1962 laughter epidemic

Physical symptoms were documented. Cases of respiratory distress and fainting move this from a social quirk to a clinical issue.

This mirrors the dancing plague of 1518. The common thread is usually extreme psychological stress in confined populations, which the post glosses over.

the claims about it spreading to schools are barely documented in the original reports.

CuriousMarie·3 hours ago

does this link to the recent reports of social contagion on tiktok... if it's a psychogenic response rather than a virus, the 'health crisis' angle feels totally different...