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Mass hysteria, also called collective hysteria, mass psychogenic illness, or collective obsessional behavior, is the sociopsychological phenomenon of the manifestation of the same or similar hysterical symptoms by more than one person. A common manifestation of mass hysteria occurs when a group of people believe they are suffering from a similar disease or ailment.[1]
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Characteristics
Mass hysteria typically begins when an individual becomes ill or hysterical during a period of stress.[2] After this initial individual shows symptoms, others begin to manifest similar symptoms, typically nausea, muscle weakness, fits or headache.[3]
Sightings of religious miracles are often attributed to mass hysteria.[4]
Cases of moral panic often have symptoms that overlap with mass hysteria.citation needed
Criticism
American paranormal and UFO researcher Jerome Clark[5] argues that mass hysteria is often a flimsy post hoc explanation and "a classic blame-the-victim strategy" in cases where authorities or experts can find no explanation for puzzling or frightening events.
Two notable cases where mass hysteria was controversially claimed as the cause of an incident are the toxic lady event and the 2007 Peruvian meteorite event.
References
- ^ Mass Delusions and Hysterias / Highlights from the Past Millennium (Skeptical Inquirer May 2000)
- ^ Doubts raised over Melbourne airport scare. 27/04/2005. ABC News Online
- ^ ACSH > Health Issues >
- ^ Mass Delusions and Hysterias / Highlights from the Past Millennium (Skeptical Inquirer May 2000)
- ^ Clark, Jerome (1993). Unexplained! 347 Strange Sightings, Incredible Occurrences, and Puzzling Physical Phenomena. Canton, Milwaukee: Visible Ink Press. ISBN 0-8103-9436-7.
See also
- Bandwagon effect
- Collective behavior
- Collective effervescence
- Conversion syndrome
- Crowd psychology
- Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay
- Folie à deux
- Group behaviour
- Herd behavior
- Mean world syndrome
- Moral panic
- Witch-hunt
Specific examples
- Dancing mania (e.g. Dancing Plague of 1518)
- Fan death
- London Monster
- The Mad Gasser of Mattoon
- Morangos com Açúcar
- New Delhi monkeyman
- Penis panic
- Spring Heeled Jack
- Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic
- The leaflet of Villejuif, mass panic after false rumours of carcinogens in common foods
External links
- "Mass Hysteria." SelfhelpMagazine.com November 3, 2000.
- Mass hysteria hits Malaysian school
- Six hundred girls in Mexico suffer from collective hysteria
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 21 September 2008, at 21:47.
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