Laughing excessively can lead to extreme elation, cataplexy, and unpleasant laughter spells. Scott Williams “If you are referring to somebody as suffering from this, you are in a way still calling them hysterical,” he says. The present article discusses the role of laughter in the much cited ‘laughter epidemic’ that occurred in Tanganyika in 1962. Psychogenic illness has all kinds of so-called nerve symptoms, he explains, and laughter is just one of them. However the laughter wasn’t confined to a few girls in a single incident. Hysterical hysteria! The stress factors here among the schoolgirls may have included the unfamiliar expectations imposed in the British-run schools and the uncertainties created by Tanganyika’s independence, achieved barely a month before the incident. Scott Williams By the end of the outbreak over 1000 people afflicted by the mysterious phenomenon. The laughter continued spreading throughout the small school over the following weeks. (Photo: CC Tanzania). Much less serious than the Dancing Plague was the Tanganyika laughter epidemic of 1962. The event was a ‘laugh epidemic’ that caused uncontrollable outbursts of laughter, primarily among school children throughout the village. “It’s not as crazy as one would think.”. Dismiss. The school ended up being temporarily closed as investigations begun. Scott Williams It had spread to the nearby villages of Nshamba and Bukoba. “The Tanganyika laughter epidemic of 1962 was an outbreak of mass to have occurred in or near the village of Kanshasa on the western coast of Lake Victoria in the modern nation of Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika) near the border of Kenya. Did stress in a small African village trigger a laughter contagion? Christian Hempelmann of Texas A&M University, who has done research on the incident, describes the laughter epidemic as a case of mass psychogenic or sociogenic illness, a malady that has the capacity to strike in a variety of high-stress settings. (Photo: Are Yeltsin and Clinton laughing out of mirth? Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). Are Yeltsin and Clinton laughing out of mirth? Get the latest stories straight into your inbox! Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. “Statistically in this case, this did not release anything. A laughter yoga session, where laughter is actually supposed to be contagious. This looks like the good kind of laughter. Pain? Those around us become affected by our outburst of joy and also start laughing. Workers at the local DMV were exhibiting respiratory distress to the point that the building was repeatedly shut down and eventually relocated. The laughter spread like wildfire throughout the school, affecting nearly 60% of the students. When it reached America, Sunkist marketers recommended hot lemonade. According to researchers such as Christian Hempelmann, the reason for such events is that there is an underlying shared stress factor within any population. The Laughter Epidemic takes the concept of laughter being contagious and cranks it up to a whole new level. The laughter spread like wildfire throughout the school, affecting nearly 60% of the students. As far as that last idea, Hempelmann says it’s the classic Freudian theory of humor, where “we build up some magical psychic pressure, and laughter lets us release it, through whatever metaphorical valve we have for that.” He doesn’t think that is a good theory for the role of laughter and how humor works. Slowly, it spread beyond their school and region and into other at-risk populations. About 1,000 people contracted the “illness,” many of them young women and girls. In this article we will try to explore the facts of what actually took place in Tanganyika (now Tanzania). By the middle of March 1962 two thirds of the students of the missionary boarding school (95 of 159) were experiencing periodic outbursts of uncontrollable laughter. Hempelmann recalls an instance from his time living in Layafette, Indiana. Grab your copy of the happy human today (ebook also available for immediate download), A Minute On Happiness – November 26, 2020, A Minute On Happiness – 22nd October, 2020, A Minute On Happiness – September 24,2020, A Minute On Happiness – September 17, 2020, https://www.thehappyhuman.me/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Happy-human.mp4. None of the five teachers at the school were affected (two European teachers and three African teachers). 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The Tanganyika laughter epidemic of 1962 was an outbreak of mass hysteria – or mass psychogenic illness (MPI) – rumored to have occurred in or near the village of Kashasha on the western coast of Lake Victoria in the modern nation of Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika) near the border of Uganda. It began as an innocent chuckle between two girls in a boarding school in the village of Kashasha. When the environment was tested for contaminants, nothing was found, and ultimately the local media reported the case as a sort of mass psychogenic illness. The most famous example of a laughter epidemic happened in 1962 in Tanzania (Tanganyika at that time). Most cases of mass psychogenic illness begin with a single individual—in this case, one schoolgirl likely fell into a fit of anxiety-induced laughter, setting in motion a chain effect, until the girls around her were also engulfed in desperate laughter. The laughter epidemic began on January 30, 1962, at a mission-run boarding school for girls in Kashasha. It seems that laughter isn’t just a joyful noise; it can be a signal of distress, spurred by anger or sadness or intertwined with mania. The Tanzania Laughter Epidemic Often, people think laughter is the best