Historian John Waller proposed a comprehensive theory for dancing mania, attributing it to a combination of three interconnected factors. First, widespread disasters of the era, such as famine and plagues, caused severe psychological distress, making people more susceptible to involuntary trance states. Second, cultural beliefs in supernatural forces, including dancing curses and possession rituals, shaped how individuals behaved once in a trance; the expectation of entering a trance also increased its likelihood. Third, this environment facilitated social contagion, where a few individuals slipping into a spontaneous trance could trigger a mass event, with others acting out the culturally expected role of being 'cursed'.