Trance and Possession Disorder With Dissociative-Psychotic Overlap: A Clinical Case Report
Cureus April 8, 2026 Christian David Galindo, Victor Agudelo, Ivan Ramirez Blanco et al.
A young woman with no prior psychiatric history experienced a 12-hour episode of visual and auditory hallucinations, disorganized speech, and aggressive behavior requiring emergency restraint. Her symptoms began with unusual noises and a sense of external presence, which her partner also reported, leading to a religious consultation. She later described a trance-like state with loss of self and partial amnesia. Managed with antipsychotic and benzodiazepine treatment, she stabilized. The case illustrates the diagnostic complexity of trance and possession disorder, especially its overlap with acute psychosis, and underscores the need for a biopsychosocial approach that accounts for cultural context.