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The Infested Mind: Why Humans Fear, Loathe, and Love Insects
The human reaction to insects is neither purely biological nor simply cultural. And no one reacts to insects with indifference. Insects frighten, disgust and fascinate us. Jeff Lockwood explores this phenomenon through evolutionary science, human history, and contemporary psychology, as well as a debilitating bout with entomophobia in his work as an entomologist. Exploring the nature of anxiety and phobia, Lockwood explores the lively debate about how much of our fear of insects can be attributed to ancestral predisposition for our own survival and how much is learned through individual experiences. Drawing on vivid case studies, Lockwood explains how insects have come to infest our minds in sometimes devastating ways and supersede even the most rational understanding of the benefits these creatures provide.
No one can claim to be ambivalent in the face of wasps, cockroaches or maggots but our collective entomophobia is wreaking havoc on the natural world as we soak our food, homes and gardens in powerful insecticides. Lockwood dissects our common reactions, distinguishing between disgust and fear, and invites readers to consider their own emotional and physiological reactions to insects in a new framework that he's derived from cutting-edge biological, psychological, and social science.
No one can claim to be ambivalent in the face of wasps, cockroaches or maggots but our collective entomophobia is wreaking havoc on the natural world as we soak our food, homes and gardens in powerful insecticides. Lockwood dissects our common reactions, distinguishing between disgust and fear, and invites readers to consider their own emotional and physiological reactions to insects in a new framework that he's derived from cutting-edge biological, psychological, and social science.
228 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 24, 2017
An interesting read, but was a bit heavy on psychology (especially phobias) and too light on cultural ideas about insects.
October 27, 2018
What do you do if you're an entomologist, whose profession is the study of insects, and an encounter with a seething horde of locusts leaves you with a bit of a case of entomophobia? Well, one thing you can do is get a book out of it.
The result is a nice mix of psychology and entomology. How does disgust work? How does it interact with fear? How much of this is a result of evolutionary drives? We also hear a fair amount about the life cycles of a variety of different insects, from locusts to bedbugs to flies to mosquitoes to many others.
There are also a few cases like bees, that seem to balance on a knife-edge between fear and respect. We may not want to get cuddly with bees (mostly, there are a few weird exceptions), but we don't react to them in the same way as, say, cockroaches. Butterflies are another case. I recalled my visit to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, with it's wonderful, enchanting Butterfly center. Walking into it was like entering another world, full of grace and beauty and delight, as butterflies of all shapes and sizes flew and fluttered and danced and landed everywhere.
Well, that's how I saw it anyway. My wife, on the other hand, was kind of creeped out, because to her these were mostly bugs, and they were everywhere and they might land on you, and she didn't like it. No accounting for taste.
Lockwood was able to overcome his own acquired entomophobia (oddly, Goodreads' spell-checker has not heard of this word, but then Goodreads' spell checker hasn't heard of "Goodreads"), probably due to a combination of education and incentives (it was his paycheck, after all). Probably also, seething mass of locusts or not, he wouldn't have gotten into the business if he had been especially prone to it. His book is pleasant enough, when it's not being disgusting, and in either case it's informative. But, if you're the type to get squeamish at the mention of insects, maybe start with some other book on your phobia first.
The result is a nice mix of psychology and entomology. How does disgust work? How does it interact with fear? How much of this is a result of evolutionary drives? We also hear a fair amount about the life cycles of a variety of different insects, from locusts to bedbugs to flies to mosquitoes to many others.
There are also a few cases like bees, that seem to balance on a knife-edge between fear and respect. We may not want to get cuddly with bees (mostly, there are a few weird exceptions), but we don't react to them in the same way as, say, cockroaches. Butterflies are another case. I recalled my visit to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, with it's wonderful, enchanting Butterfly center. Walking into it was like entering another world, full of grace and beauty and delight, as butterflies of all shapes and sizes flew and fluttered and danced and landed everywhere.
Well, that's how I saw it anyway. My wife, on the other hand, was kind of creeped out, because to her these were mostly bugs, and they were everywhere and they might land on you, and she didn't like it. No accounting for taste.
