Health and the holy in African and Afro-American spirit possession.
Social science & medicine (1982) January 1, 1987 T J Csordas 46 citations
Spirit possession cults are difficult to understand when only religious or only medical perspectives are used. Anglo-American research increasingly treats possession as a medical condition, while French research does not. The Afro-Brazilian candomblé cult, little studied in English, is examined through case vignettes from a Brazilian psychiatrist who is also an initiated elder. A balanced approach that considers both religious and medical motives is essential for understanding possession, and this approach aligns with the goals of medical anthropology.