Filipino health professionals and laypeople hold five distinct yet overlapping representations of spirit possession: as sinakluban (being overtaken by a spirit), as a vulnerability, as a disease, as kulam (witchcraft or sorcery), and as being chosen. These themes emerge from interviews with 12 individuals and reveal how Western biomedical and psychological views coexist with local religious and traditional folk beliefs. The findings highlight the complex interface among religion, indigenous beliefs, psychopathological frameworks, and the Western biomedical model in shaping understandings of possession.
A pilot study developed and tested a four-week program for Christian adults with daily stress that combined Christian meditation with light-to-moderate physical activity. Eight churchgoers meditated on a short Scripture passage during daily 30-minute movement and walking. On all four outcome measures, 75% of participants reported score changes in the hypothesized direction. The authors present this as a Christian-sensitive alternative to Eastern-influenced mindful walking and yoga practices.