Hey my people… Here I came up with another interesting blog on ‘Mass Hysteria’. To those who don't know what's mass hysteria, here come's the definition. It is a phenomenon that transmits collective illusion of threats, either real or imaginary through a society as a result of rumor or fear.
Manifestation of physiological symptoms in the absence of physical cause of illness
In the 16th century France, about 400 people broke into an ‘endless’ madness for dancing. Seldom pausing to eat, drink or rest, many of them danced for days or even weeks! John Walker's ‘A Time to Dance, A Time to Die’ accounts for possibly 100 people dancing to their deaths is one of the most bizarre plagues in history
A wave of hysteria spread throughout colonial Massachusetts, after a group of young girls in Salem village claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused several local women, usually social outcasts of witchcraft. Over 200 people were accused of witchcraft as per records. Around 20 people, most of them women were executed as part of trials.
We had watched several fantasy movies that includes witches. But we never gave a thought if they were true. Obviously, It's a fantasy.
Speaking of Witches, people who watched ‘The vampire diaries’ would know a great witch #BonnieBennet. It was said that the Bennet family had it's origin in Salem village.
Thousands of people, panicking over the onset of war, took to the streets when they mistook an adaptation of The War of the Worlds by H.G.Wells broadcasted on radio to be an actual news bulletin.
Narrated by Orson Welles and aired amidst the tension of the years before World War II, fictional episode also reported a Martian invasion of New Jersey!
In a rural boarding school of Tanganyika, dozens of adolescent girls broke into inexplicable fits of uncontrollable laughter. The hysteria spread to their family members, eventually affecting over 1000 people. After two years, the epidemic phased out without any casualty.
On December 16, 1997. Pokemon- episode 38 aired in Japan. It depicted Pikachu's electric attack with a quick series of flashing lights. As per Japan's Fire Defense Agency, 618 children were taken to the hospital with typical symptoms of epilepsy. Later, only a fraction of the reported 12000 involved was diagnosed with the actual epileptic disease!
Hope you like this blog on various historical events that happened around the world. Do comment the event which you find interesting in the comment section and I will follow you in return.
