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Wild man syndrome


The wild man syndrome also known as wild pig syndrome is a culture-bound syndrome that affects the mental health of New Guinean males in which they become hyperactive, clumsy, kleptomaniacal, and conveniently amnesic." It is known in various languages of New Guinea as guria, longlong, or lulu.

"Wild-pig syndrome is a socially constructed disorder with an emotion classification of the Gururumba tribe. The illness is characterized by involuntary antisocial behavior, followed by situational amnesia and the resumption of normal life. After looting neighbors’ homes, the tribesman (usually a recently married male) ventures into the forest for several days, returning without the stolen articles. Wild-pig attacks seem to occur when a man is unable to meet his financial obligations. Those who have undergone the episodes later receive special consideration from creditors. The Gururumba people insist the illness is transmitted by the ghosts of recently deceased tribe members." Wild pig syndrome is limited by age and sex. It only occurs in males and only men who are 25 to 35 years of age. The syndrome is treated as a disease. The behavior is an action; however, it is not acknowledged as such by society or the individual that is experiencing the condition.

Some theorists believe that emotions are produced by culture and are not biological. Their emotional diversity across cultures and the way individuals think is based on their social environment and on past and future experience and expectations. Wild Pig syndrome is unusual by Western standards; however, it is common and normal in the Gururumba tribe. This syndrome got its name from the occurrence of domesticated pigs going through a temporary state in which the pig will run wild. With appropriate measures the pig can return to the domesticated pig life among the villagers. This is similar to what happens to the Gururumba people thought to have this condition. They become aggressive, violent, stealing things of little importance, but they rarely hurt anyone and usually return back to their normal life and routine. In most cases, they venture into the woods for several days; during their stay in the forest they destroy the stolen objects, then return to their village without any memory of the episode, only to be reminded of the event by other villagers. In more severe cases some individuals suffering from Wild Pig Syndrome have to be captured, restrained, and held over smoke until the individual returns to normal, as is done to a pig that has gone wild. Gururumba see this as a way of stress relief; however, Westerns would call this psychosis. Attention should be drawn to the attitude of the community toward the wild man. "A feeling of expectant excitement is observable in the community; the actions of the wild man take on the character of a public spectical." When news of its occurrence spreads, people drop what they are doing to simply watch the "wild man." The onlookers enjoy the instances when the wild man suddenly turns on the group and chases after one of them in an erratic and seemingly comic pursuit. The community responds to the wild man in somewhat the same way they would do at a comically frightening performance that is staged as entertainment. In all cases of Wild Pig Syndrome it is clear that the pattern is played out in a setting containing an audience such as ceremonial and festive occasions or gatherings of people to discuss some matter of general importance. In this highland environment there are unoccupied grasslands and forest in which the wild man could run wild in seclusion, but they never do. Another thing of importance of this condition is that nothing can be taken without the owner's permission, and if permission is granted, it is usually under the condition that the individual make some kind of reciprocation. Items of importance are closely guarded.


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Wikipedia

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