Understanding spirit possession in the Philippines: a social representations approach
Mental Health, Religion & Culture August 9, 2019 A. Ang, C. Montiel 6 citations
Filipino health professionals and laypeople hold five distinct yet overlapping representations of spirit possession: as sinakluban (being overtaken by a spirit), as a vulnerability, as a disease, as kulam (witchcraft or sorcery), and as being chosen. These themes emerge from interviews with 12 individuals and reveal how Western biomedical and psychological views coexist with local religious and traditional folk beliefs. The findings highlight the complex interface among religion, indigenous beliefs, psychopathological frameworks, and the Western biomedical model in shaping understandings of possession.