STENDHAL SYNDROME

BY Shradha Vinodh

Would you believe, that someone had a heart attack merely due to the of the beauty of an art piece?

That, my friend, is STENDHAL DISORDER.

In 1989, the phenomenon, Stendhal Disorder, was observed by an Italian psychiatrist, Dr Graziella Marghini. She had observed this unique phenomenon after noticing that numerous people were being hospitalized after having experienced uneasy feelings in the presence of Florence’s museums and monuments. Anecdotes describing this effect dates back to the 19th century, which was how Dr Marghini came up with the term. She described this in her book, called La syndrome di Stendhal ( The Stendhal Syndrome). The name, ‘Stendhal’ alludes to an episode described by a French writer in his travel memoir about a journey he undertook in Italy.

“As I emerged from the porch of Santa Croce, I was seized with a fierce palpitation of the heart (the same symptom which, in Berlin, is referred to as an attack of nerves); the well-spring of life was dried up within me, and I walked in constant fear of falling to the ground.”

– Stendhal

It was described that the admiration he experienced for several historical and art monuments allegedly gave him heart palpitations.

Dr Marghini’s research included three main types of symptoms in those who had Stendhal Syndrome:

- Altered perceptions of sound or colour, as well as an increased sense of anxiety, guilt or persecution.

- Depressive anxiety, the feeling of inadequacy, or a sense of euphoria or omnipotence.

- Panic attacks and physiological symptoms of heightened anxiety.

THE UNCANNY

Let’s talk ties with the cultural phenomenon.

One hundred years ago, Sigmund Freud wrote a paper on ‘The Uncanny’, the theory was rooted in the everyday experiences and popular culture that causes distress.

The essay was written in 2 parts: Heimilch (homely) or Unheimilch (unhomely), he called it ‘The Uncanny’ as he argued that it’s a strange mixture between the familiar and unfamiliar.

“Uncanny is in reality nothing new or alien, but something which is familiar and old-established in the mind and which has become alienated from it only through the process of repression.”

-SIGMUND FREUD

The second part, tackles people, things, self-expressions, experiences that represent the uncanny feeling. Figures such as The Sandman and Doppelganger describe the experience of context and ideas that seemed both familiar and unfamiliar, which led to creating a sense of disturbance.

(Side note: if you’re intrigued, please read more about ‘The uncanny’)

How is this related to the syndrome?

From a cultural view, it can be described as a shock when you see the works in person, because of the unfamiliarity of the actualness, thanks to their representation in the media. It’s like the moment you see the ‘Mona Lisa’ for the first time, you realize that it’s not a pop icon, it’s an actual object.

Is it a real disorder?

Most of the recent reviews on existing research have suggested that there is not enough evidence to conclude that such a disorder exists.

Still, many alleged cases continue to make the headlines.

While, according to the study authors, this patient’s symptoms resolved without requiring much in the way of targeted treatment, the researchers note that, in some people who may already be at risk of mental health issues, overexposure to the art may well be a trigger.