Category: Mass Hysteria

Have you ever been really mad at someone or jealous of them? Have you ever tried to do something mean to a person to feel better about yourself? Everyone has met at least one person in their life that they didn’t like. Maybe someone did something that angered you and you never got over it, or maybe someone really intimidated you. There can be personal rivalries from school, sports, or even family members. Sometimes these rivalries can cross the line. Someone can get hurt, blamed for something they didn’t do, or even start to affect those around you. Grudges and personal rivalries can cause mass hysteria, which is seen in “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller and the Holocaust.

One of the most important personal rivalries are between Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor in “The Crucible”. Elizabeth Proctor’s husband, John, had committed adultery and had an affair with Abigail Williams. In the beginning of Act I, John tells Abigail, “I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched, Abby,” (Miller 23). Abigail becomes very angry because she loves John and wants to be with him, but John loves Elizabeth. As the witch trials begin to rise, Abigail begins to accuse many innocent people of witchcraft. Since she is a young girl and a “saint”, no one questions her for a second and everyone believes her. In Act II, after Mary becomes an official of the court, she informs the Proctors that someone accused Elizabeth of witchcraft, but she will not confess who it was. Elizabeth has a very strong suspicion that it was Abigail who accused her. Elizabeth tells John, “ Spoke or silent, a promise is surely made. And she may dote on it now – I am sure she does – and thinks to kill me, then to take my place,” (Miller 61). Elizabeth thinks that if Abigail accuses her, she will be hanged and then Abigail will take her place as John’s wife. Abigail’s strong grudge against Elizabeth turned into a big dispute and her accusation on Elizabeth made the witch trials more chaotic, causing mass hysteria. Another personal rivalry is between Ann Putnam and Rebecca Nurse. Ann Putnam had lost seven out of eight of her children during childbirth. The only child to survive was Ruth Putnam. Rebecca Nurse has many children and grandchildren, which makes Ann Putnam upset. In the beginning of Act I, many people are surrounded by Betty Parris and Ruth Putnam, who had been dancing in the forest the night before. Rebecca tells everyone to go to God for the cause of the sick girls and blame themselves. This angers the Putnams. Thomas yells at Rebecca about how he only has one child left and she shrivels. Ann Putnam tells Rebecca, “You think it God’s work you should never lose a child, nor grand-child either, and I bury all but one?” (Miller 28). Rebecca can say these things easily because she has many healthy children and grandchildren but the Putnams had lost all but one of their eight children so it’s hard for them to hear what Rebecca Nurse says as Ruth Putnam is sick.

The Holocaust occured between 1941 and 1945 during World War II. Hitler, who was the leader of the Holocaust, despised the Jews. He saw the Jews as a disgusting race and a foreign threat to the Nazi Germans. Hitler believed that all of the Jewish people were the cause of many of Germany’s problems. Hitler decided that the only way to get rid of all of the Jews was to kill all of them. He had many different concentration camps in different parts of Poland where over 6 million innocent children and adults were brutally killed. Many starved to death, poisoned, beaten, and worked as slaves. Millions of innocent lives were taken because of their beliefs. Hitler had so much power and control that neighborhoods flooded with fear and terror because the Jews were afraid to be captured and killed. Hitler’s extreme personal rivalry against the Jewish population had started a mass hysteria by the large spread of fear in many areas of Europe. He had taken over their lives because they weren’t like him and he didn’t like what they believed in.

The rivalries in “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller and The Holocaust, that was ruled by Hitler, had caused mass hysteria. In “The Crucible”, there were many personal rivalries that had led to the Salem witch trials. If there was someone you didn’t like, you could use the witch trials for your advantage by accusing someone, who could easily be hanged. The witch trials created a very easy opportunity to see someone you hate die. Once Abigail Williams started to accuse people, everyone began to accuse many innocent people, creating a mass hysteria which led to hanging and lying. Hitler and the other Nazi Germans’ strong hatred against the Jewish population created the Holocaust that started a mass hysteria. The terrifying fear that the Germans’ spread across the Jew population created chaos and had cost millions of innocent lives of children and adults.

Different mass hysteria events throughout history have displayed similar characteristics regarding their structure and characteristics. They each had a variation on the different components of a hysteria event, but can be vividly compared and contrasted. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the Red Scare/McCarthyism era, and the Chupacabra sightings each exhibit the irrational social behaviours and unique psychological states that instigate mass hysteria events; the growth of extreme paranoia that spreads pandemically; and the lasting impact they have on human conduct, laws, and social order.

The Crucible

To illustrate, starting with Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the social behaviours and psychological states that started it can be traced to simple immaturity and the innate desire to fool around possessed by teenage girls. Combined with this is the strict, and quite harsh society that they lived in, which together gave rise to the Salem Witch Trials.

“They had no novelists – and wouldn’t have permitted anyone to read a novel if one were handy. Their creed forbade anything resembling a theater or “vain enjoyment.” They did not celebrate Christmas, and a holiday from work meant only that they must concentrate even more upon prayer.” (Miller, 1952).

This quote, taken directly from The Crucible shows how harsh and unbending the workings and lifestyle of Puritan Society was. There was absolutely no room for “nonsense”, which is why Parris and the rest of Salem were so unfamiliar with their actions, and could not accept Abigail and Betty’s acts as simple tomfoolery; therefore coming to the conclusion that it was the workings of the Devil.

In addition, the development of the girl’s actions into a large-scale witch hunt was fired mostly by the big influence that Abigail Williams had on the rest of the girls. Once in a situation where they were at fault, the girls were ready to do anything in order to cover themselves up, and save themselves. Their psychological state gave Abigail a great amount of power and control over them.

“Abigail: Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it; I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down! ” (Miller, 1952).

Evidently, the girls didn’t understand what needed to happen in order to get the best possible outcome in their favor. As Abigail is the one who instigated the entire situation, it seemed only fitting that they follow her lead and listen to what she said to do.

To continue, the Salem Witch Trials brought a great amount of paranoia to the people of Salem, as over 200 people were accused of witchcraft during the trials. Obviously, these accusations were baseless and most didn’t turn into legitimate trials, especially after the law prohibiting spectral evidence was passed. (Brooks, 2011). Some accused people so it wouldn’t happen to them first, and others used this as an opportunity to exploit and target the wealth and land owned by other families.

“The belongings of convicted witches were routinely seized, ostensibly to pay for their jail expense… After Samuel Wardwell was executed and his wife sentenced to death, the couple’s property in Lynn, Massachusetts was confiscated and assigned to court officials, including John Hathorne.” (Foulds, 2010).

This quote displays the actions of John Hathorne, who was both an accuser and prosecutor in the trials. The accused had all of their wealth and land stripped from them, so Hathorne purposefully sentenced people with the intention of taking what was rightfully theirs.

