School in Kelantan gripped by a mass hysteria

Students say they saw a tall, dark figure

Ustaz says the dark figure is an evil spirit

People can be tricked into perceiving ghosts

Could it be a collective stress reaction?

More likely for females to experience hysteria

Mass hysteria episode leaving a permanent mark

Synopsis: In this special series, The Straits Times dives into some of the greatest unsolved mysteries in South-east Asia, and examines the underlying issues that they exposed.

In this episode, we revisit the spate of mass hysteria in Malaysia's north-eastern state of Kelantan to find out why the disorder is more prevalent among schoolgirls.

ST regional correspondent Jia Ning Tan speaks to Ustaz Abd Rashid Ahmad, faith healer and spokesman of an Islamic medical facility called Darussyifa, and Mr Robert Bartholomew, a medical sociologist and co-author of Mass Hysteria in Schools: A Worldwide History Since 1566.

She also interviews a woman who had a brush with mass hysteria as a schoolgirl and wants to be identified only as Nur.

Highlights (click/tap above): (Headphones recommended)

1:53 The Ketereh Secondary School in Kelantan gripped by a fast-spreading screaming plague in July 2018

3:31 Students say they saw a tall, dark figure in the school compound

4:57 Ustaz Abdul Rashid Ahmad says the tall, dark figure is an evil spirit that possesses the weak-minded

9:29 Scientists conduct an experiment to prove that people could be tricked into perceiving ghosts

11:52 Mr Bartholomew describes Kelantan’s screaming schoolgirl occurrences as a collective stress reaction

15:08 Girls and women are more likely to experience mass hysteria than men

19:17 Nur says the mass hysteria episode that happened to her has left a permanent mark

Produced by: Tan Jia Ning (jianing@sph.com.sg), Magdalene Fung (magfung@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Penelope Lee and Teo Tong Kai

Edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Follow The Unsolved Mysteries Of South-east Asia podcast series here every third Tuesday of the month till July:

Channel: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wu3W

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Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wE7i

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Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Read Jia Ning Tan's articles: https://str.sg/wEq4

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Discover more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

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ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

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Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

---

Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

#unsolved

Synopsis: In this special series, The Straits Times dives into some of the greatest unsolved mysteries in South-east Asia, and examines the underlying issues that they exposed. In this episode, we revisit the spate of mass hysteria in Malaysia's north-eastern state of Kelantan to find out why the disorder is more prevalent among schoolgirls. ST regional correspondent Jia Ning Tan speaks to Ustaz Abd Rashid Ahmad, faith healer and spokesman of an Islamic medical facility called Darussyifa, and Mr Robert Bartholomew, a medical sociologist and co-author of Mass Hysteria in Schools: A Worldwide History Since 1566. She also interviews a woman who had a brush with mass hysteria as a schoolgirl and wants to be identified only as Nur.
Highlights (click/tap above): (Headphones recommended) 1:53 The Ketereh Secondary School in Kelantan gripped by a fast-spreading screaming plague in July 2018 3:31 Students say they saw a tall, dark figure in the school compound 4:57 Ustaz Abdul Rashid Ahmad says the tall, dark figure is an evil spirit that possesses the weak-minded 9:29 Scientists conduct an experiment to prove that people could be tricked into perceiving ghosts 11:52 Mr Bartholomew describes Kelantan’s screaming schoolgirl occurrences as a collective stress reaction 15:08 Girls and women are more likely to experience mass hysteria than men 19:17 Nur says the mass hysteria episode that happened to her has left a permanent mark
Produced by: Tan Jia Ning (<a href="mailto:jianing@sph.com.sg">jianing@sph.com.sg</a>), Magdalene Fung (<a href="mailto:magfung@sph.com.sg">magfung@sph.com.sg</a>), Ernest Luis, Penelope Lee and Teo Tong Kai
Edited by: Teo Tong Kai
Follow The Unsolved Mysteries Of South-east Asia podcast series here every third Tuesday of the month till July:
Channel: <a href="https://str.sg/wuZ2">https://str.sg/wuZ2</a>
Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://str.sg/wu3W">https://str.sg/wu3W</a>
Spotify: <a href="https://str.sg/wuJ9">https://str.sg/wuJ9</a>
Google Podcasts: <a href="https://str.sg/wE7i">https://str.sg/wE7i</a>
SPH Awedio app: <a href="https://www.awedio.sg/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.awedio.sg/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1626404128619000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHDSssxZli9RVXvUhGQgefEXSvPRA">https://www.awedio.sg/</a>
Website: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://str.sg/stpodcasts&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1636193968351000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2-SV_Tydir8eZuWRLk6bCe">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
Feedback to: <a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg">podcast@sph.com.sg</a>
Read Jia Ning Tan's articles: <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/authors/linda-yulisman" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.straitstimes.com/authors/linda-yulisman">https://str.sg/wEq4</a>
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: <a href="https://str.sg/wvz7">https://str.sg/wvz7</a>
The Usual Place: <a href="https://str.sg/wEr7u" data-stringify-link="https://str.sg/wEr7u" data-sk="tooltip_parent">https://str.sg/wEr7u</a>
In Your Opinion: <a href="https://str.sg/w7Qt">https://str.sg/w7Qt</a>
COE Watch: <a href="https://str.sg/iTtE">https://str.sg/iTtE</a>
Asian Insider: <a href="https://str.sg/JWa7">https://str.sg/JWa7</a>
Health Check: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaN">https://str.sg/JWaN</a>
Green Pulse: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaf">https://str.sg/JWaf</a>
Your Money &amp; Career: <a href="https://str.sg/wB2m">https://str.sg/wB2m</a>
Hard Tackle: <a href="https://str.sg/JWRE">https://str.sg/JWRE</a>
#PopVultures: <a href="https://str.sg/JWad">https://str.sg/JWad</a>
Music Lab: <a href="https://str.sg/w9TX">https://str.sg/w9TX</a>
---
ST Podcast website: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
ST Podcasts YouTube: <a href="https://str.sg/4Vwsa">https://str.sg/4Vwsa</a>
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/i44T">https://str.sg/i44T</a>
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZ2">https://str.sg/wuZ2</a>
Invisible Asia (9 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZn">https://str.sg/wuZn</a>
Stop Scams (10 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZB">https://str.sg/wuZB</a>
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuJa">https://str.sg/wuJa</a>
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: <a href="https://str.sg/icyB">https://str.sg/icyB</a>
Google Play: <a href="https://str.sg/icyX">https://str.sg/icyX</a>
#unsolved

Synopsis: In this special series, The Straits Times dives into some of the greatest unsolved mysteries in South-east Asia, and examines the underlying issues that they exposed.

Podcasters: Tan Jia Ning, Magdalene Fung and ST Foreign desk

Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis & producer Teo Tong Kai, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust. 

Synopsis: In this special series, The Straits Times dives into some of the greatest unsolved mysteries in South-east Asia, and examines the underlying issues that they exposed.
Podcasters: Tan Jia Ning, Magdalene Fung and ST Foreign desk
Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis &amp; producer Teo Tong Kai, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.&nbsp;

Unsolved Mysteries of South East Asia

Synopsis: In this special series, The Straits Times dives into some of the greatest unsolved mysteries in South-east Asia, and examines the underlying issues that they exposed.
Podcasters: Tan Jia Ning, Magdalene Fung and ST Foreign desk
Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis &amp; producer Teo Tong Kai, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

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