The Impact of Mass Hysteria

In New York, a group of girls began to experience uncontrollable twitching, grunting, and shouting. “The students were examined by school nurses and private doctors, officials from health departments and the center for disease control and prevention”( Radford 1); therefore, their symptoms were proven credible. The disorder was called a conclusion disorder, a disease “in which psychological symptoms and converted to physical conditions” (Radford 1). Without a doubt, this strange “disease” has found its way into populations around the world. Mass hysteria definitely has a strong impact on a community.

The witchcraft trials in Salem were fueled by the hysteria of its puritan citizen. One of the major causes was the strict religion of the puritans. They believed that the devil lived on earth and could tempt them at anytime. It was up to them to resist temptation and to crush any evil they found. So when the girls seemed afflicted by a supernatural power, they quickly blamed satan and did everything they could to defeat him. The young girls may be bored with their strict life, played around with spells and after getting caught blamed Tituba and her pagan culture.The grouped of girls “accused dozens of people of bewitching them by appearing in visions and magically causing pains and convulsions”(Boyce 1). The girls’ hysteria was contagious and more and more citizens were accused and “those who voiced doubt over the charges were themselves prosecuted” (Boyce 2). The citizens distrust of friends and neighbors intensified as they were accused, charged, jailed and hanged because of the hysteria. All logical thinking was gone. Most thought that “satan deserved the blame for stirring up the trouble” (Boyce 2).The Salem witchcraft hysteria of 1692 coined the term “witch hunt” in America and is used to refer to an event caused by emotional chaos.

Much like in Salem, mass hysteria caused insanity and in