Possession in Two Balinese Trance Ceremonies

Summary

Balinese trance behaviors are not uniform or entirely individual but are highly contextualized to specific temples, exhibiting significant variety across locations. This diversity arises from the interplay of Balinese Hinduism and local customs. The study challenges the notion that trance states are purely socially constructed by highlighting how they differ based on locale rather than personal experience.

Study at a glance

Abstract

I discuss the construction of Balinese trance behaviors using two examples of trance possession in temple ceremonies. The view that trance states are socially constructed has long roots in anthropology. However, a closer examination of this view is warranted. In particular, I am interested in the question of the possible diversity of the constructed behavior. On the one hand, one may expect a set of general trance behaviors or experiences throughout a given society—e.g. that vision quests in a particular tribe will contain common elements, but these will vary from tribe to tribe (Lowie 1963). On the other hand, a society may offer the general outlines of acceptable trance behavior or experience, but expect them to be radically individual, depending, e.g., on the particular revelatory experience of the person. The Balinese construction of trance fits neither of these poles; rather, trance behaviors are contextualized to a particular temple but not to individual persons. Thus, the trances of the Balinese exhibit a high degree of variety from locale to locale. This unusual variety is due to two factors: a key element of Balinese Hinduism, adat (local custom), as well as a unique feature of how Balinese deities (who possess individuals in trance) are conceived.