Latah

Latah is a behavior found in some cultures, such as Malaysia. After suffering psychological stress or shock, a person becomes very excitable and restless, easily gives in to various suggestions, shows extreme humility and a tendency to pathologically imitate the actions of other people (echopraxia).

People with lata react to any external stimuli, such as a sharp shout or clap, by repeating words they hear or imitating actions they see. This happens automatically, without any control on their part. Lat attacks are usually short-lived and end as soon as the trigger wears off.

Lata is believed to be a culturally determined psychological phenomenon associated with the characteristics of upbringing in some traditional societies of Southeast Asia. It is considered a manifestation of hysterical neurosis or dissociative disorder. Treatment mainly consists of psychotherapy and changes in the patient's cultural environment.

Greetings to all readers! I would like to tell you about a type of behavior called "Lata". This phenomenon manifests itself in representatives of certain cultures in different parts of the world and is due to the psychological shock that they experienced.

Lata (short for Latah, in Malay) is a state where a person exhibits extreme restlessness, a psycho-emotional state that can be compared to a panic attack. Lata can be expressed in various forms, such as increased heart rate, feelings of anxiety, restlessness, lack of self-confidence, etc. In this state, people may be vulnerable to psychological manipulation

Lata is a behavior that has been identified in several cultures, including Malaysia. This is how this phenomenon is described in the book “Culture of Behavior” by Deborah Elliott: “After a psychological shock has occurred, a person can become extremely restless and easily suggestible, show extreme humility, and often the so-called “patho.”