Throughout the many years humans have been on this Earth, we've always been prone to one problem (among many): mass hysterias.
Mass hysterias are sociological and psychological phenomena that transmit collective illusions of threats (whether real or imaginary) through a population and society as a result of rumors and fear. Basically--a shared bout of insanity, usually centered around one thing.
In this episode Carrie takes us through 4 of the most confounding historical hysteria cases around the world, including:
...The 1518 Dancing Plague, where 400+ townsfolk danced, danced, danced until they died (?)
...The Spring-Heeled Jack Paranoia, when 1800s London was haunted by a supernatural attacker
...The Mad Gasser of Mattoon Panic, a conspiracy from the 1940s where residents of the town of Mattoon IL were convinced they were being anesthetized by a phantom trickster
...And the 2016 Clown Sightings Craze, when people around America and the globe started seeing creepy clowns everywhere they looked!
What causes a mass hysteria? Why and how do they spread even in such bizarre cases as these? And what madness will be next? Dive into these hysterias throughout history to find out!
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