Lastly, when it comes to the impact that the trials had on society, human conduct, and laws, the two main changes is the extinguishing of Puritanism and the ban of spectral evidence in court. Additionally, a major effect on the people in The Crucible was how the accused’s family name was degraded and their reputations tarnished. Puritanism basically ended after the Salem Witch Trials were over. (The end of the trials and accusations was around 1693, and Puritanism faded from America around the 17th century) (United States History, 2019). Therefore, it is safe to say that the end of Puritanism is directly linked to the end of the trials.

In continuation, in reference to the use of religion in today’s court system, “ Rather, the court tends to sanction state support of “secular” activities that arise in religion contexts while denying state aid to the “sacred” components of religious activity. “Equality” is a hallmark of American democracy.”(Davis, 2016). This quote shows how the court system today has a strong stance in separating church and state. Religious ideals are thoroughly examined when applied to practices within the law and spectral evidence is definitely not allowed.

The Red Scare/ McCarthyism Era

In regards to the Red Scare, the psychological state of Americans after World War II is what sparked and drove the fear of Communism. They were afraid of bringing Russian ideals and concepts and absorbing them into American society. It was seen as anti-democratic, which correlated with being anti-American. “The federal government was the crucial actor here; it’s activities transformed the Communist party from an unpopular political group into a perceived threat to the American way of life.”(Schreker, 2004) As seen here, the government played an important role in instilling the irrational fear of Communism in the minds of American citizens.

To continue, the paranoia brought on by the Red Scare was to such a great extent that the government started targeting actors, directors, and anyone associated with what they thought were “Liberal” films. Glenda Pearson, from the University of Washington compiled a very long and extensive list of the movies that the government viewed as having very Communist, or Liberal associations during the McCarthyism era (Pearson, 2011). Based on something as small as a Liberal or Communist reference in a movie, the government felt that the very basis of American democracy was endangered.

The fear and anxiety brought on the formation of The House Un-American Activities Committee, which interrogated innocent people who were thought to be linked to Communist ideals. Whenever someone was suspected of being in any way associated with Communism, they were given a subpoena to appear before the HUAC and were interrogated thoroughly and harshly. They were essentially grilled for any knowledge of Communist actions and were asked about their own political beliefs, as well as the beliefs of those that they were close to (History.com, 2018). Thousands of families were disrupted because of the actions of the HUAC, and many innocent people were fired from their jobs.

In regards to the effects of the Red Scare, all the people that were convicted as being associated to Communism were eventually released, but their lives had been changed forever. Their quality of life had been degraded by the trials, and would never go back to how they were before.

“Individuals are harmed even if their ties to stigmatized affiliates are heterophilous, and high-status individuals can also suffer. This creates a broadcast effect that increases the scale of the moral panic. Analyzing the U.S. film industry from 1945 to 1960, we examine how artists’ employment in feature films was influenced by their associations with co-workers who were blacklisted as communists after working with the focal artist. Mere association reduces an artist’s chances of working again, and one exposure is enough to impair work prospects. Furthermore, actors’ careers are impaired when writers with whom they worked are blacklisted. Moreover, the negative effects of stigma by mere association hold even when the focal artist has received public acclaim. These findings have broad implications. When a few individuals or organizations are engaged in wrongdoing and publicly targeted, stigma by association can lead to false positives and harm many innocents.” (Pontikes, Negro, Rao, 2010).

The victims of the Red Scare and McCarthyism were impacted significantly in a very negative manner, even after they were proven guilty. After they were released from their sentences, the victims had a very difficult time trying to find new employers, as the stigma of Communism stuck with them. Reputations were tarnished, and no one associated with the McCarthyism trials was looked at the same way again. Many had to live the rest of their lives in a very discreet manner to avoid revealing any part of what had happened in their past.

Chupacabra Sightings

The distinguishable psychological state that gave rise to the alleged sightings of the Chupacabra was the unfamiliarity that farmers had with the unique murder of their livestock.

Starting in 1975, numerous animals were found slaughtered in the towns of Morovic and Orocovis, located in Puerto Rico. The locals plunged into a state of hysteria, as the corpses of their animals were found with strange marks on their necks and a significantly low amount of blood inside them (Redfern,2015). The sightings of the Chupacabra started increasing as more and more animals fell victim to it. Claims of encounters with the creature are still being made, but there are no pictures or any other solid form of evidence that can prove its’ existence. No other animals could be able to leave the markings that were found on the victims’ neck. In addition, the creature that did this had to be smart, as they only attacked at night and were good at avoiding humans. The unexplainable nature of this murderous animal led to the inevitable invention of a fictional creature, which many people have a firm belief in and fear towards.

The paranoia that this fictional creature brought on to the people of Texas, Latin America, and Puerto Rico was very significant. The fear of the Chupacabra grew throughout the years, and is still growing to this date. People are becoming increasingly worried about their livestock, as well as themselves.

“People of Mexico, our cities have fallen under siege by thieves and murderers, but we stand together against lawlessness. The criminals and the gangs will not win! The Chupacabra, on the other hand, might. For, although hardened criminals cannot hop over trees to attack their prey, rumor has it the Chupacabra can.

Barricade yourselves in your homes and hope that this abominable creature gorges itself only on our livestock, and does not need to slake its thirst for blood on our children and our elderly. Yes, I’m afraid such a possibility is very real.”(Fox,2005)

Vicente Fox is the former President of Mexico, who has directly stated that the only fear the citizens of Mexico should have is of the Chupacabra. This quote shows the very real and very great irrational fear that people have of the creature. In addition, it has became a public safety concern in many towns and locations where the sightings are prevalent. Some farmers and breeders even go to the extent of sleeping or staying near their animals in order to prevent and/or catch the chupacabra from getting to them. Cages are becoming more secure and enclosures and fences are built, all for the protection from a fictional animal.

In accordance to the impact that this mass hysteria has on human conduct, society, and law, not much can be said. Unlike the other mass hysteria incidents, this is an event that is still going on, and hasn’t had a significant impact on the stated topics at all. The sightings of the Chupacabra and the fear of it probably won’t leave that much of an impact on humans and society in the future as well, except for their behaviours for preventative purposes.

Is Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible related to hysteria? And how it compares to the story of Lindy Chamberlain? Jordyn Belton explores the deeper understanding of human nature and how we are susceptible to fits of hysteria which supplant logic in return generates an atmosphere of fear.

