Possession trance in a semi-urban community in Sri Lanka.
The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry June 1, 1976 C P Wijesinghe, S A Dissanayake, N Mendis 27 citations
In a survey of 7,653 people in a semi-urban area, 37 individuals experienced possession trance states. The study describes the trance manifestations, course, and outcomes. Subjects who experienced trance differed significantly from the general population in certain characteristics, including the presence of psychiatric disorder. Four psychodynamic syndromes were identified and illustrated with case examples. The paper reviews the functions of possession behavior and compares personal possession, ritual possession, and altered states of consciousness in Western society.