A petit mal seizure, or an absence seizure is a staring spell that typically lasts for up to 15 seconds. They are caused by a disturbance to brain function caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain.
Symptoms include staring spells, changes in muscle activity - such as no movement, hand fumbling, lip chewing, eyelid fluttering and chewing, sudden halt in movement, and talking and a lack of awareness of surroundings.