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[[File:lighterstill.jpg]][[File:Panicattack.jpg|right|frame]]
==Origin==
French ''panique'', from [[Greek]] ''panikos'', [[literally]], of Pan, from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan Pan]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17th_century 1603]
The [[word]] panic derives from the [[Greek]] πανικός, "pertaining to [[shepherd]] god Pan", who took amusement from [[frightening]] herds of goats and sheep into sudden bursts of uncontrollable [[fear]]. The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greece ancient Greeks] credited the [[battle]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon Marathon]'s victory to Pan, using his name for the frenzied, frantic [[fear]] exhibited by the fleeing [[enemy]] soldiers.
==Definitions==
*1: of, relating to, or resembling the [[mental]] or [[emotional]] state believed induced by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan god Pan] <panic [[fear]]>
*2: of, relating to, or arising from a panic <panic buying>
*3: of or relating to the god Pan
==Description==
'''Panic''' is a sudden [[sensation]] of [[fear]] which is so [[strong]] as to [[dominate]] or prevent reason and [[logical]] [[thinking]], replacing it with overwhelming feelings of [[anxiety]] and frantic [[agitation]] consistent with an animalistic fight-or-flight [[reaction]]. Panic may occur singularly in [[individuals]] or [[manifest]] suddenly in large groups as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_panic mass panic] (closely related to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herd_behavior herd behavior]).
Prehistoric men used ''mass panic'' as a [[technique]] when [[hunting]] animals, especially ruminants. Herds reacting to unusually strong [[sounds]] or unfamiliar [[visual]] [[effects]] were directed towards cliffs, where they [[eventually]] jumped to their deaths when cornered. Humans are also vulnerable to panic and it is often considered [[infectious]], in the sense one person's panic may easily spread to other people nearby and soon the entire [[group]] acts irrationally, but people also have the ability to [[prevent]] and/or control their own and others' panic by [[disciplined]] [[thinking]] or [[training]] (such as disaster drills). Architects and city planners try to accommodate the [[symptoms]] of panic, such as herd behavior, during [[design]] and planning, often using [[simulations]] to determine the best way to [[lead]] people to a safe exit and prevent congestion ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stampede stampedes]). The most effective [[methods]] are often non-[[intuitive]]. A tall column, approximately 1 ft (300 mm) in [[diameter]], placed in front of the door exit at a precisely calculated distance, may speed up the evacuation of a large room by up to 30%, as the obstacle divides the congestion well ahead of the choke point.
Many highly publicized cases of deadly panic occurred during massive public events. The layout of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecca Mecca] was extensively redesigned by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi Saudi] authorities in an attempt to eliminate frequent stampedes, which kill an average of 250 [[pilgrims]] every year. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_football Football] stadiums have seen deadly crowd rushes and stampedes, such as at Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield, England, in 1989 when 96 people were killed in a deadly crush.
[[Category: Psychology]]
[[Category: Sociology]]