Hysteria is a term very frequently used to explain a human reaction to a traumatic experience of extreme fear. The settlement of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 witchcraft swept through in return lead to mass hysteria and numerous executions. This was a time the Devil, witches and God were all thought to be true. The Crucible, a well-known play produced by Arthur Miller and the Lindy Chamberlain’s case where Mrs Chamberlain found herself in jail as the media and the public alleged Chamberlain of infanticide. These accusations caused hysteria and controversy between communities of Salem and across Australia. At times extreme cases of hysteria can spiral out of control. This means that hysteria has the power to influence vulnerable communities like Salem. Making seemingly normal and average people think irrationally. Turning neighbour against neighbour. A recent case of mass hysteria is the 9/11 attacks as well as the continuing terrorist attacks since. Sri Lanka in its entirety is another form of hysteria.

The 1692 Salem witch trials came under pressure almost overnight. The cause? Accusations of witchcraft were thrown between citizens of the quiet puritan settlement, known as Salem. An example of hysteria from the past would be the Salem witch trials other forms would be the Nazis. The Salem witch trials was the first mass hysteria of witchcraft and Bridget Bishop (1632 – 10 June 1692) was the first person executed for witchcraft during the Salem witch trials in 1692. Although Lindy Chamberlain’s case is from 30 years ago it is still classified as a recent form of hysteria. Humans are prone to fits of hysteria because hysteria is almost contagious. As hysteria is regularly seen when people have very little knowledge of a given issue.

The Crucible is a play, based on a variety of horrific events that led to 19 innocent deaths. The play demonstrates the vulnerability of the town, Salem, and how hysteria brought conflict and division between the people. It is for certain that both jealousy and hysteria are play a huge role and are key themes within Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible. Salem folk were susceptible to hysteria because of their lack of knowledge, understanding and religious beliefs about the devil and God. And all began with a group of young girls whom were dancing in the forest chanting love spells. They were seen by Reverend Parris and questioned about what they were doing. Fearing they would be punished, they blamed it on the devil, but firstly the blame befell among Tituba a black slave who was said to be working for the devil. In order to save themselves from being whipped they went along with the lie and accused their neighbours out of spite, jealousy or purely for fun. In order to stop the madness from occurring John Procter relieves himself from a heavy burden and told the truth about his affair with Abigail Williams. However, it backfired as John Proctors wife knew and was set to tell the truth and she lied, making his truth about the affair to be dismissed. In response from his ange John Proctor says that ‘they (Danforth and the community) are pulling down heaven and raising up a whore’, as Danforth has allowed Abigail Williams to seize control of the trials. Meaning that the higher authorities are believing a jealous young child who John Proctor had an affair with, now is lying about witchcraft. Miller represents society as an easily broken and delicate, pretty much something that can be destroyed by mass hysteria through authoritarianism and witlessness. As you can see, misconstruing hysteria and the power it has effects civilisation both past and present.“You are pulling down heaven and raising up a whore” ― John Procter by Arthur Miller, the Crucible, Page 96

Jealousy plays a major factor in the very beginning of The Crucible. Abigail Williams, the antagonist of the play, causes the start of the widespread moral panic. Jealousy was the start of hysteria and the accusations, as Abigail Williams was accusing all the respected women in the town beginning with her unrequited lover’s (John Proctor) wife, Elizabeth Proctor. This gave Abigail Williams a sense of empowerment in a community based in status and a community that views her as a low classed citizen. The theocratic society driven by religion is destroyed because characters like Abigail William’s benefits from the empowerment of her actions has given. She feels a sense of power when accusing the women in her town. As a result, Abigail Williams’s actions and accusations cause great disharmony and mistrust within the small town engulfed in hysteria.

In the Lindy Chamberlain’s case hysteria originates from the public as media depicts Lindy Chamberlain as a villain. The media immediately accuses Mrs Chamberlain for the murder of her 9-week-old baby Azaria, as the public were intolerant to believe a dingo could have possibly killed the young infant. Trial by media can be a very conflictive situation especially in Lindy Chamberlains case. As the media instantly depicted the Chamberlains family as cold-hearted because they didn’t show much emotion the whole time. This positions the reader to believe that Lindy Chamberlains behaviour to the situation didn’t help her case whatsoever. As the audience was led to believe a typical stereotype of a mother in this condition to be overwhelmed and almost hysterical. It was suspected that the reason for Azaria’s death was that Lindy Chamberlain was jealous of her baby; as she had post-natal depression.

Introduction

In any global sphere, research serves an integral role as it aids in the establishment of solutions to issues as well as providing relevant information regarding a defined area of a given field. Healthcare is one of the industries that heavily rely on research. Psychology is a division of the healthcare industry and a field dealing with behavior and thoughts. Hysteria and the Cathartic method are two psychological topics that have been widely researched. Hysteria is an old-fashioned expression that refers to a psychological ailment that is manifested in actuality and adjustment of one’s mindfulness in what is known as somatization and amnesia. The cathartic method is an idea in the psychoanalytic hypothesis wherein the feelings related to traumatic mishaps become evident and, thus, mitigated via the application of the cathartic method. This discussion demonstrates my ability to research a topic and present the information in a way that shows a written essay that is a coherent understanding and knowledge of hysteria and cathartic method as well as presenting a good critical knowledge of the differences between psychoanalysis and psychotherapy.

Research on Hysteria

Today, when an individual is placed in the category of hysterical individuals, society refers to them as furious, chaotic, wild, or out of control people. Numerous studies have been conducted on hysteria, and this can be attested to the official contemplation of the issue as a mental disorder (Trimble and Reynolds, 2016). This is the primary reason that led to the incorporation of hysterical studies on psychology and psychological disorders. The scientific studies on hysteria were consistent in the American healthcare curriculum until 1980, and such data can be found in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Before its grouping as a psychological issue, perspectives on hysteria remained on the physical afflictions of the issue, and such studies were originally depicted restoratively in 1880 by Jean-Martin Charcot (Cramer, 2019). In actuality, hysteria can be traced years before Charcot originally conducted research that could be published as this mental ailment was depicted in antiquated Egyptian and Greek social orders. After such manifestations, the core inquiry remains on the actual meaning of hysteria. Furthermore, hysteria became one of the primary focal points for women activists who aimed at establishing a gender-sensitive society that places equal opportunities for both men and women (North, 2015). In this context, the major question lies in why second-wave women activists focused on hysteria while fighting for women’s rights.

Hysteria versus gender

The term hysteria is at any rate 2,000 years of age, and it has been utilized to depict an assortment of circumstances. For a significant part of the term’s history, women were closely linked with hysteria, and this can be attested to their social, emotional and mental aspects (Ender, 2019). Primarily, hysteria was believed to come about as an outcome of the problems related to the uterus. The ‘wandering’ womb is an ancient assumption formulated by Greeks and remains a topic of discussion in the contemporary world. Ancient Greeks had an assumption that hysterical symptoms came about when the womb of a woman was dislocated from its original position.

