A string of mysterious balloon sightings generates fear and excitement as thousands of anxious residents scan the skies to glimpse floating objects that are believed to emanate from a hostile foreign power. The Chinese spy balloon scare of 2023? No, the balloon panic of 1892 in Russian-occupied Poland. In this analysis of the history of balloon sightings Robert Bartholomew puts the Chinese spy balloon incident into perspective and shows why more such sightings are expected.
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In the late 19th century, a mysterious psychological syndrome spread throughout northern Russia, commonly referred to as ‘menerik’, but going by many names. People would enter a trancelike state, becoming susceptible to external control. And they would barely remember anything after the episode.