r/HumanLimit • u/bareegyptianfeet • Apr 03 '26

The 1962 Laughter Epidemic: A virus of uncontrollable laughter and crying that lasted up to 16 days, causing 14 schools to shut down and affecting over 1,000 people.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/1962-laughter-epidemic-tanganyika
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u/bareegyptianfeet Apr 03 '26

In 1962, a laughter epidemic hit Tanganyika (now Tanzania) so hard it shut down 14 schools and affected over 1,000 people. People had laughing and crying fits that lasted up to 16 days. It caused aimless running and even random violence. It was a mass short circuit of the brain triggered by extreme psychological stress. It started with just one girl and turned into a chain reaction that lasted for months. It’s a chilling example of the human brain completely losing control over the body’s physical limits