Stendhal Syndrome is quite a controversial, but at the same time extremely interesting phenomenon, reported especially by travelers - this syndrome consists in the occurrence of even severe somatic and psychological ailments due to admiring some unique spaces or monuments. Read what exactly Stendhal Syndrome is, and find out where the problem might come from and what medical professionals think about it.
Contents:
- Stendhal syndrome: causes
- Stendhal Syndrome: Symptoms
- Stendhal syndrome: is it a disease?
Stendhal Syndromeis an ailment related to … admiring monuments. The term was first used in 1979. Other terms for this problem are museum disease and the Florence syndrome, but the most interesting is the history of the basic name of this syndrome.
Well, the term was proposed by an Italian psychiatrist, Graziella Magherini. The woman was wondering what happened to many tourists who came to Florence - they experienced extremely unusual ailments. It turned out, however, that they were not really the first to report any unforeseen symptoms related to communing with the wonders of architecture.
In 1817, the French writer Marie-Henri Beyle was traveling around Florence, mentioned earlier. The man described that while admiring the charms of this place, he experienced a significant increase in heart rate, in addition, he felt overwhelmed and felt that he might fall in a moment.
It remains unclear, however, where the name Stendhal's syndrome came from - the above-mentioned writer used a pseudonym and referred to himself as Stendhal. Some of the problems that may accompany admiring various works are referred to as Stendhal's syndrome. Theoretically, this disorder could develop in people who travel and admire monuments in different regions of the world, it is noticeable, however, that it is experienced primarily by those who go to Florence.
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Stendhal syndrome: causes
Stendhal Syndrome can certainly be considered a rather controversial phenomenon - just as some scholars are convinced that it can actually occur, other specialists consider it to be one of the existing medical myths.
People who believe in the existence of the syndrome postulate that theoretically it could be included in the group of psychosomatic disorders - after all, it has been known for a long time that the emotions we experience have a significant impact on the body moreover, the concept of the Chicago seven, which includes diseases in which their connection with the emotional states we feel is most clearly visible.
The possibility of the occurrence of Stendhal's syndrome would also be confirmed by the fact that while watching outstanding works of art, the regions of the brain that are responsible for the emotions we feel may be activated. It is probably impossible to decide whether the Stendhal syndrome really exists, or whether it is actually a kind of myth.
Stendhal Syndrome: Symptoms
The truth is that the symptoms of the syndrome can even be a significant anxiety in people experiencing it. Symptoms of the Stendhal syndrome appear when communing with various unusual works of art - historic buildings, paintings or sculptures - and potentially they can be:
- significant increase in heart rate,
- dizziness,
- loss of balance,
- confusion.
It is also mentioned that people who experience Stendhal Syndrome have all sorts of hallucinations (hallucinations).
Stendhal syndrome: is it a disease?
Stendhal syndrome cannot currently be considered a disease entity - there are no criteria for its diagnosis, and its description cannot be found in medical classifications - it is not mentioned in the ICD-10 or DSM classification.
In such a case, it could be said that this problem is not worth dealing with at all, but on the other hand, there are reports that communing with art can have really lamentable consequences for he alth. As an example, you can mention here the reports published at the end of 2022 by the British daily "The Guardian".
Well, it was then that the story of a man who went to Florence and decided to take a closer look at one of the most famous paintings in the world - we are talking about the Birth of Venus. This man, however, probably did not remember this trip very well - in progressadmiring the painting, he experienced… a heart attack. It is unquestionably impossible to directly link this disease with admiring art, but on the other hand, the story shows that you shouldn't completely deny the existence of the Stendhal syndrome.
After reading the above information, some people may be asked whether people who are generally quite emotional, due to the possibility of Stendhal's syndrome, should rather refrain from admiring works of art, or at least those that they find can you in Florence?
Well, probably not - going to extremes in life usually does more harm than good in the end. It is enough to observe your body closely and when we notice that when instead of enjoying the works of art, we feel worse, it will be most beneficial to stop the trip and take care of other entertainment offered in the place of our trip.