Possession by the 'Zar' among Ethiopian immigrants to Israel: psychopathology or culture-bound syndrome?
Nimrod Grisaru, Danny Budowski, Eliezer Witztum
Psychopathology 1997 DOI: 10.1159/000285051 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | New immigrants from Ethiopia to Israel |
| Key findings | Argues that Zar possession among Ethiopian immigrants in Israel is a culture-bound syndrome, and that its behavioral manifestations may be misdiagnosed as neurological or psychiatric disorders without cultural awareness. |
Abstract
The article describes a cultural pattern related to altered states of consciousness, observed amongst new immigrants from Ethiopia to Israel. The belief in possession by Zar spirits is one of the most common possession phenomena in Africa and in other continents. Possession by Zar is expressed by a wide range of behaviors, such as involuntary movements, mutism and incomprehensible language. Such behavior can be misinterpreted as representing symptoms of neuralgic or psychiatric disorders. We demonstrate the Zar phenomenon by a description of a detailed case. The article discusses the cultural and anthropological aspects of the Zar and its clinical implications and suggests that the Zar phenomenon should be understood as a culture-bound syndrome.