Pibloktoq: Psychology in the Cold, Dark Arctic

This is so bizarrely fascinating, I’m not even sure how to comment on it:

Pibloktoq is a psychological phenomenon associated with the cold, dark, snowy parts of the world. The first written case studies happened to Inuit people, but it’s not actually limited to them. When someone suffers an episode of pibloktoq, she (it apparently usually happens to women) will scream, flail, and often strip off clothing and take off running. But within a couple hours she calms down, even falling asleep. Afterwards, she goes back to normal and may never have another attack of pibloktoq again. At the Providentia blog, psychologist Romeo Vitelli writes about the history of pibloktoq, the way it was used as part of racist and sexist narratives in the past, and how scientists interpret it today.

Full story via Boing Boing.

Founding Editor
  1. Im living in the arctic (north of norway) and have never heard about this. Its common to have mild depression under the dark, cold withertime. Some times you can see woman do like this, but thats in weekends while drinking alcohol :) Nice website!

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