#4 – Stendhal Syndrome
So, do you like being surrounded by beautiful pieces of art? Do you feel so overwhelmed by beautiful pieces of art that you feel dizzy and your heart begins to beat rapidly? If yes, then you may just have the Stendhal syndrome.
This bizarre psychological disorder is named after the 19th century French author, Stendhal. Apparently, Stendhal (real name: Henri-Marie Beyle) was so overwhelmed on his trip to Florence in 1817 that he experienced symptoms such as palpitations and faintness.
In 1979, Italian psychiatrist Graziella Magherini observed more than 100 cases of tourists visiting the beautiful city of Florence and experiencing dizziness and fainting while enjoying Florentine art. This is when the syndrome was named as Stendhal Syndrome.