Spirit Possession and Mental Health: A Psycho-Anthropological Perspective
Human Relations March 1, 1980 Colleen Ward
This paper offers a psycho-anthropological perspective on spirit possession and mental health in a variety of cultures and communities. Its prime focus is the distinction between two forms of possession: ritual and peripheral. The former is displayed in a ceremonial context and includes the social function of reinforcing cultural morality and established power. The latter, by contrast,...