Describing, Interpreting, and Explaining Spirit Possession
The Mind Possessed October 1, 2007 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195323351.003.0004
Summary
Chapters 4 and 5 of this work outline a scientific approach to studying possession cults and spirit phenomena, reviewing past and present methods. Chapter 4 focuses on ethnographic description and anthropological interpretation, emphasizing the importance of detailed accounts and accurate representation of cultural meanings to develop scientific theories.
Study at a glance
| Design | theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Ethnographic description and faithful representation of cultural meaning are essential for generating scientific theories about possession cults and spirit phenomena. |
Abstract
Abstract Chapters 4 and 5 introduce more comprehensively the scientific approach to be adopted, incorporating a review of past and present approaches to possession cults and spirit phenomena. The first of these chapters looks at ethnographic description and anthropological interpretation of spirit possession phenomena, considering the roles of both rich description and faithful representation of cultural meaning for the generation of scientific theories.