Regarding the history of the UK, the Victorian period was an era that existed in the years when the nation was under the leadership of Queen Victoria’s reign. The Victorian period is believed to have lasted from June 1837 to January 1901, a period that marked the end of Queen Victoria’s rule due to her demise. The Victorian period remains integral as while discussing hysteria and gender as, during this era, hysteria was believed to be the primary contributor to the sexual dysfunction among women (Latham, 2015). Healthcare experts responsible for treating sexual dysfunction among women utilized vibrators, and by the mid-twentieth century, vibrators were being promoted to ladies for home treatment of side effects of agitation (Ender, 2019).

Sigmund Freud accepted that indications were barrier components against sexual conditions, and quite a bit of Freudian psychology studies depends on the researcher’s extensive practical investigations with female volunteers whom he considers to be hysterically affected. Freud accepted that the feminine gender experienced mania since they were not able to accommodate the loss of their figurative sexual part, that is, the penis. Considering this, Freud depicted hysteria to be ‘naturally female’ which led to his suggestions fundamentally to the efforts incorporated in treating the condition by marrying a man and engaging in sexual intercourse (Trimble and Reynolds, 2016). 1980 is regarded as a milestone for the healthcare industry primarily psychology as in this year, hysteria was formally and authoritatively declassified as a condition related to sexual dysfunction condition, and thus, it was obliterated from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Research on Cathartic Method

Concerning the psychoanalytic hypothesis, the cathartic method is an instance in which an individual’s feelings related to horrendous accidents become apparent. The cathartic method is derived from the word catharsis, and its starting point can be traced to the Greek expression for purifying or cleansing (Lawtoo, 2018). Catharsis is closely intertwined with the end of negative feelings, influence, or practices related to an unacknowledged injury. The cathartic is frequently an indispensable segment of treatment that tends to subdued recollections, and the marvel regularly happens while one is mesmerized. In past ages, psychoanalytic healthcare professionals utilized the cathartic methodology to treat side effects related to what Sigmund Freud referred to as hysteria and discussed in the previous topic.

The cathartic method initially came into the limelight when it was used in a psychological context by Josef Breuer and later, developed by his proficient student Sigmund Freud used the method to after his realization that individuals could unreservedly and overtly articulate their emotional aspects linked to traumatic life encounters (Ellman, 2018). According to Lacan, when the affected people had the option to uninhibitedly express the feelings related to quelled awful mishaps, they had a catharsis (Lawtoo, 2018). As indicated by tales, catharsis typically brought about a conclusion to manifestations of psychological maladjustment and especially delirium.

Contemporary application of the cathartic method

In the present day world, a few specialists may allude to cathartic methods in treatment. However, a majority of these psychological experts are probably not going to attempt to draw out stifled recollections that are spellbinding to diverse ailments. The idea of curbed recollections has been tested now and again, and there have been a few embarrassments wherein specialists accidentally made subdued recollections in their patients concerning occasions that never occurred (Ellman, 2018). The diagnosis of the old fashioned term ‘hysteria’ has been supplanted by contemporary research studies which have established terms such as dissociation and somatization. Psychological professionals no more diagnose patients with hysteria, and thus, the cathartic method has been rendered ineffective.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, research serves an integral role as it aids in the provision of the establishment of solutions to issues as well as providing relevant information regarding a defined area of a given field. Hysteria and the Cathartic method are two psychological topics which have been widely researched on. Historically, hysteria became one of the primary focal points for women activists who aimed at establishing a gender-sensitive society that places equal opportunities for both men and women whereas. Josef Breuer founded the cathartic method and later developed by his proficient student Sigmund Freud after his realization that individuals could unreservedly and overtly articulate their emotional aspects linked to traumatic life encounters. The study has established that both hysteria and cathartic method are inexistent and inapplicable to contemporary psychology after hysteria was declassified as sexual dysfunction. Also, the development of an understanding of both hysteria and cathartic method can be attested to the contributions by Freud and Breuer. Lastly, psychoanalysis can be classified as a treatment model based on the understanding of both the conscious and unconscious human states, and in summary, psychoanalysts must first qualify as psychotherapists and further their studies to be the former.

References

1. Balint, M., Balint, E., & Ornstein, P. H. (2013). Focal psychotherapy: An example of applied psychoanalysis. Routledge.
2. Cramer, P. (2019). What Has Happened to Hysteria? The Journal of nervous and mental disease, 207(9), 705-706.
3. Ellman, S. J. (2018). Freud’s technique papers: A contemporary perspective. Routledge.
4. Ender, E. (2019). Sexing the Mind: Nineteenth-century fictions of hysteria. Cornell University Press.
5. Latham, C. H. (2015). Rethinking the Intimacy of Voice and Ear: Psychoanalysis and Genital Massage as Treatments for Hysteria. Women and Music: A Journal of Gender and Culture, 19(1), 125-132.
6. Lawtoo, N. (2018). Violence and the Mimetic Unconscious (Part One): The Cathartic Hypothesis: Aristotle, Freud, Girard. Contagion, 25, 159-192.
7. North, C. (2015). The classification of hysteria and related disorders: Historical and phenomenological considerations. Behavioral Sciences, 5(4), 496-517.
8. Oremland, J. D., & Gill, M. M. (2013). Interpretation and interaction: Psychoanalysis or psychotherapy? Routledge.
9. Perez-Sanchez, A. (2018). Interview and indicators in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. Routledge.
10. Trimble, M., & Reynolds, E. H. (2016). A brief history of hysteria: from the ancient to the modern. In Handbook of clinical neurology (Vol. 139, pp. 3-10). Elsevier.

Imagine going away from your family and your home to avoid all the maltreatment and traveling across the Atlantic Ocean like it’s a natural routine for you. The rueful crew of the Mayflower transported the Pilgrims across the devastated stormy Atlantic with just one factor which was these passengers were placed to handle the shortage of food and deadly voyage. If these folks were aiming to survive during this weather in America they’d have to be compelled to re-process their life goals and skills. As evident in the story Of Plymouth Plantation written by Arthur William Bradford and the story The Crucible written by Arthur Miller, early Americans relied on religion as a way to shape the identity of an emerging nation.

Imagine leaving your households and going on a boat that’s so claustrophobic and fearful. In the story Of Plymouth Plantation, by Arthur William Bradford the informal religion was Christianity in addition, the English Separatist presents of Christianity was that in recent times it’s typically worded as Puritanism. A piece of evidence to prove this is, “The Church and State were one in England and the act of separating from the Church of England was considered treasonous” (Bradford 18). In this stanza stated here it states that these separatists fled to England for Leiden because their church was in the corruption faze. Another piece of evidence that Arthur Bradford claims is, “These separatists were a sect of Puritans within the movement who felt that the Church of England was too corrupt to save and had given up on the idea of real reform within the church and decided to separate from it” (Bradford 29). In this stanza it states that the community fled the church because it was corrupted and left them out of ideas. They had to come up with new resources to survive this maltreatment.

