Contagious Chaos: Women and the History of Mass Hysteria

From mewing nuns to phantom slashers, history is filled with bizarre outbreaks of collective hysteria—many of which disproportionately affected or were led by women. In this episode, Stauney and Sadie unravel the eerie stories of mass panics throughout history: the frenzied dancers of the Middle Ages, the trembling hands of school girls, the unseen gassers that struck fear into entire towns, and the contagious laughter that spread like wildfire through a Tanzanian school. What do these strange episodes tell us about society’s perception of women, their emotions, and their bodies? And how have they shaped the way we talk about “female hysteria” today? Tune in as we dissect the psychology, the stigma, and the lasting impact of these mysterious and unsettling events. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices