Spirit Possession and Mental Health: A Psycho-Anthropological Perspective

Abstract

This paper offers a psycho-anthropological perspective on spirit possession and mental health in a variety of cultures and communities. Its prime focus is the distinction between two forms of possession: ritual and peripheral. The former is displayed in a ceremonial context and includes the social function of reinforcing cultural morality and established power. The latter, by contrast, represents a more long-term state in which the individual believes that he is unwillingly possessed by intruding spirits andfunctions as an indirect form of social protest. While both are reactions to stress, ritual possession operates as a socially sanctioned psychological defense mechanism, while peripheral possession constitutes a pathological reaction to individual conflict.