Brennan VanderVeer, 18, grew up hearing stories about the old Springfield Hospital from his grandmother, Mary, a former nurse at the psychiatric hospital in Sykesville. As he aged, VanderVeer’s fervent commitment to preserving the history of the hospital —and honoring the legacy of its past patients and employees— developed, rendering him a Springfield expert. Now, VanderVeer, the newly minted tour guide of historic Springfield, is offering public tours of the hospital that opened 129 years ago.

102K views · 49 reactions | Novelist and author Yiyun Li tells stories from her stay in a psychiatric hospital: "Sometimes it's the irrational that is real. Sometimes it's the unreal that leads to the most rational response." | Big Think Science | Facebook