Fainting from Too Much Beauty – The Stendhal Syndrome

"You had me at hello… and now I think I might pass out." – Yes, some actually passed out.

In the 19th century, a French writer named Marie-Henri Beyle had an overwhelming physical and emotional reaction after visiting the Basilica di Santa Croce. He expressed the symptoms in his memoir. After that incident, in 1989, Italian psychiatrist Graziella Magherini clinically named Stendhal Syndrome using the writer’s pen name, Stendhal. She became acquainted with Stendhal’s experience after observing an artwork. When she saw similar cases among tourists in Florence, she connected the dots and identified the problem.

Well, this seems like a condition where people feel an extreme emotional and physical response after seeing something extraordinarily beautiful, be it artwork or landscapes.

Physically, they might feel:

✤ Dizziness, tremors, sweating, palpitations, fainting.

Emotionally:

✤ Extreme euphoria, deep sadness, a feeling of unreality, confusion, and, in the worst-case scenario, panic disorders and hallucinations.

People with a deep emotional connection to art or those with emotional disorders have the highest chance of experiencing Stendhal Syndrome. Deep breathing, emotional acceptance, and professional support can ensure well-being.

After Stendhal’s own experience, Graziella Magherini found over a hundred similar cases, ranging from minor to severe. She described the case of a 53-year-old German man who was hospitalized after repeatedly viewing Caravaggio’s Bacchus.

Isn’t it fascinating? Could you believe an emotional connection with beauty could be this extreme? Now that I think about it – Elio in Call Me by Your Name probably had the same syndrome. His emotional and physical reaction to Oliver, in a way, mirrors Stendhal Syndrome.

Had fun sharing this with you.
Let’s chat tomorrow!

Thanks,
Jessie.