Mass hysteria

Japanese: 集団ヒステリー - しゅうだんひすてりー

The spread of hysterical symptoms, i.e. physical symptoms such as convulsions, fainting, difficulty walking, and difficulty breathing, or mental symptoms such as excitement and ecstasy, to a large number of people in a certain group. Usually, within a small group of people with close ties such as schoolmates, dormitory mates, residents of a small village, or a religious group who share common feelings, interests, and concerns, the index person shows some kind of symptom, which soon spreads to other members one after another. The subsequent people may also spread the hysterical symptoms to people outside the group. In some cases, a certain group may suddenly show the same abnormal behavior, and the index person may be unknown, or similar symptoms may spread through reporting to people who do not know each other.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

一定の集団内で多数の人にヒステリー症状，すなわち，痙攣（けいれん），失神，歩行障害，呼吸困難などの身体症状，または興奮，恍惚状態などの精神症状が伝播すること。通常は感情，関心，利害の共通である学友，寮仲間，小集落の住民，宗教団体などの親密な関係をもつ小集団内で，発端者がなんらかの症状を呈し，それが間もなく他の構成員につぎつぎと伝播する。続発者からその集団以外の人に伝播することもある。また，一定の集団が突発的に同じ異常行動を呈し，発端者が不明の場合もあるし，報道によって相互に面識のない人々に類似の症状が伝播することもある。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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