Spirit possession and neuroticism in West Indian Pentecostal community.
The British journal of clinical psychology November 1, 1981 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1111/j.2044-8260.1981.tb00530.x via PubMed
Summary
The study found that individuals identified as spirit possessed scored significantly higher in neuroticism and hysteria compared to a control group. Specifically, the 10 subjects defined as spirit possessed had elevated scores on both measures compared to the other participants. This suggests that spirit possession may be viewed as a culture-bound neurotic disorder.
Study at a glance
| Sample size | 20 |
|---|---|
| Population | regular members of a West Indian Pentecostal congregation |
| Key finding | Spirit possessed individuals scored significantly higher in neuroticism and hysteria compared to the control group. |
Abstract
The experiment is focused on the relationship between spirit possession and neuroticism as assessed by psychometric techniques. Twenty subjects who were regular members of a West Indian Pentecostal congregation were interviewed and tested with the EPI and the hysteria scale of the MMPI. Analysis of data indicated that the 10 subjects who were defined as spirit possessed scored significantly high in both neuroticism (P less than 0.05) and hysteria (P less than 0.005) than did the control group. In light of these data and others it was suggested that possession constitutes a culture-bound neurotic disorder.