Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Stendhal Syndrome – Shocked by beauty

Stendhal Syndrome – Shocked by beauty

We all like looking at beautiful things but for some people too much is just too much, mentally. Stendhal or Standhal’s Syndrome is a psychosomatic illness that can occur when an individuals is exposed... to a large amount of beautiful art in a short space of time. The symptoms one would experience include: rapid heartbeat, dizziness, confusion and even hallucinations. It’s apparently quite common amongst tourists and seems to be triggered by famous works of art, areas of natural beauty, anything “breathtaking” and even whole cities of cultural/artistic or other importance. The Jerusalem Syndrome would be something most of us have never even heard about; it’s a phenomenon some people, regardless of religion, sex or race seem to experience when visiting the city. A mentally healthy person could suddenly become psychotic after arriving in Jerusalem. If you prefer to travel within Europe, how’s Paris sound? Beware of the Paris Syndrome though; it’s similar to the Jerusalem Syndrome but you’re safe, unless you’re Japanese. It looks like it affects primarily Japanese people working and vacationing in Paris.

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