As an editorial introduction, let me say that this one seems
really remarkable to me. I did not know this phenomenon was real, but the data
below suggests strongly that it is.
Let me begin by paraphrasing the common elements of this
phenomenon from several sources:
Mass hysteria, also called “epidemic hysteria” or “mass
psychogenic illness,” or “mass sociogenic illness,” can be generally defined as
an outbreak of mental illness that functions something like a virus. In cases of
mass hysteria, an intense stress can cause mental and even physical symptoms to
spread throughout a related community causing the symptoms of mental illness
and even causing psychosomatic symptoms: physical symptoms which have no
biological cause.
For example, suppose harmless but unusual smell occurs at a
school; let’s say the cleaners changed their preferred cleaning solution. Someone wrongly
concludes that the smell is poison from a terror attack, a common theme in the news. The presence of the
smell and the fear of the imagined attackers can cause actual physical and mental
symptoms to spread from one student to another. Let’s say, while the smell is
present, someone faints from something totally unrelated such as heatstroke or
low blood sugar. If that incident is attributed to the fictional poison from the fictional terror attack other
students may faint as well, even though there is no biological cause.
Here are some other well-documented examples:
John Waller, writing for the
Psychologist, the journal of the British Psychological Society, writes:
“In both Western and non-Western settings, mass motor
hysteria usually occurs in schools. In 1962, for example, several girls at a
mission school near Lake Tanganyika developed a compulsion to laugh and cry by
turns. The affliction soon spread to neighbouring populations (Rankin &
Philip, 1963). Similar outbreaks of laughing have been recorded in both Zambia
and Uganda. In fact, schools in central Africa are especially prone to
outbreaks of mass motor hysteria. Late in 2008 several girls in a Tanzanian
school responded to the pressure of taking important exams by dissociating:
some fainted, while other sobbed, yelled or ran around the school” (Waller).
The website Medscape
reports an apparent case of mass psychogenic illness that occurred on a
military base in San Diego. This case was originally documented in
the Army Journal of Epidemiology in 1990:
“…one of the largest cases of mass hysteria ever documented,
with approximately 1000 military recruits complaining of cough or other
symptoms and 375 evacuated by ambulance. A few even received CPR for presumed
heart attacks or respiratory arrest. Those who witnessed the CPR efforts had
the highest risk of developing symptoms themselves. Nearly all recovered
spontaneously within 24 hours and no environmental toxin was identified” (“A
History of…”).
These are only two of the many cases cited. Please follow up with the sources below for more information. In particular, the source by John Waller is remarkable in its scope and breadth.
Works Cited
“A History of Mass
Hysteria.” Medscape.com. WebMD LLC,
2018. Web. 22 Jan. 2018.
Waller, John. “Dancing Plagues and Mass Hysteria.” The British Psychological Society: The
Psychologist.bps.org.uk. July 2009. Web. 22 Jan 2014.
Works Referenced
Small, Gary. Mass Hysteria can Strike Anywhere, Anytime.”
PsychologyToday.com. Psychology Today and HealthProfs.com with Sussex
Publishers LLC. 28 Sep. 2018. Web. 22 Jan. 2018.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brain-bootcamp/201009/mass-hysteria-can-strike-anywhere-anytime
Weir, Erica. “Mass Sociogenic Illness.” Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. 5 Jan 2004. Web. 22 Jan. 2018.
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