Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Hypochondriac's Guide


Stendhal syndrome is a psychosomatic illness characterized by rapid heartbeat, dizziness, confusion and sometimes hallucinations. The purported cause: Exposure to art, especially when the art is perceived to be unusually beautiful or abundant, such as when visiting a museum.
The condition is named after the French author Stendhal (pseudonym of Henri-Marie Beyle) who described these symptoms after visiting Florence, Italy in 1817.

2 comments:

Eleanor Greer said...

I know who Stendhal is, thanks to the 4-language speaking woman I live with, but who's work is this? Hmm? Eh?

Sydney said...

rex ray goodness.

4 languages??? which ones?