Sunday, June 08, 2008

THE JERUSALEM SYNDROME gets some coverage in the Toronto Star:
Visiting Jerusalem can spark a psychotic reaction

When this ancient city's messianic vibe takes over, some pilgrims don bedsheets and start preaching


Jun 07, 2008 04:30 AM
Oakland Ross
Middle East Bureau

JERUSALEM–More than 2 million visitors flock to this holy city in a good year – including business-people, pilgrims and vacationers – and most survive the experience without suffering major upset.

But there are some notable exceptions.

In the medical literature, the condition is referred to as a form of "psychotic decompensation" or a "unique acute psychotic state."

Or, to put it in layman's terms, the City of Gold can have a strange effect on some people's heads. About 100 people a year, on average.

There's even a name for the sometimes-unnerving result.

They call it the Jerusalem syndrome.

[...]
More on the Jerusalem Syndrome here.