Jerusalem Syndrome

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Hello all,

I finally joined this site after reading and enjoying the fabulous posts for many years.

I’m curious about the phenomena called ‘Jerusalem Syndrome’, where some tourists visit Jerusalem and temporarily lose their minds, believing themselves to be biblical figures, wearing togas on the streets and claiming divinity etc. It has been happening for years, with 40 or so cases reported annually.

What confuses me is that this madness apparently only affects Christian tourists, occasionally a Jew, but never Muslims.

From a Catholic perspective, what do you all make of this? I know the world will simply say ‘mental illness’ or that the behaviour is a result of high (and false) expectations of Jerusalem, but I am not convinced.

What do you all think?
 
My immediate reaction is to be extremely skeptical that this allegedly never happens to Muslims.

But there is a much greater emphasis in Islam placed on the life of Muhammad than on the prophets in their religion that proceeded him, so I don’t imagine these fantasies would manifest themselves so much in Jerusalem as in other places for those of Muslim backgrounds who suffer from mental illness.
 
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Interesting…So you think it’s possible in regions like Mecca or Medina etc, that susceptible Muslims could also be vulnerable to this kind of behaviour?

Which means then, it really could just be a bit of a mental fog that impressionable folk experience at their dream pilgrimage site. It’s just so strange, as symptoms reportedly clear following departure.

I guess I was probably thinking a bit more outlandish, like negative spiritual influences etc…lol…
 
Mecca experiences enormous amounts of traffic from people on Hajj each year. While the vast majority of it would be positive or normal for them, I’m sure there’s all sorts of strange stuff that comes from it. I mean, there’s plenty of strange things from people visiting New York, London, etc.

I don’t really know much in the way of spiritual influences.

But the significance of a certain place or event is related to a person’s religion. Every year there are Catholics claiming to have received the stigmata, and many of them cooky. Even in the early 20th century, while St Padre Pio was a young man, this occurred dozens of times each year. Only an extremely tiny minority are recognized on any level. I think maybe 2 people alive at present by their bishops, and the Vatican itself is silent as would be expected.
 
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I never heard of it before! Maybe my life is too sheltered!

I wouldn’t say people are mentally ill, but probably too impressionable. I’ve visited the Holy Land more than once, when I lived in Europe, and I never felt anything like that, but it was certainly amazing.
 
It’s a larger manifestation of human nature and emotion.
Think of all the people that think they have seen Elvis! LOL 🤣
But seriously, people are searching for meaning in their lives. Our emotions often take hold of our senses.
Eventually, (hopefully) they snap out of it.
 
Apparently, there’s a “Paris syndrome,” too:

Paris syndrome is a transient mental disorder exhibited by some individuals when visiting or going on vacation to Paris, as a result of extreme shock derived from their discovery that Paris is not what they had expected it to be.

Strange. First time I saw Paris, it was exactly like I expected it to be.

Here’s an article on “Jerusalem Syndrome”:


There are a lot of articles about it. Some impressionable people get far too emotional, I think. I can understand why. To me, these are the same people who experience cures at Lourdes, Fatima, etc. Just my opinion, of course. I know lots of people disagree with me, and that’s fine. If they’re cured, that’s a good thing! And if a visit to Lourdes or Fatima brought it about, it doesn’t hurt anyone. (Well, I suppose some people who aren’t cured are even more disappointed and despondent. I would be.)
 
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goodness1 said:
What confuses me is that this madness apparently only affects Christian tourists, occasionally a Jew, but never Muslims.
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If it is in fact the case that it never affects Muslims, I would take that as further evidence that the tired old cliché about the allegedly great importance of Jerusalem to Muslims is just one more anti-Christian and anti-Jewish propaganda lie.
 
I know Wikipedia is not the most reliable, but it does refer to credible sources that say the syndrome affects Muslims:

Jerusalem syndrome is a group of mental phenomena involving the presence of either religiously themed obsessive ideas, delusions or other psychosis-like experiences that are triggered by a visit to the city of Jerusalem. It is not endemic to one single religion or denomination but has affected Jews, Christians, and Muslims of many different backgrounds.

 
BartholomewB said:
If it is in fact the case that it never affects Muslims, I would take that as further evidence that the tired old cliché about the allegedly great importance of Jerusalem to Muslims is just one more anti-Christian and anti-Jewish propaganda lie.
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Historically baseless.

Jerusalem as a Muslim holy site goes back centuries.
 
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Similar things happen in Mecca during Hajj season. I don’t know how the rates compare with Jerusalem syndrome, but it happens. From what I’ve been told, it has to do more with heat stroke, though. People get all kinds of wacky when its hot and they’re not drinking or resting properly while doing some of the strenuous stuff that goes on during Hajj.
 
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Was it the disappearance of Oliver McAfee that prompted you to start this thread? There’s still been no more news of him after all this time.
 
BartholomewB said:
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7_Sorrows:
Who is Oliver McAfee?
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Oliver McAfee: Israel police believe missing Northern Ireland man is 'still alive' - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk
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Thanks for the link. This thread is the first I ever heard of the Jerusalem Syndrome
or Oliver McAfee. I will pray he is found unharmed and that is family will soon get word of his location.
 
No, I had never heard of Oliver McFee…wow that’s full on…I pray he’s safe!

A few weeks ago there was a feature story about JS on a radio program here in Australia, and it just intrigued me.
 
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