A Natural History of Penis Panics
In his book Little Green Men, Meowing Nuns and Head-Hunting Panics: A Study of Mass Psychogenic Illness and Social Delusion
, Robert E. Bartholomew writes, “In parts of Asia, entire regions are occasionally overwhelmed by terror-stricken men who believe that their penises are shriveling up or retracting into their bodies, whereupon they will die. Those affected often place clamps or strings onto the precious organs or have family members hold the penis in relays until an appropriate treatment is obtained,? often from traditional healers. … Episodes can endure for weeks or months and affect thousands. Psychiatrists are divided as to the cause of these imaginary scares. Some believe that it is a form of group psychosis triggered by stress, while others view it as a mass hysteria. … While these episodes may appear humurous to Westerners, they offer a valuable lesson because they show how vulnerable we all are to mass delusion.”?
The man at left is suffering from an acute case of koro, or genital retraction syndrome? (GRS) during the 1985 epidemic in Guangdong, China. (photo courtesy R.E. Bartholomew)
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March 8th, 2006 at 10:51 pm
[...] From The Athanasius Kircher Society: In parts of Asia, entire regions are occasionally overwhelmed by terror-stricken men who believe that their penises are shriveling up or retracting into their bodies, whereupon they will die. Those affected often place clamps or strings onto the precious organs or have family members hold the penis in relays until an appropriate treatment is obtained, often from traditional healers. … Episodes can endure for weeks or months and affect thousands. [...]
March 14th, 2006 at 2:33 pm
[...] Das ganze soll zwar nur psychisch bedingt sein, aber ich riskiere da lieber nichts. [...]
September 20th, 2006 at 8:06 pm
Penis articles. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penis
December 2nd, 2006 at 2:11 pm
GRS occurs regularily here in Minnesota, especially in the winter months when ice fishing is popular. The fisherman that fish in the fishhouses, rather than out in the open, while drinking beer and roasting venison sausage near the cribbage board are often not affected.
The auto start feature on newer pickup trucks also keeps GRS at bay.
February 22nd, 2007 at 1:25 pm
It’s true it has happened to me. My genitals dissappeared. It was so scary. I thought I would never be able to reproduce. I think my boyfriend stole them from me.
November 4th, 2007 at 2:04 am
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December 29th, 2007 at 6:33 am
this is the most ludicrous thing i have ever heard!