Imagine believing your own aspects and getting prosecuted for them. In the story The Crucible, by Arthur Miller the religion is woven into the daily life of Salem. The community people observe a form of Christianity based on a group of clearly outlined rules such as attending church every Sunday. In the story The Crucible the Proctors are different from the others as they don’t occur to many of these occasions. A piece of evidence to prove this is, “I have. I have indeed. It is his own suspicion, but he resists it. He glances at Elizabeth, then at John. And would you testify to this in court” (Miller 65)? In this stanza there was some bad communication between these two but yet Hale was being more logical to the Proctors as he was connecting all the points such as them not attending church often. Hale approaches the Proctors because Elizabeth’s name was mentioned in the court. He then goes on telling the Proctors that, from Parris’ records, they haven’t been to church as often as the others. Another piece of evidence in the story that Miller represents about religion is, “Mr. Proctor, your house isn’t a church; your theology must tell you that” (Miller 62). In this stanza it states that the Proctors were being very mischievous with their actions by not showing up to the church receptions.

In conclusion Arthur Miller and Arthur William Bradford both show great logical information about the importance of the religion to the Early American time as they both relied on Christianty. Some information that’s important that these authors use is that they are very religious. Arthur Miller brings up key points such as them having to attend church every Sunday and them not believing in witchcraft. And Athur William Bradford brings up people vanishing from the church when it was in the corruption stage. In these times these folks were very serious about their religion as if you don’t respect your religion you could get prosecuted for it.

Work Cited

1. Bradford, William. Of Plymouth Plantation: In Modern English. 1st ed., CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2018.
2. Miller, Arthur, and Christopher Bigsby. The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts. Penguin Classics, 2003.

Look at 1600 to the 1950s and then compare them to the current times, and it is clear that this community has made some drastic changes to the laws that govern humanity, social behavior, education levels and one major change is in the law and system. The many displays of accusations without evidence that turned into court cases and many of which the accused ended up being found guilty. This act is called McCarthyism. McCarthyism is defined as “ to accuse someone or an establishment without any evidence against them to help support your argument” some say McCarthyism along with the great Depression would lead to one of the world’s great catastrophes World War II. McCarthyism was a greater display in the 1600s with many of the accusations being about witches displayed in the play ‘The Crucible’. The play about how young women go into the woods with a slave who is chanting in a foriegn language with is to her praying. In their village dancing is prohibited so when one of the girls’ fathers found out. He confronts her about it causing her to lie and lead to a mountain of other lies. She gained the trust of everyone in the village by acting like she could and her companions she convinced to aid her by threatening their lives. Her position in power and accused villagers of being witches with no hard evidence to make her life easier. John lewis attempts to help the village and rid them of their trickery but fails and their community ends up going mad and will eventually fall.

The theme of “the Crucible’ is McCarthyism and hysteria together can cause sane society or go corrupt and fall if not stop. Hysteria supplants the formal system and empower populate to suppose that their neighbors, whom they have always considered upstanding people, are committing false and unbelievable crimes converse with the demon or like killing babe, and so on. In act three, Paris reverence that John Proctor will disprove Abigail’s accusations which would cause his and Abigail’s image to be poor within the town. So he accuses John of essay to overthrow the court to attempt to diminish his credibility. “They’ve come to overthrow the court, sir!”. When judge Danforth points Francis Nurse approximately the ask and attempt to cause in the people that had signed the v. This causes Nurse to solicitude for what he has caused his friends and associate denizens. “I have brought trouble on these people; I have…’. Miller wrote this play to show and compare the 1600s, and the 1950s to show how closely society was to insanity and corruption. He used McCarthyism and Mass hysteria as core examples to focus on. Society should use hard evidence or at least any evidence at all to win arguments to not cause corruption in society.

McCarthyism was given to the U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin produced a order of investigations and hearings during the 1950s in an effort to expose supposed communist infiltration of various areas of the U.S. control. The word has since grown a byname for defamation of disposition or reputation by indicating widely publicized heterogeneous allegations, particularly on the basis of unsubstantiated impeach. This was shown in the bargain the decade of danger “were accused of improperly using their influence to get preferential assignments for a former McCarthy aide, David Schine, who had been drafted into the military” accusing others with no hard concrete evidence would prove to collapse Mccarthy’s career.

Arthur Miller utilises his literary masterpiece ‘The Crucible’ as a vehicle to expose to the audience that maintaining personal integrity requires great courage and strength in the face of hysteria and frenzy and refusing to name names can come at a high cost, especially amidst an autocratic rule. He does this through thoughtful characterisation, symbolism, language, allegory, imagery and characters’ moral dilemmas.

Arthur Miller’s outstanding 1953 play, effectively utilises allegory to draw parallels between the period of McCarthyism within the United States of America. McCarthyism was anti-communist hysteria, initiated by Joseph McCarthy. It lasted through the 1950s, being called the ‘red scare’ where many people were making accusations without proper evidence, for their own benefit, ruining many people’s careers. Miller used his play as a platform to protest the House Unamerican Activities Committee hearings, as many people were imprisoned and blacklisted if they were suspected to be associated with Communists. After the play was staged, Miller himself had been called upon by the HUAC which demanded him to confess that he was a communist and provide names of others that he knows. He had withheld the names of others and was sent to jail, being consequently blacklisted from Hollywood. Miller had wanted to expose, reflect and allegorise the rigid ideologies during McCarthyism, through his novel ‘The Crucible’.

Abigail Williams, a central character in Miller’s work, embodies lack of integrity and is a blatant hypocrite. After she and Tituba started naming names, they instigated hysteria and fear, which bubbled in the community, like a crucible. As an orphaned girl in the village of Salem, she was nothing. She was John Proctor’s mistress before his wife Elizabeth threw her out of the household, stirring great jealousy in Abigail. She was then determined to kill Goody Proctor and be reunited with John. However, starting the witchcraft hysteria, she saw the rising power she attained when she proclaimed the names of the townspeople communing with the devil. Abigail claims “There be no blush about my name” (Act 1, 20), meaning she is white, possesses integrity and virtuous, but ironically, she is the blackest character of them all. She is the most superficial character who commits malice and has no integrity. The cost of losing integrity is having to escape from the town when she no longer possessed her power. Miller showed that Abigail, like McCarthyism, took all the toxic elements of hate, envy, bigotry, avarice and lies, throwing it into the fiery crucible and creating this poison, which was thrown onto the people, and damaging them.

