Phantasmagoria versus Transcendental in Magombok Rituals: The Spiritual Dimensions of Bajau Laut Community
Kajian Malaysia October 31, 2025 Amsalib Pisali, Lena Farida Hussain Chin, Haddi Junaidi Kussin
Among the Bajau Laut community in Sabah's Semporna district, the magombok ritual is a healing ceremony that venerates ancestral spirits. This study explores how participants experience a fusion of phantasmagoria—vivid, dreamlike sensory phenomena—and transcendentalism, a sense of cosmic interconnectedness and spiritual existential dimensions. Through qualitative interviews and observation, the research finds that these experiences occur simultaneously during the magtagungguk and magigal elements of the ritual, which involve spirit invocation during semi-conscious states. Phantasmagoric themes include visual synergy and sacred auditory expressions, while transcendental aspects emphasize cosmic interconnectedness. The work contributes to understanding how ritual and culture shape spiritual experiences.