Latah in South-East Asia: The History and Ethnography of a Culture-Bound Syndrome. (book reviews)

Until I was about twenty, I grew up with two elderly relatives (both females and now deceased) who were both latah, meaning they were easily startled, as a result of which would shout obscenity and imitate other people's words and actions. I could vividly remember how they were often teased by the village old and young, each time instantly turning them, as it were, into actors in a public comedy show.

There were a few sad moments too, especially when they hurt themselves while being in the state of latah. But, nobody then could really explain to me why they were latah. I was frequently ...

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