Contrastingly, Miller created a character Rebecca Nurse, who is the pillar of righteousness and the epitome of integrity. She is portrayed as representative of God, is called the “very brick and mortar of the church” ( Act 2, p. 67) and unwaveringly displays her integrity throughout the play. When Reverend Hale came to the town of Salem, he remarked on her revered piety and purity by saying “It’s strange how I knew you, but I suppose you look as such a good soul should”. (Act 1, p. 34). The surroundings of Salem had all known the good soul of Rebecca Nurse and her voice of reason. Unfortunately, she is drawn into the witchcraft hysteria because of the Putnam misfortunes and conflicts with the Nurses and is set to go to the gallows. Realising there has been a mistake, Reverend Hale begs Nurse to proclaim that she is with the Devil, to escape her death, but she responds: “Why, it is a lie, it is a lie; how may I damn myself? I cannot, I cannot” (Act 4, p. 129). She had lost her life as a cost for upholding her integrity. However, Miller wants the readers to approve of her decision, highlighting that integrity shows the true character of a person. Miller, like Rebecca Nurse, had once also been put in the firing line to confess himself as a communist and give others away. However, he held onto his integrity and sacrificed his own career, being honest to himself and doing what he believed was right.

John Proctor is developed as a grey and morally challenged character. His ultimate struggle with maintaining his integrity makes him relatable to the audience. Proctor is shown as a man who has committed sins and adultery. At first, Proctor was concerned with maintaining a good name in the town, which is a central theme to the play. Battling with his inner demons, he refused to admit his infidelity to the court, to protect his reputation and his good name. When his wife was mentioned in court, Proctor was willing to forfeit his reputation, to save his wife’s life, even if it meant that he would fall under the radar of the court. When he reaches emotional catharsis during the signing the contract of giving away his name, he realises that he wants his integrity, by yelling “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! …I have given you my soul; leave me my name!”. By ripping up the contract, he refused to be denounced as a man of the devil to maintain his integrity, with being hanged coming as a cost to his self-respect, and having the audience feel the respect for him as well.

Through the expert manipulation of characterisation, language and aesthetic devices, Miller was able to expose the reader that having integrity is a prodigious honour for a person to have and shows great character, such as Rebecca Nurse. Miller used his play as a protest for communist hysteria of McCarthyism and the actions of the HUAC.

History has shown that it is human nature, when an emotional and inexplicable situation arises, for people to fall prey to suspicion and fear. During these times, unscrupulous individuals can play upon a wide-spread panic, using this fear to their advantage. History is filled with many examples of this, one of the most powerful being the vengeance behind the hysteria of the Salem witch trials in The Crucibles by Arthur Miller which caused the inevitable deaths of 19-20 innocent victims, who were killed as a result of jealousy, greed, lust, and self-preservation. Again, in Rod Serling’s Monsters are due on Maple Street, the damaging power of hysteria shows its ugly face when the terrified neighborhood transitioned into a community capable of monstrous behavior just to save themselves from accusations when an unidentified object flies across the sky, and coincidently the power goes out on Maple Street. Similarly, McCarthy creates a culture of fear across the nation in the George Clooney’s movie Good Night and Good Luck by drum mingup fear of Communism to such a degree that individuals start to mistrust and judge any person thought to be a Communist without any clear evidence; even most reputed media man of the time like Edward R. Murrow is not spared. One of the famous McCarthyism cartoons “Fire!” by Herbert Block that came up in 1949, a time when Americans were still highly terrified of Communism clearly illustrates the message that is said in all of the above examples. The torch from the Statue of Liberty, which represents the Enlightenment and is meant to light our way to freedom, is being extinguished by a man labeled “Hysteria” with a bucket of water. Due to “Hysteria” making an effort to extinguish the fire, the cartoon demonstrates that universal panic concerning Communism that McCarthy played a role in creating is a huge threat to our freedom. It can endanger Americans’ right to say anything they desire to say without being discriminated for it. From all the texts and illustrations, it is indicative that public hysteria comes to evolve out of desires for self-preservation and makes people frenzy and they start to do awful things.

It becomes clear in The Crucibles, how the accusations of witchcraft creates an atmosphere of mass hysteria and forces the judges to whatever keeps them in the good graces of society. The power of mass hysteria is revealed when Mary can not pretend to faint outside of the emotionally charged courtroom environment and being caught up in the delusions of those around her, she believed she had seen spirits before. Abigail also disturbs the judges from any rational investigation in this act by playing into the mass hysteria. Danforth, who has the most authority, is also sold on her act, and it only takes a couple screams to convince him that he’s in the presence of witchcraft. This leads to Mary’s hysterical accusation of Proctor after she realizes she will be consumed by the hysteria monster if she is not a factor to it. To maintain control, judges seek to create an illusion of precision in the sentencing process. They want to feel secure in the knowledge that they are doing the right thing, and they can only do that by completely crushing all of their uncertainties. “In an ordinary crime, how does one defend the accused? One calls up witnesses to prove his innocence. But witchcraft is ipso facto, on its face and by its nature, an invisible crime, is it not? Therefore, who may possibly be witness to it? The witch and the victim. None other. Now we cannot hope the witch will accuse herself; granted? Therefore, we must rely upon her victims – and they do testify, the children certainly do testify. As for the witches, none will deny that we are most eager for all their confessions. Therefore, what is left for a lawyer to bring out?” (Danforth 100). This quote shows Danforth’s rationale for the way these trials have been conducted. It gives us insight into the twisted logic that court officials have adopted in the face of hysteria. Since the crime is invisible, there are no unbiased witnesses available; the only people who can testify to what really happened are the “witch” and her victim. This means every case is inevitably a he-said-she-said situation where the accused person is immediately mistrusted and coerced into confessing without any chance to defend herself. The hysteria surrounding witchcraft and the devil is so great that officials ignore the fact that the accusers might have reasons to lie about their experiences.

There has been no real evidence of evil behavior by any neighbor in The Monsters are Due on Maple Street, yet an atmosphere of hysteria has broken out due to their irrational fears and even neighbors and friends are turning on each other with monsterous violence due to their readiness to save themselves. When a sudden and inexplicable force causes everything to stop working on Maple Street, the people there begin to wonder who or what is responsible. Accusations and suspicions begins about one person, then another and finally the momentum builds up until the entire town is annihilated, therefore leading to violence. As the mass hysteria arises, “The people shout, accuse, scream. The camera tilts back and forth. We see panic-stricken faces in close-up and tilting shots of houses as the lights go on and off.” (Serling). The episode depicts a vulnerable and paranoid situation among human beings at times when they are in tension, and when they find no way of escape. The community of Maple Street quickly start to find a scapegoat and cast blame on each other which finally shifts the blame to an entire community, and a small incident becomes catastrophic. In such cases, no one is there to look into an issue and make positive, rational, and visionary conclusions; instead, people turn against each other to an extent of hurting one another. The text symbolizes the loss of control pertinent to human beings, especially when paranoia and hysteria takes control and as such, human beings become no better than animals, living on their instincts rather than rationale.

