Spirit possession, mental suffering, and treatment by theurgic flight anthropological study of a culture-bound syndrome among the Turkmens of Iran
Culture & Psychology March 3, 2022 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1177/1354067x221074342 via Semantic Scholar
Summary
In Turkmen communities of Iran and Central Asia, a severe psychotic disorder known as spirit possession, fairy possession, or Porkhani is understood as possession by evil forces. Patients experience psychosis resistant to psychiatric treatment but find relief through cultural rituals. Based on two years of ethnographic fieldwork—including observation, interviews with patients and healers, and attendance at healing ceremonies—the author argues that understanding this culture-bound syndrome requires considering the patient's cultural background, lifeworld, symptom descriptions, and traditional treatment methods.
Study at a glance
| Design | ethnography |
|---|---|
| Population | Turkmen patients and healers in Iran and Central Asia |
| Key finding | The severe psychotic disorder called spirit possession, fairy possession, or Porkhani in Turkmen culture is a culture-bound syndrome that cannot be accurately understood without considering the patient's cultural background and traditional healing practices. |
Abstract
Although shamanism dates back to the prehistoric era, reminiscence of its beliefs and representation of them could still be seen in Central Asian communities and the Turkmens of Iran. Spirit possession, fairy possession and Porkhani are all terms used to describe a severe psychotic disorder; this mental disorder can be found in the Turkmen culture in Iran and Central Asia and is commonly explained as possession of the spirit by forces of evil. In this culture-bound syndrome, the patient experiences severe psychosis and shows resistance towards psychiatric treatments but finds relief through specific cultural rituals. This article, which is the outcome of 2 years of field research, aims to explain a phenomenon that is not yet considered a culture-bound syndrome through ethnography using observation techniques, interviewing patients and healers, attending healing rituals, and taking photos and filming. The author believes that without considering the patient’s cultural background, lifeworld, description of the symptoms, and cultural treatment methods, we cannot come to an accurate understanding of this phenomenon.