`mass-psychogenic-illness` Related Article Results

The Strasbourg Dancing Plague of 1518 is a well-documented example of a social phenomenon known as choreomania, observed in mainland Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries and characterized by irregular and uncontrolled dancing movements. This particular outbreak, which occurred in the city of Strasbourg (modern-day France) in the Holy Roman Empire, is notable for the hundreds of people who danced uncontrollably for long periods, as recorded in the chronicles of the time. Chronology and Char

The Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic was an extraordinary social-psychological event that began on January 30, 1962, at a girls’ school in the village of Kashasha, within the boundaries of present-day Tanzania, and rapidly spread to surrounding villages and schools. The outbreak was characterized by uncontrollable laughter, crying, restlessness, and at times violent behavior. Initially associated with humor or a contagious illness, subsequent medical and psychological investigations concluded that t