Spirit possession in South Asia, dissociation or hysteria? Part 2: Case histories.
Culture, medicine and psychiatry June 1, 1994 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1007/bf01379447 via PubMed
Summary
Psychoanalytic theory may not be suitable for understanding spirit possession in South Asia, as it overlooks key factors. The study suggests that the causes of pathological spirit possession are similar to those of multiple personality disorder in North America, stemming from dissociative reactions to extreme circumstances like child abuse. Reanalyses of previous case histories reveal new insights into the etiology of these conditions that were not addressed by earlier psychoanalytic perspectives.
Study at a glance
| Population | case histories of spirit possession illnesses in South Asia |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Pathological spirit possession in South Asia may have an etiology similar to multiple personality disorder, linked to dissociative reactions from extreme environmental situations. |
Abstract
Psychoanalytic theory appears flawed in the way it has been traditionally applied in anthropological studies of spirit possession in South Asia. It is suggested that pathological spirit possession in South Asia has a similar etiology to multiple personality disorder in North America, which is caused by spontaneous trance reactions to extreme situations in the environment, particularly child abuse. Reanalyses of previously published case histories of spirit possession illnesses in South Asia are presented from the perspective of dissociation theory, highlighting possible etiology not considered relevant in earlier psychoanalytic theories.