Witch Hazel
A brief interaction with someone who is not what they appear to be...
I chat with “Hazel” on Substack. They had recently subscribed to my blog.
@hazel296481
Yesterday 6:29 PM
Her: Hello! Thank you for your interest. It’s a pleasure to connect with you here on Substack. I’m a new user, and I was wondering: what kind of news do you typically follow on this platform?
Me: Well, Hazel, it’s very unusual for me to get messages on Substack.
I follow very few others here. One is Harrison Koehli (Political Ponerology) and another is Robert Malone who has an associate named Justine who has written some interesting articles on UFOs. I also follow Alex Berenson and Matt Taibbi but I don’t subscribe to those so can’t add comments or sometimes even read the entire posts.
I am a Scientologist interested in ETs, psychic abilities and the mental health system, so I also follow Mad In America, where I can comment, Ky Dickens’ Telepathy Tapes podcasts, David Wilcock, Courtney Brown, and Sound, Light and Frequency. I check in on Anthony Chene’s YouTube channel and also Area52 - a Canadian dude, and Ross Coulthart who does a show for NewsNation.
Her: Hello! It sounds like we’re in the exact same boat I rarely visit Substack myself and could practically be described as a complete newcomer to the platform. That said, I was absolutely delighted to receive your reply; it sounds like your feed is packed with some really substantive content! Although the people you follow span a wide range of fields, there’s actually a clear underlying logic connecting them all: they are either challenging mainstream narratives or exploring the boundaries of human cognition. You strike me as someone with a very independent mind—someone who doesn’t just fixate on a single perspective. So, what type of news do you enjoy reading the most?
Me: I enjoyed Courtney’s work when he was more active. Current events have their importance, but are very superficially covered. I was studying Hubbard’s lectures for some time, but have taken a break from that.
Today 7:42 AM
Her: Good morning! I hope you are filled with motivation and creativity today, and achieve something truly amazing.
I couldn’t agree more; the sheer spark and brilliance Courtney possessed during her prime is something her current work simply can’t match. The current cultural landscape really is far too frenetic it’s all raw emotion with absolutely no depth, and consuming too much of it is truly exhausting. As for Hubbard, his logic is such a mind-bender that it’s probably a good idea to take a breather; if you dive too deep, it’s easy to get lost in the rabbit hole. Are you planning to switch to something lighter to watch these days, or are you going to give your brain a complete vacation?
Today 10:29 AM
Me: Courtney is a man. And you are beginning to sound like AI.
Her: My apologies my grammar was a bit off just now. I hope you don’t mind! 🤣 Also, I can tell you quite clearly: I am a real person—not the kind of AI you mentioned. By the way, my name is Monica, and I’m from Seattle, Washington. How about you?
Me: I lived in Seattle for a few years. Was a nice place. But why did you mention Courtney when you clearly knew nothing about his work?
Me: Why do you go as “Hazel” if your real name is Monica?
Her: “Hazel” is just my screen name here; my real name is Monica. Does that make sense?
Could you send a photo of yourself?
Me: There is a photo of me in my profile! You are now becoming totally suspicious.
Her: Your profile picture looks familiar I think I’ve seen it on Google. Google identifies you as the Irish writer Colum McCann. You aren’t actually an AI, are you?
Me: That Google reference is ridiculous! I am the name I show. I have written extensively on the internet under that name and hope to continue to do so.
Her: Here in the U.S., lots of girls like to choose a nice-sounding online username is there anything strange about that?
Her: These are the results I found on Google. Is this you?
Me: You are now acting bizarre. My photo shows up in the chat window. I don’t use an alias.
Her: Okay, I don’t like chatting with robots. Goodbye.
Me: Hah Hah!
Her: Your grammar is an even bigger train wreck—”Hah Hah!”? It should be “Lol.”
NOTES:
Here we have a classic case of a scammer trying to make friends with an online mark.
They remain friendly until you begin to express doubts about their honesty.
Then they start reflecting your doubts in them back on you.
And end up “accusing” you of being deceptive in a similar or identical way to how they are being deceptive.
It’s a common pattern and your best way to recognize such beings. It is quite likely the person writing was not even a woman.