I'm fascinated by psychogenic illness and mass hysteria. In my research about it, i've found pretty much two types.

1) the belief of the impossible thing. This is the tame version of hysteria. It just causes a huge number of grown, essentially sane people to agree that something that could not happen just happened and they act accordingly. Salem witch trials. Monkeyman of New Delhi. Sweetwater incident at Mumbai. War of the Worlds. Gloria Ramirez the toxic lady.

2) Frenzy. This is the scary one. It takes you, with your thoughts and free will and plans and future and cancels them out. You are now a part of this fuckin creepy thing and you are just a vessel. The Dancing Plague of Strausburg, France 1515. The Tanganyika Laugh. These are the only two instances I've found. But the fact that no one knows what causes it makes it horrific. Like, if you subtract the dead reanimation aspect, a violent frenzy could break out and make 28 Days Later a complete reality.

DrRockdapuss said:

2) Frenzy. This is the scary one. It takes you, with your thoughts and free will and plans and future and cancels them out. You are now a part of this fuckin creepy thing and you are just a vessel. The Dancing Plague of Strausburg, France 1515. The Tanganyika Laugh. These are the only two instances I've found. But the fact that no one knows what causes it makes it horrific. Like, if you subtract the dead reanimation aspect, a violent frenzy could break out and make 28 Days Later a complete reality.

Interesting.

The fascinating part of this one is that while something akin to it happens all the time in riots or ecstatic religious ritual, for example, we bank on it being a fleeting occurence. The truly terrifying part of broader mass hysterias for me is that they linger... almost, it seems, until they're "done" with us!

[Edited 10/5/10 7:55am]

Lammastide said:

Interesting.

The fascinating part of this one is that while something akin to it happens all the time in riots or ecstatic religious ritual, for example, we bank on it being a fleeting occurence. The truly terrifying part of broader mass hysterias is that they linger... almost, it seems, until they're "done" with us!

EXACTLY!!! It's a real thing and it's terrifying. Scientists have addressed the Dancing Plague for literally hundreds of years and have gotten no closer to an answer. To me, that says the answer is nothing scientific. What else would cause hundreds of people to literally dance for months to no music without stopping til about 150 of em dropped dead from exhaustion, stroke, hunger and heart attacks? It seriously sounds like demonic possession. No chemical or virus in existence could cause that.

DrRockdapuss said:

Lammastide said:

Interesting.

The fascinating part of this one is that while something akin to it happens all the time in riots or ecstatic religious ritual, for example, we bank on it being a fleeting occurence. The truly terrifying part of broader mass hysterias is that they linger... almost, it seems, until they're "done" with us!

EXACTLY!!! It's a real thing and it's terrifying. Scientists have addressed the Dancing Plague for literally hundreds of years and have gotten no closer to an answer. To me, that says the answer is nothing scientific. What else would cause hundreds of people to literally dance for months to no music without stopping til about 150 of em dropped dead from exhaustion, stroke, hunger and heart attacks? It seriously sounds like demonic possession. No chemical or virus in existence could cause that.

I'm what many folk would consider a "religious type." But I've actually been more interested in these sorts of things as approached from the social sciences. That both dancing manias and the Tanganyika laughing epidemic have seemed contained to rather specific locations and time suggests to me there is something about the power of local culture in making its members susceptible to shared potential weirdness and breakdown.

Along this line, you've maybe worked with or checked out the International Statistical Classification of Diseases. If not, it sounds like you would be really into the pathologies experienced almost exclusively by certain groups not based on genetics, physiology or, as you mention, viruses or chemical influence, but "made up" things like nationality or ethnicity. I'm talking C.R.A.Z.Y. -- but very real -- stuff!

If I can find a list of some of the weirder ones, I'll post them.

[Edited 10/5/10 8:41am]

Lammastide said:

I'm what many folk would consider a "religious type." But I've actually been more interested in these sorts of things as approached from the social sciences. That both dancing manias and the Tanganyika laughing epidemic have seemed contained to rather specific locations and time suggests to me there is something about the power of local culture in making its members susceptible to shared potential weirdness and breakdown.

Along this line, you've maybe worked with or checked out the International Statistical Classification of Diseases. If not, it sounds like you would be really into by the pathologies experienced almost exclusively by certain groups not based on genetics, physiology or, as you mention, viruses or chemical influence, but "made up" things like nationality or ethnicity. I'm talking C.R.A.Z.Y. -- but very real -- stuff!

If I can find a list of some of the weirder ones, I'll post them.

[Edited 10/5/10 8:36am]

I think I know what you mean. You mean like that Chinese fear of the shrinking penis and the aboriginal wendigo disorder and stuff like that?

DrRockdapuss said:

Lammastide said:

I'm what many folk would consider a "religious type." But I've actually been more interested in these sorts of things as approached from the social sciences. That both dancing manias and the Tanganyika laughing epidemic have seemed contained to rather specific locations and time suggests to me there is something about the power of local culture in making its members susceptible to shared potential weirdness and breakdown.

Along this line, you've maybe worked with or checked out the International Statistical Classification of Diseases. If not, it sounds like you would be really into by the pathologies experienced almost exclusively by certain groups not based on genetics, physiology or, as you mention, viruses or chemical influence, but "made up" things like nationality or ethnicity. I'm talking C.R.A.Z.Y. -- but very real -- stuff!

If I can find a list of some of the weirder ones, I'll post them.

