Radiolab
Vertigogo
· Summarized
Key takeaways
- Both Liza's and Rosemary's experiences demonstrate the fragility of our connection to reality, influenced by both physical conditions and brain chemistry.
- Every story shared in this podcast serves to illuminate the ongoing mysteries and complexities of the human brain and its profound impact on our lived experiences.
- Understanding symptoms and their root causes can be baffling and often leads to a personal journey full of emotional highs and lows.
Summary
The Dual Nature of Vertigo
Today’s episode is all about the intersections between brain functioning and personal experience, exploring a state of vertigo that alters people’s perceptions. We hear first from Liza Shonfeld, a researcher whose auditory system is hijacked during her grad school interview. Struggling to control her neck movements, facial expressions, and speech due to the side effects of a medication, Liza’s experience highlights how intimately connected our brain chemistry is to our physical sensations and movements. Meanwhile, her story serves as a compelling study of resilience, showcasing how our physical and mental states can dominate our experiences.
Gravitational Anarchy in the Life of Rosemary Morton
Following Liza’s encounter, we transition to the enthralling tale of Rosemary Morton, narrated from Berton Roueché’s essay. As Rosemary experiences a series of disturbing symptoms, her perception of the world spins out of control. The floors warping, the motions feeling alien, all contribute to her experience of labyrinthitis, a condition commonly known as vertigo. The narrative conveys her emotional journey, grappling with the feeling of losing grip on reality, intertwined with moments of profound clarity, joy, and urgency in living. This experience of 'gravitational anarchy' underscores how our sensory faculties can sometimes betray us, creating a perplexing dissonance between reality and our perceptions.
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Show notes
In this episode, first aired in 2012, we have two stories of brains pushed off-course. We relive a surreal day in the life of a young researcher hijacked by her own brain, and hear from a librarian experiencing a bizarre and mysterious set of symptoms that she called “gravitational anarchy.”
Special thanks to Sarah Montague and Ellen Horn, as well as actress Hope Davis, who read Rosemary Morton’s story. And the late Berton Roueché, who wrote that story down.
EPISODE CREDITS:
Produced by - Brenna Farrell
Original music and sound design contributed by - Tim Howard and Douglas Smith
EPISODE CITATIONS:
Books -
Berton Roueché’s story about Rosemary Morton,”Essentially Normal” first appeared in the New Yorker in 1958 and was later published by Dutton in a book called "The Medical Detectives."
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