Latah in South-East Asia - Winzeler, Robert L. (University of Nevada, Reno)

Latah, the Malayan hyperstartle pattern, has fascinated Western observers since the late nineteenth century, and is widely considered a 'culture-bound syndrome'. This study critically reviews the literature, and presents new ethnographic information, concluding that latah serves specific social functions, and should not be treated as an 'illness' or 'syndrome'.