Lockwood was able to overcome his own acquired entomophobia (oddly, Goodreads' spell-checker has not heard of this word, but then Goodreads' spell checker hasn't heard of "Goodreads"), probably due to a combination of education and incentives (it was his paycheck, after all). Probably also, seething mass of locusts or not, he wouldn't have gotten into the business if he had been especially prone to it. His book is pleasant enough, when it's not being disgusting, and in either case it's informative. But, if you're the type to get squeamish at the mention of insects, maybe start with some other book on your phobia first.
July 31, 2014
Having absolutely loved Jeffrey A. Lockwood's book "Locust; the devastating rise and mysterious disappearance of the insect that shaped the American Frontier", when I saw this at the library I was excited. Unfortunately for those who know Lockwood because of his association with insects, this book is a disappointment as it is less about insects and more about the human mind.
May 7, 2021
The infested mind is a brilliant look at humans relationship with insects (and arachnids). This book delves into history to look at the evolutionary need for entomophobia, while also pointing out the excessive and overly dramatic side of arachnophobia. It also provides chapters discussing paraphilia, entomophagy, and entomophilia - among other topics.
Lockwood's writing style includes not only the science and psychology of the matter, but also historical tales, case studies and his own personal experience. The result in an interesting and thought provoking look at our relationship with our six and eight legged friends.
If you, like me, are fascinated by insects, I think this is a great book to add to your collection.
Lockwood's writing style includes not only the science and psychology of the matter, but also historical tales, case studies and his own personal experience. The result in an interesting and thought provoking look at our relationship with our six and eight legged friends.
If you, like me, are fascinated by insects, I think this is a great book to add to your collection.
March 17, 2016
Delusory parasitosis--a great name for a post-modern punk band, and a fascinating mental glitch
Jeremy Lockwood is an entomologist who developed a phobia of insects after being swarmed by grasshoppers. Happily, he turned his apostasy from insectophilia into a post as a literature professor and a fascinating, informative, sometimes itch-inducing exploration of humans’ emotional relationship to multi-legged creepy-crawlies. He reviews the possible reasons for humans’ fears of and antipathy toward insects and spiders, from personal experiences to the collective unconscious to evolutionary psychology, picking out the good points of each while carefully pointing out their weaknesses as well. He also explores the consequences (emotional, material, social) of humans’ reactions to the critters, and advocates, if not for an all-encompassing biophilia, at least for an attitude of benevolent apathy toward our chitinous fellow-beings. But even more interestingly, he delves into why bed bugs are so shudder-inducing, how seemingly rational people act when convinced that they are infested with invisible parasites, and how entomologists parse names for various bugs. In short, if the name describes a particular type of a particular creature, its moniker is two words; if the name describes a creature that isn’t actually that kind of thing at all, it’s one. For instance, a “house fly” is an actual fly that lives in houses, and a “horse fly” is an actual fly that infests barnyards, while a “butterfly” isn’t a fly at all. A “bed bug” is a type of bug that lives in bedding (and freaks out everybody with its sneaky, vampire ways), while a “ladybug” is a kind of colorful beetle. I may not remember all the arguments for righteous biophilia, but a bit of etymological wisdom from an entomologist will stay with me.
Jeremy Lockwood is an entomologist who developed a phobia of insects after being swarmed by grasshoppers. Happily, he turned his apostasy from insectophilia into a post as a literature professor and a fascinating, informative, sometimes itch-inducing exploration of humans’ emotional relationship to multi-legged creepy-crawlies. He reviews the possible reasons for humans’ fears of and antipathy toward insects and spiders, from personal experiences to the collective unconscious to evolutionary psychology, picking out the good points of each while carefully pointing out their weaknesses as well. He also explores the consequences (emotional, material, social) of humans’ reactions to the critters, and advocates, if not for an all-encompassing biophilia, at least for an attitude of benevolent apathy toward our chitinous fellow-beings. But even more interestingly, he delves into why bed bugs are so shudder-inducing, how seemingly rational people act when convinced that they are infested with invisible parasites, and how entomologists parse names for various bugs. In short, if the name describes a particular type of a particular creature, its moniker is two words; if the name describes a creature that isn’t actually that kind of thing at all, it’s one. For instance, a “house fly” is an actual fly that lives in houses, and a “horse fly” is an actual fly that infests barnyards, while a “butterfly” isn’t a fly at all. A “bed bug” is a type of bug that lives in bedding (and freaks out everybody with its sneaky, vampire ways), while a “ladybug” is a kind of colorful beetle. I may not remember all the arguments for righteous biophilia, but a bit of etymological wisdom from an entomologist will stay with me.
