TV mysticism blamed for increase at asylums

Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

Imagine One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with a supernatural twist.

Or just visit the psychiatric ward of Dr. Sardjito General Hospital in Yogyakarta, where you will meet the likes of "Hardi", 29, and "Heri", 26.

Inside a tiny isolation cell and wearing a straitjacket, Hardi laughs frequently and repeats the same two sentences over and over.

"I have the power to become invisible. I learned it from a master in Banten," he said in the presence of The Jakarta Post recently, before drifting into incoherence.

Heri, who was a student at a private university in the city, sits in the corner of a cell talking to himself, using words only he can understand.

According to their families, Hardi and Heri were normal young men before they zealously began watching TV reality shows dealing with supernatural topics.

Hardi said he watched the shows "to compare my powers" with those of the people on the shows.

A doctor in the psychiatric ward has noted that as more and more of these supernatural shows have appeared on TV over the past two years, more cases of mental illness have been seen at the hospital. The doctor does not think this is a coincidence.

The majority of the patients in the psychiatric ward come from traditional groups with a deep belief in all things related to mysticism. However, some of the patients are also college students.

The head of the hospital's psychiatric ward, Soewadi, said traditional groups had limited knowledge and an immature understanding of the world, making them more easily influenced by the things they saw on TV.

"The mystery shows on TV are like stressors that can change the neurotransmitters inside the brain. People who are mature enough see the shows only as entertainment. But for people who are immature, the changes caused by these stressors can result in mental disturbance," he said.

The first indication of a mental disturbance is an excessive belief in mysticism, accompanied by constant mood swings. Patients go from sad to giddy, or from aggressive to placid in the blink of an eye.

They also speak incoherently and repeat the same words. When brought to the hospital, the patients frequently have with them "charms" such as rings or bracelets, he said.

Soewadi said he drew a connection between supernatural shows and mental disturbances after observing patients for two years at the hospital and at his private practice.

"The patients' families confirm this conclusion. Most of the patients cannot communicate when they are brought here, but the way the families describe the patients' behavior, it is similar to schizophrenia or autism, and it occurs after watching these shows," he said.

Speaking with the families of some of the patients, among the most frequently watched shows by the patients are LaTivi's Pemburu Hantu (Ghostbusters) and Trans TV's Dunia Lain (Other World) and Uji Nyali (Dare Test).

Soewadi said further evidence of the connection between supernatural reality shows and mental disturbances was the increased number of cases of mental illness between January and October last year, the same time there was an explosion of these shows appearing on TV daily.

"On average, there were 12 inpatients and 17 outpatients in the hospital every month (between January and October). My private practice had about two patients a month. All of them were having delusions and showing symptoms of schizophrenia because of the TV shows," he said.

In November and December, the number of patients fell by 50 percent because it was the fasting month and the shows were aired less frequently.

"As the fasting month ended, the number of patients went up again," Soewadi said.

The doctor claimed that using a holistic approach, he could cure the patients in anywhere from four days to two weeks.

Patients receive psychotherapy, art therapy and medication, as well as being involved in social, work and spiritual activities. They also are given electroshock therapy every two days.