"Just some spirits": the erosion of spirit possession and the rise of "tension" in South India.
Medical anthropology January 1, 2005 Murphy Halliburton 76 citations
In Kerala, India, spirit possession appears to be declining and changing form: spirits that once had distinct names and personalities are now more anonymous. Psychological terms like 'tension' and 'depression' are increasingly used by patients and in popular media. These shifts suggest an erosion of local context and a rise of universal categories, a hallmark of 'modernity.' Yet the modern itself can become just another context, as when possession language appears in a psychological advice column. The article draws on research among possessed and mentally ill patients and on media depictions of mental health.