October 25, 2024
It's an utterly fantastic book. Author Jeffery Lockwood has pieced together a fascinating book that I've enjoyed in its entirety. Psychology and philosophy are touched upon many times during the book's course, and it offers insight into how we are as human beings. Might revisit this one again in the future.
December 10, 2020
Um livro bastante interessante tratando da psicologia humana em relação aos insetos. O autor destaca, em especial, a diferença entre termos como "medo", "nojo", "desprezo", "desconforto", "desgosto" e "fobia". Os primeiros capítulos do livro, para mim, são os mais interessantes, pois ele aborda a psicologia e as fobias de uma maneira mais generalizada.
A opinião de Locwood, como entomologista, é bastante válida, porém a obra às vezes se torna prolixa e demasiadamente técnica.
Como um entomofóbico, li esse livro por curiosidade de saber de onde vinha a origem desse meu medo/nojo de insetos, e não fiquei decepcionado. O autor fala sobre muitos tópicos e traz diversos exemplos e artigos, dissecando a relação humana com insetos desde a antiguidade, os benefícios e os perigos, e de como o ambiente familiar e cultural impactam diretamente na percepção das pessoas (especialmente crianças) sobre essas criaturas. Locwood ainda aborda as terapias existentes para amenizar a entomofobia, relações de trabalho com insetos (como apicultura e controle de pragas), além de algumas experiências próprias. Particularmente, algumas vezes a leitura se tornou um pouco enjoativa, principalmente nos capítulos sobre "entomofilia" - o argumento de que, na verdade, naturalmente os humanos sentem afeição para com insetos, como observado em registros arqueológicos e tribos isoladas.
Apesar de algumas ideias se repetirem algumas vezes ao longo do livro, é uma boa pedida para quem quer entender os efeitos psicológicos associados a insetos, desde medo/nojo a amor/apreço.
A opinião de Locwood, como entomologista, é bastante válida, porém a obra às vezes se torna prolixa e demasiadamente técnica.
Como um entomofóbico, li esse livro por curiosidade de saber de onde vinha a origem desse meu medo/nojo de insetos, e não fiquei decepcionado. O autor fala sobre muitos tópicos e traz diversos exemplos e artigos, dissecando a relação humana com insetos desde a antiguidade, os benefícios e os perigos, e de como o ambiente familiar e cultural impactam diretamente na percepção das pessoas (especialmente crianças) sobre essas criaturas. Locwood ainda aborda as terapias existentes para amenizar a entomofobia, relações de trabalho com insetos (como apicultura e controle de pragas), além de algumas experiências próprias. Particularmente, algumas vezes a leitura se tornou um pouco enjoativa, principalmente nos capítulos sobre "entomofilia" - o argumento de que, na verdade, naturalmente os humanos sentem afeição para com insetos, como observado em registros arqueológicos e tribos isoladas.
Apesar de algumas ideias se repetirem algumas vezes ao longo do livro, é uma boa pedida para quem quer entender os efeitos psicológicos associados a insetos, desde medo/nojo a amor/apreço.
November 13, 2018
I read this book for my research report and it is very helpful. This book successfully correlates the impacts of insect on human psychology. It also has the detailed study of entomophobic patients, regarding the cause of their fear and the treatments. The book also goes as far as observing the dreams about insect. Very helpful for academic reading as it contains a very detailed references of the information and researches.
February 12, 2020
Janus-faced. Arachnophobia. Bed bugs. Creepy. Scholarly yet readable.
October 6, 2020
Interesting combination between psychology and entomology.
October 28, 2022
A little Psych 101 at times, but this was very much up my alley and quite compelling.
