The Infested Mind: Why Humans Fear, Loathe, and Love Insects

The psychological connections between humans and insects are tantalizing and complex. Through both evolutionary associations and cultural representations, insects have deeply infested our minds. They frighten, disgust, and sometimes enchant us. Whatever the case, few of us are ambivalent in the face of wasps, cockroaches, spiders, maggots, crickets or butterflies. They arouse terror, nausea, fascination-but rarely, if ever, indifference. And the costs of fear can be high, both in terms of the quality of individual lives and with regard to our social responses, from soaking our food with insecticides to overlooking our dependence on the ecological roles of insects (including those on the brink of extinction). The book is an examination of what scientists, philosophers, and writers have learned about the human-insect relationship. Jeffrey Lockwood is an entomologist himself and yet still experiences bouts of entomophobia; in fact, his seemingly paradoxical response to certain insects and scenarios is what prompted him to write this book. The book explores the nature of anxiety and phobia and the line between them. It examines entomophobia in the context of the nature-nurture debate, posing the question: how much of our fear of insects can be attributed to our ancestors' predisposition to avoid insects to benefit their own survival, and how much is learned through parents? Using his own and others' experiences with entomophobia as case studies, Lockwood breaks down common reactions to insects, distinguishing between fear and disgust, and inviting the reader to consider his/her own emotional, cognitive, and physiological reactions to insects in a new light.

Table of Contents:
PROLOGUE. Entomophobia from the inside: Swallowed by a swarm CHAPTER 1. The Nature of Fear-and the Fear of Nature CHAPTER 2. Entomophobia: A product of our genes? CHAPTER 3. Entomophobia: Practice Makes Perfect? CHAPTER 4. Disgust: Horror's Other Half CHAPTER 5. The Terrible Trio: Imagining Insects into Our Lives CHAPTER 6. Treating the Horrified: Finally, some good news CHAPTER 7. Entomophilia: Insects as sources of wonder EPILOGUE. Tales of Terror: Bed bugs in New York City

About the Author :
Jeffrey Lockwood is Professor of Natural Sciences & Humanities at the University of Wyoming and author of Six-Legged Soldiers: Using Insects as Weapons of War.

Review :
"In The Infested Mind, Lockwood shifts from entomology to psychology to examine the fascination that first drew him to insects and the terror that later repelled him. His exploration of our complex relations with these critters makes for an engrossing book. For the entomophobic reader especially, the experience is at times thrilling (watch out for the photos!) and therapeutic." --Scientific American MIND "Lockwood (natural sciences & humanities, Univ. of Wyoming; Six-Legged Soldiers) begins with his own nightmare experience with a locust swarm and proceeds to analyze thoroughly human reactions to insects and spiders. He explores the differences between fear and disgust, both of which help protect us from potential danger and harm... VERDICT: For all who have responded to insects -- entomophobes, entomophiles, or in between -- as well as psychologists and parents." --Library Journal "By drawing upon the works of Dali, Kant and Jung (amongst others), Lockwood reveals the psychology of our fears and disgust of arthropods. Central to this argument is the idea that human beings are culturally malleable creatures operating within certain evolutionary constraints. Leave it also to Lockwood to examine entomophobia and biophilia in such a reflexive, provocative and engaging fashion, while elucidating the role of the negative sublime in human-arthropod encounters." --Raynald Harvey Lemelin, Lakehead University Research Chair in Parks and Protected Areas, Lakehead University "A tour-de-force account of the myriad ways that insects and their kin repel, disgust, terrify, and yet paradoxically attract and fascinate humans, irrespective of time and place." --May Berenbaum, Head of Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign "The book's exploration of the science, driven by Lockwood's quest to understand himself, is easy to follow and fascinating." --Nature Conservancy "In many ways The Infested Mind challenges the reader to acknowledge his or her own phobias and assess the rationality of these conditions, be it entomophobia or another fear. However, it does this in a lighthearted and entertaining way. The anecdotes used by Lockwood are amusing and the content never stagnates on one topic. The book is also an eye opener, highlighting the pervasive nature of phobias in the modern world (phobic individuals are more common now than ever before). The Infested Mind would be an appealing read for a wide audience as it is engaging and easily absorbed, while providing relevant information that has a basis in robust scientific studies. Individuals with an interest in phychology may find this book particularly interesting." -- Biological Conservation