Rewatching "The Mothman Prophecies" has curiousified me again about theories of mass hysteria. the subject itself is interesting, sound or unsound, either way it will turn up as thought provoking. Either it's (but not limited to) a palpable pattern of social responses to archetyped conditions; a social state that can be logically explained or there is an additional element coming into play; that being the paranormal , influence of a divinity or elevated being or condition, or extraterristial happenings.
One time when I was at work I was asked to mop up an 'accident' in the rest I was the only one staffed who could stomach it. I admit I almost threw up myself looking upon and being so near the mess. Ick.
But there it is - a common reaction between people.
It is very common to become queasy and sick stomached at the sight and smell of puke or human waste. Many will have biological impulses to regurgitate themselves after nearing such. It creates a domino effect of biological manifestations of disgust.
Think back to a meeting within an organization in which you attend i.e. church or school. Someone among the seated crowd will probably yawn, and before you know it. Its like chicken pox. One initial yawner, three responding yawners etc. More dominoes.
::Yes... It is late. I'm even yawning. ::
Can this be applicable to independant matter that is well exposed to a public, which becomes archetyped after being well rooted in a publics affairs? Is it limited to biology? We are a intensly social species.
A few instances which some attribute group hysteria or shared delusions that immediately come to mind is the Salem Witchcraft Trials and the Red Scare that had the U.S. jerking like a nervous bird.
Paranoia is contagious. Have you ever been in an open area with friends at night when the surroundings have been a bit spooky, and the rest of them became spooked. Even if you don't get spooked yourself by such things, you still feel their growing fear. That fear will probably more than likely make you uneasy. I'm not salying you will be cowardized right there, but fear is something that is very easily signalled from one human to the next. How you respond is one thing, you don't have to squirm liek the rest are doing, but I am sure that that would be one of your more basest responses.
I've really got to look into this when I am more coherent and energized. Daaamn. I am soo sleepy. Perhaps I can salvage some vital brain cells while I sleep.
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4 comments:
okay... how many times can I sabotage the syntax of the english language in one night. Holy moses.
cant even punctuate
hmm funny word verification
cpufnkig
I wasn't going to edit the post to death, glad you made mention.
Being in the wee hours of the morn, I do believe I shall come to forgive you if no one else will.
I still don't necessarily buy the group hysteria argument. It is a skeptics first response that all they need is reasonable doubt, and thus any excuse will do.
I should know, I'm a staunch skeptic.
While I don't necessarily buy in hook, line, and sinker. If we can only judge this story based off of the vehemency of those who claimed to have seen it, then I am a believer.
I would further like to point out that this is one of the most frequently view phenomenon of the paranormal, that I am aware of anyways, in such a short time.
UFOs are too easy to dismiss as something earthly, Bigfoot doesn't even have this hype.
That being said, I also want to point out that in each case of your mass hysteria examples, the accusers had something to gain.
In Salem, it turned neighbors against neighbors and in the Red Scare (good example, btw), it turned into a modern day witch hunt and false accusations were rampant.
This is different than each example and I find it hard to fathom why someone would make up this story. In all reality, it was/has always been dismissed as a bought of cookiness during the late 60's. But think about it, the town didn't gain anything from the story until 1996. Chances are, most of the original people that saw it were gone and dead.
There's no monitary gain, while they hit the papers, I don't see that as really generating more than a flash in the pan for them until the movie.
Was the gain to freak out the neighbors?
I don't necessarily buy the whole mass hysteria comment. If it is a hoax, it's the best damned hoax I've ever run accross.
Group delusion was a mere comment. Not suggested as a solution in a puzzle.
It reminded me of the introduction to that concept, more than anything.
I would only find that probable if the community had very concentrated lifestyles and a religion / belief system with a clear cut set of symbolisms.
Secondly yes the accusers did have things to gain of course. But what projected their accusations as reality to the public, how did it spread like wild fire? How did it create such an extreme response from the communities involved? How did it move average citizens to fear?
How do some religions and extremist cults continue to function else not?
(let me clarify, there is a difference between group 'delusion' and group hysteria, they can be linked but it is much like how a square can be a rectangle but a rectangle can't be a square.)
I won't tag this with group delusions because there is no common institution with such a concentration on that level that the citizens were involved with.
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