What does it mean to be possessed by a spirit or demon? Some phenomenological insights from neuro-anthropological research
HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies August 28, 2015 Pieter F. Craffert 10 citations
Possession is not a single phenomenon but a collective term covering a wide range of experiences, including illness labels and dissociative states. Cross-cultural and neuroscientific research shows that possession involves complex neuro-cultural processes and often functions as a cultural technique for being a Self or as a solution to underlying problems. The growth of exorcism in Southern Africa partly stems from viewing Jesus as a successful exorcist, yet there is little critical reflection on possession as a cultural practice. These insights suggest that exorcism should be reconsidered as a clear-cut practice worthy of emulation.