

The Jerusalem Syndrome: Why Some Religious Tourists Believe They Are the Messiah - seancoughlin
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2012/02/ff_jerusalemsyndrome/all/1

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Zuider
Why don't visitors to Disneyland come down with Mickey Mouse syndrome? Behold,
I am the MOUSE! Mine enemies shall say 'eek' and flee under the fridge, and
reside there in eternal darkness with the cock-a-roaches and the vile
festering sardine sandwich!

What is interesting about this is how stories can take over and give a
singular cohesion to madness that would otherwise be lacking from the normal
confusion and lack of direction attendant to that unfortunate condidion.

I use the word 'stories' loosely - as the article notes, the effect can be
produced by architecture, paintings, possibly even music.

Maybe Hitler was suffering from Siegfried syndrome. His gestures seem to have
been lifted wholesale from opera, and the cadences of his ravings seem to map
well onto Wagner's music.

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seancoughlin
This is a neat article about how context shapes perception of self.