[Edited 10/5/10 8:36am]

I think I know what you mean. You mean like that Chinese fear of the shrinking penis and the aboriginal wendigo disorder and stuff like that?

Yep!

Serial killers and murder mysteries.

I love maps, particularly street maps. I used to draw my own as a kid.

PunkMistress said:

Gruesome murders and rapes. I dig and dig for photos and descriptions, the more horrible the better, until I feel disgusting and have to stop.

DNA.

Anything about how the human body works, but I suppose that's not weird. Gross to some people, maybe.

Great. I'm not alone with my morbid fascination

PunkMistress said:

Shyra said:

My cousin sent me an email this morning with the warning about texting while driving with accompanying photographs of the consequences. OMFG! If you're interested, I'll send you the link.

OK!

It's not so much accidents that fascinate me, though. It's more the cruelty and brutality humans are capable of.

[Edited 10/4/10 15:34pm]

You know what? That's why I'm REALLY into the SAW movies. Not so much for the gore, although I LOVE the special effects, but the movies are really a study on human nature. What we would do to survive, and what we're capable of in order to do so. I try to explain that to people....

fallopian tubes - they look like flowers

baby kangaroos - amazing how they're so small then have to make their way into mama's pouch.

boogers - what are they and where do they come?

shooting stars - just beautiful

oil slicks -- I love the rainbow design that can be found in an oil slick.

sextonseven said:

I love maps, particularly street maps. I used to draw my own as a kid.

I dig maps as well, particularly very old ones.

Lammastide said:

sextonseven said:

I love maps, particularly street maps. I used to draw my own as a kid.

I dig maps as well, particularly very old ones.

I'd love an old street map of NYC to see how much it has changed. Like from around Gangs of New York time.

Serial killers. I'm starting to become a walking serial killer encyclopedia.

Keyumdi said:

Serial killers. I'm starting to become a walking serial killer encyclopedia.

who's the dude in Canada that killed prostitutes and mixed their carcasses in with the pig meat on his farm.

DesireeNevermind said:

Keyumdi said:

Serial killers. I'm starting to become a walking serial killer encyclopedia.

who's the dude in Canada that killed prostitutes and mixed their carcasses in with the pig meat on his farm.

I think his name was Justin Bieber.

Fenwick said:

DesireeNevermind said:

who's the dude in Canada that killed prostitutes and mixed their carcasses in with the pig meat on his farm.

I think his name was Justin Bieber.

skrait fool!!!

DesireeNevermind said:

Keyumdi said:

Serial killers. I'm starting to become a walking serial killer encyclopedia.

who's the dude in Canada that killed prostitutes and mixed their carcasses in with the pig meat on his farm.

Robert Pickton. A real weirdo. I've only just started 'investigating" the Canadian ones. Pickton is the most famous one outside of Bernardo and Holmolka.

[Edited 10/5/10 14:58pm]

JerseyKRS said:

the cosmos!

the cosmos is fucking boring as hell!

fucked up people, like drugged out rock stars who died young, seeing pictures of them at their worst

Keyumdi said:

DesireeNevermind said:

who's the dude in Canada that killed prostitutes and mixed their carcasses in with the pig meat on his farm.

Robert Pickton. A real weirdo. I've only just started 'investigating" the Canadian ones. Pickton is the most famous one outside of Bernardo and Holmolka.

[Edited 10/5/10 14:58pm]

I've heard of Bernardo - sick ass fucker. You should start a thread Key....there's been so many serial killers it's not even funny. Downright scary!

PunkMistress said:

Gruesome murders and rapes. I dig and dig for photos and descriptions, the more horrible the better, until I feel disgusting and have to stop.

DNA.

Anything about how the human body works, but I suppose that's not weird. Gross to some people, maybe.

I'm the same way. I even like to look up autopsy photos online. I feel weird admitting that. I enjoy watching shows like "Dateline", "Snapped", etc. etc. Anything that is a "who dun it and why did they do it?" kind of show.

I also love watching medical shows such as "Mystery Diagnosis", "Dr. G.: Medical Examiner". Dr. G. is a doctor who performs autopsies, but they never show the body as she's cutting into it. Still a very interesting show to watch, and interesting what procedures she follows in order to get a correct reason or reasons as to why someone died.

Hershe said:

Coupons... I cut out these little pieces of paper with cute little pictures on them then take them to the store and use them to pay for stuff. Cool.

I absolutely love coupons! That's the one thing I look forward to on Sundays: the coupon section.

Revolution said:

Not really weird, but musicians fascinate me....

I love music, (obviously), but don't play any instruments.

I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to learn to play, and have halfheartedly tried to learn more than once, but always something comes up....

So, I admire from afar.

You just described me to T; I'm the exact same way. I still want to take piano lessons one of these days.

Lammastide said:

psychodelicide said:

Lately, I find myself being fascinated with Spanish. Don't ask me how or where that came from, but the words sound pretty when spoiken in the Spanish language. I find myself wanting to learn the language.

Do it, Nancy! There are tons of Spanish speakers on Cleveland's West Side near you. You're in a great spot to learn!

Thanks! I definitely need to look into it. You're right, there are a lot of people who speak Spanish on the west side of Cleveland.

PunkMistress said:

DNA.

I extracted DNA all day today! You really are the woman of my dreams!

psychodelicide said:

thekidsgirl said:

PunkMistress said:

DNA.

I extracted DNA all day today! You really are the woman of my dreams!

You're a biologist????? Girl...

DNA RULES!

The ORG