Trance and Possession: Are They The Same?
Transcultural Psychiatric Research Review March 1, 1996 Daniel Halperin 11 citations
The article argues that trance and possession, often treated as the same phenomenon under the term "trance-possession," are actually distinct concepts. Trance refers to psychophysiologically altered states of consciousness, while possession involves cultural beliefs and practices. Confusing the two reinforces the mistaken assumption that possession necessarily involves a physiological altered state. The author calls for separating these elements and suggests that combining psychophysiological analysis of trance with ethnographic study of possession offers a productive path for future research.