Hysterical

In this episode of Hysterical, I explore the eerie case of the Halifax Slasher, a wave of fear that swept through a Yorkshire town in 1938. It started with a few alarming reports of a man attacking women with a razor. As newspapers caught wind of the story, panic spread like wildfire. Vigilante groups formed, suspects were hunted, and the town spiraled into chaos. But what really happened in Halifax—and why does it still stand as a...

In this episode of Hysterical, we explore the June Bug Epidemic of 1962, where a seemingly innocuous event turned into a widespread phenomenon of mass psychogenic illness at a textile factory in Strongsville. It all began when a worker reported a mysterious bug bite that no one could find, leading to similar reports across the factory floor. As more workers experienced the same symptoms—unexplained bites, nausea, dizziness, and ras...

In this episode of Hysterical, we dive into the bizarre Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic of 1962, where a simple giggle in a classroom quickly escalated into an uncontrollable outbreak affecting over a thousand people across East Africa. It all started when three schoolgirls at the Mission Girls' School in Kashasha village began laughing uncontrollably, and their laughter spread like wildfire, eventually affecting both childre...

In this episode of Hysterical, we delve into the infamous War of the Worlds broadcast panic of 1938. When Orson Welles’ radio adaptation of H.G. Wells' novel aired, listeners across the United States were thrown into a frenzy, convinced that Martians were invading. We explore how this broadcast became one of the most talked-about episodes of mass hysteria in history, examining the psychological effects on the public and the media's...

In this chilling episode, we dive into the eerie events surrounding the infamous Mad Gasser of Mattoon, a mysterious figure who terrorized a small Illinois town in the 1940s. Residents were struck by strange, gas-like fumes that left them debilitated, leading to widespread panic and a hunt for a perpetrator who was never caught. Was it a mass hysteria, or something far darker at play? Join me as we unravel the strange history, biza...

In this episode of Hysterical, we dive deep into the infamous Salem Witch Trials, one of the most chilling and tragic cases of mass hysteria in history. In 1692, a small Puritan town spiraled into paranoia as accusations of witchcraft consumed the community, leading to executions, imprisonments, and untold suffering. Join us as we explore the frenzy, the figures behind the witch hunts, and the lasting impact of this dark chapter on...

In the summer of 1518, the city of Strasbourg was already burdened by hunger and hardship when Frau Troffea stepped into the street and began dancing—an unusual and unsettling sight. Her movements, seemingly triggered by the heat, started innocently enough, but soon became a relentless, fevered trance. As the days passed, more and more people joined her in this bizarre, uncontrollable dance, sparking a city-wide epidemic of mas...