Possession and the Soul in the Context of New Shamanism
Julia Rehn
Ideas of Possession October 29, 2024 DOI: 10.1093/9780197679951.003.0021 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Key points | Argues that New Shamanism's spirit-based healing, especially the idea of "possession" as total external control, appeals to people from secular societies, and that shamanic rituals for mental disorders have shown clearly positive effects. Contends that loss of soul is understood as a cause of trauma and vulnerability to spirit hosting, that the term "possession" is now generally avoided, and that practitioners need expertise and healthy spirit relationships, with tension between practice and public relations despite growing demand. |
Abstract
Abstract New Shamanism provides healing with the help of spirits that function as authorities and shape our understanding of human existence in the natural world. “Possession” with its idea of total external control proves particularly fascinating for those socialized in secular societies. Rituals give these states a spatial and temporal framework, and their treatment of mental disorders has been shown to have clearly positive effects. According to shamanic thought, loss of soul is a cause of trauma and leaves the individual vulnerable to becoming host to a spirit, although the term “possession” is now generally avoided. The person carrying out the treatment must have a high level of expertise in shamanic practice and a healthy relationship with his or her own spirits, which function as mediators between worlds. Due to different cultural receptions of “possession,” there is a certain tension between practice and public relations, even as demand for treatment increases.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on shamanism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond | 2014 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Shamanism as the Original Neurotheology | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Cognitive Neuroscience, Shamanism and the Rock Art of Native California | 1998 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From Culture to Experience: Shamanism in the Pages of the Soviet Anti-Religious Press | 2020 | Historical analysis | |
| Anthropology, Shamanism, and Alternate Ways of Knowing–Being in the World: One Anthropologist's Journey of Discovery and Transformation | 2010 | Reflective essay or personal narrative |