December 25, 2022
only read for the jay traver section but still rlly good book. i hate the images, i also hate insects. lowk jeff goes tf off in this tho, bug boy!
April 16, 2019
It took me a long time to read this book--bits and pieces over 8 months--because it made me so uncomfortable, but in a good, thought-provoking way. In a chapter about fleas, lice, and other skin-infesting bugs, Jeffrey Lockwood proposes that, so great is the power of suggestion about these insects, that the reader will find him/herself itching and scratching by the end of the chapter. And I did.
Jeffrey Lockwood is an entomologist who is also a Renaissance man. He was studying grasshopper swarms when he was engulfed by a swarm of "Biblical proportions" in Wyoming and experienced a horrific panic attack. Just the description of it makes my skin crawl. From this, he developed a grasshopper phobia. Not a good thing for his profession. He is not alone. Salvador Dali had a grasshopper phobia--and so do I. The book is in part about human horror of insects (horror=fear + revulsion) and also about Lockwood's journey through the phobia. In studying phobias, Lockwood has since expanded his research into psychology and the humanities and is a professor of philosophy and creative writing at University of Wyoming.
In the process of facing his phobia, Lockwood examined all aspects of human-insect relationships--from horror to love to awe. He draws on art, literature, philosophy, and even his friends, i.e. an exterminator and a couple who literally opened their home to spiders and other insects.
My favorite chapter was about bedbugs. Lockwood, with his holistic and interdisciplinary approach to insects, draws brilliant comparisons between humans' attitudes toward bed bugs and vampires. ("They never die" says one fearful individual about bedbugs.) Bed bugs have also been linked to "the other"--people from other countries, immigrants, people who are less hygienic than you or I. A bedbug infestation can lead to rejection by friends, acquaintances, and even business associates. True story: if you return a library book with a bedbug in it, your name can go on a list and all of your future returns frozen before returning to the collection. People who have had and eradicated bedbugs, await their return--like hungry vampires waiting for a blood meal.
My grasshopper phobia originated in a situation similar to Lockwood's (but much less severe) when I was a child. I was walking through a field with my mother and we were suddenly swarmed by grasshoppers. They were in my clothes and hair and sticking to my skin. Of course, once other kids discovered this weakness, I was fair game. I found them in my desk, down my shirt, and thrust at me out of nowhere. I hated to go out for recess because there were quite a few in our playground. I had to leave a football game in college because they were swarming the stands--first game of the fall, they had been living there all summer, and they were disturbed.
My own grasshopper phobia has improved quite a bit since having to feed crickets--including really big ones--to my pet tarantulas. I have even been able to pick them up with my fingers if they get on the floor. I am able to walk through a field with flying grasshoppers in it. No swarms, please.
I am interested in why I have the grasshopper phobia, but have no fear of snakes or spiders. The book addresses characteristics that creep people out: skittering, getting under the skin, infesting food and dwellings, sticking in hair or on clothing, and blood sucking. Flying, startling, and landing in my clothes and hair trigger my fears. Universally detested cockroaches are associated with filth and nasty living conditions, but--on the other hand--some people admire them for their persistence and survival.
Lockwood has written a creative, compelling study and why we fear insects and the lengths we are going to in order to make sure we never have to encounter one--to our own detriment, in some cases.
NB: Some people gave the book low ratings because it was about fear rather than about insects--they apparently didn't read the subtitle.
Jeffrey Lockwood is an entomologist who is also a Renaissance man. He was studying grasshopper swarms when he was engulfed by a swarm of "Biblical proportions" in Wyoming and experienced a horrific panic attack. Just the description of it makes my skin crawl. From this, he developed a grasshopper phobia. Not a good thing for his profession. He is not alone. Salvador Dali had a grasshopper phobia--and so do I. The book is in part about human horror of insects (horror=fear + revulsion) and also about Lockwood's journey through the phobia. In studying phobias, Lockwood has since expanded his research into psychology and the humanities and is a professor of philosophy and creative writing at University of Wyoming.
