Spirit possession in South Asia, dissociation or hysteria? Part 1: Theoretical background.
Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry March 1, 1994 DOI: 10.1007/bf01384875 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 68 |
| Key points | Argues that dissociation theory is a better theoretical tool than psychoanalytic or biological psychiatry for studying pathological spirit possession in South Asia. |
Abstract
Psychoanalytic theory appears flawed in its notions of universal oedipal conflict and repression, and unsuitable for the study of pathological spirit possession in South Asia. The biological theory of contemporary psychiatry is no more effective in this analysis because mental illnesses are constituted within culture-bound categories of experience. Dissociation theory offers a better theoretical tool for this type of research. A summary of the history of paradigm shifts in psychiatric theory relevant to spirit possession is presented.
Citations in the library
Cited by 15
- Haunted by ghosts: prevalence, predictors and outcomes of spirit possession experiences among former child soldiers and war-affected civilians in Northern Uganda. Social Science & Medicine August 1, 2012
- Dissociative symptoms and reported trauma among patients with spirit possession and matched healthy controls in Uganda. Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry June 1, 2010
- Global mental health and trauma exposure: the current evidence for the relationship between traumatic experiences and spirit possession. European Journal of Psychotraumatology November 19, 2015
- Dissociative trance and spirit possession: Challenges for cultures in transition. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences September 18, 2016
- Are symptoms of spirit possessed patients covered by the DSM-IV or DSM-5 criteria for possession trance disorder? A mixed-method explorative study in Uganda. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology September 1, 2013
and 10 more in the library