Mass hysteria: what it is and how it occurs

There are countless cases of mass hysteria outlined in history. The phenomenon has been talked about for more than a century, although it has been very little studied. Curiosity magazines, literature and cinema have dealt more with it than science itself.

A recent case of mass hysteria occurred in the town of Kota Bharu, northern Malaysia. It happened at a local school. A group of students said they had seen a “black figure” walking through the hallways. As the days passed, other students and even teachers reported something similar. One teacher even claimed that the “black figure” had wanted to enter her body.

The school had to close temporarily. They called in Islamist experts in exorcisms and similar phenomena. They held several prayer and deliverance sessions. After school reopened and everything returned to normal.

Similar cases have occurred all over the planet. In fact, the beautiful drama “The Witches of Salem” is about this phenomenon. A group of girls begin to see apparitions from beyond. They shake, speak in strange languages, faint in groups, and then everything disappears without a trace. What really happens in those situations?

Mass hysteria or group psychosis

Mass hysteria is a case of group anxiety attack. It is characterized by the appearance of a series of psychological and physical symptoms that spread throughout a group. Like a domino effect the symptoms are spreading. Later, when those affected are medically examined, no abnormalities are discovered, either in their bodies or in their minds.

Mass hysteria is also called “mass psychogenic illness,” “mass hysteria,” or “group psychosis.” Plus panic often also presents a great variety of physical expressions. Tremors, convulsions, fainting, drowsiness and even blindness are the most common.

Whoever is caught in the web of collective hysteria experiences what happens to him or her as something real, or quasi-real. According to sociologist Robert Bartholomew, there are about a hundred outbreaks of this phenomenon each year.. Most of them are produced in schools and factories.

Some manifestations of the phenomenon

According to doctor Jay Salpekar, director of the Program Neurobehavioral at Children’s National Medical Center from Washington, mass hysteria is a result of stress. Everything indicates that the groups in which this phenomenon takes place have been subjected to shared stress before the outbreak of hysteria occurs.

The usual thing is that the stress takes some physical form: pain, tremor, etc., and then other members of the group replicate it. The expressions of collective hysteria are very varied. Sometimes it is a fit of uncontrollable laughter. Other times from the vision or perception of “supernatural forces.”

Sometimes it also manifests as physical illness. This is the case of 200 Colombian students who ended up in the hospital after a vaccine: they all believed that it had harmed them, but it did not. It was all in his mind.

A disorder about which little is known

Most cases of mass hysteria occur among female adolescents, between 12 and 15 years old. However, many cases involving men and adults have also been recorded.

In all cases, there is a closed environment that has been constant in the lives of those affected.. Specialists Robert Bartholomew and Simon Wessely have indicated that the phenomenon is a response to the social problems that afflict a community at a given time.

Stress-filled environments predispose to mass hysteria. It is said that practically anyone can be a victim of this evil. Circumstances combine to make it so. Once the chain reaction occurs, it is difficult to abstract. In any case, it is more common in child personalities.

The majority of those affected by the phenomenon do not consult after having suffered it.. That is why studies in this regard are very scarce and are based above all on conjectures rather than established facts. It is, in any case, a fascinating manifestation of the human mind, which reminds us how difficult it is to keep everything under control.

You might be interested…