Throughout history, certain events have sparked bizarre episodes of mass hysteria, where large groups of people experienced shared fears, symptoms, or behaviors that defy simple explanations.
From medieval townspeople dancing to the point of exhaustion to modern-day UFO sightings that captivated entire communities, these strange occurrences reveal a unique glimpse into how entire communities respond to fear and the unknown. Here are some of the most fascinating examples of mass hysteria that continue to intrigue us to this day!
The Dancing Plague – 1518
In July 1518, a woman named Frau Troffea began dancing uncontrollably in the town square of Strasbourg, France, sparking a “Dancing Plague” that soon drew hundreds to join, many unable to stop until they collapsed. Despite attempts by city leaders to control the epidemic with music and dance halls, the situation worsened, leading authorities to ban dancing altogether and send afflicted people to a shrine dedicated to St. Vitus.
By September, the plague had ended, but with as many as 400 people reportedly dancing to their deaths, historians still debate its cause, from ergot poisoning to mass hysteria fueled by the harsh realities of medieval life.
The Mad Gasser of Mattoon – 1944
On August 31, 1944, a strange smell filled the home of Urban Raef in Mattoon, Illinois, leaving him and his wife feeling nauseous and weak, with his wife partially paralyzed. As similar reports of gas attacks spread, sightings of a “Mad Gasser” prowling the town surfaced, leading to widespread panic and over 30 reported incidents within two weeks.
After an investigation pointed to a nearby war plant as the likely source, authorities declared the events to be mass hysteria, and the reports swiftly subsided, leaving the “Mad Gasser of Mattoon” as a mysterious wartime legend.
The Salem Witch Trials – 1692
The Salem Witch Trials, one of history’s most notorious cases of mass hysteria, unfolded in 1692 when young girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, began experiencing strange fits and accused several local women of witchcraft. As fear gripped the town, more people were accused, leading to trials, confessions, and a domino effect of accusations as suspects implicated others to save themselves.
By the time the panic subsided in 1693, 19 people had been hanged, one man was crushed to death, and several others had died in prison, leaving a dark legacy attributed today to mass hysteria and community fear.
The Hammersmith Ghost – 1803
In November 1803, reports of a ghost clad in white terrorizing London’s Hammersmith neighborhood led to widespread panic, with some claiming the spirit even attacked people. Amid growing hysteria, locals took to the streets with pistols to catch the “Hammersmith Ghost,” but on January 3, 1804, a man named Francis Smith tragically shot an innocent bricklayer he mistook for the ghost.
Later, a shoemaker confessed to staging some of the ghostly sightings as a prank, but many locals remained convinced the Hammersmith Ghost was a true paranormal force.
Zimbabwe Alien Encounter – 1994
On September 16, 1994, 62 students at Ariel School in Zimbabwe claimed they saw a UFO land near their playground, with some reporting encounters with aliens who warned them about environmental issues. The story, known as the Ariel School Phenomenon, quickly spread, attracting UFO experts and even a Harvard psychiatrist, who found that the children’s accounts were strikingly similar.
In 2023, a former student claimed he had fabricated the story, but many others still insist they witnessed something extraordinary that day.
Windshield Pitting Epidemic – 1954
In March 1954, residents of Bellingham, Washington, began noticing mysterious pits in their car windshields, initially believed to be caused by vandals. As reports spread statewide, thousands of motorists speculated about cosmic rays, aliens, or even nuclear fallout as potential causes.
Officials ultimately attributed the phenomenon to “95 percent public hysteria,” and shortly after their statement, the reports of pitting swiftly declined.
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Killer Clowns in the Woods – 2016
In August 2016, reports of a mysterious clown named “Gags” roaming Green Bay sparked a wave of creepy clown sightings across the United States. Soon, sightings escalated, with clowns reportedly trying to lure children, leading to arrests, “clown hunting” mobs, and stores pulling clown costumes from shelves as Halloween approached.
However, the scare turned out to be largely a hoax, with “Gags” revealed as a publicity stunt for a horror movie, leaving the 2016 clown panic as a vivid example of mass hysteria.
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The Laughing Epidemic – 1962
In 1962, three girls at a boarding school in Tanganyika (now Tanzania) began laughing uncontrollably, soon spreading the laughter to dozens of others who couldn’t stop, resulting in school closures. The epidemic spread to around 1,000 people in the area, mostly children, leading to widespread disruptions over 18 months.
Scholars now believe the “laughing epidemic” was likely mass hysteria triggered by stress and political uncertainty following Tanganyika’s recent independence, though the exact cause remains unknown.
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The Satanic Panic – 1980s
In 1980, psychiatrist Lawrence Pazder and his patient Michelle Smith published Michelle Remembers, claiming that Smith had been a victim of “Satanic Ritual Abuse,” which helped ignite the worldwide Satanic Panic. The hysteria peaked with the infamous McMartin Preschool trials, where unsupported allegations of abuse fueled a media frenzy and led to widespread panic, despite no evidence ever surfacing.
Although thousands were accused and convicted on related charges, federal investigations later found no credible evidence of ritual abuse, revealing the episode as a case of mass hysteria and deeply damaging social trust.
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Berkshire UFOs – 1969
On September 1, 1969, dozens in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, reported witnessing a UFO, with a young boy named Thomas Reed claiming he and his family were even abducted. Reed described a strange calm, a change in pressure, and a surreal encounter with alien beings, before finding himself back in the family car as if nothing had happened.
In 2015, the Great Barrington Historical Society recognized the event as a historic occurrence, and after being featured on Unsolved Mysteries in 2020, the eerie tale continues to spark curiosity and debate.