What is "ghost sickness"

n. A syndrome, reported to occur among Native Americans, in which the sufferer is preoccupied by the deceased. Symptoms include weakness, loss of appetite, recurring nightmares, and a pervasive feeling of terror.

Ghost sickness is a cultural belief among some traditional Indigenous peoples in North America, notably the Navajo, and some Muscogee and Plains cultures. People who are preoccupied and/or consumed by the deceased are believed to suffer from ghost sickness. Reported symptoms can include general weakness, loss of appetite, suffocation feelings, recurring nightmares, and a pervasive feeling of terror. The sickness is attributed to ghosts or, occasionally, to witches or witchcraft.