Spirit possession and spirit mediumship from the perspective of Tulu oral traditions.
Culture, medicine and psychiatry March 1, 1979 P J Claus 45 citations
Spirit possession in a region of southern India is best understood within its broad cultural context rather than as solely a psychological or sociological event. The author critically reviews previous explanations and draws on local spirit possession and mediumship cults, oral traditions, and social ideology to provide an ethnographically relevant interpretation. The argument emphasizes that possession practices are embedded in regional beliefs and social structures, offering a more holistic understanding than earlier reductionist approaches.