In Egyptian Muslim communities around Tanta, rituals of zikr (remembrance of God) and zār (spirit exorcism) transform participants' consciousness through embodied encounters with an invisible Other, whether benevolent or malevolent. The paper compares how the majzūb (those mystically attracted to God) and the malbūs (those possessed by spirits) experience altered states of mind during these rituals. Each ritual shapes participants' perception of reality, blending psychic and emotional experiences with divine or non-divine encounters. The study argues that the image of the invisible Other, made visible through ritual performance, directly impacts the state of consciousness in both urban and rural communities.
In Muslim cosmology, the visible material world is connected to an invisible, more authentic spiritual realm. This connection is embodied in Sufi practices—bodily rituals, mystic participation, and esoteric beliefs—that generate spiritual-psychic energy. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Egypt, the paper describes how this hierarchical cosmology is infused with mystic dimensions, including spirituality, sanctification, illumination, and unification, which coexist with everyday activities.