The movie Good Night and Good Luck highlights that mass hysteria has resulted from the political tactics used by powerful people like McCarthy to transform minor sense of fear into full-blown frenzies in order to gain power or control. During the 1950’s, the country’s citizens and politicians were afraid of the upcoming superpower Russia and the influences their ideals were having on the United States. Many people were afraid that the Russians were infiltrating our society in an attempt to take over. During this Red Scare, Senator Joseph McCarthy fuels a mass hysteria in which countless innocent people see their lives destroyed in the name of rooting out Communism. Senator Joseph McCarthy, took this opportunity to reveal and persecute those who he thought were communists. People did not oppose him, as they feared his power. At this time, Edward R. Murrow was a news personality in the newly founded television industry. As Murrow’s career in broadcasting soared, so did his ability to use the medium to his will. When no one questioned McCarthy and his doings, Murrow did. “The actions of the Junior Senator from Wisconsin have caused alarm and dismay amongst our allies abroad and given considerable comfort to our enemies. And whose fault is that? Not really his; he didn’t create this situation of fear, he merely exploited it, and rather successfully. Cassius was right: the fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.” (Murrow). Murrow illustrates the power of McCarthyism by referring to Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar. He says that the corruption in government is actually ‘in all of us,’ Murrow reveals that he believes that McCarthy’s corruption is an indication of a broader structural issue, and that people must remain independent and vigilant against becoming corruptible and uncritical themselves. It is also notable that in this statement, Murrow points out that the tide of fear is not the fault of McCarthy, but that he has exploited it to his own selfish ends. Using public fear to gain power, powerful people like McCarthy ruin people’s lives for personal game. Accusations are missing proof, there is no evidence, yet mass hysteria is so strong in the air that no one can oppose McCarthy without being accused themselves.

One on McCarthyism Political Cartoons ‘Fire!’ depicts that Mass hysteria is irrational and, therefore, so dangerous that people do not consider all the consequences of what they might be doing and they are ready to eliminate personal freedom and liberty under a hysteric attack. ‘Fire!’ – This word is shouted in alarm when a blaze occurs that is unexpected and dangerous. The torch held by Lady Liberty is meant to be a beacon of freedom for immigrants entering the United States, as well as a reminder to American citizens of their freedoms; however, if this fire is put out, then the symbolism of the torch is altered. An empty torch promises nothing; one whose fire has been extinguished indicates control put upon it. The hysterical man with the bucket of water does not stop to consider that the fire in the torch may be burning for a reason; he sees a fire, shouting ‘Fire!’ and rushes to put out this fire. (Block). He does not consider all the consequences of what he may be doing; in assuming that something is only one thing and that this danger, personal freedom and liberty is eliminated. The destructive power of hysteria is so evident from the cartoon that a normal person under its attack does not hesitate to destroy the freedom and liberty of the entire nation.

Public hysteria begins from a simple thing and gradually takes a more complex form, ending up in an environment of chaos, where people become inhuman and are ready to go to any extent in order to defend themselves. In a sudden and inexplicable event, our society gets trapped in a monotone mindset, surrendering their ideals and discriminations being force-fed to them from higher powers. Mob mentality in such situations, religious or political, leads to thoughtless (and therefore unethical and illogical) actions leading to the persecution of innocent people. All the incidents remind us how fragile rules of civilized society are and how willing our human nature is to seek vengeance before truth. Don’t get caught up in the hysteria because it can snowball into unimaginable horror. Fear causes people to do things completely out of character with who they are. Do not allow yourself to become a part of “mob mentality”.

In matters of life or death, people do whatever it takes to not be hanged. In times where accusations, regardless of their accuracy, determine one’s survival, people do what is necessary to survive. In Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible, a constant string of allegations leads to people convicting the innocent of witchcraft. Ultimately, this leads to those convicted people accusing more innocent people and so on. This leads straight to a town full of nothing but mass hysteria. Danforth’s convictions, Parris’ concern for his reputation, and Abigail’s malicious accusations each influence the development of mass hysteria in Salem.

Of all characters, one that is most to blame is Danforth. Danforth is a “formidable figure” (Abbotson, ‘Deputy Governor Danforth’) who infuses his supremacy in court to all citizens. He accepts countless confessions from innocent people, and declares those who refuse to confess to be “[hanged] high over the town”(Miller 144). Danforth makes the town feel that there is no escape to being convicted, and that there is no ability to be proven innocent. This feeling of uneasiness generated by a lack of security in safety leads to a mass hysteria where people feel the need to convict others to protect themselves. He forsakes the option of innocence and encourages this phenomenon. Danforth does not want to be hypocritical by changing the way he convicts people, and decides that hanging innocent people is better then wrecking his precious reputation. If Danforth had the strength to publicly recognize his wrongdoings, this mass hysteria would have ended. He holds the key to ending the troubles he helps to create in the town, yet refuses to take action, and allows this town to go down a rabbit hole of accusing.

Secondly, Parris, the reverend of the town, would not be expected to be such “ an ungodly figure, being petulant, selfish, conceited, [and] unmerciful” (Abbotson, ‘Reverend Samuel Parris’). Parris did everything in his power to keep his reputation protected. He supports the continuation of the witch trials and even claims that Proctor is “such a Christian that will not come to church but once in a month!” (Miller 90). Parris attempts to make John look as unreliable as possible because he wants to keep the truth hidden. His opinion in the trials are inconsistent as he instantaneously changes his point of view on the trials throughout the play as it would most benefit him. After trying so hard to make Proctor look like a liar, Parris’ opinion shifts as he claims that “it will strike the village that Proctor confess. I beg you, let him sign it” (Miller 141). Parris goes from wanting the court to declare John’s word as unreliable to declaring it the utter most truth. His constant attempts to stop the truth from shining through lead to the continuation of the trials, and ultimately adds to the mass hysteria.

Another person responsible for much of the mass hysteria is Abigail. Her manipulative tactics and determination for everything to go her way throughout the play dictates the futures of many people. Abigail herself, “leads the girls in their accusations in court against some of the most well-respected and good townspeople” (Blooms 16). She continuously accuses people that get in the way of what she wants. This vindictive behavior increases the mass hysteria throughout Salem. With anything they did, the townspeople dared cross Abigail. They are petrified that with one word Abigail could get the rope imposed on them too. People feared Abby, yet she has absolutely no authority except the courts being on her side. Abigail intelligently and spitefully, “uses the town’s superstitious leanings to her own advantage” (Abbotson, “Abigail Williams”) regardless of the effects it has on the townspeople. Abigail’s word creates and justifies the hanging of about twenty people. If Abigail was less captivated by the idea of John loving her, this mass hysteria would not have been all that it is now. She validates the deaths of numerous innocent people and acts as if they are at her dismay. Those who are hanged are real people with families and priorities of their own. They are not pawns on the chess board, yet that is all they are to Abigail. Her selfish and unempathetic mindset leads to the mass hysteria spreading throughout all of Salem.

