Piblokto

Pibloktoq, Piblokto or Arctic hysteria is a behavioral disorder. Among the Inuit in eastern Canada and Greenland to the Arctic Circle or north of it occurs

Most Pibloktoq is interpreted as a culture-bound mental disorder, although already a vitamin A hypervitaminosis was discussed as a possible cause, especially since a similar behavior should also occur in dogs.

Describes the following: The prodromal stage is characterized by withdrawal over hours to days, followed by extraordinary confusion and agitation for up to 30 minutes, the actual attack, in which the clothes are pulled out or torn down, the person wallows in the snow, objects are destroyed is and other irrational and self -endangering behavior possible, however, it seldom come to actual injury. Glossolalia, echolalia and echopraxia, in some cases, also eating feces ( coprophagia ) is observed. The attack follows a loss of consciousness for up to 12 hours for the event itself consists amnesia ( memory lapse ).

Some Inuit are to have such attacks more often, while it remains for others only at one such event.

Several authors have dealt critically with the existence of Pibloktoq. Lyle Dick described the syndrome as a "phantom " phenomenon, already the term was not detectable in the language. Simons and Hughes consider him an umbrella term under which researchers summarizing all possible behaviors.