Psychopathology and shamanism in rural Mexico: a case study of spirit possession.
British Journal of Medical Psychology March 1, 1980 DOI: 10.1111/j.2044-8341.1980.tb02870.x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A socially marginal Chinese-Mexican man with a hysterical personality |
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Citations | 11 |
| Key findings | The subject's mystical possession is directly related to psychological conflicts and emotional complexes, and personifying his problems as spirit possession helps maintain self-esteem, social status, and personality integration. |
Abstract
The so-called mystical possession of Juan Jose Fong, a socially marginal Chinese-Mexican of hysterical personality is directly related to the subject's psychological conflicts and emotional complexes and familial and social standing within the immediate cultural context. The subject is seen as suffering from conflicting emotions and cognitions centering around guilt, inferiority and non-acceptance by his peer group. The personification of his personal problems in the motif of spirit possessions enables the subject to maintain a measure of self-esteem, social status and personality integration.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on shamanism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brain changes during a shamanic trance: Altered modes of consciousness, hemispheric laterality, and systemic psychobiology A normal subject with extensive training in the Mongolian shamanic tradition | 2017 | Case study | n = 1 |
| The Diaspora of Brazilian Religions | 2013 | Ethnographic case studies | |
| Transformation in Dang-ki Healing: The Embodied Self and Perceived Legitimacy. A male dang-ki, 10 temple assistants, and 9 clients at a shrine in Singapore | 2016 | Case study | n = 20 |
| (Neo)Shamanic Dialogues Members of a Guarani Indian village on the Atlantic coast of Santa Catarina, Brazil | 2012 | Case study | |
| Kambô: A Shamanic Medicine - Personal Testimonies | 2018 | Case study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Psychodynamics of spirit possession among the Inuit. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry February 1, 1983
- Interdisciplinary Review of Demonic Possession Between 1980 and 2023: A Compendium of Scientific Cases Journal of Scientific Exploration December 28, 2023
- [Evolution of views on the phenomenon of spiritual possession within the framework of psychiatric pathology (psychopathological, transnosological and transcultural aspects)]. Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova 2024
- Dissociative trance disorder: clinical and Rorschach findings in ten persons reporting demon possession and treated by exorcism. Journal of personality assessment June 1, 1996