article identifies the specific diagnostic and epistemic frames that structure the discourse on Havana Syndrome and give the phenomenon its international political significance. The framing of Havana Syndrome suggests that the Second Cold War is both nostalgic and futuristic, and replete with tensions that only partially track the fissures of the first Cold War.