Scientists Still Aren't Sure How An Entire French Town Collectively Lost Their Minds
“My father always said that it was as though the apocalypse suddenly struck the town,” says Dr. Bernard Gabbai, whose father was a doctor in Pont-Saint-Esprit, France, in the 1950s. “It left an impression that stayed with him his whole life.” That's because something bizarre had started to happen in the small, quiet village. All at once, all of the townspeople started to lose their minds, and scientists are still trying to figure out why...and if the cause was actually more malicious than originally believed.
The Hallucinations Start
On August 16, 1951, Dr. Hadar Gabbai heard a knock on his door. When he opened it, he was greeted by an alarming sight: A nearby farmer, wildly running to and fro, was slapping away a swarm of bees that only he could see. Not far behind him was another patient who complained of snakes devouring his brain.
It Spread
By that night, 75 residents were hallucinating, most of whom were running aimlessly from invisible threats. Outside the clinic, the people of Pont-Saint-Espirit quickly went wild. One little girl saw tigers chasing her, a man defended himself from monsters, and one married couple tried to kill each other with knives.
Baffling Behavior Escalates
One distraught person attempted to jump into the Rhône river, yelling, “I am dead, and my head is made of copper and I have snakes in my stomach, and they are burning me!” His friends saved him, no doubt wondering if they were next. The few who held on to their sanity watched as their home devolved into chaos.
Ripping Bed Sheets
“I have seen healthy men and women suddenly become terrorized, ripping their bed sheets, hiding themselves beneath their blankets to escape hallucinations,” the mayor of Pont-Saint-Esprit, Albert Hébrard, said. The few who were able to treat the sick were shocked by their behaviors.
