Spirit-possession in theory and practice: séances with Tibetan spirit-mediums in Nepal
Per-Arne Berglie
Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis January 16, 2019 DOI: 10.30674/scripta.67136 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 3 |
| Population | Tibetan spirit-mediums (dpa' bo) from a refugee community in Nepal |
| Duration | 1970 and 1971 |
| Topics | Altered states of consciousness MDMA |
| Keywords | Experience religion Spirit possession Seances Trance |
| Key findings | Spirit possession in these mediums is marked by donning a headdress, after which the god speaks through the medium, who later has no recollection of the event. |
Abstract
This paper describes a short study of the séances and trance-performances of three Tibetan spirit-mediums (dpa' bo) from a refugee-community in Nepal. The field-work on which this study is based was carried out in a Tibetan refugee-village in Nepal during 1970 and 1971. For each dpa' bo: dBang phyug, Sri gcod, and Nyi ma don grub, a summary of personal thoughts and beliefs concerning possession is provided, followed by an example of how a séance was structured. A common feature is that when all the gods summoned have arrived, possession took place by the god most suited to carry out the task of the evening. The actual change of the ritual status of the spirit-medium is marked by the putting on of the headdress. From now on, until it falls off at the end of the séance, it is the god who speaks and acts through the medium, who afterwards claims that he has no recollection whatsoever of what then passes. A necessary condition for the activity of a spirit-medium is, of course, the conviction that their possession is genuine. Theoretically, when a dpa' bo has passed the period of calling and has been tested and has received the necessary training, this genuineness is proved. Of an established dpa' bo no further proofs are therefore required in addition to the satisfactory solution of the problems put to him at the séances. If, after all, someone has doubts about a dpa' bo, he can call a lama.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on altered states of consciousness, most cited first.
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|---|---|---|---|
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| Altered States of Consciousness and Short-Term Psychological After-Effects Induced by the First Time Ritual Use of Ayahuasca in an Urban Context in Brazil First-time ayahuasca users in Santo Daime and União do Vegetal rituals | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 28 |
| Quantifying arousal and awareness in altered states of consciousness using interpretable deep learning Healthy individuals during sleep, individuals under general anesthesia, and patients... | 2022 | Observational cohort | n = 71 |
| Subanaesthetic ketamine and altered states of consciousness in humans Human volunteers | 2018 | Observational study | n = 15 |