medicine, but what if medicine isn't the best medicine and turned out to be a disease? by Christian Hempelmann of Texas A&M University, who has done research on the incident, describes the laughter epidemic as a case of. On January 30th, three girls at a boarding school in Kashasha, Tanzania began laughing. When the first episode if what would be called the Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic occurred on January 30, 1962 at boarding school in Kashasha, Tanganyika (now Tanzania), no one suspected that what they were seeing would eventually affect over one thousand people. “If you are referring to somebody as suffering from this, you are in a way still calling them hysterical,” he says. Here you'll find all collections you've created before. October 22, 2020, 4:36 pm, by Instead of medicine, laughter became an epidemic. or "A Jew, an Indian, and Herbert Hoover walk into a bar …" or "Take my wife, please … One such mysterious event occurred in and around the village of Kashasha near Victoria in Tanzania in 1962. Such a person is more commonly young than old, female than male, and employee rather than a supervisor. Sufferers’ symptoms included recurring attacks of laughing and crying that lasted from a few hours up to 16 days. The Laughter Epidemic, Tanzania, 1962 Rumors about this incident claim that a contagious laughter spread from the village of Kashasha, causing victims to laugh non-stop for months. In this type of situation, the person has no power over the stress and can come up with no other response. The laughter started with three girls and spread throughout the school, affecting 95 of the 159 pupils, aged 12–18. All rights reserved. “You can hear the creaks, smell the grain—you really feel the age of it.”. Pain? Today it is a proven fact that laughter reduces stress. Today’s research into the Tanganyika Laugh Epidemic seems to indicate that stress was possibly a leading cause of the epidemic. 65 Views. Excessive laughter can lead to cataplexy, unpleasant laughter spells, and extreme elation. In June of 1962 it was reported that the laughter contagion had spread to another school and around 50 people were experiencing uncontrollable fits of laughter. Winner will be selected at random on 02/01/2021. The Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic of 1962 was an outbreak of mass psychogenic illness (MPI) in the vicinity of the village of Kashasha on the western coast of Lake Victoria in the modern nation of Tanzania. On January 30th, three girls at a boarding school in Kashasha, Tanzania began laughing. Discomfort? Much less serious than the Dancing Plague was the Tanganyika laughter epidemic of 1962. The 1962 Laughter Epidemic of Tanganyika Was No Joke. For decades, "pathological tourists" ended up in asylums or worse. Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic. Began as an innocent chuckle between two girls in a boarding school in the village of Kashasha How it started How long did it last The laughing epidemic lasted from six months to Browse and manage your votes from your Member Profile Page, by Back in 1962 in Tanzania (then Tanganyika), a laughing epidemic broke out at a girls' school. 20 simple secrets to increase HAPPINESS in your life NOW! Rather the laughing epidemic affected around 200 people in the originating village by the end May of 1962. While it did indeed happen, it doesn’t tell us too much about humor, and it annoys Hempelmann when humor researchers use the Tanganyika incident as evidence of laughter being contagious. Your email address will not be published. Forget Vlad the Impaler. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. Eventually if you are really lucky a group of people including yourself will be rolling around the floor with tears of joy streaming down their faces! Please check if there are posts that match all the below criteria. Scott Williams Jan 16, 2016 - In 1962 a seemingly unprecedented and bizarre event took place in Tanzania and Uganda. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Could it be both? Shark attack: Surfer killed in Australian waters by a great white shark that was nearly ten feet long Kawasaki-like disease strikes severely: Children are suffering a great deal from the disease during the global pandemic compared to those in the past Christian F. Hempelmann's research is a barrel of laughs. “You’re saying: You don’t have a valid disease, you don’t have an issue, you’re just being crazy because that gets you out of trouble.” The stigma is still there. It was called Tanganyika back then. Symptoms of those affected lasted from a few hours to 16 days. So is laughter the disease or the solution? Scott Williams “On the one hand it sounded too good to be true, and on the other hand, people were citing it in support of all kinds of things, across the spectrum, and contradictory things,” says Hempelmann. Atlas Obscura and our trusted partners use technology such as cookies on our website to personalise ads, support social media features, and analyse our traffic. September 24, 2020, 5:28 pm, by By the time the epidemic had subsided some two and a half years later later fourteen schools had been closed for extended periods of time. “So I thought—I’ve got to look at this again and see, did this actually happen and what does it tell us about humor.”, Tanzania, known more for its wildlife than its history of laughter epidemics. The Tanganyika laughter epidemic is when an outbreak of laughter occurred in Tanganyika (which is modern day Tanzania), in 1962. There is also abundant evidence of such events in places of instability like Kosovo, Afghanistan, and South Africa. If not, remove the wrong ones in the widget settings. There were reported cases of the laughter outbreak lasting up to sixteen days in some individuals. Other sources say it went on for a year, or two, or even more. Even though laughter is regarded as a natural form of medicine and has been used as a therapeutic tool for many years, there are negative aspects to it. As the investigations continued it was discovered that the laughter epidemic was not confined to just one school in Kashasha. Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic ADDPMP209 Outbreak of mass hysteria – or mass psychogenic illness (MPI) – rumored to have occurred in 1962 near the village of Kashasha on the western coast of Lake Victoria in the modern nation of Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika) near the border with Uganda. The laughter outbursts lasted from minutes to a few hours and reoccurred up to four times (Provine: “Laughter, a scientific investigation”). Tanganyika / ˌ t æ ŋ ɡ ə n ˈ j iː k ə / was a sovereign state, comprising the mainland part of present-day Tanzania, that existed from 1961 until 1964.It first gained independence from the United Kingdom on 9 December 1961 as a state headed by Queen Elizabeth II before becoming a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations a year later. September 17, 2020, 11:19 am, by By July two further schools had been shut down as investigations continued into the cause of the happiness hysteria. Tanzania Laughter Epidemic When did this take place. Today’s research into the Tanganyika Laugh Epidemic seems to indicate that stress was possibly a leading cause of the epidemic. There is no doubt that the event was remarkable. It spread throughout nearby villages, infecting mostly young girls. Yet cases like the group of high school girls in New York who developed facial tics continue to perplex the media. Malice? Offer subject to change without notice. Thank you for helping build the largest language community on the internet. The most famous example of a laughter epidemic happened in Tanzania (then Tanganyika) in 1962, but this kind of psychological behavior happens on … September 12, 2020, 8:16 am, Your email address will not be published. The Background:In January of 1962 a young girl in a missionary boarding school in the village of Kashasha started laughing. Laughter has been linked to reduced stress hormones and increased endorphins, providing both physical and psychological relief. Some say the claims of what happened in Tanganyika are wildly exaggerated and has developed into an urban legend over the years. (Photo: Pixabay). This laughing epidemic spread to other schools and lasted between 6 and 18 months. Don't miss visiting The Happy Human Store! It wasn’t just a group laugh—rather, experiencing the same stress, people subconsciously copy a complex of symptoms, of which laughter is just one. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. According to their article, “ An Epidemic of Laughing in the Bukoba District of Tanganyika ,” the laughing sickness went on for six months. Today what took place in Kashasha and Nshamba is described in scientific journals as the “Tanganyika (Tanzania) Laugh Epidemic”. (Photo: Sufferers’ symptoms included recurring attacks of laughing and crying that lasted from a few hours up to 16 days. by For centuries-old bars, a pandemic is nothing new. The Happy Human is the new book from Australia's Laughter Specialist Scott Williams. The more we laugh the better we feel and the more easily we are able to cope with the things we have on our plate. This is the story about the Tanganyika laughter epidemic that occurred in 1962. If you are suffering the affects of stress consider setting up a daily laughter plan to increase your laughter levels . Discomfort? On January 30, 1962, at a mission-run boarding school at Kashasha village in Tanzania, three girls started showing symptoms that were the beginning of a critical outbreak: laughing a crying fits, restlessness, and paranoia. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Kashasha, near Lake Victoria in Tanzania in 1962: One girl in a boarding school there told another girl a joke. Malice? November 26, 2020, 5:50 pm, by Excessive laughter can lead to cataplexy, unpleasant laughter spells, and extreme elation. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. September 9, 2019, 12:56 pm A epidemic of the happiest kind broke out in a small African village in 1962. It seems that around the time the epidemic broke out a new government administration was put in place across Tanjanyika which had a very strict policies towards children, schooling and expected outcomes. Hempelmann says that while mass psychogenic illness is fairly common, it’s often not reported under that name. But laughter is not so simple. (Photo: Public Domain/WikiCommons). The school was closed in March 18, 1962 shortly after the outbreak of laughter since the students couldn't concentrate on their studies. Sign in to disable ALL ads. 0 The Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic written by: M. Christian . Tough to tell. It is guaranteed that if you laugh more you will feel better, so look for something to laugh about today! Neuroscientist and lecturer Robert R. Provine, in his book “Laughter – A Scientific Investigation” writes that the Tanganyika Laugh Epidemic was a very real event. “You’re saying: You don’t have a valid disease, you don’t have an issue, you’re just being crazy because that gets you out of trouble.” The stigma is still there. (Photo: Lisle Boomer/flickr). A 19th-century cholera outbreak in Sligo may have been Bram Stoker's chief inspiration. Blood samples taken at the time and sent to Europe for testing confirmed that no anomalies were found in the blood samples collected. 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