In conclusion, the behaviors in which Danforth, Parris, and Abigail exert all inhibit the ending of the witch trials and cause the widespread mass hysteria. The large amount of immortality and corruption bestowed in people throughout the trials lead to boundless allegations against innocent people. It is a mass hysteria that could easily end with one person stepping up and acting morally, yet numerous people, including those mentioned above, stood by and bought into it. Everyone plays their part in the creation of the mass hysteria, but Danforth, Parris, and Abigail have the most impact.

Mass Hysteria or Mass Psychogenic Illness it is a disorder in which a huge set of people unveil analogous physical or emotional indications, such as anxiety or life-threatening feeling. When individual under pressure grouped together, the impending for Mass Hysteria occur. Mass Hysteria conducts communal illusions of fears, whether real or unreal, initiating anecdotes and distress. It often used to imprecisely discuss to anything from giving in to disturbances and something that is unusual that has convert into something of fluid concept. This is a undesirable suggestion that includes the participation of a large set of populaces. Phenomenon says that it is a kind of psychogenic illness that activates in our mind, rather than the body. Psychological symptoms are not illusionary this is very much real. Mass Hysteria also termed as “conversion disorder” which touches nervous system in the absence of the physical cause of sickness, the response on this will appear to psychological distress.

According to Bartholomew and Wesley, from the 18th century to the early 20th century, with the industrial revolution, the epidemic happened in workplaces, characterized by convulsions, abnormal movements, and neurological complaints. In the same period outbreaks took place in several European schools. Strict academic discipline was imposed on the pupils and symptoms included in convulsion, involuntary movements, trembling amnesia and laughing. Symptoms disappeared after the administration of electric shocks. The same authors found that from the 20th century onwards, epidemic hysteria episodes were chareacterized by concerns about food, air and water quality, including fears of mysterious odours. Mass Hysteria can happen in schools, workplaces and social gatherings, and is often resolved by providing reassurance that the environment is safe.

The False information, aggravated by the social media can cause panic and anxiety to the community. The AEFMDA cases reported in Zamboanga Peninsula region after the NSDD were primarily due to mass hysteria. The high proportion of total AEFMDA cases reported from this region, coupled with the misinformation spread in the community, contributed to the increase of reported cases. The deworming tablets used conformed to drug standards, were used throughout the country and were therefore unlikely to have caused the high number of reported side-effects.

Epidemic hysteria has been defined as a group of symptoms suggestive of organic illness but without identifiable cause (Jones TF 2000). Schools are the most common settling for epidemic hysteria outbreak with triggering factors including events and rumors (Boss LP 1997). In the investigation, several triggers were identified, including the spread of a text message across the entire region duirng the NSDD that claimed there were children who died following the intake of the deworming tablet and the circulation of false reports in social media that the deworming used by the Department of Health for the NSDD were expired; both falsehoods were aggravated by media coverage. That insufficient orientation was provided to the schools and parents about the expected side-effects of the deworming tablets also contribeffectsuted to the increase in reported cases. Epidemics of mass hysteria attract media attention, which usually results in an escalation of such outbreaks (SA Fam Pract 2010).

According to our research Mass Hysteria or known medically as Mass Psychogenic Illness (MPI) has traditionally been an object of sociological inquiry. Although the term suggest a collective form of individual hysteria, mass hysteria and individual hysteria seem to be unrelated, even though some of the symptoms may be resemble somatoform disorders, according to their classification in the DSM IV-TR

The starting point of hysteria is the same as that of most great neuroses, it is a depression, an exhaustion of the encephalon. Our assumption that the mass minds or irrational minds are more susceptible or vulnerable to influence. We may say that the most important mental stigma of hysteria is suggestibility due to it One may fill in aperture in certain memories with false information given by another when recalling a scenario or moment. Mass hysteria can happen in populated locations such as workplaces, social gatherings and schools. Mass hysteria appears to take different shapes, according to its historical and sociocultural settings.

Mass hysteria can also cause moral panic as when exaggerated fear is one of the aspects of moral panic if fear is considered a result of mass mistaken beliefs or cumulative belief, it may not be so easily distinguished from social chaos such as war or terrorism. In these events a physical agent was present however fear may have been more harmful than the disasters themselves. The generality of outbreaks are triggered by an event, although rumors can also be the impetus of the problem.

We want to be more informed about the data of MPI, Why does it still occur in our present society despite of its rapid modernization and overlooked traditional beliefs? And What of specific groups of people does it affects? if we are able to find bona fide responses we’ll be able to provide a panacea for the number of affected individuals, aid in preventing and diminishing the duration of the symptoms and provide awareness for the community.

The importance of the studying Mass Hysteria is for us to preserve our inner well-being, similar to what we took care in our physical health. Mass hysteria is common medical diagnosis. In Layman’s term, hysteria is frequently used to label emotionally-charged behavior that is extreme and out of mechanism.

Anytime and anywhere, Mass Hysteria can could happen in the most unexpected situation. The mind and body can mimic the physical symptoms from other individual when it’s stressed out. We must be always be alert and aware in our surroundings, particularly females for the reason that often outbreaks afflicts children and teenagers (females). The supposition of being accused by having sickness that is only in their thoughts, become victims and their families become defensive towards the situation, which they just chose to be quiet and to set aside their feelings and emotions.

We recommend to the person or student that encountering mass psychogenic illness is to take it seriously to prevent or obviate the cases and to know what to do if they encounter this kind of mental illness. Read books or listen attentively to the teachers or person who are talking about this to have enough knowledge to this mental illness and to be able to preserve inner well-being and to focus on our mental health. Secondly to the persons who are already attacked by Mass Psychogenic Illness we want to inform them to be more conscious on what they’re doing to avoid the possible actions that are similar on having a symptoms of this mental illness becase it might lead them again in to the same situation. And lastly we recommend to the teachers to educate well their students in some cases like MPI for them to have enough knowledge on how to handle the person that occasionally attacked by this uncanny mental illness.

So be aware because these outbreaks with an environmental trigger, like a horrible scent or a rumor of exposure to poisons. When one person gets sick, the other group will also start feeling sick. The first person who got sick might have a real illness while the others maybe agitated or frigtened