The Tanganyika Laughing Epidemic

Hysterical

In this episode of Hysterical, we dive into the bizarre Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic of 1962, where a simple giggle in a classroom quickly escalated into an uncontrollable outbreak affecting over a thousand people across East Africa. It all started when three schoolgirls at the Mission Girls' School in Kashasha village began laughing uncontrollably, and their laughter spread like wildfire, eventually affecting both children and adults in neighboring villages. Symptoms ranged from uncontrollable laughter to crying, fainting, and exhaustion, leaving medical professionals puzzled as no physical cause could be found. As the epidemic unfolded, we explore the social and cultural tensions in post-colonial Tanganyika, where the collision of traditional African beliefs with Western education may have contributed to the phenomenon. This episode examines the intersection of mental states, social connections, and physical health, revealing how a seemingly simple act of laughter became a powerful expression of collective psychological experience.