In the process of facing his phobia, Lockwood examined all aspects of human-insect relationships--from horror to love to awe. He draws on art, literature, philosophy, and even his friends, i.e. an exterminator and a couple who literally opened their home to spiders and other insects.
My favorite chapter was about bedbugs. Lockwood, with his holistic and interdisciplinary approach to insects, draws brilliant comparisons between humans' attitudes toward bed bugs and vampires. ("They never die" says one fearful individual about bedbugs.) Bed bugs have also been linked to "the other"--people from other countries, immigrants, people who are less hygienic than you or I. A bedbug infestation can lead to rejection by friends, acquaintances, and even business associates. True story: if you return a library book with a bedbug in it, your name can go on a list and all of your future returns frozen before returning to the collection. People who have had and eradicated bedbugs, await their return--like hungry vampires waiting for a blood meal.
My grasshopper phobia originated in a situation similar to Lockwood's (but much less severe) when I was a child. I was walking through a field with my mother and we were suddenly swarmed by grasshoppers. They were in my clothes and hair and sticking to my skin. Of course, once other kids discovered this weakness, I was fair game. I found them in my desk, down my shirt, and thrust at me out of nowhere. I hated to go out for recess because there were quite a few in our playground. I had to leave a football game in college because they were swarming the stands--first game of the fall, they had been living there all summer, and they were disturbed.
My own grasshopper phobia has improved quite a bit since having to feed crickets--including really big ones--to my pet tarantulas. I have even been able to pick them up with my fingers if they get on the floor. I am able to walk through a field with flying grasshoppers in it. No swarms, please.
I am interested in why I have the grasshopper phobia, but have no fear of snakes or spiders. The book addresses characteristics that creep people out: skittering, getting under the skin, infesting food and dwellings, sticking in hair or on clothing, and blood sucking. Flying, startling, and landing in my clothes and hair trigger my fears. Universally detested cockroaches are associated with filth and nasty living conditions, but--on the other hand--some people admire them for their persistence and survival.
Lockwood has written a creative, compelling study and why we fear insects and the lengths we are going to in order to make sure we never have to encounter one--to our own detriment, in some cases.
NB: Some people gave the book low ratings because it was about fear rather than about insects--they apparently didn't read the subtitle.
June 27, 2014
I love well-written books by experts that can appeal equally well to fellow scientists and laypeople. This is one of those books. Lockwood, in addition to being an entomologist specializing in grasshoppers, is also a professor in his institution's MFA program. It shows. His writing is clear and subtly funny.
Lockwood actually went through a period where he developed a phobia of the very creatures he studies. He uses this is a touch-point for discussing the psychology and evolution of human/insect relationships. He writes about beekeepers, arachnophobes and arachnophiles, pest control experts, and others in the context of their relationships with things that creep, crawl, jump and fly. A few chapters focus on specific species like grasshoppers and bed bugs, and a large portion of the book is dedicated to therapeutic approaches to entomophobia.
Handily, the notes are presented at the end of each chapter rather than squirreled away at the back. Interestingly, this book is illustrated using mostly open-source, public domain and Creative-Commons type photos. It works. And, I love the jacket design.
Lockwood actually went through a period where he developed a phobia of the very creatures he studies. He uses this is a touch-point for discussing the psychology and evolution of human/insect relationships. He writes about beekeepers, arachnophobes and arachnophiles, pest control experts, and others in the context of their relationships with things that creep, crawl, jump and fly. A few chapters focus on specific species like grasshoppers and bed bugs, and a large portion of the book is dedicated to therapeutic approaches to entomophobia.
Handily, the notes are presented at the end of each chapter rather than squirreled away at the back. Interestingly, this book is illustrated using mostly open-source, public domain and Creative-Commons type photos. It works. And, I love the jacket design.
April 18, 2014
Unreadable.
May 24, 2014
To be honest, wanted some more disgusting insect facts rather than a study of phobias.
Read
December 10, 2014Featured on Science for the People show #264 on May 9, 2014, during an interview with author Jeffrey Lockwood. http://www.scienceforthepeople.ca/epi...
May 5, 2015
Very good appraisal of how people get conditioned in their attitude and behavior towards insects.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews