Cultural pathoplasticity in a Mauritian woman with possession-form presentation: Is it dissociative or not?

Abstract

Abstract Endorsement of and identification with cultural beliefs about spirit possession can affect clinical presentations and explanatory models associated with sudden, uncontrollable behavior. Although literature shows links between possession-form presentations and dissociative disorders, which is also a focus of this paper, few studies explore in detail the experiences, meaning-making, and coping strategies of people with such presentations. This study is an interpretative phenomenological analysis of changes in behavior and identity reported by an elderly, Catholic Mauritian woman of a Tamil background during in-depth interviews. The participant shared her personal experiences in relation to acquired beliefs about the influence of the supranatural world. In this study, such explanations — whether they have a dissociative base or not — are regarded as cultural metaphors to rationalise her conflicting impulses and actions. We suggest that possession-form presentations may involve various diagnoses and psychological strategies. The need for further research into possession-form presentations using detailed clinical diagnostic assessment is emphasised. This study also questions the link between possession-form presentations and complex dissociative disorders.