Investigation of the cerebral blood flow of an Omani man with supposed 'spirit possession' associated with an altered mental state : a case report.
Amr A Guenedi, Ala'alddin Al Hussaini, Yousif A Obeid, Samir Hussain, Faisal Al-azri, Samir Al-adawi
Journal of medical case reports December 10, 2009 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1186/1752-1947-3-9325 via PubMed
Summary
In a 22-year-old Omani man whose caregiver attributed his altered consciousness to spirit possession, brain scans showed reduced blood flow in the left temporal lobe and a structural abnormality in the left basal ganglia during episodes of distress. This case links a culturally recognized form of distress with specific brain changes, suggesting that possession states may have biomedical correlates. The findings underscore the need to study cross-cultural presentations of altered consciousness within medical models.
Study at a glance
| Design | case study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | 22-year-old male Omani patient |
| Key finding | The patient's distress during possession-like states was associated with hypoperfusion in the left temporal lobe and a structural abnormality in the left basal ganglia. |
Abstract
The view that spirits may possess humans is found in 90% of the world population, including Arab/Islamic societies. Despite the association between possessive states and various neurological and psychiatric disorders, the available literature has yet to correlate possessive states with functional brain imaging modalities such as single-photon-emission computed tomography. This paper describes the clinical case of a 22-year-old male Omani patient who presented to us with an altered state of consciousness that his caregiver attributed to possession. We examined whether the patient's mental state correlated with neuro-imaging data. The patient's distress was invariably associated with specific perfusion in the left temporal lobe and structural abnormality in the left basal ganglia. We discuss the case in the context of possession as a culturally sanctioned idiom of distress, and highlight the importance of studying cross-cultural presentations of altered states of consciousness within biomedical models.