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The incidents unfolded in Chikhaldara taluka around July 29, after a girl staying at the hostel suddenly began crying and laughing hysterically without any evident reason
The incidents unfolded at the Shaskiya Madhyamik Va Uchha Madhyamik Ashram Shala in Doma village of Chikhaldara taluka around July 29, after a girl staying at the hostel suddenly began crying and laughing hysterically without any evident reason
Some girls at a government tribal hostel in Amravati’s Melghat suddenly began crying uncontrollably, intermittently breaking into hysterical laughter and displaying unusual behaviour. While the episode prompted rumours of possession and a haunted hostel, a state mental health team soon concluded that they had found no evidence of anything supernatural.
Rather, the girls were diagnosed with dissociative or conversion symptoms, with experts describing the episode as a case of “mass hysteria”, according to The Indian Express.
The incidents unfolded at the Shaskiya Madhyamik Va Uchha Madhyamik Ashram Shala in Doma village of Chikhaldara taluka around July 29, after a girl staying at the hostel suddenly began crying and laughing hysterically without any evident reason.
Some other girls displayed similar symptoms, prompting authorities to step in. A District Mental Health Programme team examined the girls who displayed crying spells, fearfulness, sadness, loss of appetite and memory loss. They were diagnosed with Dissociative Symptoms.
According to Dr Swati Sonone, psychiatrist and head of the District Mental Health Programme, counselling plays a key role in cases of mass hysteria.
“Once hysterical symptoms emerge, others may also display similar behaviour after observing it. Counselling of parents is therefore essential, as patients may consciously or unconsciously reproduce such symptoms,” Dr Swati Sonone, psychiatrist and head of the District Mental Health Programme, told The Indian Express.
Additional Commissioner (Tribal Development) Sandip Golait stated that a team of health experts visited the school after the incidents were reported. However, there was no evidence of any supernatural activity, he added.
“The symptoms have nothing to do with anything supernatural. It could be a selective hysteria-like condition related to mental stress,” Golait said.
The Root Cause
Dr Sonone said a cultural belief might have contributed to the episode. According to The Indian Express, citing an investigator, a woman in Ektai claimed she had seen a supernatural shadow and subsequently started displaying unusual behavior.
A student who witnessed her condition soon began exhibiting similar symptoms. Before long, other girls who observed the behaviour also started displaying the same symptoms. This ultimately led to rumours over supernatural activities and a haunted hostel.
Key Questions Answered
Ask News18Mass hysteria in young people can be caused by stress and unexplained fear, with symptoms spreading when others observe the behaviour. It can also be linked to “suggestibility”, where vulnerable individuals are easily influenced. Overcrowding, poor food, and inadequate sanitation in hostels have also been identified as contributing factors to stress-induced conditions.
Ask News18About the Author
A Journalism graduate, Meemansa Shekhawat is a sub-editor at News18. Driven by a keen interest in news, she is a passionate writer with specialisation in national and international affairs. You can re…Read More
August 18, 2026, 6:01 PM IST
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