Skill and Scale in Transnational Mediumship: New Communities of Practice and Enskilment
Marcello Múscari, Ehler Voss, Martin Zillinger
Beiträge zur Praxeologie / Contributions to Praxeology 2026 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-662-72097-4_1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Ethnography Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key findings | Argues that mediumship, spirit possession, and trance rituals persist and take new forms in globally interconnected communities, despite having been archaized in Europe since the long 19th century as premodern "survivals" and ascribed to marginalized groups. The volume proposes "apprenticeship" as a framework for understanding how these practices are taught, learned, and transformed. |
Abstract
Abstract Mediumship refers to practices that can be found in different cultures around the world and throughout history. Invoking, coming under the influence of, or engaging with disembodied powers can take various forms, which vary according to the local politics of religion, social context, and the personal circumstances of the people involved. In Europe, since the long 19th century mediumship has been archaized as “survivals” and premodern practices. Localized at the "peripheries“ of “modernity” and often ascribed to women, strangers, fools, and children, it has since gained new grounds in the trading zones of globalization. This volume brings together ethnographic research on emerging communities of practice centered on mediumship, spirit possession, and trance rituals in a globally interconnected world. We explore how these practices are taught, learned, reproduced, transmitted, and transformed across various contexts, while reflecting on the concept of “apprenticeship” as a process of enskilment.